If you want to catch them all... (Pokémon: Fire Red (GBA))

Member Name: Hydromancer

Product:	Pokémon: Fire Red (GBA)
Date:	08/06/08 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: clean, vibrant graphice, wide range of good tunes, fantastic combat system, long lasting

Disadvantages: backgrounds could be brighter, few animations, Pokemon screeches are awful

Pokemon has proved itself to be a timeless classic, thanks to its original idea (at the time), fantastic gameplay mechanics and simple yet robust story. Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green allow players to relive that charming experience offered by the original Pokemon games, Red and Blue, on the Gameboy Advance.

Graphics

The 2D graphics are very good. The game uses a good range of colours and, while being vibrant, the backgrounds are slightly 'washed out' and by no means bright. This does mean that they are easy on the eyes and help to create a soothing atmosphere for the game. The few animations found in the game run smoothly and there are no issues there. During battles, the animations of Pokemon entering the battle are smooth and every move has its own (slightly weird) animation which are generally fine. The sprites of Pokemon are colourful and bright and makes it easy to differentiate between Pokemon.

Sound

The game uses a vast range of tunes and nearly every place has its own theme, which adds a lot of variety to the sonic experience. The music is at times soothing and sometimes mysterious and helps to create the perfect atmosphere for the game. During battles, it is appropriately fast-paced to mirror the fast and furious nature of the battle system. The screeches made by Pokemon when they enter battle are quite frankly horrible and feel like they were taken from the Gameboy Colour. These can get annoying at times but you get used to them quickly.

Story

The story is very simple. You start off as a Pokemon trainer and choose one of three starter Pokemon. Then, you journey to different places to battle certain tough Pokemon trainers in order to obtain Gym badges. When you have collected all eight gym badges, you can challenge the top Pokemon Trainers know as the Elite Four. Beat them and you'll be crowned Champion. But there's trouble. A nefarious group of villains who call themselves Team Rocket are trying to rule the world by using Pokemon to exert control. It will be your task to defeat them and undertake the many other sidequests in the process.

Gameplay

This is where the game really shines. Using a fast and responsive turn-based combat system, the game makes battles smooth and joyous events. You are basically given four options during each of your turn. The first option is 'Fight' in which you order your Pokemon to use one of its four moves on the opponent. Your Pokemon learns new moves as it gains levels but you must delete a previously learnt move before it can learn a new move since Pokemon can only learn four moves as a maximum. There are hundreds of moves in the game and each Pokemon has unique moves. The second option is 'Bag' which allows you to use an item in your bag. The item can be anything from a potion or an antidote which helps heal your own Pokemon to a Pokeball which allows you to capture a Pokemon. The third option is 'Pokemon' which allows you to change your Pokemon in battle while the fourth option is 'Run', allowing you to run from battles.

The shows how simple the battles really our but they in fact require a lot of thinking and strategy, especially against the top gym leaders or the elite four. Your Pokemon levels up through battles which allows it to becomes stronger. It becomes progressively harder to level up as the Pokemon gets stronger. When Pokemon reach a particular level, they may evolve and turn into another more powerful Pokemon. There is a large number of Pokemon in the game to see and catch which adds a lot of variety to the game.

During battle all characters are stationary but during the exploring and travelling bits, the D-pad is used to control movement. You later get running shoes and a cycle which speed up travelling and movement.

There are some sidequests in the game as well. Some of them are actually quite lengthy such as the Sevii Islands one while some are more like mini games (e.g. the Safari Park).

Lasting appeal

The main adventure took me some 20 hours which is very long. You can also take part in the Sevii Island sidequest which should take at least five hours to complete. There is also a wireless multiplayer mode which allows you to play with your friends.

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In conclusion, Pokemon Fire Red is great game with clean graphics, nice tunes and robust gameplay. It is sure to cause nostalgia and makes for an excellent introduction to the wonderful world of Pokemon for newcomers. You cannot help but be charmed by the diverse world in which this game is set and the fantastic combat system makes playing it a joy.

Summary: A classic game that delivers a charming experience