• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

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

qq more

Member
For whatever reason I have some Pokemon cards and a bunch of small Pokemon figures that I don't recall ever having. Must be a bunch of forgotten stuff from my brothers back during the craze. I'll take pics whenever I feel like it.

(I forgot where I put the cards at though...)
 

Espresso

Banned
Reading this thread's been like taking a stroll down memory lane. I have fond memories of the Red and Gold versions in middle school, played on a borrowed red GB Pocket until I received a yellow GBC when it released. Those Nintendo Power mini strategy guides (the ones that could be removed from the binding) were a big help back then.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
Pokemon 1

dat nostalgic intro.....

Dang. Pokemon use to be so amazing. Not that it's not still 'good', but this is like perfection for what it is. Style, colors, and it's vibrance are lovely.

gSxIN2a.jpg
Ce7bb7S.jpg
hPgAuzz.jpg


I also love how the show starts out with the intro from Pokemon Red version with Nidorino and Gengar. They put a lot of effort into this.

Hahaha. Gary is such a jerk in this. I love it.

hwzZ56Z.jpg


Kawaii fat Pikachu =3=

sEKN52i.jpg
3oon9AV.jpg


WHO'S THAT POKEMON!?

R9C4Fm0.jpg


Looks like Ash had brown eyes all along, just not kawaii uguu eyes.

kyqTOIF.jpg


I'm liking how the Pokedex is so useful in this episode as well as seeing Ash really 'in the wild' so to say.

Jeez the OST to this is great. Especially when it gets to this part.

393kan7.jpg


First episode Pikachu is DBZ status.

Aq2DDzD.jpg

Qub7vzl.jpg

U8Zsdg6.jpg


and, of course, the memorable Ho-Oh moment.

hz0FB3U.jpg
WbiKLYk.jpg


I love the character progression with Pikachu and Ash just in the first episode. Gets right to the point, but explains everything.
 

qq more

Member
That episode was amazing for many reasons including that. I also loved how the episode starts off with the intro from the Game Boy game and then it turns into the anime. That was a really cool touch.
 

MicH

Member
Yeah, the first episode is amazing. The Spearows, the Viridian PokeCenter storyline with Team Rocket (that was the first episode, right?). Sets up everything so well. Who wouldn't want to keep watching after that episode?
 

qq more

Member
Yeah, the first episode is amazing. The Spearows, the Viridian PokeCenter storyline with Team Rocket (that was the first episode, right?). Sets up everything so well. Who wouldn't want to keep watching after that episode?

Team Rocket and the PokeCenter was the next episode actually


...didn't it also had an army of Pikachus as well? lol
 

qq more

Member
first episode has an army of sparrows and pikachu kicks their ass

and the next episode has an army of pikachus


...




THE PIKACHUS ARE STARTING A REVOLUTION!

The early watercolor artwork is unmatched.

I agree. I love that about old game artwork. The new artwork is fine but it's not as interesting and I'm not a huge fan of their faces. I'm glad that they haven't ditched drawn artwork completely unlike most classic game franchises nowadays (looking at you Mario and Sonic...).
 

Tadale

Member
I played a LOT of Gen 1, basically burning myself out before Gold and Silver came out. I didn't really get into another game until Diamond like nine years later.

What I remember most vividly was this Nintendo Power:

V8HFXKF.jpg


It had a preview of the series from Japan. I must have read that article a dozen times, over and over before the game came out.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
That was the episode with the subtitled Pokemon, right? That was absolutely one of the best episodes, if not the best.

I loved that episode. Bulbasaurus so skeptical. Can't wait till I get to that and THE SQUIRTLE SQUAD.

I played a LOT of Gen 1, basically burning myself out before Gold and Silver came out. I didn't really get into another game until Diamond like nine years later.

What I remember most vividly was this Nintendo Power:

V8HFXKF.jpg


It had a preview of the series from Japan. I must have read that article a dozen times, over and over before the game came out.

I'm tempted to start buying older Nintendo Power Magazines. My mother got rid of all my magazines for various things one day when I was a child, it sucked so much. ;_;
 

qq more

Member
Squirtle Squad was awesome. It was part of the reason why Squirtle is probably my #1 favorite Pokemon. You could also imagine how happy I was when Squirtle got in Brawl. (Mega Man took the cake though)

Also, I was one of those poor souls that never had a Nintendo Power... I have no idea why I've never bothered subscribing to it.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
Squirtle Squad was awesome. It was part of the reason why Squirtle is probably my #1 favorite Pokemon. You could also imagine how happy I was when Squirtle got in Brawl. (Mega Man took the cake though)

Also, I was one of those poor souls that never had a Nintendo Power... I have no idea why I've never bothered subscribing to it.

I ended up finding that Classic Flareon (although they still use this Flareon in the anime) image in much higher quality on a Pokemon Box. It's awesome.

pYOBLT6.jpg

 

Espresso

Banned
I dug up my GBA and lo and behold, the cartridge in it is Pokémon Gold. I'm wondering if it's beatable in an afternoon (I haven't played it in over a decade). I have no plans until tonight.
 

qq more

Member
I dug up my GBA and lo and behold, the cartridge in it is Pokémon Gold. I'm wondering if it's beatable in an afternoon (I haven't played it in over a decade). I have no plans until tonight.

I hope the save battery works! I'm surprised mines still does... but I'm still scared of checking my save every time. (least it's all stored in that memory card thingy someone mentioned earlier in the thread)
 

Espresso

Banned
I hope the save battery works! I'm surprised mines still does... but I'm still scared of checking my save every time. (least it's all stored in that memory card thingy someone mentioned earlier in the thread)

It does, actually. I loaded up the save file on it no problem. In fact, I've never had a cartridge's battery die on me. All of my GB, SNES and N64 titles work beautifully.
 

qq more

Member
It does, actually. I loaded up the save file on it no problem. In fact, I've never had a cartridge's battery die on me. All of my GB, SNES and N64 titles work beautifully.

Awesome. Should get the Mega Memory Card to back up your saves! (I wonder if it's possible to upload them to the computer...)
 

Cheebo

Banned
I dug up my GBA and lo and behold, the cartridge in it is Pokémon Gold. I'm wondering if it's beatable in an afternoon (I haven't played it in over a decade). I have no plans until tonight.
The main game in gold is long. Going through the end with all 16 gyms will take at least 35 hours even rushing through it.
 

terrisus

Member
I'm tempted to start buying older Nintendo Power Magazines. My mother got rid of all my magazines for various things one day when I was a child, it sucked so much. ;_;

I'd definitely recommend it. They had great information about some amazing games, which, if those are still the games that one is playing (like they always are for me), is still great to read over.

Those magazines really have a timeless quality - unlike magazines now, that are cluttered with news and information that's useless/pointless before the next issue even comes out. It's no wonder that magazines have died out given that.
 

Kokonoe

Banned
Yes! The new digital technique now or whatever it is is just blah.

-highfive-

I'd definitely recommend it. They had great information about some amazing games, which, if those are still the games that one is playing (like they always are for me), is still great to read over.

Those magazines really have a timeless quality - unlike magazines now, that are cluttered with news and information that's useless/pointless before the next issue even comes out. It's no wonder that magazines have died out given that.

You know, for a long time I stopped playing older games and for some reason considered new to = better, and I just would never go back to them. I have no idea why my mindset got like that, but I had a revelation when I started playing games like Melee and the original Pokemon games again. It felt like a missing piece in gaming was back in place. These games are phenomenal and timeless. Just because something is newer doesn't mean it's better, and a lot of times different teams make later games in different series so you lose what you originally like because it's different, and different in a way that doesn't feel like an improvement or for your specific tastes.

The past 2 years I've been catching up on all these games, and I'm having such a blast. It feels like it's still the year they were released on, that's how much I fun I'm having. I'll never make that mistake ever again.

But yeah, I haven't ever used Nintendo Power while playing classic games, I'll definitely do so now as it looks awesome with the maps. That definitely could have helped my Metroid NES run. lol

And yes I remember that. I also remember a magazine called Tips N Tricks that didn't have a chock full of ads and dumb stuff. Mainly cheat codes and gaming news, which is what it should be about.
 

terrisus

Member
-highfive-



You know, for a long time I stopped playing older games and for some reason considered new to = better, and I just would never go back to them. I have no idea why my mindset got like that, but I had a revelation when I started playing games like Melee and the original Pokemon games again. It felt like a missing piece in gaming was back in place. These games are phenomenal and timeless. Just because something is newer doesn't mean it's better, and a lot of times different teams make later games in different series so you lose what you originally like because it's different, and different in a way that doesn't feel like an improvement or for your specific tastes.

The past 2 years I've been catching up on all these games, and I'm having such a blast. It feels like it's still the year they were released on, that's how much I fun I'm having. I'll never make that mistake ever again.

But yeah, I haven't ever used Nintendo Power while playing classic games, I'll definitely do so now as it looks awesome with the maps. That definitely could have helped my Metroid NES run. lol

And yes I remember that. I also remember a magazine called Tips N Tricks that didn't have a chock full of ads and dumb stuff. Mainly cheat codes and gaming news, which is what it should be about.

Yeah, I'll read in an old Nintendo Power about a game that I never played, go out and get it, and play it because of that, and it's the same as getting any new game to me. Those games are still fantastic.
 

Anth0ny

Member
-highfive-



You know, for a long time I stopped playing older games and for some reason considered new to = better, and I just would never go back to them. I have no idea why my mindset got like that, but I had a revelation when I started playing games like Melee and the original Pokemon games again. It felt like a missing piece in gaming was back in place. These games are phenomenal and timeless. Just because something is newer doesn't mean it's better, and a lot of times different teams make later games in different series so you lose what you originally like because it's different, and different in a way that doesn't feel like an improvement or for your specific tastes.

The past 2 years I've been catching up on all these games, and I'm having such a blast. It feels like it's still the year they were released on, that's how much I fun I'm having. I'll never make that mistake ever again.

But yeah, I haven't ever used Nintendo Power while playing classic games, I'll definitely do so now as it looks awesome with the maps. That definitely could have helped my Metroid NES run. lol

And yes I remember that. I also remember a magazine called Tips N Tricks that didn't have a chock full of ads and dumb stuff. Mainly cheat codes and gaming news, which is what it should be about.

I'd like to have a legitimate discussion with GAF about what the new games do better and what they do worse, but it usually degenerates into "lol nosepass looks like shit"

I think the biggest problem with the new games, FAR beyond the character design, is the PACING. The new games essentially tell the same story gens 1 and 2 did, but slower, more drawn out, with more filler text, tutorials, boring characters and dialogue. That's what kills me about the newer games, whereas Gens 1 and 2 did not have this problem.

I'll write an essay about it one day :p
 

Hobobloke

Member
It does, actually. I loaded up the save file on it no problem. In fact, I've never had a cartridge's battery die on me. All of my GB, SNES and N64 titles work beautifully.

I wanted to Nuzlocke my way through my old Pokemon games and found that my Yellow save still worked but my Gold hadn't stood the test of time. Tried to DIY fix it but the battery is slightly loose so while it might work for a while if it moves a little too much the save gets wiped, been to lazy to try it again though. Decided to buy Crystal off ebay eventually out of ease and made sure to buy one claiming a fully working/tested save only to find it was totally dead. ;_;
 

qq more

Member
I'd like to have a legitimate discussion with GAF about what the new games do better and what they do worse, but it usually degenerates into "lol nosepass looks like shit"

I think the biggest problem with the new games, FAR beyond the character design, is the PACING. The new games essentially tell the same story gens 1 and 2 did, but slower, more drawn out, with more filler text, tutorials, boring characters and dialogue. That's what kills me about the newer games, whereas Gens 1 and 2 did not have this problem.

I'll write an essay about it one day :p
I would kill to see this essay. Pacing is absolutely one of my biggest issues with gaming lately, especially in recent Nintendo RPGs. I've replayed Blue recently and realized how much smoother the pacing was. I got to the first gym so quick.

I'm really worried about XY's pacing...
 
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.
Koko, you ought to include the music thread I posted a while back in the Music part of the OP. It covers the whole franchise up to a point, but there's some good stuff on the musicians and 8-bit soundtracks. Judging from the above posts, folks would have some stake in this.

I only ever watched the anime growing up (I was, what, in early primary school back then? Born the year the games were first released!), but Pokémon will forever remain an anchor for my nostalgia. It helps that the Pokémon world itself is immensely well-realized, a seemingly innocuous concept that happens to distort elements of Japanese society and Western influences into an accessible melange. The original games found a great blend between cute and crass, too, with some tragedy behind the plot progression (poor Blue).
 

Kokonoe

Banned
I'd like to have a legitimate discussion with GAF about what the new games do better and what they do worse, but it usually degenerates into "lol nosepass looks like shit"

I think the biggest problem with the new games, FAR beyond the character design, is the PACING. The new games essentially tell the same story gens 1 and 2 did, but slower, more drawn out, with more filler text, tutorials, boring characters and dialogue. That's what kills me about the newer games, whereas Gens 1 and 2 did not have this problem.

I'll write an essay about it one day :p

Interesting...I never came to that conclusion but what you're saying makes sense. Well, I came to partially, because I've always got tired of them copying Gen 2 for the plot over and over and over with the deities. It seems it goes a bit deeper than what I was thinking, however.

It'd be nice if they focused on trying to do something interesting instead of trying to recreate the older games time and time again. One thing I really appreciate about Gen I is that it's story is unlike any other Pokemon version. The story is mainly about your rival and overcoming him. There were no 'gods', you weren't trying to save the world although you do stop Giovanni, but he wasn't like trying to blow up the world. It's a lot more believable for me. Also the rival having such a distinct personality really brought our your motivation of trying to beat him.

I definitely look forward to that essay!
Koko, you ought to include the music thread I posted a while back in the Music part of the OP. It covers the whole franchise up to a point, but there's some good stuff on the musicians and 8-bit soundtracks. Judging from the above posts, folks would have some stake in this.

I only ever watched the anime growing up (I was, what, in early primary school back then? Born the year the games were first released!), but Pokémon will forever remain an anchor for my nostalgia. It helps that the Pokémon world itself is immensely well-realized, a seemingly innocuous concept that happens to distort elements of Japanese society and Western influences into an accessible melange. The original games found a great blend between cute and crass, too, with some tragedy behind the plot progression (poor Blue).

Sure thing, dude! I loved your thread and it actually started making me realize my passion for music. I'll edit it in in just a second.
 

Firestorm

Member
I'd like to have a legitimate discussion with GAF about what the new games do better and what they do worse, but it usually degenerates into "lol nosepass looks like shit"

I think the biggest problem with the new games, FAR beyond the character design, is the PACING. The new games essentially tell the same story gens 1 and 2 did, but slower, more drawn out, with more filler text, tutorials, boring characters and dialogue. That's what kills me about the newer games, whereas Gens 1 and 2 did not have this problem.

I'll write an essay about it one day :p
I see no difference in pacing between the new games and the old games. I notice I'm no longer 10 years old, but other than that there's really not much of a difference.
 
I see no difference in pacing between the new games and the old games. I notice I'm no longer 10 years old, but other than that there's really not much of a difference.

The fourth generation was pretty bad and slow in terms of pacing, but the fifth generation was quite fast. Although I would attribute that to the how fast the battles were.
 

Juice

Member
Blue is still the only Pokemon game I've fully completed. The rest of them I've merely sampled or failed to get into.

Maybe I should replay Blue instead of buying X/Y
 

qq more

Member
That's not how you spell National Park music (the original and remake versions).
That one is pretty up there, actually! I also love some of the route themes from both Kanto and Johto in GSC. Soooo good.

Blue is still the only Pokemon game I've fully completed. The rest of them I've merely sampled or failed to get into.

Maybe I should replay Blue instead of buying X/Y

Anything about them that's giving you trouble to get into the games? Curious.
 

-Horizon-

Member
Blue is still the only Pokemon game I've fully completed. The rest of them I've merely sampled or failed to get into.

Maybe I should replay Blue instead of buying X/Y

I say try out X/Y when they come out especially if you have a 3DS already. If you're planning to get a 3DS, pick up Pokemon and Fire Emblem (or a bunch of other games people recommend).
 
Top Bottom