Pokemon Red (Game Boy) review "I am not a pokefanatic or anything, and I was probably one of the few people that bought this game without ever knowing there was a television show, or that it was popular overseas. I bought it cause it looked good, and truth is it is a great game. It's been hammered because it is childish, which is true, and yet it is loads of fun, and no matter how much nintendo has done to make it annoying, the game itself will always be good, at least in my mind. "

I am not a pokefanatic or anything, and I was probably one of the few people that bought this game without ever knowing there was a television show, or that it was popular overseas. I bought it cause it looked good, and truth is it is a great game. It's been hammered because it is childish, which is true, and yet it is loads of fun, and no matter how much nintendo has done to make it annoying, the game itself will always be good, at least in my mind.

STORY (8/10): You go around catching little animals, so they can fight for you. This story sounds pretty flamboyant to me, and yet there are pokemon stealers and stuff. In a cutesy world this would work, and well that is what Pokemon is shooting for.

GRAPHICS (10/15): These graphics are just like almost everyother RPG for the original gameboy. Of course this is disapointing, unless you think about how much power the gameboy is really capable of, to put it into perspective. The Pokemon look different, however they are only still lifes, and the moves are fairly one dimensional.

SOUND (8/10): Different times do get different music, but nothing to great. But once again remember that this is the original gameboy here, and there has definitely been game with MUCH worse sound, so I'll give the sound some leeway.

GAMEPLAY (48/50): You go around using six of a hundred-fifty pokemon to do your bidding by beating other trainers, or by catching a new Pokemon for your collection. Of course there are 8 gym trainers to fight through, in which strategy will definitely be very important. There is also trainers scattered everywhere, who will let go some cash if you beat them. It is definitely a trick to get all 150 pokemon, honestly (Stupid Gameshark cheaters). You will need to trade with a friend to pull this off. This game itself has around 24 hours to play through before you will beat the Elite four, and in truth it is good fun, even if the premise is kiddy.

REPLAYABILITY (10/10): Yes, I am serious. When I first played this game I had 255 combined hours and more, as I went around trying to get all the Pokemon. Of course this shows how little of a life I had then, but this game definitely keeps you hooked. You can try to get your Pokemon up to level 100, or get them all by trading with friends (or your own second game). This game will keep you hooked.

DIFFICULTY (5/5): You should be able to beat the game with only a little bit of outside training, however it is definitely a struggle. You better get a good strong crew of Pokemon, or you are done for.

VINTAGE VALUE (+2): This has lead to Revelations: Demon Slayer and the Dragon Warrior Monsters series, let alone a whole crew of other Pokemon games. This simple game has created it's own genre, and you can't deny it that.

OVERALL (91/100): In truth the only weakness in Pokemon is that it was on the original Gameboy. The weakness in graphics and sound hurt it, even though in truth it is one of the best ideas ever put into videogames, and it definitely was succesful. The Pokemon premise has been a huge hit across the world, and I will admit the actual real games I have found myself tied into. Buy Pokemon Red/Blue and you will figure out why this game is so popular, if you give it it's deserved shot!

Community review by ratking (June 21, 2002) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.