Pokémon: HeartGold Version

UPC: 045496740641

Platform: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.

Developer: Game Freak, Inc.

Category: Role-Playing

Style(s): Third-Person 2D RPG

Synopsis: Pok?holics are encouraged to take their adventurous spirit away from the DS and into the great outdoors with the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver. Each version is bundled with a "Pok?walker" accessory, which tracks your steps on an LCD display. Every step you take earns you "Watts," a type of energy used to capture wild Pok?mon or to locate hidden items from within the Pok?walker. Any captured creatures or acquired items can then be transferred to the main HeartGold or SoulSilver cartridge for use in the game. As an added bonus, Pok?mon that have been downloaded to the Pok?walker will earn experience points while you walk, allowing the creatures to gain one level after being transferred into the main game. Two Pok?walkers can also wirelessly communicate with one another for trading purposes. Gameplay in HeartGold and SoulSilver is mirrored after Pok?mon: Gold Version and Pok?mon: Silver Version on Game Boy Color. Players will return to the Johto region for more exploring and turn-based combat with Pok?mon creatures, albeit with improved visuals and added touch-screen support. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Pokéwalker Clip

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

Colorful, detailed, and accurate.

While the graphics aren't groundbreaking, the environments and characters are colorful.

Pok?mon: HeartGold Version for Nintendo DS is a remake of 2000's Pok?mon: Gold Version for Game Boy Color. Players are once again transported to the Johto region, where they can become Pok?mon League champion by capturing and battling virtual beasts and defeating the evil Team Rocket. To sweeten the deal, developer Game Freak added a new piece of hardware to the Pok?mon experience. Players can now take a Pok?mon out of the game and store it in a pedometer-like peripheral called the Pok?walker. Each transferred Pok?mon can gain experience, collect items, and battle wild Pok?mon using "watts," energy derived by the number of steps taken during one's day-to-day activities. The Pok?walker is about the size of a digital watch and works a lot like a Tamagotchi. The controls are easy to use (only three buttons), and if the device is lost or mislaid, the Pok?mon stored on it can be called back on the DS at the expense of any experience it earned. The overall look and feel of the game is consistent with the franchise. Fans of the series will recognize the familiar storyline and feel comfortable navigating the Johto and Kanto regions. Players can also trade, battle, and communicate wirelessly with others as in past Pok?mon titles on Nintendo DS. This doesn't mean, however, that players shouldn't expect anything new. Berry pots, for example, allow players to grow helpful berries without having to travel across the terrain to harvest them. The apricorn box, originally used to make Pok?balls, can now generate nutritious power drinks that can boost a Pok?mon's stats. While contests are absent from this installment, in their place is the Pok?athlon, which has players testing their Pok?mon's athletic abilities for points and items. Players can even take these events worldwide to challenge others via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The developers have also utilized more touch-screen features than in previous DS versions, as players can tap the screen to access their Pok?mon, save their progress, check their items, and view their positions on the map. Colors are vibrant and stay true to the game's cartoon-like atmosphere, making it appealing for younger players. The developers have also added more sound effects, such as water washing onto the beach and the player's own footsteps. But the best aspect of this game, which has held true for the entire franchise, is its compatibility with other Pok?mon titles. Players can transfer Pok?mon from the Game Boy Advance versions and trade easily with earlier Nintendo DS titles. Pok?mon: HeartGold Version will satisfy fans with its new activities and improved online gaming experience. Although the Pok?walker is not necessary for playing this game, its inclusion adds a welcome new twist to the franchise.

Pok?walker and Pok?athlon add new aspects to the game.

Updated music and added sound effects enhance the experience.

One of the better remakes out there, fans of the series and new players will enjoy the new applications.

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.