Pokemon FireRed Version

"The "off" switch is a thing of the past."

Pokémon Red and Blue hit the states several years ago during the waking years of the Pokémon craze. The anime, the books, the toys were all fairly irritating, but one thing was certain; Red and Blue sold like hotcakes.

Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green are the latest installment of the Pokémon series. Remade with updated graphics and sound, the game is very appealing. However, the majority of this games virtues come from the gameplay additions.

Graphics 8/10
As much as I enjoy this game, I must say that the update in graphics was a NECESSARY change, regardless of everything else. The sprites are smooth, and the world is colorful. The Pokemon look just as they should, and on the whole, its perfect for the pokemon world. However, its nothing to write home about. After a while of playing, the graphics lose their charm, but are still easy on the eyes

Sound 9/10
Perhaps this is a little biased, but hearing all the tunes from the original Pokémon redone really does make me smile. The tunes are pleasant to listen to, and very true to the series roots. I suppose it would be an 8 if you haven't played RBY before.

Story 2/10
Hahaha, you gotta be kidding right? Story? It shouldn't even matter, if you play games for only the story, you're playing them for the wrong reasons friend.

Controls 10/10
Tight, Responsive, Precise... what else needs to be said? The addition of the run feature speeds things up even more.

Gameplay 10/10
Ah, the meat and potatoes of Pokémon. All Pokémon have abilties ala Ruby/Sapphire, and learn about twice as many moves as before. After beating the Elite four, a series of Islands open up for exploration, featuring many things, including Pokémon from the other games, puzzles, trading, and breeding centers. And thats not even the half of it. The Wireless link allows players to play with others within a certain proximity, which makes trading and battling MUCH easier. Also, Mini games and Chat features appear in the link room, where anyone playing around you can appears. The gameplay includes all of the updates from Ruby and Sapphire in one form or another. Alone, this game is fun and addictive, but with friends, its impossible to put down.

All in all, I would have to say that people need to give this game a chance, even if its a remake. Nintendo has a knack for making great games even greater. (Metroid: Zero Mission anybody?)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/04