Pokémon: Fire Red E3 2004 Preshow Impressions

They say there are three sure things in life: death, taxes, and more Pokémon games. Sure enough, here come two more entries in the vaunted monster-collecting RPG series, titled Fire Red and Leaf Green. These new games aren't going to set the world on fire the way the first Pokémon games did ages ago--in fact, they are the first Pokémon games to have been released, or at least remakes of them. They do contain plenty of new content and features that the Poké-fanatic will surely appreciate, however.

To start with, Fire Red and Leaf Green will let you get all of the Pokémon. That's right, all of them. That includes the monsters from Pokémons Ruby, Sapphire, and Colosseum--more than 300 total. The games will feature a recap system that will show you the last few events you completed every time you load your game; this is useful if you haven't played in a while and need to be steered back in the right direction. For any newcomers to the series, the game will include a big new tutorial mode affectionately referred to as the "Teachy TV," which will help bring you up to speed on all the basics of the Pokémon series.

Perhaps the biggest new addition to the two new Pokémon games is its support for (and inclusion of) the new Game Boy Advance wireless adapter. In Fire Red and Leaf Green, you'll be able to connect to other nearby players and meet up in the union room, which is a sort of clubhouse for like-minded Pokémon players to hang out in. Here, you'll be able to chat with other characters, participate in some low-level battling, and even trade Pokémon. The wireless device will be packed in with either version of the game, and Nintendo says it'll be available for separate purchase later down the road.

Both games will feature some new areas that you can add to your map, and there will be some minigames available that you can play using the wireless adapter. Both Fire Red and Leaf Green are scheduled for release in September of this year, so look for more information on them from E3 and beyond as that date approaches.