New Pokemon games worth exploring

Posted to Arts & Entertainment by Chase Koeneke at 12:27 a.m., March 23, 2010

'Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver'

Platform: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Release Date: March 14

Try, if you will, to remember the year 2000. It was one crazy time. The Y2K scare had come and gone, the St. Louis Rams were Super Bowl champions, the Constitution of Finland was rewritten and we were all still playing "Pokémon Red" and "Blue" on our Game Boys and Game Boy Colors.

Then a new set of twins came on the scene. "Pokémon Gold" and "Silver" brought a new day/night cycle, 100 new portable critters and an entire new world to explore (not to mention the glittery cartridges themselves, making them easily identifiable for the youngsters).

After 10 years and two major handheld platforms, Nintendo is asking you to throw more money into its Poke-pile to buy the slightly updated "Pokemon Heart Gold" and "Soul Silver" games for the Nintendo DS.

The games retain their basic plot and rock, paper, scissors-combat from a decade ago but have been upgraded with all the new moves, features and monsters that have come about in the post-"Gold" and -"Silver" era.

Some brand-new features have been included as well, namely, the pedometer-like "Pokewalker," which allows you to gain experience for your critters while you're walking to and from class, and the customizable Safari Zone, which could potentially suck away days of your life if you let it. They aren't revolutions by any means, but they are enough to make what we played as kids seem fresh again.

Bottom line: If you never played the original "Gold" and "Silver" on the Game Boy Color (arguably the best of the entire franchise) or have fond enough memories to revisit them, "Heart Gold" and "Soul Silver" are well worth your time and money. Congrats Nintendo, you've managed once again to give us just enough new stuff to keep us interested.

4 out of 5