And so, it finally begins: my foray into a certain video game phenomenon that's ballooned far past its Nintendo origins. In a development still eluding my inner seven-year-old, I've largely cooled on my Pokémon passion. This isn't to say we had a falling out -- my two visits to Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions should be testament enough -- but that I've only just purchased Pokémon Let's Go: Pikachu! four months after release, still have yet to open it, and am currently resisting the smoldering coals of Pikachu's eyes as I type this prove it's no longer my No. 1 video game priority. I confess this as a young man whose Pokémon background mirrored that of every other young boy in 1999 America: I playedPokémonRed-- one of the two versions we're reviewing today -- to death, worshipped the localized cartoon
daily, and collected countless cards, stuffed
animals, books, and toys. Those, too, reflect the ravages of time: the teams I've forged in PokémonRed are
forgotten and erased, I've long since abandoned the (still-running!)
anime, my old cards -- despite my best efforts in preservation binders
-- still pop up in various nooks and crannies, strategy
guides and comic books lie torn and/or lost, the stuffed animals display worn seams and cat gnawed-tears, and toys lie broken, disassembled, and battery-drained.
That it took this long to cover a full-length review for Pokémon -- having previously only covered brief impressions for Pokémon Soul Silver andPokémon White while only reviewing theDetective Pikachuspin-off -- most publicly proves this shift, but make no mistake: while we could chalk up any number of reasons why I've fallen off the Pokémon ride, my same passion for writing, game analysis, and
historic study applied to its Game Boy roots. It is my dedication to nostalgia that keeps me on this path, and what better evidence than playing both Red and Blue
versions via their 3DS Virtual Console re-releases to completion? This was completely unnecessary in itself -- both only differ in version-exclusive Pokémon to catch -- but their infamous balance sparked an insatiable curiosity. If there's any
confirmation a deep love for Pikachu still beats in my heart, let it be
that.
Warning: While I don't outright ruin anything like "whodunit", my discussion of the story does imply some things; in other words, reader discretion advised.
The oddity of my first Pokémon review being a spin-off is duly noted, particularly considering that aside from Pokken Tournament DX, the last one I recall engaging with was the first Mystery Dungeon back in 2006 on Game Boy Advance. Still, you can't deny the appeal of Detective Pikachu: as anyone familiar with Meowth from the long-running cartoon will tell you, this is hardly the first time we have witnessed a talking Pokémon, but it's how this particular critter conducts human speech and mannerisms; namely, the adorable series mascot in Pikachu belting out a gravelly, world-weary vocalization and expressing fondness for women and coffee. Also, he's a detective.
A key sign of both The Pokémon Company and its home developers in Game Freak and Creatures relaxing regulations in the face of Pikachu's enduring popularity, which is a direction we should all celebrate. While thankfully nothing reaches beyond a G rating, Detective Pikachu's eye-grabbing concept is unlike anything the series has ever accomplished before: there's no starry-eyed youths seeking adventure, but a young adult cast on the job; no far-off dreams of being No. 1, but personal drive and soul-searching to discover oneself. All hardly adult, yes, but new territory just the same.
Origin: Pokemon Red and Blue Plays In: Pallet Town Status: Original Composition Composed by: Junichi Masuda
Where it all began.
Pokemon was an overnight success in America, and I was certainly no exception to its clutches. I followed its Nintendo Power previews with some mild interest, watched as it absorbed the lives of my cousins, and eventually received my own copy of Pokemon Red not too long after it initially came out.
As someone with a strong memory, it's spotty in certain places for this game. I was naturally inclined towards Charmander, but Brock''s Rock-types were a harsh counter, so I found myself drifting towards Squirtle. Other than those two, I can't tell you who else I used in my party. I had one of my cousins play through the game for me after getting stuck at Lt. Surge's puzzle, but I vaguely recall playing through it myself more than once; in fact, I remember one time being shocked I skipped a route after completing the game, full of trainers waiting to fight me. I captured a Golduck in Seafoam Islands. I abused the hell out of the Rare Candy trick, among other glitches (fishing in statues!). I taught my Blastoise Earthquake, which always felled Gary's Venasaur. I always named the main character after my best friend in 1st Grade. There are many other scattered memories...but hardly any connect to a single thread.
Childhood memories are chock-full of gaping holes like that, but I've found that's part of the appeal. They're puzzles that'll never be solved, but each has their own involved story. The Golduck one, for instance; my Mom and I were just driving into an OT session, and I pumped my fist at the thrill of obtaining a Golduck for the first time. The big mystery, of course, is why I hadn't bothered raising a Psyduck into evolving one beforehand, but that aforementioned thrill is the only memory I have of capturing a rare Pokemon. You don't need logic to understand that.
Now that I think about it, I realize the Pokemon phenomenon was bigger to me than the game. I still loved playing it, of course, but my life was practically captivated by everything Pokemon. I watched the cartoon religiously every morning and after school. I rocked out to the full version of the opening theme on CD. I had a behemoth collection of Pokemon cards, courtesy of my mother buying them for me as a reward for being good at school. I obtained practically every Pokemon book and magazine out there--the first issues of Pojo and Beckett, various manga published by Viz, the excellent Versus Book guides, and both editions of the Official Pokemon Handbook. I ate the cereal. I counted down the days to the movie, which was originally scheduled to come out on my birthday. I fell for that fake secret in Expert Gamer about capturing a Yoshi. I had the plushies, the Burger King toys, the pinball game, the Pokedex replicas, everything.
I'm not particularly into any of that anymore (barring my shrine of ancient Pokemon cards), but I remember what was most important of all: there was a time when Pokemon ruled the world. And at the beating heart of that nostalgia is where it all began for every Pokemon fan: the theme of Pallet Town. It's that rare beginning theme that etches every moment of context into a young gamer's heart: the protagonist's SNES console, the Stand by Me reference on his TV, the fat guy marveling at technology in front of Prof. Oak's laboratory., being stopped by the professor himself and receiving your very first Pokemon. The first of many fated battles with your rival, who you've known since you were babies.
It's a mirror of tear-inducing nostalgia in and out of itself, and many cannot listen to it without crying. I still haven't yet, but listening to the orchestrated version at Symphonic Evolutions made me come close. Actually, writing this now is almost pushing me off the edge.
But nostalgia is nostalgia, and memories are memories. What's most important of all is that twenty years later, Pokemon is still around. New fans are still cropping up everywhere, and have their own Pallet Towns in Littleroot and Vaniville. And now, thanks to Red, Blue, and Yellow finally releasing on the 3DS Virtual Console, they can finally experience what defined our lives eighteen, perhaps twenty years ago. That the monochrome corners of Pallet Town will give birth to new childhoods excites me more than anything else
Here's to twenty, forty, and an eternity of more Pokemon. It truly deserves it.
Final Thoughts: Man, does anyone else hate those official "echo" versions of the R/B/Y soundtrack? Totally ruins the feel for me.
Plays In: Lilycove City Status: Original Composition Composers: Junichi Masuda
One of the greatest joys in playing through the Pokemon:Omega Ruby remake is being treated with fantastic rearrangements of the soundtrack. As expected from anyone who's read my Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land review, my listening experience is something of a constant tug-of-war: as much as I'm enjoying the songs, the original songs still pull at my memory, asserting their superiority. Currently, it's about 50/50, but I suppose my full thoughts would be better suited for a review.
As I've only earned five gym badges at this point, there's quite a chunk of arrangements left for me to discover, such as the above Lilycove City. It's always been one of my favorite Ruby/Sapphire tracks in it's parallel: Hoenn emphasizes adventure in nearly route, and this is reflected in their appropriately grand/majestic tunes, yet the towns are so homely and soft in comparison. While this is nothing new for town themes, the boisterous adventure found outside their confines renders a warm, refreshing welcome to our ears after a tough day of monster grinding.
Being a prelude to the vast underwater trenches of Hoenn, the first new notes of Lilycove City perfectly capture the ocean air. It's something of a lovely waltz, and I can't help but think of the wonderful elders in my life whenever I hear it. It's fun to mentally prod around within the context of Pokémon too: an old man--a retired Pokémon Trainer, perhaps--out on another day with his wife, gazing at a flock of Wingulls circling above the sea as he quietly sips at his coffee.
I'm quite the reserved individual. I mean, sure, I'm a total goofball in social situations and within the anonymous expanses of internet message boards (Hi, NeoGAF), but I've come to recognize the former's only meant as a mask to cover my awkwardness; in truth, I'm much like an old man. I prefer silence, sit around a lot, and calmly reflect on the days of old. I'll likely be doing the same inactive routines ten years from now, and I'm quite content with that.
But as someone wishing to enter the game journalism industry, I don't think that's the image people have of those participating in it. I wonder if that'll be a problem?
Personal issues aside, I've yet to hear Omega Ruby's take on the song. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's arrangements aren't quite as laced with nostalgia in the same sense of Soul Silver/Heart Gold, but I'm looking forward to see if the song continues to make me feel old. Not that that's a bad thing.
Final Thoughts: maaannnn what they did with the mt. chimney theme was pretty lame though
Composer: Junichi Masuda
Plays In: Anywhere you can surf.
Status: Arrangement
Arranger(s): Go Ichinose, Junichi Masuda, Shota Kageyama.
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are without a doubt among the best of Nintendo's remakes, if not at the very top. I imagine it struck a chord with so many people in that everything regarding the soundtrack is laced with the very fabric of nostalgia, as the soothing lullaby of the opening New Bark Town signals to the player they're about to relive an unforgettable childhood journey. Not every song in the game borrows this tone, yet not a single one of them comes across as an afterthought in their revision, whether it be the earwormy Goldenrod Town or how the originally dangerous Viridian Forest is transformed into a pleasant afternoon stroll (superbly complimenting the area's restructuring into the original forest from Red/Blue). Even the unlockable GB Player tool evidences the importance of the game's music, as it reverts the entire score to Game Boy Color chiptunes when activated.
And yet for a such stellar job revitalizing the soundtrack, I have no difficulty in selecting my personal favorite: the Surfing Theme. It's a perfect example for contrasting the original game's soundtrack: Gold/Silver has its surfing theme take on a faster--if not still slow--tempo while maintaining a gentle air of serenity to suit the ocean theme. It's a definite highlight of the original soundtrack, as its adorability meshes in quite well with the colorful 8-bit aesthetic. The remake, however, takes it up a notch: the entire song is composed as a sort of grand waltz, complete with stellar use of harps and percussion.
The beginning build-up alone is nothing sort of breathtaking, and I remember gasping when I first heard it. Whenever I listen to it, I can instantly conjure up the image of preparing to dive off a springboard, ready to engage myself in swimming through a sea of memories. The majesty of the rest of the song provides a convenient segue for this fantasy, as I'm swept further and further away into the depths of this mystifying sea.
To me, I have no doubt this was intended to be the musical star of the soundtrack. Water music such as Aquatic Ambience and Dire, Dire Docks tend to have deep resonation with gamers thanks to their calm nature, and what better way to induce the player into yesteryear with a similar track? I think I've touched upon this subject before, but even though people tend to criticize Nintendo's reliance on nostalgia (through sequels and remakes and the like), it's instances like this where I always welcome it. To me, it's proof that Nintendo cares about their history as much as their players, and always desires to honor their memories through sequels (Donkey Kong Country Returns/Zelda: A Link Between Worlds) and orchestrated concerts.
...okay, maybe the idea of a magical company appeasing to their customers at my age is nothing sort of blind fanboyism, but hey. We're talking about the same company that okay'd the Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert just in time for the series' 25th anniversary; I'd like to imagine they have some heart.
With the announcement of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire set to continue this tradition, I'm ready to engage into yet another trip into my realm of Pokémon memories. Yet one must ask: will the same amount of production value and care involving the score be retained here? After all, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire don't exactly possess the deep fan resonation Gold and Silver do, and the rather rushed nature of Pokémon X and Y may be cause for concern (granted, I'm still playing it!). But fan reception has never stopped me before, as Pokémon Ruby still remains my favorite, trumpets and all.
Just imagining what the diving music could be like...next week's E3 can't come soon enough!
Final Thoughts: Gee, I sure can't wait to raise yet another Spoink to level 65!
