Pokémon Blue Review

I will never forget the Christmas when I got my Gameboy Color. Not only was it exciting, but the addition of Pokémon Blue made it perfect. Warioland II was also along for the journey, and while it was a great game, it played sideline to Pokémon Blue.

I knew I had something special; the opening cinematic (if you would call it that) was enthralling, and the title screen music was gripping. It immediately hooked me. My young brain then proceeded to get stuck inside Pallet Town for 30 minutes, unsure of where to go next, but alas, that wasn't an issue with the game itself. 

Eventually, I find my way to the tall grass, only to be waylaid by the one and only Professor Oak. Shortly after that, we get quite possibly one of the most challenging choices we will ever have to make: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. Of course, as someone with a bit of taste, I picked Squirtle. With Squirtle in tow, I spent the next 100 hours wholly enveloped in the world of Pokémon, and that unique experience has never quite left me. 

A journey worth experiencing 

I've often considered Pokémon Red and Blue games that one could still return to this day and enjoy. Despite the two games releasing in 1996, they still hold up and can present a delightful experience. I've recently replayed Blue in its entirety on the Nintendo 3DS, and I'm patiently waiting for Nintendo to release it on the Nintendo Switch (please, Nintendo). However, thanks to the advent of modern emulation devices, the game can still be enjoyed on beautiful devices such as the Analogue Pocket. Either way, I very much recommend you all to give the game a re-run. 

Gotta Catch Em All

As we all know by now, one of the main objectives of the game is to catch all 150 Pokémon. This can only be accomplished fully by combining both Pokémon Red and Blue and trading the version exclusive Pokémon found in each. This was definitely key to the success of the game as it forced people to come together to complete the Pokédex. I have many memories of being in the schoolyard trading Pokémon and this is a tale you will hear from people across the world.

One of my major milestones in life was actually completing my copy of Pokémon Blue and having all 150 Pokémon in the Pokédex. It took an exceptionally long time to complete and I'll always remember Venesaur being the last Pokémon I needed. The feeling of finally completing it was second to none and few games have since replicated that feeling. But like all schoolyard boys, it only took me about a month before I started a new game again, completely wiping my completed Pokédex. The memory still haunts me.

A Pleasant Challenge

Pokémon games in recent years have often had the issue of lax difficulty ranging from gym leaders using few Pokémon to exp-share making your own party too easily overpowered. Thankfully Blue being part of the first Pokémon experience meant they weren't exactly sure where to land the difficulty with. This makes for a (slightly) harder experience with stronger trainers and gym battles. It's still a Pokémon game at the end of the day and won't pose you a massive challenge but it's significantly harder than the recent Scarlet and Violet entries in the series.

Slow and Steady

One major issues with the game is the slow pace of it. Although that could be said for most games of the GB/GBC generation, it does make things slightly harder to go back to. Overworld speed is slow, battle and animation speed is slow, and battle transition speeds are slow. This can definitely be frustrating and it's the one major gripe I have whenever I return to the game. At the very least, if you are using an emulator, most will have toggleable speed options to help alleviate this issue.

Paving the Way

Pokémon Red and Blue stand as testaments to the history of Pokémon. They started poké-mania and they started it magnificently. I'm not quite sure a game with such a historic impact will ever release again. It was lightning in a bottle for the time, and they still stand out as some of the most impressive GB/GBC games available. Some of the most recognizable Pokémon have come from the original generation in Red and Blue. The mascot Pikachu, the fan-favorite Charizard, the legendary Mewtwo, and so many more. Some of the strongest Pokémon designs every created have come from Red and Blue, showcasing the amazing foundation these games have.

A Bright Future

Thanks to the massive impact of Red and Blue, it ensured that the Pokémon franchise was given a long and bright future. We got to experience many, many great games in the franchise (the direct sequels, Gold and Silver, were also fantastic) and to this day I still get excited about new Pokémon reveals. It all started here and it's honestly a journey worth remembering.