My opinion about pokémon games 2- Johto (Silver, Gold and Crystal)
Hi! As I said in the last post, in these reviews I will write about what I think is good and bad about different Pokémon videogames. I will talk (at least by the moment) about the principal games and I will go generation through generation. So as last time I talked about Red and Blue here is the link if you missed it now I will write about Silver, Gold and Crystal. Now it’s been some time since I don’t play it so be free to correct me if I make any mistakes.
In general I think this game was more complete than the first one, it had more options, like the phone and the bright idea of Pokémon breeding, which I think is one of the most entertaining things in Pokémon. It also included the first battle tower in Chrystal. It’s kind of a magic game, as they gave it a softer (but not worse) touch that wasn’t in Kanto. In fact Crystal was the first Pokémon game I played and that’s why it makes me feel kind of nostalgic. Another thing that I find very important is the fact that they added the option of being a girl with my favorite protagonist, that girl with blue hair I call Crystal. That was one big step to make the feminine public more comfortable, cause that was basically telling them the game was also for them and that girls can also be heroes. If I am not wrong it was (if not the first) one of the first videogames that added the possibility to play as a woman, and I think this is a big step in such a sexist industry as the videogame’s is. About the world: now that was a real fantasy world! I liked the realistic touch in Kanto but I rather the dreamy Tradicional-Japan inspired Johto. I think it gave another look to the videogames, maybe more appealing to the young public, but also not forgetting the adult one; I love the changing from day to night they added to this second game; I think it’s the best idea they had in Pokémon. All the scenario changed from day to night: you were in the same place but everything was darker and some Pokémon changed. I loved walking through tall grass and finding all the hoot-hoots and spinaraks, I kind of rather playing this game by night; but then the day came again and it all got calm and dreamy again. Talking about the cities, they were all very different; I like every one of them too: the idea of the Sprout Tower in the violet city, together with all Ecruteack city gave it the mysterios and tradicional japanase touch, while Goldenrod and Olivine cities gave it the cute touch. Mahogany Town and Blackthorn city added what most of the audience look for in Pokémon and other videogames, the epic touch, and the lake of rage was also helping in that. But cool cities and towns wasn’t everything that Pokémon offered us; there were also very entertaining places where we could do other activities, like the Ruins of Alph were we tried to complete the Unown dex while solving mysteries and the National Park and it’s contests, I had a lot of fun trying to catch the strongest or weirdest bug! And if that wasn’t enough, we could also travel to Kanto! I honestly have nothing to object about this region, the only fact that can be discussed is the decision of the boring zubat caves again and having to go across the victory road again, UFF!!
The villains: we had Team Rocket again there, which maybe wasn’t necessary but it wasn’t either a bad option. In one hand it was cool they went on showing that, even in a pretty world like the Pokémon one, there was cruelty; I’m referring to things like, for example, the slowpoke’s tails creepy plot. When you’re a child you’re like: “okay, this is bad”. But when you grow up you are like: “wait, WHAT?” They literally cut their tails to sell them in a high price, as it seems they are tasty. But doesn’t that reflect how bad we are too for eating animals? I’m not vegan but that is an interesting fact to think about, how we are reflected in team Rocket actions. Anyways it could likely be more compared to the shark hunting on japan (or was it in China?), as their fins are used for making soups and other food. I’m not sure how it works but I know they kill the whole animal just for eating the fin; if killing an animal you’re going to eat entirely can be cruel for some of us, how is it to kill an animal just for a fin? To me it makes 100% logic these things happen in Pokémon, and it is very clear that it would be team rocket who would sell the Slowpoke tails. The only question I have about it is… what happens to the Slowpokes? Do they kill them? Or do they make them live suffering? I can’t imagine team Rocket healing Slowpoke butts, honestly – and that makes me sad as you know it is the Pokémon I feel more represented by ;_;
But team Rocket was not that powerful since Giovanni left it, and Game Freak made a good job showing the contrast. For example, in Red and Blue, Team Rocket is everywhere: in the powerful places like Silph S.A., in the casino, Giovanni is a Gym leader, etc. while in Gold, Sylver and Crystal they even have difficulties invading the Radio Tower… because when they do you immediately go and kick them out. Not to mention there is no sign of them in Kanto neither. And after this game, team Rocket disappears. I doubt if Game Freak intentions were to make us aware that team Rocket ended there, if they wanted to show how a big mafia ended up being a group of thugs with dark intentions or if they just didn’t know what to do about the villains and didn’t think about a new team as they did lately… I think I personally would have rathered a new team because it is kind of repetitive and boring fighting them again; maybe a team linked to the spiritual touch of Johto? A lot of ideas come to my head, but well, as they made it fit the game, the idea of team Rocket again didn’t end that bad.
About the Pokémon: All I have to say about them are good things; this is my favorite generation of Pokémon designs, they all look extravagant and at the same time they all have the old school touch Kanto also had. There’s a lot of Pokémon I love there: Smeargle, Jumpluff, Stantler, Ledyba, Hoot-Hoot, Misdreavus… Not to mention the legendaries were also stunning; I simply love Ho-oh and Suicune. They also included the shinys and the baby Pokémon in this game (you know, Cleffa, Pichu, Magby…) which also strengthen the cute touch I was talking about before. The pokemon they choosed of Kanto also fit the story and curiously had a big importance in it, like Bellsprout (in the sprout tower) or gastly and it’s evolutions (that were very important in the ghost gym and also helped strengthen the mysterious and dark touch I was talking about before) . I think it’s the only game I wouldn’t mind what starter to use and the eeveelution introduced are as good as the three originals or even better. As I said, nothing bad to write here.
The Character designs: In the last review I was complaining of the lack of representation of social minorities and well, they introduced the first androgynous looking boy of Pokémon, Bugsy! Not to mention that Will looks kind of androgynous too. They still lacked representation for people of color and androgynous woman (and I could talk about more minorities!) but again that was Japan in the late nineties, so let’s go step by step. Apart of that they are also good characters, but I would like to know more of them. It feels like the leaders in Kanto had a more important role than in Johto, as some of them are part of the story while we don’t get to know the Johto characters that much (maybe the only exception is Jasmine, as we help her with her ampharos). But there’s one character that amazes me and this is Whitney; she always makes me laugh as I think she’s got a strong character, she behaves like a little girl but she will destroy you with her miltank – she looks cute (and she knows it!) but will make you a drama if she doesn’t win. Honestly I can understand it if the other people find her annoying but for me she is so frinking funny. We may not get to know the new Johto characters that much but the good thing is we get to know the Kanto characters better, and I like the fact that the Johto and the Kanto league are the same and now Lance is the champion, and we also got the opportunity to fight together with him against team Rocket. We can also see how the people of Kanto is doing after the first games: I like the fact that Green is a Gym leader and you can also fight Red. I could spend hours talking about how amazing and interesting it got but I think I said everything I had to.
I can’t say I have many objections of this game. Now playing it is not as entertaining for me as playing the new games because they got more dynamic and entertaining but it is still one of my favorite games Thanks very much for reading and, if you liked it, please reblog it, like it or follow me, this blog is still new and I need your support to go on with it! J oh, and you can ask about my point of view of anything of the Pokémon world if you want, I’ll try to answer it! Sami Luu~
