Pokemon Heartgold is a fantastic update of the 2000 handheld classic, and is in some cases better.
When I got Pokemon Heartgold, a heavy dose of nostalgia came back to me from ten years ago when I played Pokemon Gold on the Game Boy Color. Nintendo handled this remake perfectly, enchancing the graphics, sound, and battles. The result is a package longtime Pokemon fans won't forget.
Features
.Huge adventure with 16 gyms and the elite four.
.Enchanced graphics and audio to fit the DS
.Pokewalker to make your Pokemon increase their levels.
.Cool 3D effects and varied Gyms
.Pokemon from the Gold and Silver series, as well as Pokemon from the Diamond and Pearl series
Like most Pokemon games, this is pretty much the same, and it is EXTREMELY ADDICTING!! You start off in New Leaf Town, trying to collect Pokemon so that you can defeat the gym leaders. Same deal as usual. But get this, you get Diamond and Pearl Pokemon as well as Gold Pokemon! Amazing! This extends the replay value greatly for the game.
I'm not really going to far for a review for this game, since most of it is the same as the Gold Version. What is new is the fantastic addition of the Pokewalker, included with the game. You'd expect to avoid this, but it surprisingly works easily and is fun to use. You can transfer your Pokemon in it and walk around with it. The more miles you run, the stronger your Pokemon will be. It's awesome to use, and I haven't had any problems with connectivity. Also new are some cool 3D effects, such as the lighthouse in Olvine, which looks fantastic!
Graphics
The Graphics in HeartGold look great. It looks like the original, though enchanced. The screen runs smoothly, and the animations of the Pokemon are amazing! I noticed that the bushes look slightly better than those in Diamond and Pearl. However, there is tons of pixilation in some places, such as photos and when the Pokemon fly, swim, or surf. It looks HENIOUS!! Otherwise, nice job Nintendo
Sound
Perfect. Just Perfect. It's even better than the original. The tunes have a understated quality that I dig. I kept coming back to areas just to listen to the fantastic music. The audio effects are also untouched.
Overall, Pokemon HeartGold is a fantastic update of the 2000 handheld classic, and is in some cases better. Beyond this 75 hour quest, I loved collecting all the Pokemon, badges, and secrets, and so will you. If I had to complain, it would be that Gym Leaders tend to use tons of potions to make the battles longer than they really should be. The pixelation is also a problem. Had these two problems been fixed, this would've been an A+. I highly recommend this fine package to any Pokemon fan out there, because on the DS, Pokemon HeartGold is nearly unequalled in terms of replay value.
Gameplay: 10/10: Fantastic. Tons of Secrets, sidequests, and battles enchanced from the Game Boy Color straight to your DS. And it's extremely fun too.
Graphics: 7/10: Characters and scenery look great. Pixelation is not so good.
Sound: 10/10: You won't want to shut this off.
Replay Value: 9/10: Wait a few months before playing this game again. Otherwise, this is phenominal. You'll be at it every day for about five months. Pokewalker is a great bonus.