A role-playing game from Game Freak released on the Gameboy Color in 2001 (US)
Pokemon Crystal Version
“...an enhanced version of Pokémon Gold and Silver ... part of the second generation of the Pokémon video game series. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2000..." - Wikipedia
*NOTE: This review contains some mild spoilers
Acquisition
Pokemon Crystal is one of the earliest Pokemon games I ever played, I received it as a gift from my parents when I was around 10 years old. I think the fact that I played Gen 2 before Gen 1 makes this version particularly nostalgic for me, especially since it was a Gen 2 game that first introduced me to the series (Silver version). I don't remember the last time I completed a playthrough so I decided to run it again start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Since it has been so many years since I first got the game and I did the replay on the digital version on my 3DS, I will be writing this review based on my most recent playthrough.
First Impressions
The first thing that really stood out to me was the animations in this game. Having Pokemon move in battle was so exciting and really added to the battling experience. This seems like such a small feature nowadays, but when I first booted this up in my childhood the animations were a huge surprise.
I think the graphics are leaps and bounds ahead of where Yellow was, and demonstrates excellent growth on the developer's part (which I sadly cannot say for any of the recent games in the series) with an excellent variety of color and great details in the pixel art.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Very fresh and innovative game for it's time
Improved graphics from the Gen 1 versions
New animations are well made and charming
Both Johto and Kanto regions are available to explore
Good variety of available Pokemon, especially post Elite Four
Legendary dogs encounter mechanics and story elements are a nice touch
Cons
Lack of backgrounds in battles can feel drab
Various technical and game mechanics issues
Color palettes of certain Pokemon are a bit off
Kanto region is very stripped down and condensed
Gameplay
Following in the footsteps of Yellow's improvement upon Gen 1, Crystal's flow of gameplay is very good for a game of it's time. There were rarely times I experienced any annoyances or limitations in terms of traveling in-game or using HM's. The game always acts the way it's supposed to whether you are riding your bike or surfing through the sea.
Once again, travel can feel a bit slow until you get the bike or stock up on some escape ropes, but you get the bike relatively early in the game so it's a short lived inconvenience.
The battle animations for both Pokemon moves and Pokemon sprites is a wonderful improvement compared to Gen 1. No more epileptic-inducing flashing screens (perhaps with a couple exceptions, though none come to mind) and the color palettes feel much more organic and believable.
Mechanics
Generation 2 altered the battle mechanics by splitting the Special stat into Special Atk and Special Def. This was an excellent decision in my opinion, and just one of the many refining changes made in this gen.
Some other improvements are the updated box system and bag storage, the ability to have Pokemon hold items, the introduction of berries and apricorns for making Pokeballs, and two of my favorite mechanics of all - Pokemon breeding and Shinies! I'll never forget that magical moment in my childhood when I encountered a shiny pink Wooper!
In addition to these many new mechanics, Gamefreak expanded upon the affection mechanic (as seen in Pokemon Yellow with Pikachu) and implemented it as a means to evolve certain Pokemon. There is also a telephone app, an in-game clock to track the time and day of the week (the environment changes between morning, noon and night!) and many other little easter eggs, like the siblings of the week who will give you special items, sales at Goldenrod City's department store, etc. This game truly was an incredible evolution in the Pokemon video game franchise!
Storyline
Pokemon Crystal leans into the lore of the legendary dog Pokemon Entei, Raikou and Suicune, featuring Suicune on the box art and theming the game cartridge around it. As in Yellow, the game does a great job of explaining what your role is as a trainer and introducing you to various characters and programming a variety of responses from practically every NPC you encounter. But Pokemon Crystal went a bit further to develop a sort of story to follow, albeit a loose and at times ambiguous one, which I appreciated.
Gen 2 is similar to Gen 1 in the sense that there isn't really a sense of urgency to move through the game other than your own time constraints in real life, that is until you begin to approach the Red Gyarados arc. I was happy that this part of the game was able to convey a sense of urgency, especially when Kurt fell down the Slowpoke well! While I love having that sort of freedom to pursue side quests or post game content in an RPG, I think Crystal benefited from having that small connection between the player and the story compared to past versions.
Another improvement on past generations is the map in Johto. While nostalgia plays a big factor for me here, I just have to praise the practicality of the map layout in this game. It is much easier to go through the gyms in order (unlike Gen 1) without making the game feel too linear. I can't even tell you how many hours I spent riding my bike around Goldenrod city to breed and hatch eggs, and somehow it was always a pleasant experience!
Overall Rating ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Deciding on an overall rating was surprisingly not as difficult for me to do compared to Yellow. I have many nostalgic memories from childhood playing this gen, which I know unavoidably affects my objectivity. But I tried my best to give a fair rating based on the creativity, story, mechanics, evolution of the series and overall appearance. Please don't let the age of this game discourage you from playing it. It is definitely one of my favorite games from my childhood and something I think every RPG fan should experience.
Because I am writing this review in 2020, twenty years after it came out, my rating is going to be lower simply due to the fact we have different standards in gaming now. If you asked ten year old me what I thought of the game I would have given it a perfect score! I hope that gives you some context and helps you better interpret my rating of this game. The reviews on this blog are based on current playthroughs and current video game standards; considering all of that, I think Pokemon Crystal fared very well, as I would still highly recommend playing it in 2020 and beyond if you've never experienced the origins of the Pokemon series.
Crystal Version made some incredible improvements in the Pokemon video game franchise. While it is very retro by today's standards, it was very innovative for its time and is definitely worth playing today.
Thanks for riding
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