Platform: Game Boy Color
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Game Freak
Genre: RPG
Origin: Japan
Number of Players: 2
Net Support: Yes
Release: Japan only, not scheduled for North America



Brand new worlds to explore, and plenty of new Pokémon challenges to overcome.



Pokémon Crystal may not fit in easily in America, but Japanese gamers are dying for new Pokémon adventures, and now they can link up with their cell phones.



The hottest new addition to Pokémon Crystal -- an all new Pokémon trainer to play as!





Pokemon Crystal

What's in the crystal ball for Pokémon? New trainers, special features, and more Pokémon attacks!

January 16, 2000

They said it would never last, but Pokémon has out-survived all expectations. It's not just a fad or phenomenon -- it's a lasting gaming sensation, and it's ready to begin all over again in a brand new way.
Just a few months now into the American craze over Pokémon Gold and Silver, and already we have yet another full Pokémon game to look forward to. The game, called Pokémon Crystal (once known under the project title Pokémon X), is planned for a launch with Nintendo's Mobile Adapter GB in Japan. While the Mobile Adapter will be a key part of Pokémon Crystal's innovations, that device's delay hasn't stopped the Pokémon train from rolling on for a new adventure. The next game is due out for release on December 14 of this year in the Land of the Rising Sun, and though the game's new gimmick may make it a little out-of-place for an American release any time soon, it's still something Pokémaniacs will sure to want to catch.


Features


A Special Edition version of Pokémon Gold & Silver
Play as a boy or girl Pokémon trainer.
Trade Pokémon over a cellular phone with the Mobile Adapter
Makes use of Transfer Pack, Infrared Port, Game Boy Printer, Game Link Cable, Battery Back-Up, and the new Mobile Adapter
Only for Game Boy Color
Pokémon Crystal is essentially a Special Edition version of Pokémon Gold and Silver, much like the Pikachu Yellow version of the original series. No new series of Pokémon will be introduced with the game, and even though there is an all-new way to trade Pokémon with the game, it is doubtful that any hidden secret Pokémon or strange variations of the old Pokémon will be included in the game. However, the new Mobile Adapter system allows the Game Boy Color to download data from a network -- rare Pokémon like Mew or Serebii will probably be one of the key components of the Pokémon Crystal game, forcing players to check in with Nintendo to see if they'll get the chance to catch a rare Pokémon. And even without those benefits, there are still new worlds to explore and plenty of additions to keep this update fresh.

The biggest addition is that a new Pokémon trainer has joined the team, and gamers can choose to be either a girl or boy Pokémon trainer in the game! Nintendo has yet to release the name of this new female trainer, but you can catch a glimpse of her over on the right. She's not dressed as catty as Jessie or Misty -- more like a scientist with the long coat and Poké Gear around her neck -- so perhaps if she's included in the show, she will be less hyper-cutesy and more serious about being a great Pokémon Master.

Nintendo is tweaking this game in slight but important ways over Pokémon GS with the addition of this female trainer. The maps and menus will be drawn slightly differently depending on whether you choose a girl or boy to play as, and each will have a different backpack with different gear to play with.

In addition to the female trainer, another main character has been announced for the game -- a creepy looking fellow named Minaki. This stranger is on a mission to find Suicune -- it is a mystery why he wants this Legendary Pokémon so, but until you find out his motives, it's probably best to stop his quest. Also added is a new radio station, with a broadcast by a friendly female DJ called Hello Aoi, where Aoi may pass on new secrets about the quest ahead. The game will also delve deeper into the mystery of the Unown, which will be further elaborated on in the next Pokémon movie.

Another new addition to the game is an improvement of the graphics. Now in battles, the Pokémon will animate slightly to show the attack better. For example, Cyndaquil lights up the fire on his back. The animation will be limited -- you won't see Lickitung launch its big tongue across the screen or Houndoom spit a huge fireball that lights up the screen -- but its still a vast improvement over the still, blah battles that you're used to.

The biggest change in Pokémon Crystal is it's use of the Mobile Adapter, which links into the Game Link port and provides rudimentary link cable play over phone lines, making the game an interesting new development, if not quite a revolutionary product. This link over a cellular connection will be exploited by Nintendo to deepen the Pokémon mythos and further baffle strategy guide authors -- when a Pokémon is traded with the Mobile Adapter, it might learn new attacks in the transfer. For instance, one picture of the game shows Eevee using Baton Pass, which it can now learn at Level 36 when transferred. Even if you don't have the Mobile Adapter, there are new changes in the Pokémon universe -- wild Pokémon in the game also learn new attacks, as seen when Dugtrio does a Tri-Attack.

This Mobile Adapter technology, not necessary to Pokémon Crystal but still a vital addition, will be foreign to American gamers, since cellular phones are very costly and uncommon for young gamers who will be the game's target audience. However, it will fit in perfectly with the Japanese hand-held crowd, where cell phone bills are handled quite differently and every man, woman, and child has their own cell. We'll have to see later on whether Nintendo of America will find a spot for this device and this version of the game in the US, but since Americans will be just got their hands on Pokémon Gold and Silver (whereas it has already had a long, sustained run in Japan for months now), American gamers may not miss this one. Japanese gamers, however, will be suitably jazzed.

Pokémon Crystal will be available in Japan on December 14, 2000, with the Mobile Adapter due in January

By
Mew 2 ©