is a

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

developed by

Game Freak is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of the mainline ''Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. History Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' ...

and published by

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

for the

Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...

. It is the third version of second generation games after ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', and it is also the final ''Pokémon'' game to be released for the Game Boy Color system. It was released in Japan in 2000, and then internationally in 2001. ''Pokémon Crystal'' was released worldwide on the

Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Uni ...

on January 26, 2018.

Gameplay

The gameplay of ''Pokémon Crystal'' is largely the same as in ''Gold'' and ''Silver'', although it has several new features. It is the first ''Pokémon'' game to allow players to choose the sex of their character, while previously the character was always male. For the first time, Pokémon have brief animated sprites once entering battle; for example, when a Cyndaquil enters battle, the flames on its back flicker. This feature was absent in ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'' and ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', before reappearing in ''

Pokémon Emerald is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was first released in Japan in 2004, and was later released internationally in 2005. It is a third version a ...

'' and all subsequent games. In addition, a couple of subplots were added, one involving the

legendary Pokémon Legendary may refer to: * Legend, a folklore genre * Legendary (hagiography) ** Anjou Legendarium * J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium Film and television * ''Legendary'' (film), a 2010 American sports drama film * ''Legendary'', a 2013 film fe ...

Suicune, featured on the front cover of the game, and the other involving the

Unown is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's '' Pokémon'' franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Unown first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' and in subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spi ...

. The game's most significant addition is the Battle Tower, a new building which allows players to participate in ''

Pokémon Stadium ''Pokémon Stadium'', known in Japan as is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. First released in Japan on April 30, 1999, it was later released as the first ''Stadium'' title in Western regions the foll ...

''-like fights. The Japanese edition of the game was exclusively bundled with the a device that allowed for connecting with other players via a

mobile phone A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...

Plot

The setting and story remains largely the same as ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver''. The legendary beast Suicune now has a more prominent role in the game's storyline than in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Awakening the legendary beast trio (Suicune, Entei, Raikou) is now required in order to challenge Ecruteak Gym Leader Morty. Suicune is encountered at various locations throughout Johto. After receiving the Clear Bell (in lieu of the Rainbow Wing in Pokemon Gold or Silver Wing in Pokemon Silver), Suicune will appear stationary at the Tin Tower. Mythicalman Eusine is introduced; his life goal is searching for Suicune and he will battle the player in Cianwood City to gain Suicune's respect.

Release

It was released in Japan on December 14, 2000, North America on July 29, 2001, Australia on September 30, 2001, and Europe on November 2, 2001. ''Crystal'' was re-released worldwide via the

on January 26, 2018. A physical box with a download code for the game was released in Japan and Europe.

Reception

''Pokémon Crystal'' was well received by critics, although many commented that there were just not enough new additions and features to significantly set it apart from ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver''. Craig Harris of ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' stated "The final (hopefully) Game Boy Color edition is definitely the version to get if you aren't already one of the upteenth billion owners of the previous games, with ''Crystal''s slight updates to the design and graphics. But there's not much in this edition that makes it a "must buy" for folks who already own a copy or two of the previous editions". ''GameSpot'' nominated ''Crystal'' for its annual "Best Game Boy Color Game" award, which went to ''Oracle of Seasons'' and ''Oracle of Ages''. The Australian Nintendo Gamer magazine gave a review score of 88 out of 100 and gave praise to the game's improvements from Gold and Silver including the option to choose either a male or female Pokémon trainer, enhanced graphics, more animated Pokémon battles and improved location navigation and stating “The main map and features of the game remain the same, but there are enough little differences to make it a worthwhile addition to your Pokémon game collection.” ''Pokémon Crystal'' was the second-best-selling Game Boy Color game in Japan, with 1,871,307 copies sold. It has sold nearly 6.4 million units worldwide.

Legacy

A bootleg release of ''Pokémon Crystal'' called ''Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal'', often shortened to ''Vietnamese Crystal'' is infamous for its poorly translated English text and gameplay oddities, such as profanity and calling Pokémon "elves".

Notes

References

External links

* (US) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pokémon Crystal 2000 video games Game Boy Color games Game Freak games Games with Transfer Pak support Japanese role-playing video games Multiplayer and single-player video games

Crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

Role-playing video games Video game sequels Video game remakes Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring protagonists of selectable gender Video games with alternative versions Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS Video games scored by Junichi Masuda Video games scored by Go Ichinose Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto