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Pokémon Classic Appreciation Thread: I want to be the very best!

Dawg

Member
This thread brings back so many memories. Good stuff, OP.

As someone who has been playing Pokémon since Red, I'm very excited for X/Y!
 

dan2026

Member
To this day I still think how bizarre it is that the whole world in game revolves around Pokemon. Like there are no jobs other than Pokemon related jobs.

That Pokemon battling is the be all and end all of every situation.

You defeat Giovanni in a Pokemon battle and he's like 'fuck it, I lost at Pokemon, my evil (Pokemon) empire is over.
 

Katzii

Member
Great thread; shame I couldn't get to it before the people who can't just leave people who like the older games alone to talk about the older games. Subscribed.

Anyone else get the official Mew when Pokemon went on tour around 2000? I have fond memories of the lady doing the transfer calling me Gary because she saw my MC was named after the star child Oak. It was pretty funny for me at the time. I came home with two badges the Boulder and Cerulean. I still have them somewhere...

Yes. Absolutely devastated because I had a glitch with my copy of Stadium which deleted BOTH of the Mews I got!

Yellow was also disgusting. IT'S NOT EVEN A PRIMARY COLOUR!

Yes it is.
 
Gary was here.
Ash is a loser!

Kinda want.

fig,white,mens,ffffff.jpg
 
To this day I still think how bizarre it is that the whole world in game revolves around Pokemon. Like there are no jobs other than Pokemon related jobs.

That Pokemon battling is the be all and end all of every situation.

You defeat Giovanni in a Pokemon battle and he's like 'fuck it, I lost at Pokemon, my evil (Pokemon) empire is over.

Frank Cifaldi did an excellent piece for Nintendo Official Magazine UK back around the time of Pokemon Emerald's release called "Fear and Loathing in Littleroot". It basically covered the maniacal obsession everyone has with Pokemon and battling in the games from the perspective of the protagonist. It was pretty fucking hilarious, I wish I could find it. :(
 
Great thread; shame I couldn't get to it before the people who can't just leave people who like the older games alone to talk about the older games. .

I'll say this, and this only; As with every debate on GAF, there's losers on each side. For everybody preemptively bitching about people only liking the 151 before anybody's said anything, there is one guy filling up the X/Y threads with bitching about designs.

It's nice to have a thread where people can just reminesce though. Most of us were there, and the shared wave of experience is very pleasant indeed. And that National Park music. I'm a kid again, pondering how the fuck Joey's Scyther can be bigger than my Pinsir.


Oh man I cried.
 
Anytime I play Gen 2, I try and try to resist catching a Mareep but as soon as the first one pops up, it's all over and I have to get one.
 

TheOGB

Banned
Fond memories of the old days. Playing Blue on my clear GameBoy Pocket, while my older brother played Red on his red GameBoy Color (that may have been a yellow one painted red, now that I think of it :p). Through our first playthrough we both picked our respective cover starter and had discussions and battles over who was better. I lost a good number of those. (I blame his fucking Alakazam and Mewtwo that he got long before I did)

When Yellow came out I was given his copy of Red, and I would trade with myself when he wasn't playing, as none of my neighborhood friends caught onto the craze until Gold and Silver. When he moved on from the series altogether I got his GBC and Yellow, so I was sitting pretty for a while until after GS came out. I barely even cared, because I had it all, for a moment. But then my friend Billy gave me his copy of Silver and it was like falling in love all over again.

This time around more of my local friends had the games so we'd sit outside and trade and battle and help each other clone 'mons and items. :p Yep, those were the days...




Silver was here

Gold is a loser

and fuck whatcha heard, it's all about dat National Park
 

Rich!

Member
Just so you guys know, there's a hack of Pokemon Red that converts it to a full colour GBC title (through some superb ASM hacking), and replaces the pokemon and character graphics to those from Gen 2.

Its absolutely fucking amazing, and literally makes the game a million times easier to go back to. Cannot recommend it enough.

Can't find it right now as I'm on my phone, but it's easy to find on Google.
 

Wazzy

Banned
Ahhhh these games were amazing. Charmander line is seriously the best starter. I also loved yellow since Pikachu followed me around. Don't really get why they stopped with that after putting it in Gold/Silver.
 

Ath

Member
Whenever I feel down, I fire up my GBC and Pokemon Yellow and check up on my Pikachu.


Also, I still have my Pokemon: The First Movie comics (that were just all the stills of the movie itself) signed by the original voice actors for Ash, Misty and Brock! Thank you QVC.


I love Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. From exploring the huge world of the games, to trading stuff with my mates and hearing all the bonkers rumours on the playground ("Missingno evolves into Kangaskhan? Yeah right!" Little did I know...), it was awesome.
 
Ahhhh these games were amazing. Charmander line is seriously the best starter. I also loved yellow since Pikachu followed me around. Don't really get why they stopped with that after putting it in Gold/Silver.

Because Black and White were in development already when HG/SS started, and then Black and White 2... I don't know. Kinda annoying, it was an awesome feature.

HG/SS with Black and White's battles would be the best Pokemon title to date.
 
Great timing for this thread!

I've played through Yellow and Crystal over the last few weeks, now I've moved onto Emerald.

After only ever played the originals several times I was put of by all the changes in the second generation but decided to stick with it and really enjoyed it. So far Emerald is doing even better.

Glad I'm slowly catching up on all the pokemon I missed since the original versions!
 
Gen I is my favorite, though Gen II is still a very nostalgic time for me and I place it on the same level of timelessness.

I still love Pokemon but that feeling of nostalgia will never go away.

Just suggested to my roommate we do a 151 run of Pokemon Red and Blue. We'll see how that goes!
 

Raonak

Banned
Ah, sweet, sweet nostalgia :D

Can't really get into new pokemon that much, because half my enjoyment of pokemon comes from the childhood nostalgia. Theres a disconnect with newer pokemon.

GSC was sooo damn good.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
Thanks everyone for your tremendous support, I put a lot of care into this thread as I love these games. Glad to see others that share those feelings. =)

I wonder if Ditto tastes like a hamburger if he turns into one?

Whatever happened to Gary in the anime?

He followed in Professer Oak's footsteps. He did, however, get to beat Ash's Pikachu with an Eevee.

Those are pretty darn awesome, dude.

So what's the stupidest card trade we made as kids? Once I traded away a Machamp I got out of the Starter Pack pretty much immediately for... I dunno, like a Pikachu and a bunch of Energy?

I was a dumb kid.



Those days are with us once more!

Dumbest card trade....hmm I actually made some pretty good card trades, I actually still have all of my Pokemon cards, including my very first Pokemon card which came from the Overgrowth deck in 1998, Gyarados. It's scratched to OBLIVION now, though.

I did make a dumb gamble bet and lost an Entei and a Moltres. The bet was that I would have to win with a lackluster deck, and if I won I got something (can't remember). Needless to say I lost and lost two cards.

In primary school we all genuinely believed that Pokémon were real in Japan, and one of my friends convinced the rest of us that he was going to go there on holiday, and he said he would bring back our favourites.

Good times.

If only....
 

Dawg

Member
Why is Pokémon music so nostalgic? I mean, most videogame music from older games has a nostalgic touch to it, but Pokémon is on a whole different level.

Personally, it reminds me of the times I used to visit my grandparents when my mother had to shop near their house. She used to drop me there for most of the day because it was a one hour drive from our house. Usually, me and my grandfather went to the store to buy gameboy games and I always bought the newest Pokémon game with him.

So when my mother finally returned later that evening, I usually had about one or three badges already. I tell you this because I bought like every Pokémon game with my grandfather back then and I ALWAYS got to the thirth gym leader or so before my mother arrived. I think it's part of my Pokémon nostalgia, thinking about the times I visited my grandparents and played Pokémon. I always did this in the same sofa too. It was damn comfy.

These days, I only visit my grandparents a few times a year because we hardly have the time to go to their town. It's kinda sad, I really miss the times when I was younger and I bought every Pokémon game with my grandfather. He would always wait till about 1PM before going to the store and I was always hyped as fuck because I knew we were gonna buy the latest Pokémon game.

I miss those times. My grandfather is getting older too, it's getting harder and harder for him to just go outside and drive his car. :(
 

Andrefpvs

Member
I've heard the Diamond/Pearl season is quite good if you skip the filler (there's something like a year's worth of filler in between the 7th and 8th badges alone).
I'm pretty sure one of the PokéGAFer's compiled a list of non-filler episodes somewhere

If you start reading from this post, Wiseblade posts a great list of non-filler episodes starting with Season 1. I believe Andrex posts one for Diamond/Pearl further in in the thread.
 

qq more

Member
Sonic 1 and Pokemon RBY/GSC music are somehow the most nostalgic for me. I don't know why because every other childhood game doesn't have quite the same effect. But those two did...

Route 27 and Green Hill Zone are the most nostalgic songs in gaming for me.
 
Why is Pokémon music so nostalgic? I mean, most videogame music from older games has a nostalgic touch to it, but Pokémon is on a whole different level.

I think a lot of it has to do with how distinct the sounds were and how the player is sort of trained to be "excited" at sounds and victory cues/music, specifically the Pokemon cries or "successfully caught!" tune among others.
 
I always thought the Kecleon episode in the middle of the Johto arc was fucking weird. How come Gen III showed up that early? And why Kecleon?

Mind you, paved the way for the amazing Blaziken appearance at the end of it all.
 

qq more

Member
I always thought the Kecleon episode in the middle of the Johto arc was fucking weird. How come Gen III showed up that early? And why Kecleon?

Mind you, paved the way for the amazing Blaziken appearance at the end of it all.

Eh, that's nothing. Ho-Oh was in the very first episode of the show!
 

Kokonoe

Banned
Why is Pokémon music so nostalgic? I mean, most videogame music from older games has a nostalgic touch to it, but Pokémon is on a whole different level.

Personally, it reminds me of the times I used to visit my grandparents when my mother had to shop near their house. She used to drop me there for most of the day because it was a one hour drive from our house. Usually, me and my grandfather went to the store to buy gameboy games and I always bought the newest Pokémon game with him.

So when my mother finally returned later that evening, I usually had about one or three badges already. I tell you this because I bought like every Pokémon game with my grandfather back then and I ALWAYS got to the thirth gym leader or so before my mother arrived. I think it's part of my Pokémon nostalgia, thinking about the times I visited my grandparents and played Pokémon. I always did this in the same sofa too. It was damn comfy.

These days, I only visit my grandparents a few times a year because we hardly have the time to go to their town. It's kinda sad, I really miss the times when I was younger and I bought every Pokémon game with my grandfather. He would always wait till about 1PM before going to the store and I was always hyped as fuck because I knew we were gonna buy the latest Pokémon game.

I miss those times. My grandfather is getting older too, it's getting harder and harder for him to just go outside and drive his car. :(

Think you should set some time for just you and him, sounds like you both could use it.

Anyhow, I actually use to go to KMart when those still existed in my area, and there were always these 14.99 Game Boy games and my grandmother use to buy me one once a week. So seeing you say that kind of hit home, reminded me of my experiences back when I was a child.

I find that the reason the music is so memorable is that they put their heart and soul into it, you feel the emotion they wanted to convey because they were passionate about their work. Masuda is also extremely talented, and just listening to VS Rival Final Battle in Red and Blue sends shivers down my spine. Here is a post I made a while back about some of the 8bit music.

I'd like to start off with some superb 8Bit music.

Part 1 (Will post Part 2 of 8Bit later)

Pokemon TCG
  • Club Master Duel!

    The intro to this song is an interesting power build up, and the background beat I suppose is deck shuffling? It sounds really great, especially when the song picks up with it.
    Certainly one of the best 8Bit tracks ever.

  • Pause Menu

    Is this the greatest pause menu theme ever? Yes.

  • Grand Master Duel

    Creative, but it starts out slow. That is fine though, because for such a battle and the way these games are played, it has a nice build up to where it really kicks off. However, when it does kick off, gosh is it amazing.

  • Ronald's Theme

    The simplistic sound of this song isn't quite so simplistic. The beat is consistently slipping against itself, making some interesting sounds.

  • Imakuni's Theme

    An odd and hilarious tune, it fits perfectly with the odd character Imakuni that was absolutely random. It's quite catchy too. I like how there are fast bits that pop every second or so.

  • World Map

    I wouldn't say it's as catchy as the Mario theme, but this song is certainly is catchy. It's also charming to listen to due to how soft it is.

  • Duel

    My pick for the greatest song in this game as it has everything. Engaging segment, tone that represents basic parts of a match, creativity, and easy on the ears.

Pokemon Red & Blue
  • Pokemon Opening

    Perhaps it's nostalgia, but nothing is like hearing this song. It represents everything Pokemon is, and was to me.

  • Last Battle (VS Rival)

    Whoever wrote this song is a musical genius. It has such an epic sound, like nothing else matters, just you and your opponent exist. This song makes up half of the battle in that game.

  • Battle (VS Gym Leader)

    Nothing rings a bell for a battle song like this one. When I listen to these tracks, I kinda realize Pokemon hasn't had music on this level since these games, I guess that's a big portion for me.

  • Bicycle Theme

    You're at a fair! That's the vibe it gives, and I suppose that's the feeling of excitement you feel when you ride a bike for the first time. Very happy tune, and so pleasent to hear.

  • Pallet Town

    I guess I like this song a lot because it really does fit from an area that's suppose to be your beginning. It's soft, charming, and peaceful.

  • Your Rival Appears

    Instant classic, and for how randomly Gary appears in this game, this song increases that surprising feeling. It also has a tone that matches Gary's personality, like he knows he's better than you.

  • Lavender Town

    Ominous, creepy, and just right. It's a clash of low tone with high tone to emphasize on how spooky this town is.

  • Cerulean City

    Super catchy, and possibly the most memorable town team in the game only from how catchy it is.

  • Celadon City

    Possibly my favorite town theme in this game. Odd thing to say, but I'm going to say this is perfect "skipping" music, hah.

  • Pewter City

    Another memorable tune, I like how happy the vibe of music in this game, but how often it switches from happy to ominous, or engaging, when the time fits it.

  • Viridian Forest

    Mysterious tone for a mysterious area. Your entry into this forest introduces you to a mix of spooky with mystery, "what will happen next?". This song makes the forest in my opinion, it also has a nice creative beat.

  • Wild Battle

    I like how the intro starts out slow to give you that anxious feeling, "I wonder what Pokemon it is!". but takes off into the battle shortly after leaving you no time to second guess about the mysterious vibe that originally was playing. Certainly a classic.

  • Pokemon Center

    To this day, I still haven't heard a Pokemon Center theme that I like more than this one.
 
I have to say: The simple fact that X and Y are including the original 3 starter Pokemon has me interested in buying a 3DS. The memories!
 

qq more

Member
Music from games like Pokemon really makes me want to learn how to compose GBC music... There's just something about GBC music that feels distinct from NES music. Not sure what exactly it is.
 

Rich!

Member
Music from games like Pokemon really makes me want to learn how to compose GBC music... There's just something about GBC music that feels distinct from NES music. Not sure what exactly it is.

Got a Game Boy Camera? It's got a music sequencer in it, and it's surprisingly good.

Use it with an aux cable to your PC to record and the possibilities are endless.

Or get LSDJ and a midi to link cable port adapter, then you can literally play a keyboard and have the GB output the sound.

nonfinite is a great site to start with, and they sell both LSDJ carts and MIDI adapter cables.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
It's a shame Game Boy Colors can't be backlit modded, only frontlit modded.

Got a Game Boy Camera? It's got a music sequencer in it, and it's surprisingly good.

Use it with an aux cable to your PC to record and the possibilities are endless.

Or get LSDJ and a midi to link cable port adapter, then you can literally play a keyboard and have the GB output the sound.

nonfinite is a great site to start with, and they sell both LSDJ carts and MIDI adapter cables.

.....

I know what I'm getting. Thanks for the info!
 

vareon

Member
Oh man, thanks for making this thread.

I still remember the day I turned on my GBC to see either:

- My Pokemon Yellow save got replaced
- My Pokemon Silver save gone
- My Pokemon Ruby save is corrupted.

Outside of that the games were suuuuuuuuuuuuuper fond memories for me.
 

Mr-Joker

Banned
I always thought the Kecleon episode in the middle of the Johto arc was fucking weird. How come Gen III showed up that early? And why Kecleon?

Mind you, paved the way for the amazing Blaziken appearance at the end of it all.

Not that early considering The Kecleon Caper Japanese air date was July 5, 2001, Ruby and Sapphire was released in Japan November 21, 2002.

The pattern is the same for the US but just a year later.

Music from games like Pokemon really makes me want to learn how to compose GBC music... There's just something about GBC music that feels distinct from NES music. Not sure what exactly it is.

Junichi Masuda explains how he did the Pokémon Game Boy on his Blog
 

qq more

Member
Got a Game Boy Camera? It's got a music sequencer in it, and it's surprisingly good.

Use it with an aux cable to your PC to record and the possibilities are endless.

Or get LSDJ and a midi to link cable port adapter, then you can literally play a keyboard and have the GB output the sound.

nonfinite is a great site to start with, and they sell both LSDJ carts and MIDI adapter cables.

Not that early considering The Kecleon Caper Japanese air date was July 5, 2001, Ruby and Sapphire was released in Japan November 21, 2002.

The pattern is the same for the US but just a year later.



Junichi Masuda explains how he did the Pokémon Game Boy on his Blog

Oh wow! Thanks you two! :D

It's a shame Game Boy Colors can't be backlit modded, only frontlit modded.

At least there's that GBC Taiwan clone. I'll post impressions once I get it since it's relevant here.
 
It's also crazy to think just how overpowered Tyranitar is. That guy made mincemeat of the entire E4 and Champion Red, what a pro. Even though he's slower than slow, it just doesn't matter once he hits you.
 

Cody_D165

Banned
Those of you who are afraid your saves may one day die out should consider investing in one of these:

Have one from when I was a kid and as a result my Pokemon saves will never die. I can backup the save, replace the battery in the cart, and then reload the save onto the game.
 

Rich!

Member
Those of you who are afraid your saves may one day die out should consider investing in one of these:


Have one from when I was a kid and as a result my Pokemon saves will never die. I can backup the save, replace the battery in the cart, and then reload the save onto the game.

That thing is responsible for losing my greatest Pokemon Red save I ever had.

I would personally recommend dumping the memory to a PC using a flashcart or homemade dumper, but that's a lot of effort.
 

qq more

Member
Those of you who are afraid your saves may one day die out should consider investing in one of these:


Have one from when I was a kid and as a result my Pokemon saves will never die. I can backup the save, replace the battery in the cart, and then reload the save onto the game.

I got one a few years ago on ebay for cheap. Shame they went up in price now, but they're still very affordable. Works perfectly!
 
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