Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver are 2009 remakes of the 1999 Game Boy Color games Pokémon Gold and Silver, which also include features from Pokémon Crystal. These games are part of the fourth generation of the Pokémon video game series. They were developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gold and Silver, the games were released in Japan on September 12, 2009, and later released in other regions in March 2010.
HeartGold and SoulSilver take place in the Johto and Kanto regions of the Pokémon franchise’s fictional world, which includes special creatures called Pokémon. The main goal of the game is to become the top Pokémon Trainer in both regions by raising, collecting, and recording Pokémon and defeating other trainers.
Game director Shigeki Morimoto wanted to honor players who enjoyed earlier games while making the experience feel fresh for newer players. Critics gave the games positive reviews. By March 2014, the games had sold a combined total of 12.72 million copies, making them the eighth best-selling Nintendo DS games of all time.
Gameplay
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are role-playing video games that include adventure elements. The basic way to play these games is similar to earlier versions. Like all Pokémon games for handheld devices, players view the game from a third-person overhead perspective. Gameplay includes three main screens: a field map, where the player moves the main character; a battle screen, where Pokémon fight; and a menu, where the player manages their team, items, or settings. The game starts with one Pokémon, and players can catch more using Poké Balls.
When a player meets a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer, the screen changes to a turn-based battle. During battles, players can use moves, items, switch Pokémon, or run away. Running away is not allowed during battles against trainers. Each Pokémon has hit points (HP), which show how healthy they are during battles. If a Pokémon’s HP reaches zero, it faints and cannot fight unless healed at a Pokémon Center or with a special item, like a "revive." If a player’s Pokémon defeats an opponent, it earns experience points. When enough experience points are collected, the Pokémon levels up. Most Pokémon change into a new type when they reach a certain level or meet specific conditions, such as how much they statistically "like" their trainer.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the first Pokémon in the player’s team can follow them in the overworld, a feature first seen in Pokémon Yellow with Pikachu. This was also used in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum when a "cute" Pokémon is in Amity Park. Players can talk to their Pokémon to check on their condition or see if they find items. A pedometer called a "Pokéwalker" came with the game. It lets players transfer Pokémon to the device and walk with them, earning "watts" that can be used for in-game rewards.
A new minigame called the Pokéathlon uses the Nintendo DS touchscreen, allowing Pokémon to compete in events like hurdling. The Japanese versions of the game include slot machines from earlier games, while international versions replace them with a new game called "Voltorb Flip," which combines elements of Minesweeper and Picross. A new item, the GB Sounds, changes background music to chiptune music similar to the original Pokémon Gold and Silver.
A new feature in the Safari allows players to customize areas to increase the chance of encountering wild Pokémon. This feature unlocks after completing the national Pokédex, finishing two tasks given by the Safari administrator, and responding to his calls automatically every three hours of gameplay.
HeartGold and SoulSilver were the only games in the GB, GBA, and NDS eras to include a permanent Running Shoe feature, which allowed faster movement. This feature was later replaced by the joystick on the 3DS.
Players could use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (now discontinued) to trade, battle, and interact with others playing these games or Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. After completing a special Wi-Fi mission in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, players could send a Deoxys to HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Setting and story
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver take place in the Johto and Kanto Regions of the Pokémon franchise's fictional world. This world focuses on creatures called Pokémon, which have special abilities. The main character is a young Pokémon Trainer who lives in a small town called New Bark Town. At the start of the games, the player chooses one of three starter Pokémon—Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile—from Professor Elm. After completing a task for the professor and receiving a Pokédex from Professor Oak, the professor allows the player to keep the chosen Pokémon and begin their journey.
The goal of the game is to become the best Pokémon Trainer in Johto. This is achieved by training Pokémon, collecting all Pokémon in a list called a Pokédex, defeating eight Gym Leaders in Johto to earn Gym Badges, challenging the Elite Four and the Johto League Champion to become the new League Champion, and then defeating the eight Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region. Finally, the player battles the Indigo League Champion, Red, on Mt. Silver, who is the game's final opponent.
Throughout the game, the player fights members of Team Rocket, a criminal group from Kanto. This group was previously defeated by the main character of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and has since tried to return while waiting for their leader, Giovanni. To contact Giovanni, Team Rocket takes control of a radio tower and broadcasts a message to him.
As remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, HeartGold and SoulSilver include story elements from Pokémon Crystal, such as a greater focus on the legendary Pokémon Suicune compared to other legendary creatures and the post-ending feature called the Battle Frontier, which was only available as the Battle Tower in Crystal. The Johto and Kanto Regions also include features from Generation IV, such as Pal Park.
At certain points in the game, the player's rival challenges the protagonist in skill-based battles. The player also meets Kimono Girls, who ask for small tasks, such as defeating a Team Rocket member, throughout Johto. After completing all these tasks, the player reaches the area where they encounter the game's legendary Pokémon mascot—Ho-Oh in HeartGold and Lugia in SoulSilver—and performs a dance to summon them. As in the original games, other legendary Pokémon can be obtained later in the game.
Development
HeartGold and SoulSilver were released in 2009, ten years after the original Gold and Silver games for the Game Boy Color. Shigeki Morimoto, the director of the remakes, said that the team needed to respect the memories of players who had enjoyed Gold and Silver a decade earlier. He explained that players often remember specific details, such as how trainers and Pokémon interact, and that these memories were important to honor. At the same time, Morimoto wanted the games to feel fresh for players who had started playing Pokémon more recently on systems like the Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS. A character in the game who represents the president of Game Freak mentions that the team aimed to create a game that honored the past without repeating it exactly. He also described the project as a "rewarding challenge." Morimoto explained that HeartGold and SoulSilver focused more on the relationship between trainers and their Pokémon, which became a central theme in the story. The names HeartGold and SoulSilver were chosen to reflect this theme. The remakes included many new features that were not in the original Gold and Silver games, some of which were inspired by earlier Nintendo DS games like Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
Release and promotion
In early May 2009, rumors began spreading that Nintendo might remake the Pokémon Gold and Silver games. This happened after a Japanese television show called Pokémon Sunday ended its episode by hinting at a "world-exclusive first announcement" for its next show. Kris Pigna of 1UP.com thought this might mean Nintendo was planning to remake Gold and Silver for the Nintendo DS. He pointed out that gold and silver disco balls were visible in the background during the show. Pigna also noted that this idea matched earlier games, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which were improved versions of the original Pokémon Red and Blue.
A few days later, Nintendo officially confirmed that Gold and Silver would be remade as HeartGold and SoulSilver. They shared the games’ official logos and said the remakes would include many updates, though they did not share details. The games were released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 12, 2009, to mark the 10th anniversary of the original Gold and Silver games. Junichi Masuda, a Game Freak developer, wrote on his blog that the team had worked hard for a long time on the games and that Pokémon Gold & Silver would return with more excitement.
At the 2009 Pokémon World Championships, Nintendo announced that HeartGold and SoulSilver would be released in North America between January and March 2010, in Europe around May and June 2010, and in Australia in April 2010. A spokesperson said sharing the news at the event allowed them to tell fans directly.
As the games neared release, from February 27 to March 13, 2010, GameStop in North America offered a promotion. Players who owned Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum could use the games’ "Mystery Gift" feature to download a free Jirachi Pokémon. A "Pikachu-colored Pichu" could also be downloaded through Wi-Fi. When taken to the Ilex Forest in the game, this Pichu unlocked a "Spiky-eared Pichu."
The games were released in North America on March 14, 2010, in Australia on March 25, 2010, and in Europe on March 26, 2010. However, in the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium, they were released on April 2, 2010.
A three-disc soundtrack called Nintendo DS Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Music Super Complete was released in Japan on October 28, 2009. The music was composed by Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose, Hitomi Sato, Shota Kageyama, and Takuto Kitsuta.
Reception
In response to news about the creation of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, fans shared their thoughts online. IGN editor Jack DeVries explained that the main reason for making the updated games was to work with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, so players could catch Pokémon that were not available in the newer games. He also questioned whether the new games could match the quality of the original Gold and Silver versions. He said, "Gold and Silver were amazing because they added many new features that became standard for the series. It was the only time the games expanded so much. Now, it’s rare to see new features that change how the game is played." He talked about the unique features of Gold and Silver, such as full color support, an internal clock, Pokémon breeding, and the PokéGear. Later, after playing some parts of the game, DeVries wrote, "so far I like what I see, even if it feels very familiar and follows the same pattern."
The games received mostly positive reviews. They have an average score of 87 on Metacritic and are among the top 20 highest-rated DS games on the site. Japanese magazine Famitsu gave the games a total score of 37 out of 40, based on four reviews with scores of 9, 10, 9, and 9. Reviewers praised the games for keeping the quality that made the original Gold and Silver popular. The only criticism was that the games did not offer any major surprises. Nintendo Power gave the games a high score, noting their replay value but pointing out that the animation for Pokémon sprites did not improve. Official Nintendo Magazine called them the best Pokémon games ever. Game Informer’s Annette Gonzalez said, "Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works, as shown by HeartGold, I hope for a new Pokémon game that brings something new."
IGN’s Craig Harris said the games were "like a gap filler to make the wait for a new Pokémon game easier." James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid said, "While it is the same game as before, it still feels new, and the updates improve the original experience." Justin Haywald of 1UP.com said, "HeartGold and SoulSilver are easily the best Pokémon game yet." Jamin Smith of VideoGamer.com said, "With HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Pokémon series has reached its best point." Keza MacDonald of Eurogamer gave the games a 9/10, saying they combined the best parts of older Pokémon games, including improved graphics and battle systems. McKinley Noble of GamePro said the games were perfect for both longtime fans and new players. Cliff Bakehorn III of GameZone said, "There is no doubt: Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best in the series." Nathan Meunier of GameSpot gave the games a lower score, saying they lacked innovation. GamesRadar said the games’ success came from being remakes of classic games.
HeartGold and SoulSilver won the Golden Joystick Award for Portable Game of the Year in 2010, the first time the Pokémon series won this award.
In Japan, the games sold over 1.48 million copies in the first two days, becoming the top-selling games that week. Within two weeks, they sold over 2 million copies. By December 18, 2009, sales in Japan reached 3.22 million. In Australia, over 50,000 copies sold in one week. In the United States, the games sold 1.73 million copies in their first month, with SoulSilver selling 1.01 million and HeartGold selling 0.76 million. Together, they were the top-selling games in March 2010. By May 6, 2010, worldwide sales reached 8.40 million, and by the end of July 2010, sales reached 10 million. As of September 2017, combined sales reached 12.72 million.