Pokémon HeartGold And SoulSilver
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and are 2009
remakes A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of the 1999
Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
s ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', also including features from ''
Pokémon Crystal is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color, released in Japan in December 2000 and internationally throughout 2001. Serving as an enhanced edition of the 1999 titles ''Pokémon Gold'' ...
''. The games are part of the fourth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series, developed by
Game Freak is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games. History Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self- ...
and published by
The Pokémon Company , simply known as Pokémon is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, which consists of video games, a trading card game, anime television series, f ...
and
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
for the
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of ''Gold'' and ''Silver'', the games were released in Japan on September 12, 2009, and were later released in other regions during March 2010. ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' take place in the Johto and
Kanto Japanese Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ''Pokémon ...
region of the franchise's fictional universe, which features special creatures called Pokémon. The basic goal of the game is to become the best Pokémon Trainer in both the Johto and Kanto regions, which is done by raising and cataloging Pokémon and defeating other trainers. Game director Shigeki Morimoto aimed to respect the feelings of those who played the previous games, while also ensuring that it felt like a new game to those that were introduced to the series in more recent years. The games received positive reviews from critics, and as of March 2014, the games' combined sales have reached 12.72 million, making the two games combined the eighth best-selling DS video games of all time.


Gameplay

''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' are
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
s with
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
elements. The basic mechanics of the games are largely the same as their predecessors'. As with all ''Pokémon'' games for handheld consoles, gameplay is viewed from a third-person overhead perspective, and consists of three basic screens: a
field map Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...
, in which the player navigates the main character; a battle screen; and the menu, in which the player configures their party, items, or gameplay settings. The player begins the game with one Pokémon and can capture more using Poké Balls. When the player encounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer to a battle, the screen switches to a
turn-based Timekeeping is relevant to many types of games, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, and sports. The passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. In many games, this is don ...
battle screen where the Pokémon fight. During battle, the player may use a move, use an item, switch the active Pokémon, or flee. Fleeing is not an option during battles against trainers. Pokémon have
hit points Health is a video game or tabletop game quality that determines the maximum amount of damage or fatigue something takes before leaving the main game. In role-playing games, this typically takes the form of hit points (HP), a numerical attribute ...
(HP), which is displayed during battles; when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and cannot battle unless taken to a
Pokémon Center The Pokémon Center is a chain of specialty stores selling ''Pokémon''-related merchandise. Pokémon Centers are predominantly located in Japan, the first having opened in Tokyo in 1998. Stores have also opened in Singapore, the United States, ...
or healed or revived with a Pokémon skill or an item, typically a 'revive' medicine. If the player's Pokémon defeats the opposing Pokémon (causes it to faint), it receives
experience points An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
. After accumulating enough experience points, it will level up; most Pokémon evolve into a new species of Pokémon when they reach a certain level, or when certain conditions are met, such as how much a Pokémon statistically 'likes' its trainer.


New features

In ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', the Pokémon in the first slot of the player's party can follow them in the overworld, echoing a mechanic in ''
Pokémon Yellow is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe in which humans co-exist with creatures known as Pokémon, a lar ...
'' where
Pikachu Pikachu (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the franchise's mascot. First introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', it was created by Atsuko N ...
follows the player. This mechanic was also used in a limited fashion in ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', and ''
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
'' when the player is in Amity Park with a "cute" Pokémon. The player may talk to the Pokémon to see or check on how that Pokémon is feeling, and occasionally it may pick up items. Additionally, a
pedometer A pedometer, or step-counter, is a device, usually portable and electronic or electromechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hands or hips. Because the distance of each person's step varies, an ...
was bundled with each copy of the games called a "Pokéwalker", which allows players to transfer Pokémon from the game into the device and walk around with them, earning "watts" in the process, which can be exchanged for in-game rewards. A new
minigame A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...
called the Pokéathlon uses the Nintendo DS touchscreen and allows Pokémon to compete in events such as
hurdling Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...
. The Japanese versions retain
slot machines A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...
found in previous games, while the international releases of the titles replace the slot machines with a new game called "Voltorb Flip", described as a cross between
Minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...
and
Picross ''Picross'' is a series of puzzle video games developed by Jupiter Corporation and owned by Nintendo. It features a series of nonogram puzzles solved by the player. The series started in 1995 with ''Mario's Picross'' for the Game Boy. After man ...
. Another new item, the GB Sounds, changes the background music to the
chiptune Chiptune, also called 8-bit music (although not all chiptune is 8-bit music), is a style of electronic music made using the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips or synthesizers in vintage arcade machines, computers and video gam ...
music that sounds similar to original music from ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver''. A new mechanic in the Safari where the player can customize areas to increase the rate of wild species to appear was also added. The entire mechanics will be unlocked after having gained the national Dex, completed two quests by the Safari administrator and automatically answered to each of his calls (one-each 3 hours of game).


Connectivity to other devices

''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' can access the
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (sometimes shortened to Nintendo WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's W ...
(since discontinued) to trade, battle, and interact with other players of these games, as well as players of ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', and ''Platinum''. After completing a special
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
mission download on '' Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs'', the player can send a Deoxys to ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''.


Setting and story

Similar to ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' take place in the Johto and
Kanto Japanese Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ''Pokémon ...
regions of the franchise's fictional universe. The universe centers on the existence of creatures, called
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
, with special abilities. The silent
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
is a young Pokémon Trainer who lives in a small town referred to as New Bark Town. At the beginning of the games, the player chooses either a Chikorita, Cyndaquil, or Totodile as their starter Pokémon from Professor Elm. After performing a delivery for the professor and obtaining a Pokédex from Professor Oak, he decides to let the player keep the Pokémon and start them on a journey. The goal of the game is to become the best Pokémon Trainer in Johto and Kanto, which is done by raising
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
, completing a catalogue of Pokémon called a Pokédex, defeating the eight
Gym Leaders A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term "gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learni ...
in Johto for Gym Badges, challenging the best trainers in the region known as the
Elite Four In political and sociological theory, the elite (, from , to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful or wealthy people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. Defined by the ...
and the Johto League Champion, and then subsequently defeating the eight Gym Leaders in the Kanto region. Finally, the player may face off against the Kanto League Champion
Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
atop Mt. Silver, who serves as the game's final
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
. Throughout the game, the player will battle against members of
Team Rocket is a fictional crime syndicate in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Team Rocket is a primary antagonist in the original ''Pokémon'' video games ''Red'', ''Green'', and ''Blue'', as well as in the long-running ''Pokémon'' anime TV-series. In the ...
, a criminal organization originally from Kanto. They were originally defeated by the protagonist of ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', and have attempted to come back as an organization, while awaiting the return of their leader,
Giovanni Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...
. To attempt to contact him, they take over the radio tower and broadcast a message calling out to him. While being the remakes of ''Gold '' and ''Silver'', the games tie in plot elements of ''Crystal'' as well, such as the added emphasis on Suicune over the other legendary beasts, as well as the post-ending Battle Frontier; in ''Crystal'', only the Battle Tower was available. Additionally, Johto and Kanto were given Generation IV features such as the Pal Park. During certain points in the game, the player's rival will battle the protagonist in a test of skills. Additionally, the player will encounter
Kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...
Girls, who ask the player to do small favors—such as defeating a Team Rocket grunt—throughout the Johto region. After battling all of them in a row, they proceed to the area where the player encounters the game's
legendary Pokémon Legendary may refer to: * Legend, a folklore genre * Legendary (hagiography) * J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium Film and television * Legendary (2010 film), ''Legendary'' (2010 film), a 2010 American sports drama film * Legendary (2013 film), ' ...
mascot, Ho-Oh in ''HeartGold'' and Lugia in ''SoulSilver'', and perform a dance to summon them. As per the originals, the other legendary Pokémon can be obtained later on.


Development

''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' were released in 2009, ten years after ''Gold'' and ''Silver''s initial release for the
Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
. Shigeki Morimoto, the games' director, commented on the development of the remakes: "The first thing that I knew I needed to bear in mind was to respect the feelings of those people who'd played ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' ten years before. I think that players have very strong memories of the game, so they'd think things like 'Ah, this trainer is still strong' and 'If I do this here, this is going to happen'. I knew I needed to respect these feelings." However, Morimoto also felt he needed to make sure that the games would feel as new games to those who began playing ''Pokémon'' in recent years on the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
or the
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
. An in-game
author surrogate As a literary technique, an author surrogate (also called an author avatar) is a fictional character based on the author. The author surrogate may be disguised, with a different name, or the author surrogate may be quite close to the author, with ...
of Game Freak's President in Celadon City states that the team strove to make a game that would appeal to players with fond memories without "redoing the same thing". He also states that making the game was a "rewarding challenge". On the differences between the remakes and the originals and how the names bore out of that, Morimoto said "With ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', the way in which trainers and Pokémon relate has become a major theme and this has been added to the story. We came up with the titles ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' as we decided these were appropriate to express this theme." ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' introduced many new features that were absent in the original ''Gold'' and ''Silver'', several of which came from the previously released Nintendo DS ''Pokémon'' games, ''Diamond'', ''Pearl'', and ''
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
''.


Release and promotion

Rumors that Nintendo planned to remake ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' started circulating in early May 2009 after the Japanese television show ''
Pokémon Sunday is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'' ended by announcing a "world-exclusive first announcement" that would be made on its next show. Kris Pigna of ''
1UP.com ''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conte ...
'' speculated that this alluded to a possible remake of ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' for the
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
, due to gold and silver disco balls hanging in the background. Pigna further reasoned that this would be consistent with the previously released titles ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' which were enhanced remakes of the original ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue''. Several days later, Nintendo officially confirmed that ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' were being remade as ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' and released their official logos. It was also announced that the games would contain numerous updates, although they declined to reveal any specifics. The games were released for the Nintendo DS on September 12, 2009 in Japan to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the original ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' release.
Junichi Masuda is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer, producer, singer, programmer and trombonist, best known for his work in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. He was a member of Game Freak where he was an employee and executive at the company s ...
stated on his blog that "we, Game Freak have spent long and firm time developing above two titles", and that "'Pokémon Gold & Silver' will be back with far more excitement." At the 2009
Pokémon World Championships The Pokémon World Championships is an invite-only esports event organized by Play! Pokémon. It is held annually in August and features games from the ''Pokémon'' series such as the ''Pokémon'' video games, ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'', ''P ...
, Nintendo stated that ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' would be released in North America between the months of January and March, Europe sometime around May and June, and Australia in April. "Announcing these much-anticipated game launches at The Pokémon World Championships allows us to give the news directly to the legions of fans who represent the true heart and soul of ''Pokémon''," a spokesperson said. As the games approached release, from February 27 to March 13, 2010, North American video game retailer
GameStop GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas). The brand is the largest video game retailer worldwide. , the company operated 3,203 stor ...
hosted a promotion in which players of ''Pokémon Diamond'', ''Pearl'', or ''
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
'' could use the games' "Mystery Gift" function to download a free Jirachi Pokémon to their game. A "
Pikachu Pikachu (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the franchise's mascot. First introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', it was created by Atsuko N ...
-colored Pichu" could be downloaded using Wi-Fi that, when taken to the Ilex Forest in-game, unlocked a "Spiky-eared Pichu". The games were released in North America on March 14, 2010, in Australia on March 25, 2010, and in Europe on March 26, 2010 except in
the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and Dutch speaking Belgium where they released on April 2, 2010.


Audio

a three-disc
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
featuring music scored by
Junichi Masuda is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer, producer, singer, programmer and trombonist, best known for his work in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. He was a member of Game Freak where he was an employee and executive at the company s ...
, Go Ichinose, Hitomi Sato, Shota Kageyama, and Takuto Kitsuta, was released in Japan on October 28, 2009.


Reception


Pre-release

In response to the news confirming the development of ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', fans posted their reactions and commentary on the Internet. In particular, ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
'' editor Jack DeVries reasoned that the primary reason for the updated games was to be compatible with ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', allowing players to collect old Pokémon species that were previously unobtainable in the new games. He also expressed skepticism that the new titles could match the quality of the originals; stating, "For me, ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' were amazing because they introduced so many new features that have since become standards for the series. It was the first, and only, time the ''Pokémon'' games have made such a significant expansion. These days we're lucky if we get a new feature that invisibly changes the strategic elements of the game." He reminisced over the qualities that made ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' truly unique, including the full color support, internal clock, Pokémon breeding, and PokéGear. Several months later, after DeVries had played through some of the game, he wrote, "so far I like what I see, even if it all feels very familiar and formulaic at this point."


Critical response

The games' reception has been positive, holding an aggregate score of 87 on Metacritic. The titles are among the top 20 rated DS games on the site. Japanese gaming magazine ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'' awarded the games a composite score of 37 out of 40 based on four individual reviews, of which the ratings were 9, 10, 9, and 9. The reviewers praised the games for retaining much of the quality that drew them to the original ''Gold'' and ''Silver''. The only drawback mentioned was that the games brought "no major surprises". ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'' gave the games one of the highest scores, remarking on its replay value though criticizing shortly about no improvement in graphic animation for Pokémon sprites. ''
Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British Video game journalism, video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally p ...
'' stated that they were the best ''Pokémon'' games yet. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
''s Annette Gonzalez stated "Even though the classic ''Pokémon'' formula still works as evidenced by ''HeartGold''. I can’t help but hope for a new ''Pokémon'' title that breaks some new ground." ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
''s Craig Harris said that the titles were "like a gap filler to make the wait for a new ''Pokémon'' game just a little more bearable".
James Stephanie Sterling James Stephanie Sterling, also known as Commander Sterling and formerly known as Jim Sterling, is a British freelance video game journalist, critic, pundit, YouTuber, and professional wrestler. Before becoming independent in September 2014, s ...
of ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...
'' stated, "While it is, at its core, the same game that you've played many years ago, it still manages to feel new and the updated features bolster the original experience in a manner that never intrudes and only enhances". ''
1UP.com ''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conte ...
''s Justin Haywald stated that "''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' is easily the best ''Pokémon'' game yet". ''VideoGamer.com'' reviewer Jamin Smith said, "With ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' the ''Pokémon'' series has reached a point where it can't get any better." ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
''s Keza MacDonald gave the games a 9/10, stating "They combine everything that was best about the older ''Pokémon'' games", citing the Pokémon designs and improved graphics and battle system. ''
GamePro ''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...
''s McKinley Noble stated that "it's clear that this is a perfect experience for both old-school trainers and the newest generation of ''Pokémon'' fans." ''GameZone''s Cliff Bakehorn III said, "There is not a doubt in my mind: ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' are the pinnacle of the entire series." Nathan Meunier of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' gave the games one of the lower scores, criticizing them for a lack of innovation. ''
GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and ''Computer ...
'' attributed the game's success to being a remake of classic games. ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'' won the
Golden Joystick Award The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is a video game award ceremony; it awards the best video games of the year, as voted for originally by the British general public, but is now a global event that can be vote ...
for Portable Game of the Year in 2010, the first Golden Joystick Award win for the series.


Sales

In Japan, the games sold over 1.48 million units within the first two days of release, topping the Japanese sales chart that week. Within two weeks, the games had sold a combined total of over 2.00 million units. By December 18, 2009, the games' Japanese sales totals had surpassed 3.22 million. In Australia, over 50,000  units were sold in one week. In the United States, the games managed collective sales of 1.73 million in their first month, with the ''SoulSilver'' version selling 1.01 million and ''HeartGold'' selling 0.76 million units. The combined sales of the two games made them the highest-selling games of March 2010. By May 6, 2010, the games had sold 8.40 million units worldwide, and the games reached 10 million sales worldwide by the end of July 2010. As of September 2017, the games' combined sales have reached 12.72 million.


Notes


References


External links

* (US) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 2009 video games Game Freak games Japanese role-playing video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video game sequels Nintendo DS games Nintendo DS-only games Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection games HeartGold and SoulSilver Role-playing video games Video game remakes Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Go Ichinose Video games scored by Junichi Masuda Video games scored by Shota Kageyama Video games set in Japan Video games with gender-selectable protagonists