Pokémon Gold and Silver

Did You Know?

• The design of Johto was inspired by Japan's Kansai and Tōkai regions, with many temples and traditional Japanese aesthetics.
• The player character receives a first Pokémon from Professor Elm, choosing between Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile.
• Enhanced remakes titled Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released for the Nintendo DS in 2009.

Development

Gold and Silver were first publicly showcased at the November 1997 Nintendo Space World Expo in Japan, where they became the most popular exhibit. Unlike Pokémon Yellow, the new titles were announced as more than a small upgrade, featuring a new storyline, world, and species. They were designed for the Game Boy Color, allowing full color support and more detailed sprites. Additions shown included Pokémon breeding, held items, the PokéGear, a real-time internal clock, and backward compatibility with previous games.

Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of Creatures Inc., explained that ideas for new Pokémon came from the childhood experiences of Game Freak software developers, including manga, scary experiences, and catching insects. The exclusive Pokémon Celebi was included but only accessible after attending a Nintendo promotional event; the first official event was Nintendo Space World 2000 in Japan, where 100,000 attendees received it via lottery. Ishihara stated development began right after Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan, with an original intention to release in 1998.

Development issues, worsened by Game Freak being sidetracked with Pokémon Stadium and localization of the first generation, led to postponement, and Pokémon Yellow took the original release slot. Programmer Shigeki Morimoto noted the small team of four programmers contributed to the three-and-a-half-year development. Satoru Iwata, then president of HAL Laboratory, helped by developing tools for compressing Pokémon graphic code.

Release

In September 1999, Nintendo confirmed that Pokémon Gold and Silver would launch in Japan on November 21, 1999, with a North American release expected around September 2000. Alongside the games, Nintendo revealed the Pocket Pikachu Color, a full-color digital pet that worked with Gold and Silver to move in-game watt points, also set for a November 21 release in Japan. A special Pikachu-themed Game Link Cable, made by Kemco, was scheduled for Japan on November 18, 1999; it looked like a normal link cable but had a yellow cord with a Pikachu figure on one end and a Poké Ball on the other.

Nintendo planned an initial shipment of three million copies in Japan, predicting over eight million total sales there, but cut that first shipment in half after an earthquake in Taiwan damaged cartridge factories. Some speculated Nintendo used the quake as a pretext to limit supply and boost demand. Before the North American launch, the games appeared at the 2000 American International Toy Fair in New York City. To promote them, Nintendo turned five Chrysler PT Cruisers into Lugia-themed vehicles, adding fins and tails, painting them with Pokémon logos and images, and equipping them with TVs and consoles so people could play Pokémon Puzzle League, Hey You, Pikachu!, and Gold and Silver as the cars toured the U.S. The animated series Pokémon GS, following Ash Ketchum in a new region with different Pokémon, was announced for Kids' WB that fall.

Nintendo kept the English names of the 100 new Pokémon secret, releasing them gradually through the websites pokemongold.com and pokemonsilver.com, with early reveals including Chikorita, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Togepi, Hoothoot, and Marill.

Reception

Pokémon Gold and Silver earned widespread praise, with critics highlighting the longer playtime and fresh additions as worthwhile improvements. IGN's Craig Harris awarded a perfect 10 out of 10, saying the sequels surpassed the original in gameplay, features, and extras, and that he could not find a single flaw, calling them long, challenging, and tremendously fun. GameSpot's Frank Povo gave an 8.8 rating, specifically applauding the internal clock feature for adding variety despite sounding like a gimmick.

Nintendo Power ranked the two games together as the sixth best on Game Boy and Game Boy Color, commending the new Pokémon, features, and full-color graphics. The titles carried forward the massive success of Red and Blue, helping build Pokémon into a multi-billion dollar franchise. In Japan, the first day of release saw 1,425,768 units sold, and by April 2000, roughly 6.5 million copies had been sold there. Silver was slightly more popular, outselling Gold by about 100,000 copies.