Pokemon Leaf-Green and Fire-Red Review
By: Bernie Yee
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Gameplay
3. Graphics
4. Sound
5. Replay
6. Conclusion
Introduction
Back in 1998, two games created by GameFreak called Pokemon Red, Green ( not released in the US ), and Blue were made in Japan. Eventually, Nintendo published copies of Red and Blue in North America and they were huge successes. Little did GameFreak and Nintendo know that Pokemon Red and Blue would create a worldwide craze and successful franchise for years to come.
Released in late 2004, Pokemon Leaf-Green and Fire-Red was an attempt to recreate the original atmosphere of Pokemon Red and Blue, but with more areas and Pokemon to capture.
The game is set in a continent called Kanto, and the whole world is inhabited by Pokemon. These creatures can be either caught to be your friend, or be used for battles. Those that use them for battles, all have dreams of being a Pokemon Master, one that is extremely skilled and the master of battling other Pokemon with his own. And this is where the story begins as the main character, a 10 year old boy/girl, will begin his/her journey.
Gameplay - 10
Pokemon has always been an RPG game, except your Pokemon are the ones that fight, not you. You start off with one Pokemon of your choice, you can either pick a fire, water, or grass based Pokemon. Then you continue to use your original Pokemon to catch more in hopes of filling your PokeDex ( a device that holds a record of all the Pokemon you have seen and/or caught ). One who fills his PokeDex is also considered a Pokemon Master. But you don’t just catch Pokemon, you also level them up to be stronger, and use them to fight other trainers. In each of the main city, there is always a Gym Leader, the most skilled Pokemon trainer in the entire city. Now your job in all the Pokemon RPG games is to not just fill out your PokeDex, but also beat all the Gym Leaders to get their badges so you can move onto the next city / continent. ( Badges give you abilities, i.e. letting you use special Pokemon moves. )
The gameplay is very simple for beginners and fun for everyone of every age. In battle, you send out your Pokemon and you try to take down all the HP of the other Pokemon using your Pokemon’s moves. If the opponent’s Pokemon loses all his HP, it’s considered fainted, and needs to be healed at the local hospital ( or Pokemon Center in this case ). Outside of battle, you control your main character and you are able to explore all areas, battle trainers, interact with NPCs, etc.
Graphics – 10
For a GBA game, the graphics are the best I’ve seen on the handheld. The sprites are beautiful and full of life, colors blend in smoothly, and the animations of the Pokemon are to die for! This game really excels in the graphics aspect.
Sound – 8
All the original tunes of Red/Blue are also in Fire-Red/Leaf-Green and some are even remixed. The music is clear, crisp, enjoyable and by no means that extraordinary.
Replay – 8
The replay of value of Pokemon is endless for you can always fill out your PokeDex, rematch NPC trainers, battle your friends via. Link cables, etc.
However, I’ve noticed that once I finished the game, I didn’t really have the desire to do any mentioned above. But for those that are looking for a game that will last them countless hours and cost them sleep, then this game is for you!
Conclusion
Overall, Fire-Red and Leaf-Green is a highly recommended game for all those looking for a nostalgic game to bring back many memories of when Pokemon first step foot in the world. The games are an excellent upgrade over the originals and have more features, which of course, add more to your experience.
SCORE = 9/10
By: Bernie Yee
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Gameplay
3. Graphics
4. Sound
5. Replay
6. Conclusion
Introduction
Back in 1998, two games created by GameFreak called Pokemon Red, Green ( not released in the US ), and Blue were made in Japan. Eventually, Nintendo published copies of Red and Blue in North America and they were huge successes. Little did GameFreak and Nintendo know that Pokemon Red and Blue would create a worldwide craze and successful franchise for years to come.
Released in late 2004, Pokemon Leaf-Green and Fire-Red was an attempt to recreate the original atmosphere of Pokemon Red and Blue, but with more areas and Pokemon to capture.
The game is set in a continent called Kanto, and the whole world is inhabited by Pokemon. These creatures can be either caught to be your friend, or be used for battles. Those that use them for battles, all have dreams of being a Pokemon Master, one that is extremely skilled and the master of battling other Pokemon with his own. And this is where the story begins as the main character, a 10 year old boy/girl, will begin his/her journey.
Gameplay - 10
Pokemon has always been an RPG game, except your Pokemon are the ones that fight, not you. You start off with one Pokemon of your choice, you can either pick a fire, water, or grass based Pokemon. Then you continue to use your original Pokemon to catch more in hopes of filling your PokeDex ( a device that holds a record of all the Pokemon you have seen and/or caught ). One who fills his PokeDex is also considered a Pokemon Master. But you don’t just catch Pokemon, you also level them up to be stronger, and use them to fight other trainers. In each of the main city, there is always a Gym Leader, the most skilled Pokemon trainer in the entire city. Now your job in all the Pokemon RPG games is to not just fill out your PokeDex, but also beat all the Gym Leaders to get their badges so you can move onto the next city / continent. ( Badges give you abilities, i.e. letting you use special Pokemon moves. )
The gameplay is very simple for beginners and fun for everyone of every age. In battle, you send out your Pokemon and you try to take down all the HP of the other Pokemon using your Pokemon’s moves. If the opponent’s Pokemon loses all his HP, it’s considered fainted, and needs to be healed at the local hospital ( or Pokemon Center in this case ). Outside of battle, you control your main character and you are able to explore all areas, battle trainers, interact with NPCs, etc.
Graphics – 10
For a GBA game, the graphics are the best I’ve seen on the handheld. The sprites are beautiful and full of life, colors blend in smoothly, and the animations of the Pokemon are to die for! This game really excels in the graphics aspect.
Sound – 8
All the original tunes of Red/Blue are also in Fire-Red/Leaf-Green and some are even remixed. The music is clear, crisp, enjoyable and by no means that extraordinary.
Replay – 8
The replay of value of Pokemon is endless for you can always fill out your PokeDex, rematch NPC trainers, battle your friends via. Link cables, etc.
However, I’ve noticed that once I finished the game, I didn’t really have the desire to do any mentioned above. But for those that are looking for a game that will last them countless hours and cost them sleep, then this game is for you!
Conclusion
Overall, Fire-Red and Leaf-Green is a highly recommended game for all those looking for a nostalgic game to bring back many memories of when Pokemon first step foot in the world. The games are an excellent upgrade over the originals and have more features, which of course, add more to your experience.
SCORE = 9/10
