Pokemon red and blue - 2 brilliant, classic games for the gameboy, both iconic and different. They are both so easy to get into, and you learn so much along the way. Pokémon is a shortened word for 'Pocket Monster'. The game was so successful that it was made into an incredibly popular cartoon, which is still being shown today. I am 20 years old now, and I still know EVERYTHING about this game, which I played when I was about 9.

You start off in your house with nothing but a dream - to catch 150 Pokemon and become a Pokemon master. Professor Oak, who is your rival's grand father helps you along the way, making sure you start with a Pokemon. He gives you a choice of 3:

Squirtle - the water type
Bulbasaur - the grass type
Charmander - the fire type

You will have to fight many opponents using your Pokemon that you've caught on your travels. You catch Pokemon by buying Poke balls, and using them in battle against wild Pokemon that you see on your journey. You must train your Pokemon by giving them experience, by putting them in battles, and getting their level up, and helping them learn new, more powerful moves. There 55 moves altogether, but each Pokemon can only have 4, so choose wisely!

Your journey takes you through different towns, named after different colours, which you can see on a town map. Your Pokemon will help you get round the whole world, by digging, flying, cutting down bushes, and surfing across water. They'll help you in the dark, and by moving boulders too!

You must fight trainers and eventually, when you're good enough, fight the gym leader of each town, and obtain a badge. There are 8 badges to get in total, and once you have these, you can challenge 'The Elite 4' - 4 trainers who are the best in the business! However, beating them is not the end of the game, as you must catch all 150 Pokemon! This is a huge task, but extremely fun! Some Pokemon are very rare, so take your chances!

Pokemon is an addictive, tactical game that is competitive and enjoyable, as you are able to play mulitplayer too with the help of a link cable. You can fight your friends, or trade Pokemon this way.

In a fight, you and your opponent will take turns to use a move on each other, and the first person to knock out all the other person's Pokemon is the winner. You will win money for this, which you can use in Marts, in each city, where you can buy Poke Balls, potions and other things to supplement your Pokemons' needs.

Hours and hours of fun lie ahead for you - with 150 (perhaps 151) Pokemon to catch, this brilliantly vast game will leave you with a huge, enjoyable task. You can also compare progress with friends, and boast about your Pokemon!

The game's graphics are a bit poor, but you shouldn't expect too highly from a gameboy colour! And in any case, the gameplay is phenomenal! The way it has been all thought out is brilliant. You must think your way through, and make decisions to help you get through and be successful.

The controls are very easy to use - most of it is either walking (up, down, left, right) or selecting/cancelling with A and B.

The music is very catchy, and can help intensify the situation! As you get further through the game, opponents will become harder to beat, and wild Pokemon will be tougher. There are 3 legendary bird Pokemon, which you only have one chance to catch. Make sure you catch them! There are many different types of Pokemon, and your 6 (you can only carry 6 at a time, other wise you store them in a PC!) should be strong in all areas. Types include:

Fire
Water
Grass
Poison
Normal
Fighting
Ghost
Flying
Ground
Ice
Psychic
Dragon
Bug


To complete the WHOLE game, you'll need to have a friend who has the other version of the game (and a link cable) so you can trade Pokemon (as some can only be caught on Blue and some only on Red). I feel this adds a certain depth to the game, and makes it unlike any other game. Your search for Pokemon becomes a real quest, and if you do eventually complete the game, the accomplishment will feel brilliant.

A must get for any Gameboy fans, or any Pokemon fans. If you're not a fan of either, then you should be!