It goes without saying that if Nintendo were to start selling you old handheld games on DSi, the massively successful Pokemon RPGs would be some of the first games on the service. The series created a whole new generation of Gameboy players and we, along with Nintendo’s bank, are still feeling the effcts of its legacy to this day.
Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow
The originals and according to many the true killer app for the Gameboy. What began as the fever dream of a man with a form of autism launched one of the biggest franchises in the history of gaming. For me, the real genius of Pokemon was how it made the slow, complicated gameplay of an RPG appealing to hyperactive children. Pokemon Red and Blue need to be the Virtual Handheld on day one. Yellow can wait.
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Considered by some to be the best of the series, the second generation of Pokemon games added a hundred new Pokemon along with some gameplay tweaks. Also, by being compatible with the Gameboy Color players could see just how yellow Pikachu really was. These games are currently being remade for the DS but hopefully that wouldn’t stop them from appearing on the Virtual Handheld.
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Collectible card games might not be as popular as they once were but back in the day, before the rise of Yu-Gi-Oh, the Pokemon TCG was king of the genre. Playing it as a handheld game does make things less messy but it also leaves less room for customization. Besides, could the Virtual Handheld even do multiplayer? If Nintendo were to re-release this game they should make it compatible with the virtual e-reader.
Pokemon Pinball
Pokeballs, the spherical devices used to catch Pokemon, make really good pinballs. Every download service could use a good pinball game so why not release the one skinned with Pokemon. The ratings for it were pretty good and it sold enough to warrant a Ruby and Sapphire themed sequel. If that weren’t enough, it was developed by Jupiter, the creators of The World Ends With You. I’m sold.
2 comments:
Quick comment: Gold and Silver were compatible with the GameBoy Pocket, so they were probably also compatible with gray brick GameBoy. Only Crystal was exclusive to GBC and GBA.
FUCK. now you've made me wanna play Pokémon Pinball again. (it's an unhealthy habit of mine.)
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