{"id":48928,"date":"2024-04-03T15:07:03","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T13:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2019110"},"modified":"2024-04-03T16:25:11","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T14:25:11","slug":"pokemon-gold-and-silver-remakes-are-more-than-just-an-entitled-fan-request","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/pokemon-gold-and-silver-remakes-are-more-than-just-an-entitled-fan-request\/","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver remakes are more than just an entitled fan request"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a matter of preservation, too. <\/p>

By Rob Leane\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 03 April 2024 at 13:07 PM<\/p>

\n\n

This year\u2019s Pok\u00e9mon Day<\/a> has come and gone, and there\u2019s something about it that\u2019s still making me grumpy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not normally one to make a big stink about the games that I want companies to make, or to grumble when I don\u2019t get my way.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m aware that Nintendo, Game Freak and The Pok\u00e9mon<\/a> Company are huge operations, and they have a habit of surprising and delighting fans rather than kowtowing to their every whim.<\/p>\n

But still, prior to Pok\u00e9mon Day, I had seen the rumours that Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver would be getting a remake.<\/p>\n

I try not to get sucked in by \u2018leaks\u2019, because I know some of them turn out to be wrong, but this time I couldn\u2019t stop myself from getting excited. Allow me to explain why\u2026<\/p>\n

What\u2019s so special about Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Box\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Pok\u00e9mon Silver.<\/span><\/figcaption> Nintendo \/ Game Freak \/ The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

I played Pok\u00e9mon Silver when it first launched on Game Boy Color, back in 2001 for UK-based fans, and it has remained one of my favourites in the franchise ever since.<\/p>\n

While new generations and gimmicks come and go, something about this one was special to me.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the fact that Lugia is one of the coolest-looking legendaries, and the starters were pretty loveable as well (Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile, if you were struggling to remember).<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the fact that it added new mechanics, like held items, and new features like the Pok\u00e9gear communication device.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the fact that, while later games would move towards 3D graphics, Gold and Silver stuck faithfully to the nostalgic top-down view of Red and Blue \u2013 but still managed to feel new and exciting.<\/p>\n

Most of all, I think it\u2019s the fact that Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver had some of the best moments in the franchise to date. Even after you\u2019ve completed the eight new gyms, the game still has surprises in store, including a twist that felt massive at the time.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve beaten the main game and conquered the Pok\u00e9mon battling scene of the new Johto region, you can travel to the Kanto region from Red and Blue and revisit all your old haunts from the previous game!<\/p>\n

I remember this realisation being properly thrilling at the time, and it had a top pay-off as well.<\/p>\n

It was great to pop back to iconic Kanto locations and see how they\u2019ve changed, but the big finale was something utterly special \u2014 you got to battle the main character from Red and Blue, essentially going toe to toe with your younger self.<\/p>\n

This felt epic at the time, and that whole Kanto jaunt still feels like one of the coolest ideas ever to be plumbed into a Pok\u00e9mon game.<\/p>\n

It is, I fear, also part of the reason why Gold and Silver haven\u2019t been remade yet \u2014 the developers would also have to remake the Kanto section, essentially making this a double-length project compared to remaking any other Pok\u00e9mon title (as none of the others have region-hopping twists).<\/p>

Why is it so hard to play Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve been hoping for a new way to play Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver for years. And in the weeks since Pok\u00e9mon Day, when the rumoured Gold and Silver remake was not announced or event hinted towards, I\u2019ve started to think that this is more than just an entitled fan request.<\/p>\n

It is, in fact, a matter of game preservation. Of making sure that classic titles are preserved in a playable form for future generations (and me) to enjoy.<\/p>\n

You see, Pok\u00e9mon Gold and Silver are pretty hard to play these days. And I don\u2019t mean they\u2019re difficult in a gameplay sense. I mean, unless you\u2019re willing to go down some dodgy routes in real life, it\u2019s physically and logistically challenging to actually play Gold and Silver in any official way.<\/p>\n

Even if you have a physical Game Boy Color cartridge for Gold or Silver (which I do), you might find that it doesn\u2019t really work anymore.<\/p>\n

The game has a day-and-night cycle, and the physical chip that powered this time-tracking mechanic is likely to fritz out if you try to use it in 2024. The game may not save at all if you try to use an old cartridge, and the day-night system definitely won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

A cursory glance at the internet will tell any curious fan that, if they want to get their old cartridge working again, they\u2019ll need to disassemble it and replace the chip with a new one.<\/p>\n

The mention of a soldering iron is the point at which I gave up on this project. Apologies to my DT teacher, but I\u2019m really not a very soldering iron sort of person.<\/p>\n