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'' and all subsequent games. In addition, a couple of subplots were added, one involving thePlot
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 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console 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'' 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