Cort has some hands-on impressions for you guys that I think you’ll be just a tad interested in! Earlier this week, Nintendo invited us to their office near San Francisco to show off their upcoming Pokemon titles for DS, HeartGold and SoulSilver ; two classic games from the franchise remade for both long-time fans and new players alike. I won’t pretend to be any sort of expert, just a gamer who has been more of a spectator all these years…ever since the franchise emerged with Red/Blue (and its associated merchandise) and I was a wee college boy working at my local Toys R Us amid the rabid children and their parents. Many regulars will recognize these games from their previous incarnation about ten years ago, and many of those people consider them among the best in the series. So for those who have seen them before, what’s new? Whistle whilst you work. Purdy colours. Well for starters, neither game really introduces any new pokemon to the series per se, but it does include many from games released over the past decade, including a number of legendaries. I don’t have the specific number handy, but between both HeartGold and SoulSilver , there are 490-something to catch, train, etc. Talk about either a dream or nightmare for obsessive compulsive players like me! The setting remains in the same Johto region, described as being a bit like Kyoto, Japan with its lush vegetation, historic shrines and culture. As remakes, both the music and graphics have been bumped into the present, and although not drastic, the subtleties are very attractive. Gusts of wind blow about, streaming leaves and delicate, visible wisps of air across the screen while weather vanes atop buildings quiver back and forth as they should. All of the art looks quite sharp on the vivid DS screen, with plenty of colour to spare. Checking out some of the touch-screen goodness: the battle screen and some pokeball action. Other new features include the ability to equip two key items at once, which ought to definitely reduce trips to the menus. You can also have ANY pokemon from your collection follow you around, whereas before I believe you were limited to just Pikachu. This comes in handy because as they follow you around, they level up in friendship, which for some pokemon is extremely valuable. Just move your desired poke-friend into the first slot, easily done with simple drag and drop thanks to the DS stylus. Yes, menus have been assigned to the touch screen to help streamline things and get you back into the action, though the traditional d-pad navigation is still intact for those who prefer it. Other tweaks and features added to the menu system will definitely be helpful to fresh and veteran players alike…as one of the former, I can personally attest to having almost no barrier or frustration jumping right into things. The most fascinating new feature for me was the PokeWalker , a pokeball-shaped pedometer that can wirelessly sync with your game and allows you to take one of your pals along during the day. During that time, your real-world walking translates to building up in-game experience, levelling up whichever pokemon you’ve equipped plus earning Watts, but that’s not all. You can also discover new wild pokemon and items, and play a rudimentary game to catch them. Earning Watts will allow you to unlock new routes; the routes affecting what you’ll find out in the wild. So if you’ve set your route to a grassy area, you’ll stumble on grassy-type pokemon, etc. You also have access to two mini-games or you can also connect with PokeWalker-carrying friends, which will earn you each a gift during the exchange. You can hold up to three captured pokemon at a time with the PokeWalker before having to either sync or manage what to keep and what to release. Also of note that there are some safety/backup features in case something happens (you lose the device, lose your pokemon, etc.) so you can always “revert” and pull a lost pokemon back into the game. It works with a simple watch-type battery and thanks to a basic b/w LCD screen and infrared wireless, it has a pretty good lifespan, not unlike a typical TV remote; the one shown during the demo has been going strong since the Japanese release back in September 2009. The darling of the hour, the PokeWalker. I personally found the PokeWalker the most intriguing aspect of the games; it definitely takes the old Pocket Pikachu idea to the next level and is a delightful idea, considering the etymology of the series as Pocket Monsters…now you really can take them with you during the day—in your pocket—and continue the adventure regardless of what else you might be doing, be it work, school, or playing Wii. I may not have been converted to a Pokemon fanatic, but after 15 minutes of hands-on and a run down by a seasoned pro from Nintendo, I’d definitely give these games a try at home. Look for HeartGold and SoulSilver this March 14 in North America. Thanks to Nintendo for giving us the chance to attend and check things out! —cortjezter

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Cort finds himself a Soul(Silver), plus hands-on impressions

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