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 created 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 universe. These regions are home to 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 of the earlier games while making the experience feel fresh for newer players. Critics gave the games positive reviews. By March 2014, the combined sales of HeartGold and SoulSilver reached 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 the games work is similar to earlier games in the series. Like all Pokémon games for handheld consoles, players view the action 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 can manage 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 screen where Pokémon fight. During battles, players can use moves, use items, switch Pokémon, or flee. However, fleeing is not allowed during battles against trainers. Pokémon have hit points (HP), which are shown during battles. If a Pokémon’s HP drops to zero, it faints and cannot fight unless it is healed at a Pokémon Center or with a special item or skill. If a player’s Pokémon defeats an opponent, it earns experience points. When enough experience points are collected, the Pokémon levels up. Most Pokémon evolve into a new species when they reach a certain level or meet other conditions, such as how much a Pokémon statistically "likes" its trainer.
In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Pokémon in the first slot of the player’s team can follow them in the overworld, a feature first used in Pokémon Yellow with Pikachu. This feature was also used in limited ways in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum when the player was in Amity Park with a "cute" Pokémon. Players can talk to the Pokémon to check its condition or see if it has picked up items. A pedometer called a "Pokéwalker" was included with the game. It lets players transfer Pokémon to the device and walk with them, earning "watts" that can be traded for in-game rewards.
A new game called the Pokéathlon uses the Nintendo DS touchscreen to let Pokémon compete in events like hurdles. The Japanese versions of the games 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 the background music to chiptune music similar to the original music from 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 is unlocked after obtaining the National Dex, completing two quests with the Safari administrator, and answering each of his calls (one every 3 hours of gameplay). HeartGold and SoulSilver were the only games in the GB, GBA, and NDS era to include a permanent Running Shoe feature, which was later replaced by the joystick on the 3DS.
HeartGold and SoulSilver can connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (now discontinued) to trade, battle, and interact with other players of these games and players of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. After completing a special Wi-Fi mission in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, players can 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, players choose 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 gives the chosen Pokémon to the player to begin their journey.
The main goal is to become the top Pokémon Trainer in Johto. This is done by raising Pokémon, collecting all types of Pokémon in a Pokédex, defeating eight Gym Leaders in Johto for 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, players face the Indigo League Champion, Red, on Mt. Silver, who is the game's final challenge.
Throughout the game, players battle members of Team Rocket, a criminal group from Kanto. This group was previously defeated by the main character of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen but has returned while waiting for their leader, Giovanni. To contact Giovanni, they take over a radio tower and send a message to him.
As remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, these games include story elements from Pokémon Crystal, such as a greater focus on the legendary Pokémon Suicune and the addition of the Battle Frontier, which was not available in Crystal. Johto and Kanto also include features from later game versions, such as Pal Park.
At certain points, the player's rival challenges the protagonist in skill tests. Players also meet Kimono Girls who ask for small tasks, like defeating a Team Rocket member, across Johto. After completing these tasks, players reach a location where they encounter the game's legendary Pokémon mascot—Ho-Oh in HeartGold and Lugia in SoulSilver—and perform a dance to summon them. As in the original games, other legendary Pokémon can be found 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 the team wanted to honor the memories of players who had enjoyed Gold and Silver a decade earlier. He explained that players often remember specific details, like how trainers act or what happens in certain parts of the game. Morimoto also wanted the remakes to feel fresh for newer players who had started playing Pokémon on the Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS. An in-game character, representing the president of Game Freak, said the team aimed to create a game that would appeal to both old and new fans without repeating the same ideas. He called the project a "challenging but satisfying task." Morimoto noted that HeartGold and SoulSilver focused more on how trainers and Pokémon interact, which influenced the game’s names. The remakes included new features not present in the original Gold and Silver, many of which were inspired by earlier Nintendo DS games, such as Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
Release and promotion
In early May 2009, rumors began spreading that Nintendo might remake the Pokémon games Gold and Silver. This happened after a Japanese television show called Pokémon Sunday ended by announcing a "world-exclusive first announcement" for its next episode. Kris Pigna from 1UP.com thought this might mean Nintendo was planning to remake Gold and Silver for the Nintendo DS. He noticed gold and silver disco balls in the background of the show and connected this to the earlier remakes of Red and Blue, called FireRed and LeafGreen. 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 on September 12, 2009, in Japan, to mark the tenth anniversary of the original Gold and Silver games. Junichi Masuda, a game developer, wrote on his blog that Game Freak had worked hard for a long time to create the remakes and that the games would return with more excitement.
At the 2009 Pokémon World Championships, Nintendo shared release dates for HeartGold and SoulSilver. The games were set to come out in North America between January and March, in Europe around May and June, and in Australia in April. A Nintendo spokesperson said sharing the news at the event allowed them to tell fans directly. As the release date approached, 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. A "Pikachu-colored Pichu" could also be downloaded through Wi-Fi. Taking this Pichu to Ilex Forest in the game 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, except in the Netherlands and Dutch-speaking Belgium, where 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. It includes music composed by Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose, Hitomi Sato, Shota Kageyama, and Takuto Kitsuta.
Reception
In response to news about the development of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, fans shared their thoughts online. IGN editor Jack DeVries explained that the updated games were created to work with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, allowing players to catch older Pokémon that were not available in the newer games. He also questioned whether the new titles could match the quality of the original Gold and Silver games. He said, "For me, Gold and Silver were amazing because they added many new features that became standards for the series. These games were the first and only time the series expanded so much. Now, it’s rare to see a new feature that changes how the game is played." He also mentioned the unique features of Gold and Silver, such as full color support, an internal clock, Pokémon breeding, and the PokéGear. Later, after playing parts of the new games, DeVries wrote, "So far, I like what I see, even though it feels familiar and follows the same patterns as before."
The games received mostly positive reviews. On Metacritic, they have an average score of 87, placing them among the top 20 best-rated DS games on the site. The Japanese gaming 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. However, they noted that the games did not bring any major surprises. Nintendo Power gave the games a high score, highlighting their replay value but pointing out that the animation for Pokémon characters 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 introduces something new."
IGN’s Craig Harris described the games as "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 you played years ago, it still feels new, and the updates improve the original experience without changing it too much." 1UP.com’s Justin Haywald said, "HeartGold and SoulSilver are easily the best Pokémon game yet." VideoGamer.com’s Jamin Smith said, "With HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Pokémon series has reached a point where it can’t get any better." Eurogamer’s Keza MacDonald gave the games a 9/10, saying they combine the best parts of older Pokémon games, including improved graphics and battle systems. GamePro’s McKinley Noble said, "This is a perfect experience for both old fans and new players." GameZone’s Cliff Bakehorn III said, "There is no doubt: Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the best games in the entire series." Nathan Meunier of GameSpot gave the games a lower score, criticizing them for not being innovative. GamesRadar said the games’ success came from being remakes of classic titles.
HeartGold and SoulSilver won the Golden Joystick Award for Portable Game of the Year in 2010, the first Golden Joystick Award for the Pokémon series.
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 2.00 million units combined. By December 18, 2009, sales in Japan reached 3.22 million. In Australia, over 50,000 units were 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 units, and by the end of July 2010, sales reached 10 million. As of September 2017, combined sales reached 12.72 million units.