Pokémon is a very traditional oriented Japanese RPG – overhead view, super deformed characters, tile-based dungeons, random creature encounters…the works. The appeal of Pokémon, however, is the sheer amount of personality in the game. There are literally more than 150 Pokémon to uncover and capture, and your collection becomes a status symbol – how many Pokémon have you found? Or, more importantly, how many Pokémon have you captured?

See, when you encounter a wild Pokémon, you must do battle with it – and the only way to do battle with a Pokémon is with another Pokémon. Each of the game's Pokémon has its own strength and weakness, its own attack and defense capabilities. All Pokémon belong to one of fifteen categories, and some types of Pokémon can utterly destroy Pokémon in other categories – Fire to Water, Water to Rock, and so on. It literally becomes a game of Rock/Paper/Scissors as you try and discover which Pokémon works best against others.

And the Pokémon you've caught can be traded between your friends – in fact, that's the only real way you're going to be able to catch every single one. Just like Pokémon Red and Blue, there are about a dozen Pokémon you'll never be able to find in Yellow.

Okay, so that's Pokémon in a nutshell. What does Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition bring to the table?

First of all, the story of Pokémon Red and Blue has been altered slightly to mirror the cartoon. In Pokémon Red and Blue, you had your choice of three Pokémon at the start of the game. In Pokémon Yellow, Professor Oak captures and hands you Pikachu as your first Pokémon. Because Pikachu is a rather rare and powerful Pokémon in the game, Pokémon Yellow is slightly easier to play since battles are a lot easier to win – but during the first big battle with Brock, Pikachu is useless, so you're best to capture as many other Pokémon and train them before the first Badge battle. And like the cartoon, Pikachu doesn't like being housed in a Pokéball – so he follows you around like a companion. He cannot be traded, or let go, and he will never evolve. You can check out how well you're treating your Pikachu by "talking" to it – this will bring up a window showing its mood. Take pride in knowing you're taking care of it.

Because the game somewhat mirrors the cartoon, the graphics have been altered a bit. It's nothing major – Brock looks like Brock in the cartoon, and Jesse and James from Team Rocket now make an appearance. Other small tidbits have been added, like Jigglypuff showing up to sing the Jigglypuff song (putting Pikachu to sleep in the process).

Speech has been added – when you use or talk to Pikachu, it'll say its trademark "Pika!" "Pi!" or "Pikachu!" in crappy, low quality digitized audio. It's obvious the existing game engine was never meant to have speech – and the sound quality shows.

Game Boy Color support has been improved a bit, but it's still not the most colorful portable game out there. In Pokémon Red and Blue, when you played the game on a Game Boy Color each game had a blue or red hue throughout the adventure. In Pokémon Yellow, the color palette changes depending on what screen you're on -- battle sequences are slightly more colorful, and you'll notice the color change as you walk from town to town – the color switch is pretty obvious. Pokémon Yellow will most likely be the last game from Nintendo to not feature true Game Boy Color support.

Finally, Pokémon Yellow features Game Boy Printer support so you can create stickers of the creatures you've seen or caught. Essentially, this is simply a screen dump of the Pokédex, including text that describes the Pokémon you printed out. It's not a big deal, but it's a cool little feature.

There's a reason why Pokémon is so successful – it's an excellent game. The game isn't incredibly deep, but the incentive of catching new creatures for your personal collection is a strong enough force to get you going to the end. The game is super easy to pick up and play, yet it's challenging it its own right. And it's addictive. After playing both Pokémon Red/Blue and then Yellow, I have to say that Pokémon Yellow is the best version to start out on the whole Pokémon craze.

Overall Score: 10.0



Walkthrough

Before you get started.

When a building has MART by the door it is a Pokémon Mart. When it has POKE by the door it is a Pokémon Center. Always explore everything and talk to everyone. When you battle a trainer, if you want to avoid them stay out of their line of sight. Pokéballs are used to capture Pokémon, Weaken a Pokémon first, than highlight Pokéball on your menu of items(you have to buy them at Pokémon Marts) and press A. That's all there is too it. When you get a Pokémon your Pokédex records data on it. Got that? Good. Try to catch as many as you can, or better yet, catch 'em all!

Pallet Town, Route 1, Viridian City, and Viridian Forest.

Welcome to the world of Pokemon! Start out in your room and go down stairs. Leave the house, when you try to leave town, Oak will stop you and take you to his lab. He will be attacked by a Pikachu. He will catch the Pikachu and go to the Lab. Gary is waiting for you. You will head to the Pokeball on the desk. Gary will push you out of the way and he will get that Pokemon. and you will get Pikachu. Gary will challenge you to your first match. If you win you'll get money and bragging rights, and if you lose Gary will take the fame. Leave town now, you'll want to build up your Pokemon. Then go to Viridian City, heal your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, and go to the PokeMart. The guy will give you Oak's parcel. Take it to Prof. Oak, and he will give you and Gary Pokedexes. Now go to Viridian City. Go back to the Pokemon Mart and you can buy Pokeballs. Go back to route 1 and catch a Pidgey and Rattata. Go North to Viridian Forest. Now fight your way through Viridian Forest to Pewter City. If you need to build up your pokemon, come back here later.

Pewter City, Mt. Moon and Cerulean City.

Again, build up your Pokemon and face Brock. For information on him, or any Gym Leaders for that matter, see my Gym Leader guide!(Yellow Version coming soon:-) After the fight go East and fight your way to Mount Moon. Stop at the PokeCenter, you'll probably want a rest, and buy a Magikarp if you like. Now proceed to MT. Moon. Fight your way through, and pick up good items. Be sure to explore everywhere!!!! You'll also run into Team Rocket!!! At the end waits Super Nerd, a weirdo guarding 2 fossils. Cream him, then take one of the fossils. Now go to the ladder and exit. Good work. There are absolutely no trainers that u can fight right now on this route!! Take the only direction you can go, East, and enter Cerulean City. In Cerulean City, go and get Bulbasaur. If you need building up, there is a field west of town. But head for the Gym if you don't and face Misty (Pikachu should cream her). Go north of Cerulean City. Face Gary again, and go north to face 6 trainers. They are all Team Rocket and you will get a nugget if you beat them. Now follow the route East, to face many trainers and finally get to Bill's house. Before you go, pick up Charmander along this route.

Bill's House and Vermillion City.

Bill needs your help. He was combined with a Pokémon's DNA in an experiment. So He'll ask you to go over to the computer and run the cell separation system. Do as he says. Pikachu will be very confused at this. When he is back to normal, he will give you a ticket to the SS Anne. Go back to Cerulean City. Go East until you find a house with a COP standing next to the door. Go in and out the back door. In the back yard go the only way you can and fight a Team Rocket member. He will give you the dig TM. Keep going southeast until you come to a route with grassy areas and lots of hedges. Keep going south and enter the little building at the end, not the big one. Go down the stairs and into an underground path. Walk down the path and to the other side and up the stairs. You come out on the route that leads to Vermilion City. Face the trainers on that route while going south along it and into Vermilion City. The first thing you want to do there is heal your Pokémon at the Poké Center. Then go south until you reach the SS Anne. If you need to go to Diglett's cave go east of town to enter it. But go south to the dock now and show the guy your ticket to board the SS Anne. To quickly beat it go left from the entrance to the staircase. Take it and go down, and left for a while then go up to face Gary. Beat him and go up to a staircase that leads to the captain's cabin. Go in back of him and press A to rub his back, and get the CUT HM!!!! Teach one of your Pokémon cut and go back the way you came and leave the SS Anne. It will now leave. Hint:: you should explore everything and fight the trainers.:: Hint. There is a lot more to do in Vermilion City. In one building talk to a guy and you get a bike voucher, which lets you get a bike in Cerulean City. One guy trades a Pokemon with you. Another Guy gives you the Old Rod. SO EXPLORE EVERYTHING. Where are the bikes in Cerulean City? One of the buildings there is a bike shop. Now go south to the Gym. Which is blocked by a shrub. Face the shrub, and have the Poké you taught cut, use it. Then go in the gym, and after breaking a code, face LT. Surge, The Vermilion City Gymleader. After beating him go to Diglett's cave, or go to officer Jenny in the middle of the city to get Squirtle.

Diglett's Cave, and Rock Tunnel

Go through Diglett's Cave and you will come up near Pewter City. Go South and go in both of the buildings you see. In one, if you have 10 Pokémon Prof. Oak's aide will give you the Flash HM!!!! Teach one of your Pokémon Flash and then go back through Diglett's Cave. After you are through go back to Cerulean City, but when you are almost there go right and go down a path. CUT the hedge in front of you and keep going East, fighting trainers and you will eventually find yourself at the entrance to a cave which is Rock Tunnel! But before you go, heal at the Poké Center East of Rock Tunnel. Once inside Rock Tunnel everything will be dark. Have the Pokémon you taught FLASH use it. Follow the only way to go. You can't really get lost here. Fight your way through Rock Tunnel, and you will find yourself just north of Lavender Town. Go south and enter. Heal at the poké center, and then go West of town, after loading up on supplies of course. Fight your way West to a little building. If you enter the wrong building a guard will stop you, if you enter the right one you will find a staircase, go down it and follow it to reach the other side, go up and out. Go West to reach Celadon City.

Celadon City and Lavender Town.

The first thing you'll want to do in Celadon City is go straight up from the entrance. Keep following the path above the Pokémon Center. You'll find yourself in the back of Celadon Mansion. Walk into the back and you will find yourself inside it. Follow the only way to go upstairs to a room that contains Eevee. Next you'll want to go to the Celadon Department Store. To get there, go back out the way you came into Celadon Mansion and all the way out until you are below the Poké Center. Go east until you come to a HUGE building with MART by the door. If your Pokémon can't seem to evolve, try a Fire Stone, Thunder Stone, Water Stone or Leaf Stone on it. Go up to the fourth floor to get them. Pikachu, for example, will evolve when you use the Thunder Stone on him. Eevee will evolve into different Pokémon depending on which stone you use. But he is not effected by the Leaf Stone of Moon Stone. Explore the floors and then exit the department store. Go Southeast until you see a shrub, CUT the shrub and follow the only way to go to the Celadon Gym and face Erika. After the battle, go to the game corner, everything seems fine, but BEWARE! Go past the counter to find a member of the infamous Team Rocket. Talk to, and fight him, so he'll walk away and then press A on the poster. Go right to find a door now open, go in, and keep working your through the floor tiles that move you. If you have an IQ of at least 90, they are generally easy to get past. Pick up items and try all the doors, you'll eventually come to a room with a single team rocket member, fight him, then talk to him again and he will drop the lift key, pick it up and go back to the lift, A giant elevator. You need the key to work it, so go down to the basement and fight two team rocket members to open the door to Giovanni. Fight him, then he'll drop the Silph Scope, pick that up, and exit. Now work your way back to Lavender Town. Go into the Pokémon Tower (the giant building) Then keep working your way up the floors to find possessed Chanellers and all kinds of Ghost Pokemon. Eventually you will come to a bunch of floor tiles that will heal you if you want. Now go up again, and go to the staircase to the 7th floor to be attacked be a Marowak, defeat it (by the way you can't capture it) and go upstairs. Fight 3 Team Rocket Members and rescue Old man Fuji. Return to his house to get the Poke Flute, then heal at the Pokémon Center.

Saffron City

Woah, this takes a lot of typing. First go back to the Celadon City Dept. Store. Go to the top floor vending machines and pick up a pure water. Now go back to one of the gates that was closed before. Give the guard water, and he'll let you through. Go into Saffron City, awfully quiet huh? Well go to the largest building in Town, this is Silph Co. Enter the now open door. Go up the floors to find workers and TR members. For a quick way out of this mess, go up to the 5th floor and go to the low center part past a team rocket member and down a narrow walkway to find the Keycard that unlocks all the doors in the building. Go back down to the 3rd floor and go down the hallway closest to the stairs and unlock the first door on your left. Then take the warp tile in the corner. You will warp up to a room and fight Gary. After you cream him exit by the warp tile on the other side of the room. But before you do that talk to the other guy in the room to get a Lapras. Now go out to get to the 11th floor. Fight the TR member, unlock the door and fight Giovanni. After you defeat him go talk to the Silph. Pres. (the big fat guy) to get a master ball. Exit. Now got down and explore buildings to get a Psychic TM and other stuff. Then head for the big Gym North of Silph. If you want to visit the Smaller Gym, defeat everybody and take your pick of Himonchan or Hitmonlee. When you enter the big Gym (except for the lobby) every room has a Psychic trainer in it. Defeat them, but always use the warp tile above or below the one you came in from to eventually reach Sabrina. When you reach her, defeat her, then exit, heal, and leave town. One thing to remember: West of Celadon City is a hidden building (you don't have to go past snorlax) where you can get the FLY HM.

Getting through Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island

Now go back to Lavender Town, AGAIN. Then turn and take the south exit from town. Walk through the lookout station, fight some fisherman, and you'll come to Snorlax. Play the pokeflute to wake him up. Fight and capture him or runaway. Then after he leaves keep going. Fight more Fisherman, then you'll come to a place where you fight more trainers. Keep following the turns in the path to eventually reach the entrance to Fuchsia City. Walk around town, heal, then go to the Gym to fight Koga. After the match leave and go North of the Gym to find the Safari Zone. Pay and enter. Then go through the Safari until you come to a Place with many little lakes. Go up and around to find a secret entrance. You'll find an area with the Gold Teeth (Be sure to pick them up). Then go west to find the Secret House. Talk to the guy in there to get the surf HM! Teach one of your Pokemon surf, then let your time run out. After you exit, go to the place in town with the only two houses. In one you'll find the warden, who'll take his teeth and give you the strength HM! Teach one of your Pokemon strength. Then FLY back to Pallet Town **HINT** You can go South if you want to take a longer route and catch Articuno, you can also pay a visit to the Power Plant, which is East of Cerulean City **HINT** Anywayz, if you go back to Pallet, take the Water Route South. Then you'll eventually find yourself on Cinnabar Island. Go into the Big building next to the Gym. It's frustrating I know, but eventually you will find the key to the Cinnabar Gym. After you do, use and Escape Rope and exit. Heal your pokemon at the pokemon center, then head straight for the Gym. Inside the Gym you can either answer questions or fight to get to Blaine, then defeat him. After the Battle Head back the way you came to the Island.

Viridian City: the 8th badge

Well, this is what it all comes down to. On return to Pallet Town, visit your mom and heal then leave and FLY to Viridian City. Go to the Gym that was once closed and fight the trainers inside to eventually get to Giovanni. Fight him he is the Hardest Gym Leader. You'll beat him though. After that exit and go West of Town and fight Gary AGAIN. IF you beat him keep going West to reach the huge entrance to the route that leads to the Pokemon League at Indigo Plateau. Walk through and Flash the guards your badges and they'll let you through. Good JOB! Now you are at Victory Road, the massive and puzzling cave.

Victory Road: the end is near

This place is full of Trainers. You can beat them if you have trained well. The whole idea is to use strength to push the boulders onto the Circle like tile switches to open up new paths. Once you have that down, you've got it made! Keep doing this and exploring and you may even find Moltres! Keep going and you'll find the exit. After that just walk up and you will come to the entrance to Indigo Plateau!

Indigo Plateau: the battle with the elite 4

Yep, you will now battle with the Elite 4. At the entrance, heal, stock up on supplies and head through the opposite exit. You'll come to the place where you fight Lorelei. Defeat her then walk through to Bruno and the door will SLAM behind you. Defeat him and go through to Agatha. Again the door will SLAM behind you. Defeat her and go through the same events to reach Lance. Get him, then go through another door to reach your rival GARY!!! For the last time. If you defeat him that last time you'll get your Pokemon in the Hall of fame, and then see the credits.

CONGRATS POKEMON MASTER ; )

Seems over, doesn't it? NO WAY

After you get past the credits, press A or start to get back to where you left off. You can go back and explore many things, but before you do that head toward Cerulean City. On the Route that leads to Bills house go West and take the little water path to the Unknown Dungeon. Follow the ladders to get to Mewtwo eventually, you'll find him. Use the Master Ball if you have it, otherwise you'll have to do things the Old fashioned way. After you are done save and exit. Now you can go about the world and catch all the Pokemon you want, because you have all the time needed to do it in.