After the monster success of Pokemon Red & Blue, Nintendo released Pokemon Yellow in 1998 to massive success. Nearly 20 years later, on the Nintendo 3DS family of handhelds, it still remains as one of the best Game Boy games ever and a testament to the timeless RPG series Pokemon has become.
A more polished version of the original games, Pokemon Yellow is a less-glitchy and better-looking experience and one that features characters from the hit TV show, mainly Pikachu. Away from that, it’s virtually the same experience as its predecessors.
The largest difference in Pokemon Yellow is the fact that Pikachu is your starter Pokemon and not Charmander, Bulbasaur or Squirtle. The fact that he follows you around Kanto and you can talk to him to see how he’s feeling adds another emotional to the game that wasn’t available in Red & Blue. However, the coolest part of Pokemon Yellow is that you’ll have the opportunity to pick up all of the original starter Pokemon along the way and build a powerful and diverse team of Pocket Monsters. Perfect for more of a loner-gamer, Pokemon Yellow allows you to get the team of your dreams, simply by playing, while Pokemon Red and Blue basically forced you to trade with friends to “catch em all.â€
For that reason alone, Pokemon Yellow is the best version of the three recently-released Pokemon games and one that younger games will find a beefy, yet old-school version of their favorite series. At the same time, it’s a far different game than its far sexier two-screened children on the 3DS. Just like Pokemon Red & Blue, there’s no experience share, meaning there’s far more strategy than today’s version of the beloved RPG. Simply put, it takes a ton of time to get your team to Level 100 and battles are longer and far more stress-inducing, Even a wimpy Pokemon like Metapod can be a huge annoyance if battled incorrectly, especially early in the game.
However, by the end of this adventure, although not nearly as deep as today’s Pokemon games, the same feeling of success and accomplishment remains. You’ve traveled the world, originally by yourself, then joined by friends, who you’ve grown to love and nurture along the way and in the process, became something you’ve never dreamed possible. An experience like that doesn’t necessarily need widescreen support, 3D graphics or sexy gameplay. What it does have, in spades, is an emotional story and tried and true gaming mechanics that have been copied a hundred times over. That’s why the world and everything in it is still magical. In the end, even after all this time, Pokemon Yellow is the most refined version of quite possibly the best RPG series in gaming history.
Pros:
Fun: While Red and Blue were marvelous games, Yellow added just a few more refinements and a connection to the hit TV show that dedicated gamers at the time loved. Almost 20 years, later, it’s still a solid game that’s just a tad bit better than Red/Blue.
All About Pikachu: Unlike Red/Blue, having Pikachu walk around with you makes you form the type of relationship the future Pokemon games thrived on. While he’s not the strongest Pokemon, he’s a fan favorite for a reason. This is kind of where his legend started.
Still Challenging: Just like Red/Blue, if you’re not a master of strategy, you can and will be defeated. After all these years, balance is still key to defeating any team you face.
PokeBank Compatibility and Trading: Although gamers will have to wait before they can trade in the Pokemon they catch in these games to the upcoming Sun and Moon titles, having wireless trading for the title makes it a worthwhile addition to any Pokemon fans’ library.
Cons:
No Widescreen Support:Â We know this is a straight port, but it could have done wonders for the look of the game on the 3DS.
Slow:Â The sheer amount of random encounters and lack of an experience share slow down the development of your team incredibly, making you wish a few updates could have been made to speed up gameplay.
Final Thoughts:
Of the first three Pokemon games, Yellow has the least amount of glitches and has the best visuals. More polished and refined, it’s probably the best option among the three for those that have never played them before.
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