Pokemon Gold: The newest Pokemon game takes the Gold!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm a Pokemon-junkie. I watch the show every day at 4 PM. I have a gigantic Bulbasaur that I won at the Jersey Shore sitting on my shelf. I lost weeks of my life to Pokemon Red. So, needless to say, when I got the call that Pokemon Gold and Silver (I got Gold, my girlfriend got Silver) were in, we hopped in my car and raced to EBX as fast as we could. Sometimes, sequels are just a rehash of the original game. Not so here.

At first glance, the game seems like Red, Blue, or Yellow with new Pokemon. Instead of Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander, you choose from Chikorita (a Grass-type), Totodile (a water-type) and Cyndaquil (a fire-type). The differences become very apparant very quickly.

To be sure, the best part are still the same. You're still a young Pokemon trainer battling through a series of 8 Gym leaders to become a Pokemon master. You still collect Pokemon in the wild and train them as you wander about the world. The gameplay is mainly the same, in the typical RPG style, where you walk around and talk to people, and Pokemon battles are done in a turn-based style (you pick your attack, the opponent picks his, they both happen, and then you go again).

However, there are a number of huge enhancements that makes this game spectacular. First of all, the graphics were optimized for Game Boy Color. Instead of wandering through the 4-color world of Red and Blue, you experience a fully colorized land where everything looks as you would expect. Pokemon portraits also look more like the cartoon series (i.e. cuter), and attack animations are more elaborate.

The interface is also much improved. Items are sorted by "pocket" in your backpack so you don't need to search aimlessly for Poke Balls. TM's and HMs, which allow you to teach your Pokemon new attacks, not only tell you what move is inside, but give a short description of said move. One item can be set to the select button, eliminating more wasted time. Each Pokemon has an "experience meter" that you can view to see at a glance how close your Pokemon is to gaining another level.

Not only that, but even after the quest is complete (which should take between 20 and 30 hours to finish), you can, of course, try to "catch 'em all", as the TV show implores its viewers, but you can also go through the entire quest that took place in Red and Blue. Needless to say, the replay value will definitely give you the bang for your $30.

I heartily recommend Pokemon Gold and Silver to anyone considering purchasing it. I'd even go so far to say that it's worth buying a Game Boy Color just to play these games. Don't be put off by the hoopla surrounding Pokemon. This game, Pokemon fever or no, is a truly great game, and it should definitely be tried before it's dismissed as "kid stuff".