Pokémon Gold and Silver

Japanese Release Date: November 21, 1999

American Release Date: October 15, 2000

Pokémon Gold and Silver mark the start of a brand new generation of Pokémon. You start off as a character in the Johto region with 100 brand new Pokémon to fill your Pokédex up with. Your adventure will be full of all new experiences, with a brand new set of Gym Leaders and a brand new rival to conquer. When compared to the first generation, the second has many modifications in order to give off a fresh, fun experience. The plot remains the same though: be the Pokémon Champion. But this time your goal is much more difficult to reach than before.

Many new features made their way into the second generation of the Pokémon games, and they all help to make the games a better experience. One new feature was a new orginization for your items, all of which are now stored in different pockets, as opposed to the RBY generation which held them all on one general screen. This feature became a regular for all future generations to come. Another unique addition to the series was the inclusion of Berries, which have different effects depending on the berry. Berries also found their home in the series, and are present in both Generations III and IV. A mechanic not revisted in future generations, however, was the phone/radio feature, which the player carried on their person, constantly receiving calls from their Mom, Professor Elm, or trainers wanting rematches. The radio allowed players to listen to music, some of which even helped you catch or avoid Pokémon, depending on the day (see time system in next paragraph).

Other small additions also made their way into the series, such as being able to see the experience your Pokémon had during battle, or having the ability to face the trainers in the game in a rematch later on. In addition to these, a much more worked-out happiness system than the premature one used in Pokémon Yellow was used in Gold and Silver. Happiness was a new way that you could evolve your Pokémon without leveling up, trading, or using evolutionary stones. Other such methods of evolution, such as the King's Rock, also first appeared in this generation. A time system also found its way into the mix, allowing players to find different Pokémon depending on the time: Morning, Day, or Night. Using this same clock-like system, special events sometimes happened on certain days of the week, such as the Bug Catching Contest.

Some notable additions to the series include the introduction of Shiny Pokémon as well as the Pokérus disease. Shiny Pokémon had different colors than the normal Pokémon, and they also sparkled when released from their balls. However, the chance of finding a Shiny Pokémon is very slim, being only a 1/8,192 chance. The one exception present in the second generation is the Red Gyarados. Pokérus is another extremely rare occurence in the series, far less likely to occur than the chances of finding a shiny with a 1/21,845 chance. The virus doubles the amount of Effort Values received after a battle.

Another important addition to the series was the mechanic of breeding, which took the daycare from the first generation games, and allowed you to put two compatible Pokémon in, which resulted in an egg later on. There is one exception to this rule and that is the Legendary Pokémon group, which cannot breed, even with Ditto (which can breed with any Pokémon)! Babies always inherit the species of the mother Pokémon and the moves of the father Pokémon, even if the moves are taught TM's. If both parents know a move that the baby may learn while leveling up, the baby may be born with that move as well. In addition to these moves, father Pokémon may pass down egg moves, which the baby Pokémon would not normally learn any other way.

Page was last modified on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:45:42