Pokemon Yellow

The Short


Pros 
- Keeps the same, addicting gameplay found in its siblings, Pokemon Blue/Red
- Graphical improvements over its predecessor
- Follows the anime series by giving you a Pikachu to start, unlike any other game in the series
- Is the only game in the series where it is capable of getting all three starters of the generation without trades (Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur)
- Pikachu follows you around and can be talked to, and his mood influences certain aspects of the game
- Improved compatibility with the Game Boy Color
- Starting with an electric Pokemon makes the first portion of the game much harder, which I am totally fine with
- Some very small gameplay tweaks refine certain aspects from Blue/Red

Cons
- At its core, this is still Pokemon Blue/Red, with all the same problems as the first games
- Still no damned XP bar
- You can't catch any Pikachus or evolve the one you have into a Raichu
- Has a Pikachu's Beach minigame which is...just there
- Doesn't add any new pokemon at all
- Might be seen as just a money-maker, cashing in on the popularity of the anime at the time

The face that booted a franchise

Note: I will not be going over the basic mechanics of the Pokemon games in this review, as I have covered these mechanics extensively in my Pokemon Blue/Red review. Instead, all subsequent reviews will instead focus on the changes made to the formula in any particular iteration. 

The Long


It's 1999. Year of The Matrix. Year approaching Y2K. And absolutely the year of the Pokemon. Pokemon Red/Blue are selling like crazy, a start of a blockbuster franchise that can only be compared these days with something like the boom of the Angry Birds games. Nintendo still has a year before the next generation of Pokemon, Gold/Silver, will come out, and it needs to keep its fans happy. The Pokemon anime has taken off big in both the US and Japan, and so Nintendo hatches a plan.

Pokemon: Yellow Version (also known as Pokemon: Special Pikachu Version) is that plan. Taking Pokemon Red/Blue and retooling it so that it better fits with the plot of the anime, Nintendo pushes Pikachu to the forefront of the franchise as its now-easily recognizable mascot, and dedicates an entire game to him. So is this game - which is basically just Red/Blue reskinned - just a cheap cash-in on the anime?

No. In fact, I'd go so far to say it was superior to Red/Blue by a longshot.

Pikachu, catching some sick waves. 

The main difference between Yellow and Red/Blue happens at the very beginning. In Red/Blue, you get to choose which Pokemon you start with, a tradition that carries on into every other Pokemon game to date. You get a fire, water, or grass type pokemon, and your rival (whom you battle throughout the game) will pick whatever your weakness is. In Pokemon Yellow, however, you always start with a Pikachu, and your Rival always starts with an Eevee. It's worth noting that Eevee's are a unique pokemon in that they start with the Normal (aka neutral) type and can evolve into many different types depending on how you go about it (an electric, water, or fire type in Generation I). So your rival pretty much got a way better deal than you, getting a bum Pikachu.

Choices are for tools, anyway. 

This actually makes the game a bit harder, if only because the first gym is a Rock type, which is completely immune to electricity. Sure, electric pokemon and fire pokemon can be hard to find in the wild, but that doesn't mean you have to start with them. The bump in difficulty is actually greatly appreciated; I always thought the Pokemon games were too easy because they start you off with such accessible types. Start me off with something weird, like Psychic or Bug or Ghost or something. But they never do, except this game. So that's unique. 

Suck it, stupid Eevee. 

What is really cool about this version, though, is the fact that (like the anime), your Pikachu won't stay in a pokeball. Instead it'll follow you around so long as its in your available roster, journeying with you to the ends of the earth if necessary. You can also talk to your Pikachu at any time and gauge his happiness, which can be used a specific locations to earn rewards or for specific plot...things.

I'd like to say how I think this is a really good idea for a second. The whole idea about Pokemon is you setting out on a journey of discovery and personal growth in an attempt to be the very best, like no one every was. Having a companion with you (who also fights for you) who has feelings and tags along is really neat. It helps sell the adventure more, because these monsters are no longer just guys that pop up in menus or in battle, they are actually there with you. I felt much more immersed in this game than I did with Red/Blue because it felt more real (if battling tons of Japanese monsters is "real"). It was an aesthetic changes that I totally agreed with.

They brought it back on HeartGold/SoulSilver (the DS remakes of Gold/Silver) and I really liked it there, too. Then they took it out for Black/White because Nintendo hates me.

Sad Pikachu is sad

There are a few other changes to keep the game more in line with the anime, and almost all of them are for the better. Specific gym leaders (Brock and Misty) have been changed to look like their anime counterparts. The regular Team Rocket grunts have been changed to Jessie and James from the show, including their full pokemon roster. But probably the best part is the fact that, like Ash from the series, you can get all three starter pokemon in this game without needing to trade. For those who don't know: another reason why picking your first pokemon is such a big deal is you can never get any of the others without trading; they just don't show up anywhere in the game. Pokemon Yellow has all three from Red/Blue, and most are fairly easy to get. So if you wanted a dream team of Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur, this is the game for you. 

Misty looks a little more like her anime counterpart, sans suspenders

The graphics have seen a slight improvement, and there has been one sound change. Pikachu, instead of making some random noise, instead does a very staticy "PIKA!" sound everytime he goes into battle. I can't decided if this is a good or a bad thing, but it's consistant with the source material, so I'll give it that I guess. The graphics, as stated, are generally the same, though it does look a lot better on a Game Boy Color than Red/Blue. Since it wasn't designed for the color system, the Game Boy Color has to sort of guess which colors go where, and it seems to do better on this game than the others. It still looks pretty bad, but at least Pikachu is consistently yellow. 

There are also a few minor changes made to the gameplay that aren't worth mentioning (like you can finally teach Charizard "Fly"), because as a whole it's still the same game as Red/Blue. No new pokemon have been added (though this one has probably the best mix of optional pokemon out of the trio), which is a bummer, and there has been no UI improvements. Yep, still have to go all the way into the menu to see your XP. How obnoxious.

Here's some more Pikachu surfing because, why not? 

As it stands, Pokemon Yellow is probably the best out of the original Generation I Pokemon games. While  it is obviously pandering to fans of the anime, the changes are all welcome ones, and all improve upon the original's solid formula. I still think having a Pikachu that actually follows you around was the main reason I liked this game so much, because I really felt like I was a Pokemon adventurer, much more than I had with Red/Blue. It might be stupid, I know, but this is one of my favorite versions of Pokemon, and if you are looking to revisit the first Generation on its original hardware, this is probably the one to do it with.

It still has the same issues as Blue/Red, but...come on. It's Pikachu. How could you say no?

Four out of five stars. 

Come, trusty Pikachu! Let us go forth and...wait, is that old guy dead?!