The Gamer's Quarter

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane

No, I'm not saying Pokemon needs to die . . . but with so many different incarnations and versions on both the GBA and the DS, how does one decide which one to get?

Sapphire . . . Ruby, Leaf Green, etc . . . And can you trade between a GBA and DS? And can you trade Pokemon over WiFi with the DS?

By the way Wes, at a video game shop today I saw a little DS pamphlet and thought I'd pick it up for you, but you wouldn't be interested in it if I sent it in the mail, would you? There's actually a cooking game coming out on the DS here! It shows you how to make it, and how much calories it has and everything . . . the DS is really useful! Learn English, Learn Kanji, and now learn how to cook! Which reminds me ... I saw a STRANGE box for a game today, I should upload it and send it to you.

purplechair · . Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 378 Location: in my pants

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject:

I never really asked anybody, but you can't play a GBC games on the DS? If not, can you play GBC games on the GBA Micro? Hmmm, maybe I'll just buy one game from each generation (such as Ruby, Leaf Green, and Sapphire).

squidlarkin · . Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Posts: 100

purplechair · . Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 378 Location: in my pants

You might be able to, depending on which ones you buy.

You really do have to Catch 'em All, though. It's the only way to become a Pokemon Master!

(And no, you can't trade between the GB games and the GBA/DS games.)

Edit: You know, honestly, one of my current "personal objectives" is to Catch 'em All on my copy of Ruby. Which is why I'm so pissed about having to finish Fire Red/ Leaf Green before I can trade with them.

Ryan - SuperWes' Bane · Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:13 am Post subject:

The thing that pisses me off about Pokemon is that I NEVER know anybody else that has the Pokemon games . . . okay, so THIS is how I'm going to do it. Everybody tell me WHAT game you have, and I will buy the opposite. WE MUST CREATE BALANCE!

I wonder if there are sales numbers out there as to how much of each copy has been sold. I'd love to get one that not many people have . . .

SuperWes · Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:21 am Post subject:

If you need one now, get Emerald. It's the most recent game in the series that actually does something new. If you finish that one and want more, then move on to Fire Red or Leaf Green. Or get one of the DS versions if it's out by then.

Also: you should buy the US version of Emerald. In the GBA games you can trade and battle between regions, so even if you're in Japan you don't have to put up with the language barrier.

-Wes
_________________

purplechair · . Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 378 Location: in my pants

The Internets tell me that the DS games will be out in Japan near the end of September.

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

Where does the Gamecube one sit in all this? I never heard talk of it.

SuperWes · Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject:

Harveyjames · the meteor kid Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636

The best time to buy a Pokemon game is the week it comes out, and have at least one friend doing the same. The Pokemon games are all about word of mouth, and interpersonal exchange of information, so it's nice if you (and everyone you meet who has a Game Boy / DS) are all in the same boat, discovering it as you go along, trading tips and Pokemon.

Sometimes things will happen like when Nintendo revealed how to get to the extra islands in Fire Red / Leaf Green 4 months after the game was released. This is why I recommend playing the games as they come out- it's fun to be part of a community playing the same game together when stuff like this happens. Somehow you feel connected to everyone else. The more recent ones have a lot of clever features to make you feel like you're inhabiting the same game world as everyone else, even if you never 'meet' each other. the next one will be internet enabled, so It'll be very interesting to see what they do with that.

The thing is, once you've done the Pokemon thing once, there's not much point doing it again. Every time a new Pokemon game comes out I tell myself I'm not going to get swept up in it again, but then someone I know will buy the game and need someone to trade with, and I can't resist. But, it's the same experience as before, slightly diminished from the last time. The important thing is not to have any illusions about 'catching them all', because it's impossible. Just when you think you've caught them all, they will announce a new game with new Pokemon! Enjoy the game for what it is, but don't get too swayed by the false desires it creates. It's brilliant, but you have to keep in the back of your mind that it's also a huge scam to make you keep buying stuff you don't need.

From what people have told me, Gold and Silver sound like the best ones to play. They have a lot of features that aren't in the other games. The game works in real time, apparently, so there are Pokemon you have to wake up early to catch, Night and Day cycles, and even events that only a few people get to see, like supposedly if you go up to the top of the mountain on one certain night in the week you can see a ring of dancing Clefairies. It sounds like the game world has this grand sense of mystery about it, like we always thought the Legend of Zelda games would. I'd like to go back and play Gold or Silver, but you really need someone else with their own copy to be playing through it at the same time, that's half the fun.