Pokemon, Crystal Version

Product Description

Your mission is to challenge-and defeat-all 8 gym leaders, one at a time. As you collect Trainer badges and earn respect among Pokémon and trainers alike, you will travel through deep, dark caves and across vast oceans and plains. Keep your eyes peeled as you go-some Pokémon only show up in certain areas and some come out only at certain times of the day or night. And some Pokémon can only be hatched, so you'll want to match them wisely to ensure that they produce eggs. Defeating gym leaders is not your only challenge. You must also fill up your Pokédex and unravel all the mysteries in the land of Johto.

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Pokémon Crystal is to Pokémon Gold and Silver what Pokémon Yellow is to Pokémon Red and Blue. It features several minor upgrades from its predecessors, but in essence it's still the same game. The classic Pokémon formula of adventuring, collecting, and battling is at a series best with Crystal. This is one of the best and most addictive role-playing games for the Game Boy Color.

The most notable feature is the selectable female trainer who has her own set of animations and backgrounds. This is a great option for female Pokémon fans who were previously stuck playing the game as a male character. There are also subtle improvements to the cell phone system, HM moves, and prebattle animations. Rival trainers' phone calls are now more plentiful and pragmatic. HM moves, which are required throughout the game, are available at the push of a button--you'll no longer have to navigate menus to use these moves. Lastly, seeing a Pokémon's new animation makes encountering new creatures more fun than before.

If you haven't played Gold or Silver yet, Crystal is definitely the way to go. If you've played those previous games, Crystal has only enough new features to justify a purchase from Pokémon fanatics. This game is compatible with the link cable, Game Boy printer, and Pokémon Pikachu 2. It's playable on Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance only, and can be played on a television using Pokémon Stadium 2 and a Transfer Pak. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• New female trainer
• Prebattle animations are cute
• Lots of subtle improvements Cons:
  • Too similar to Gold and Silver
  • Mobile phone features not in the U.S. version

• No. of players: 1-2.
• Tournament-style combat.
• Play as a male or female trainer, collecting, and schooling growing monsters.