Pokémon Crystal Version is a role-playing video game created by Game Freak and released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It was first sold in Japan in December 2000 and later released worldwide in 2001. It is an improved version of the 1999 games Pokémon Gold and Silver and is the last game in the second generation of the Pokémon series. The game added new elements, such as extra story details, a Battle Tower area, the choice to play as a female character, animated pictures of Pokémon during battles, and small improvements. The Japanese version of the game used a special accessory called the Mobile Adapter GB, which let players trade and battle with others using cell phones and a paid service named "Mobile System GB." These features were possible because the Game Boy Color had better technology than the original Game Boy, making Crystal the first Pokémon game that could not be played on the original Game Boy.
Although Pokémon Crystal is the least popular main series Pokémon game sold so far, it is still one of the top-selling Game Boy games. Critics appreciated the new features and improvements but noted that some features, like the Mobile Adapter GB, were not available in versions outside Japan. Later reviews have been very positive, with many people recognizing that Crystal introduced ideas that became common in later Pokémon games and helped keep the series interesting during a time when fewer people were playing it.
Gameplay
Pokémon Crystal is a role-playing video game similar to Pokémon Gold and Silver. Players explore a fictional world by catching, training, and battling with Pokémon. The game improves on Gold and Silver with better graphics and new features. For example, Pokémon sprites animate when first seen in battle, signposts appear on the screen when entering new areas, and many locations have small visual upgrades. Players can choose between two characters, including Kris, a female trainer with a unique image. A new feature called the Battle Tower lets players challenge seven trainers with three Pokémon set to customizable levels to earn prizes.
In Japan, Pokémon Crystal supported the Mobile Adapter GB, a device that connected Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance systems to mobile phones for online activities through the Mobile System GB service. Players could battle and trade online, read news, take quizzes, and play mini-games. They could also record and transfer battle replays to Pokémon Stadium 2 on the Nintendo 64 using a Transfer Pak. A special item from the service allowed players to catch the rare Pokémon Celebi. However, users paid fees for online features, such as battling or downloading content.
Nintendo planned to release the Mobile Adapter GB and Mobile System GB service with Pokémon Crystal in December, but the service launched later on 27 January 2001. Online features were heavily advertised, and the game was expected to be a major attraction for the service. However, the Mobile Adapter GB sold only 80,000 units in its first year and was not released internationally. The Mobile System GB service ended on 18 December 2002. Some functions of the Mobile Adapter GB, like peer-to-peer trading, could still be used without the service.
Plot
The setting and story of Crystal are mostly the same as in Gold and Silver. Players still aim to raise and battle Pokémon to defeat Johto Gym Leaders and the Elite Four to become the Johto League Champion. However, new encounters and characters are added to the main story. Crystal gives Legendary Pokémon a bigger role, as players can wake up Suicune, Entei, and Raikou and meet them at different points in the game. A new character named Eusine appears, who is searching for Suicune. He helps players find and catch Suicune and the other Legendary Pokémon in a clearer way. The game also changes how players meet Gym Leader Clair and adds new puzzles in the Ruins of Alph involving Pokémon Unown. Players can solve these puzzles to earn rewards and messages from the Unown.
Development and release
Crystal was created by Game Freak in 1999 after the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. It was the first Pokémon game to have Junichi Masuda as the main director. Before this role, Masuda had worked as a composer for the Pokémon games and as a sub-director for Gold and Silver. Nintendo announced the development of Crystal and the Mobile Adapter GB in December 1999. During development, the game was called Pokémon X. Artist Ken Sugimori said that Crystal was mainly created to support Nintendo’s new Mobile System GB service. Masuda explained that the game’s name was connected to "crystals used in electronic transmissions." Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi said, "Pokémon, which includes ideas about trading and collecting, would be the best way to introduce people to a new type of game that uses mobile phones."
Nintendo first showed Crystal and the Mobile Adapter GB at Space World in August 2000. Crystal was released in Japan on December 14, 2000. Nintendo previewed the game for North America at E3 in May 2001, and it was released there on July 30, 2001. The game was also released in Australia on September 30, 2001, and in Europe on November 2, 2001. In North America, special versions of the game were sold with lime green Game Boy Color models, called the Pokémon Crystal Bundle.
Crystal became available on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS handheld consoles on January 28, 2018.
Reception
When Pokémon Crystal was released, most reviewers gave it positive feedback, noting the new features added to the game. Frank Provo from GameSpot said the additions provided "a great deal of value," pointing out features like timed events, improvements that made the game easier to play, and better visuals. Nintendo Power praised the Battle Tower, calling it a "truly challenging" feature that would interest experienced players. Kelly Starr from Nintendo Gamer said the game had enough small changes to make it worth playing, especially the option to play as a female trainer, the addition of location signs, and improved animations.
Some critics believed the changes in Crystal were not very different from Gold and Silver. Craig Harris from IGN mentioned the game had better design improvements but said the visual changes were "very little," and he was upset that it used the same game engine as older games. Simon Brew from Game Boy Xtreme said there was not much new for long-time players, adding that the game "stretched the traditional formula as far as it could go." Chris Johnston from Electronic Gaming Monthly said the additions did not change how the game was played and suggested the changes should have been included in the original game. Chris Thompson from Pocket Games said the game was a good introduction for new players but not enough to make it worth buying again.
Although Pokémon Crystal was not as popular as Gold and Silver and remains the least-selling main series Pokémon game, it still sold well, ranking among the top ten best-selling Game Boy titles. Worldwide, Crystal sold 6.3 million copies, compared to 23.7 million copies of Gold and Silver.
In Japan, the game topped weekly sales charts and sold 1,871,307 copies, making it the second-best-selling Game Boy Color game in the country. Internationally, Crystal was the best-selling Nintendo title for Game Boy consoles in January 2002 and stayed in Nintendo Power's top ten charts for the entire year. In the United States, it sold 600,000 units within the first two weeks of its release.
Legacy
Retrospective reviews of Pokémon Crystal have praised the game as one of the best titles in the Pokémon franchise. Darryn Bonthuys of GameSpot said Crystal was "the definitive Pokémon game of the Game Boy era" and one of the best Game Boy Color titles, noting its "revolutionary" animations and story. Chris Tapsell of Eurogamer called Crystal "the best Pokémon game" because of its "outstanding artwork" and the "simple, hand-drawn style" of its animations. Arjun Joshi of Nintendo Life said Crystal "added even more life to an already vibrant game," praising its animations and "captivating and memorable" additions to the game's story.
Many reviewers have also noted that Crystal introduced features that became standard in later Pokémon games. These include the pattern of releasing an improved version of a game after the main games in a generation, the ability to choose the player character's gender, a main story with themes about a "chosen one," and the inclusion of a Battle Tower feature. Tomas Franzese of Dual Shockers said the game helped set "multiple precedents" for the series and its future. Nintendo Power mentioned that while the Mobile Adapter GB was only used in Japan, its design influenced later portable networking features, such as the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter and Nintendo DS.
Some writers have also said Crystal helped the franchise stay popular during a time of change. Arana Judith of Well Played described Crystal as the end of the original design for the franchise, as the Game Boy Color was being phased out and interest in Pokémon was declining. This decline was noted by critics who said Crystal came at a time when the franchise's popularity was waning. Judith wrote that while later games like Ruby and Sapphire helped the series continue, Crystal was released when Pokémon merchandise was becoming less common, showing that the widespread popularity of Pokémon in the late 1990s was fading. Rhiannon Bevan of TechRaptor said the game's additions were bold and helped the series remain popular over time.
Pokémon Crystal has been praised for including a player character with a selectable gender. Juno Stump of Polygon said Pokémon Crystal and the character Kris "had a big impact on girls, letting them finally see themselves in a video game and on their own Pokémon adventure." Clare McBride of Syfy Wire said the game was important for women, as it allowed players to use their names instead of a male character's name. Anya Archer of Wired noted that while the feature was meant to appeal to cisgender girls, it also helped transgender players by letting them play as a character whose gender does not match the one they were assigned at birth.
On March 2, 2014, Pokémon Crystal was played in a live event called Twitch Plays Pokémon, where users of the streaming service Twitch controlled the game through chat commands. The game used the same main character and Pokémon to connect with earlier streams. The event faced criticism for players trying to recreate intense moments from the first stream, like releasing Pokémon from the PC, and for temporarily adding features that were later removed, such as changes to the "Democracy" and "Anarchy" modes. The Crystal stream finished in 13 days and 2 hours.