Pokémon HG/SS rumours

Posted by leigerleiger on 1247398928|%e %B %Y at %H:%M|agohover

There's a lot of hype surrounding Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. I've scoured the net for new information about the games, looking for information that you may not have heard about on your regular gaming forum. You think you know it all - but read this and I'm sure you'll find out a lot more!

Pokémon: HG / SS


Game Details

Important dates (confirmed)
Preorder date (Japan): July 4, 2009
Launch (Japan): September 12, 2009
Cost for HG/SS: 4,800 yen

Other dates (not confirmed)
Launch (everywhere else): May, 2010


There's a lot of hype surrounding Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. I've scoured the net for new information about the games, looking for information that you may not have heard about on your regular gaming forum. You think you know it all - but read this and I'm sure you'll find out a lot more!

Below is a collection of information about the exciting new features this game will bring to the franchise. Keep in mind that while a lot of these are confirmed by Nintendo, some are rumours - and rumours have a tendency to be over-exaggerated.

Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal are known for adding the most new features to a single generation of the Pokémon games, and it seems that HG/SS are attempting to reach this goal once more.

Here we go, in no particular order…



Revamped breeding system

Notch-eared Pichu
Notch-eared Pichu1

One of the major reasons so many adults continue to play this game is due to the huge amount of depth it has. Since the very first release of Pokémon Red and Blue on the Gameboy Classic, a completely new game has been hidden behind that simple storyline that serves as a drawing point for kids. That is, Effort Value points - the system that levelling up is based upon - and breeding (since the original Gold/Silver).

There are rumours that the next instalment in the Pokémon hand-held franchise will include a revamped breeding system, including certain pokémon's visual appearance being changed by their parents. We gain their appearance from DNA - and it looks like Pokémon is heading in the same direction!

In the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum generation, Pokémon changed their appearance depending on gender, and whether or not they were shiny2. This is taking that one step further.

Pokémon follow you around à la Pokémon Yellow, Amity Square

New Bark Town
New Bark Town has changed: turbines and a two-storey lab

As far as we know, all Pokémon will be able to be taken out to walk alongside you wherever you go. Place your favourite Pokémon into the first slot of your six-strong Party, and you'll be able to interact with them in the same way Ash was able to do in Pokemon Yellow.

Let's go to the Game Corner! Oh, wait! D:

Every Pokémon game has had a Game Corner - whether it be in Celadon City, Goldenrod City, Mauville City, or Veilstone City - it was there. Well, no longer - for European, Australian and New Zealand players, the Game Corner's many slot machines will be stripped away to avoid causing a gambling addiction. Apparently someone decided we couldn't be trusted.

The (apparently) more responsible North American and Japanese public will be unaffected by this change, because the Game Corner will remain in their versions.

Platinum Graphics

Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver will be running off an upgraded version of the graphics engine used in Platinum (which in itself, is an upgraded version of the engine used in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl).

Naturally, that means some of the graphics have changed - many of them being converted into 3D sprites. Unfortunately, the main character's sprite and those of the pokémon following them around are still in 2D. Nostalgic value, perhaps?

20090617163804.png
Someone needs to mow the grass…

Kanto

It has been confirmed, the Kanto region will be in the games. The original Gold and Silver games are the only generation so far to include a second region. Following the storyline, three years after the events of the original games Kanto included a train station, and a few Gym Leaders had left for far more important things. The Safari Zone had been closed down, and Cinnabar Island no longer existed as a township after a volcanic eruption engulfed the town.

There are several questions left unanswered:

  • Is the remake still set three years after the events of the first generation Pokémon games?
  • If it is not, are we to assume that things have changed in Kanto?
  • Has Cinnabar Island been rebuilt?
  • Was the Safari Zone reopened, or was it converted into a Pal Park?
  • Is the Elite Four in the same location, or does Johto now have its own?
  • Are the Sevii Islands from FR/LG present?

New main characters, on the same old diet

This was always going to happen, as it has for every Pokémon game so far. What you may not have seen are pictures of these new characters. Look, learn, and wait. But don't copy their eating habits.

Male character Female character
Male character Female character

Better touch-control

Remember how Diamond and Pearl added touch-screen control, to celebrate the game's arrival on DS? If you do, you'd also remember how that control only appeared during battles and other random moments in the game. It wasn't improved for Pokémon Platinum either.

In Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, not only are you able to use the touch screen during battles, but the menu has been moved down to the lower screen, freeing up space on the top for… well, more scenery :|

The main menu is still brought up by the X button. Supposedly the Pokétch or PokéGear (or a hybrid between the two) will be on the screen most of the time, with the menu appearing only when you need it.

The menu below features the following buttons (down from right, then up on the left)

  • Trainer Card
  • Save Game
  • Options
  • Bag
  • Pokémon Team
HG/SS menu on touch screen
The new menu in Pokémon HG/SS

Several old favourites return

In every new Pokemon game there are guaranteed to be legendaries, and with a remake, you'd expect the same ones as were in the originals. That's exactly what you'll get, plus a few extras…

  • Red Gyarados can be found at Lake of Rage in the north of Johto, at level 30.
  • The legendary Pokémon Lugia and Ho-Oh will both be at level 45 when you find them.
  • Latias and Latios will most likely be in the game also, although at what level is anyone's guess. Probably around level 60.
  • Mewtwo is unconfirmed. There is much speculation about whether or not he will be in Kanto for the remake.
  • The Diamond and Pearl favourites Dialga, Palkia and Giratina are present, and are said to have the following moves: Metal Burst, Hydro Pump and Shadow Sneak, respectively.
  • Team Rocket return to cause trouble for the main character, and they're still hurting poor old Slowpoké!
Ho-oh Mewtwo
Ho-oh returns! Will we see Mewtwo?

Pokéthlon Minigames

That's right. HG and SS also have a few of those very annoying and completely useless minigames3. Apparently, they're at "Pokéthlon", a building located somewhere on the map with the sole purpose of wasting the player's time playing mini games.

In total, there are supposedly meant to be nine new touch-screen based minigames. Whether they're all to be found at the Pokéthlon is unknown, but it's very likely.

Pokéthlon Building Minigame 1 Minigame 2 Minigame 3
Pokéthlon Building Minigame 1 Minigame 2 Minigame 3




New Pokédex
The revamped Pokédex

Completely redesigned Pokédex!

A new type of Pokédex will be available in the improved Gold and Silver games, which arranges Pokémon in a table-like format. Is this a good thing? Well, that depends on how you look at the current style of 'Dex - I for one will be glad for less horizontal scrolling, but would hope that they keep the linear version in the final release.

So far, not much is known about it.



Nintendo DSi?

Pokémon Heart Gold & Soul Silver will most likely be playable on the regular Nintendo DS. Whether they are DSi-enhanced, however, has not been confirmed nor denied at this point. They will not be DSi-exclusive.





Gadgets? Nintendo pushes it's health theme further with PokéWalker

PokéWalker
Meet the next health phenomenon… PokéWalker

Introducing the PokéWalker… a completely separate device that will be bundled with all Japanese versions of the game and connects to HG/SS using infra-red technology.

There are a few things to consider here. Firstly, although there has been no confirmation that this device will be included when the game is released for other regions, the influence it has over the game makes it very likely. Secondly, will the additional hardware trigger a price rise above similar Nintendo DS titles? Let's hope not.

You will be able to transfer a single pokémon at a time to the PokéWalker, which will be affected by the amount of walking you do with the device in your pocket. As you walk, the pokémon will gain experience, its affection for you will grow, and you will generate a currency called 'watts'. Watts can be used to catch wild Pokémon on the 'Walker, and to buy items which can later be sent back to your game.

There will be several routes available, with at least 2-3 confirmed so far. After transferring a pokémon to the device, you are able to select a route for it to walk along - with each route containing different wild pokémon. Apparently, certain tasks being completed in the game will unlock more routes on the PokéWalker. Most likely beating the Elite Four is one of these events.

Currently unclear:

  • Will the PokéWalker being bundled with the game raise the price above that of similar DS titles?
  • How does the PokéWalker operate? Will batteries need to be replaced after a while?
  • Neither the Nintendo DS nor the DSi have infrared capabilities, unlike the Gameboy Colour did. Will an adapter be fitted into the game cartridge? Most likely.


Summing it all up…

There is still a lot of speculation surrounding the new games, and we're not likely to find out too much more until closer to release. Sit tight, be patient, and start saving… the game will be selling for approximately AUD $67.00, or USD $52.00 - if the Japanese price is anything to gauge by.

Keep your eyes out for more updates.


I take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information. To the best of my knowledge the information is either confirmed or very reliable - but if you find an error please report it and it will be fixed as soon as possible.





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