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How Generation II Changed Face Of The Pokemon Series

By Jill/Redterror117

Out of all the Pokemon generations released by Nintendo over the years, the second generation of Pokemon games (Gold, Silver, and Crystal) are probably the most influential of the series, not including the first generation (which started everything off). Out of all of the games following the Red, Blue, and Yellow games, the second generation adds more than any other.

Probably one of the biggest changes that the second generation brought to the series was the introduction of two new types: Steel and Dark. None of the games following the Gold, Silver, and Crystal series have added new types of their own, neither have they altered the typing of Pokemon, as the second generation had (though this was to incorporate the two new types, such as changing Magemite and Magneton from Electric to Electric/Steel types). The addition of the two new types helped to balance the system, as the Psychic type had become overpowered since the first generation.

Along with the addition of two new types, another key system was introduced in this generation of games: Gender. While the Daycare center existed in Red, Blue, and Yellow, the second set of Pokemon games made further use of this service, allowing two compatible Pokemon of opposite genders to breed together, producing an egg. Furthermore, the stats and moves of the new Pokemon are determined by the parents that created it. With the ability to breed Pokemon together, Ditto gained a new outlook on its existence: rather than just being for show, its ability to transform into another Pokemon made it capable of breeding with any Pokemon it was placed with, on the exception of legendary Pokemon (which had no gender). This became particularly useful with the introduction of Baby Pokemon as well, special Pokemon that could only be obtained through breeding two specific species together, such as two Pikachu for a Pichu, or two Clefairy for a Cleffa. As it duplicated the other parent, it became easier to breed without having to get two opposite genders, especially if the parents were rarer Pokemon.

Though the legendary Pokemon are still considered to be quite rare, the second generation brought forth a whole new level of rarity: shining Pokemon. Based off an alternate colour, these Pokemon have a rare chance to occur in the wild (the odds being 1 in 8192 to be specific), and because their shininess is determined by their IV values (and not a different value), they can be traded back and forth from first generation games without losing this special quality. Since their release, Shiny Pokemon have become well sought after due to their popularity, guides springing up on how to breed for them (due to the method the game uses to determine whether or not they will be shiny, though in later generations an individual variable was made for this quality).

Apart from these there are still many more improvements that were brought on through the Gold/Silver/Crystal era, such as the introduction of a true happiness value (though Yellow came up with this prior, it didn’t have any other effect in the game), hold items, and a device with multiple functions (the Pokegear in the second generation, which returned in the following games as improved devices). Even though all of these systems would later on be refined and improved for better implements, if it were not for this set of games, none of these new features would have appeared throughout the rest of the series.

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The Acid Rain Glitch In Generation IV

By Jill/Redterror117

In all versions of Pokemon Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver (Generation IV) games, a glitch can occur when any weather effect can potentially cause all four weather effects (Sunny, Rainy, Sandstorm, and Hail; the foggy condition not appearing in the glitch) to trigger simultaneously and cause damage to all Pokemon. This glitch is commonly known as the “Acid Rain” glitch, because it damages Pokemon four times, regardless of their immunities (for example, abilities like Pikachu’s Static and Empoleon’s Torrent will cause damage four times, rather than prevent it, and Pokemon that have immunity because of their type will not receive the benefit of immunity). However if a Pokemon is immune to both Hail and Sandstorm due to typing (a Ground/Ice Pokemon like Swinub, for example), then that Pokemon will be immune to the effects of the “acid rain” glitch. When the Pokemon take damage from the weather, the game will cite the reason to their ability (so a Pikachu taking damage from the weather will cause the game to state “Pikachu is hurt by its Static!”.

Abilities that cause Pokemon to heal instead such as Rain Dish (heals during rain) or Ice Body (heals in hail) will receive a massive boost in combat, as their ability will cause them to heal completely, then forces them to take a small amount of damage from the ‘damaging weather’. Abilities that heal in some weather and hurt in others will activate, causing the Pokemon to regain some of its lost HP, then damages them.

Pokemon moves that are affected by weather are also affected by the Acid Rain glitch. Solarbeam for example will not have to charge because of the sunny condition, but will also only do half as much damage as it normally would, due to the other weather effects in play. Meanwhile both the accuracy of Thunder and Blizzard will increased to 100%, and will never miss, as both rain and hail are in effect, which raises the accuracy of both attacks respectively.

Apart from the annoyance of taking constant damage, the only inherent danger of battling with Acid Rain in effect is if Castform or Cherrim are brought onto the field. Both Pokemon have abilities which cause them to transform based on however, and because of the fact that all four weather conditions are in effect, they will begin to cycle through their transformations– locking the battle up until the game is reset. Strangely enough Castform will only change into its Sun and Rain forms as it can only recognise these two as the only weather effects in play (even though it has a form for fail). This can be beneficial to either yourself, or your opposition, depending on the Pokemon that are in play – Especially when you consider that Swinub is one of a select few Pokemon that is adversely (neither positively) affected by such a glitch.
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Pokemon Power Points

By Anonymous

Are you familiar with a Pokemon game? Now something like Pokemon Battle Revolution, something more like Pokemon Heartgold or Pokemon Soulsilver version. Now, do you know how to do a Pokemon battle? It is when to Pokemon battle each other to prove who is stronger, if a Pokemon beats another, the winner gains experience points which will allow the Pokemon to level up and can then become stronger. It is great, for the Pokemon and for training the Pokemon.

How do Pokemon attack? Pokemon attack using moves, they can’t just use the same move five hundred times during a battle though. Each move has a special and unique limit to how many times it can be used. These are used in a number system, these numbers are called power points. Power points can also be abbreviated as PP, which is what the games do. An attack like Dialga’s exclusive and signature attack, Roar of Time, it only has five power points. On the game it will show up as Roar of Time 5 PP. Meaning Dialga can only use the attack Roar of Time five times, when it has been used five times it will show up as Roar of Time 0 PP.

After that Dialga will need to use another attack such as Metal Claw. When it runs out of power points for that attack is will to say Metal Claw 0 PP. And so on until all four attack say this. What happens when all the moves run out of power points? Well, the Pokemon is then unable to attack, so it will have to use something called Struggle. Struggle is an attack that really doesn’t have a type. It isn’t like Roar of Time which is a dragon type move or Metal Claw which is a steel type Pokemon move. Struggle also has no limit to power points. If it is possible you can use Struggle five hundred times! The only thing is that Struggle attack the foe, but it also takes damage to the user known as recoil damage.

When a Pokemon uses an attack like Take Down, or even Struggle for that moment, it will lose some of it’s on health, known as health points (HP). If it uses Struggle just a few times it will lose all of it’s health points, you will need to keep reviving your Pokemon with a Hyper Potion or something of that nature in order to restore the health points. Ethers and Elixirs can be used to restore power points. It is very important to keep a well balanced set of power points in Pokemon battling.

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Pokemon Video Games

By Anonymous

Are you familiar with the Pokemon games? These games are among the most popular of all things Pokemon. Everyone uses them and really tends to enjoy them. You can start as a new, rookie trainer and slowly gain your experience and can challenge the Pokemon League. You start out in you Hometown which will depend on which version of the game you got. If you got a game like Pokemon Firered version or Pokemon Leafrgreen version, you will start in Pallet Town. If you got a game like Pokemon Heartgold version or Pokemon Soulsilver version, you will start out in New Bark Town. If you got a game like Pokemon Ruby version, Pokemon Sapphire version or Pokemon Emerald version you will start out in Littleroot Town. If you get a game like Pokemon Diamond version, Pokemon Pearl version or Pokemon Platinum version you will start out in Twinleaf Town.

The regions you can start in are Kanto, Johto, Hoeen and Sinnoh respectively as the towns are listed. Once you start your journey you will need to get your start Pokemon so you can travel. You have to get your starter Pokemon from the local Pokemon Professor. Professor Oak in the Kanto region, Professor Elm in the Johto region, Professor Birch in the Hoenn region, and Professor Rowan in the Sinnoh region. You can get your start Pokemon in the town you start in, this is fact for only the first three regions though. In the Sinnoh region, Professor Rowan’s Lab is in Sandgem Town which is the neighboring town to Twinleaf Town.

Once you begin your journey with your start you may catch and battle Pokemon. You can also trade Pokemon with friends and play online, it is really fun and quite addictive. Your goal is to gather the eight badges of whatever region you start in and challenge the Pokemon League to become the champion so you can become a Pokemon Master. The Professor asks you to complete the Pokedex which is quite hard now, but can still be done. There are more games, but these are the most recent one’s and are considered the main series. What is you favorite Pokemon game?

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Generation Starters Of Old And New

By JC

Hey guys, so Pokemon Black and White has been out for a while and I think people are starting to warm up to the new batch of Pocket Monsters (if you didn’t like them already). At first I thought the new Pokemon looked awkward and that their names weren’t very creative. I was beginning to think that Nintendo had no more ideas left, but the inhabitants of Unova have grown on me in just a short time. It’s been a while since I’ve played my Pokemon Black Version, but I remember clearly when I had to choose my starter. I chose Snivy—he looked the cutest and the coolest. Oh and it’s pronounced SN-IVY, in case you didn’t know. The Unova starters—Snivy, Oshawott, and Tepig—are great, but how do they compare to the starters of past generations?

The Kanto starters are almost as iconic as Pikachu itself. Bulbasaur, Chamander, and Squirtle remain perennial favorites. There’s not much I can say about them that you don’t already know. They’ve got great names, great artwork, and great voices, what’s not to love? Bulbasaur is like a dinosaur with a plant symbiont attached to its back. Charmander is a fire lizard (salamander?) Squirtle is like a blue mini ninja turtle. The original trio set the standard really high for the next generation of starter Pokemon.

I remember all the hype surrounding the release of Pokemon Gold and Silver. I know I was excited to get the games and see the new Pokemon. The Johto starters include Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Chikorita looks like a dwarf brontosaurus (my best description based on what it involves into). Cyndaquil’s Pokedex information describes it as the “fire mouse” Pokemon, but it has a really long nose. Totodile is easily the most familiar. It’s a chibi crocodile that stands on its hind legs. I felt like the creators did an excellent job on these starters and found them very stylish.
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The Game Corner

By Matt

The Game Corner has been an essential part of all Pokemon games, the exception being with Pokemon Black and White versions, in which it was mysteriously omitted. Normally, the game has tended to stay constant with slots which had designs that would change each game. Starting with HeartGold and SoulSilver, the slots were replaced by a game known as Voltorb Flip. This game was did not replace the slots in Japan, though; I think of it like an exclusive reward or something for living in a place where all Pokemon merchandise comes out the earliest.

For both games, the object of the game is to get as much coins as you can, and trade them in for prizes. Voltorb Flip works in a similar way, except for the fact that you do not need coins to play the game. Let’s explain Voltorb Flip. It is a relatively simple game that involves flipping cards to reveal coin amounts while avoiding the Voltorb cards. To help you flip all these cards over, there are signs on the side with two amounts. The first one, on the top, tells you the value of all the coin cards combined, while the second one on the bottom tells you how many Voltorbs there are in that row. You also have a memo pad to mark what you think are Voltorb or coins. You can stop at any moment and cash in, but if you beat levels by flipping all the non-Voltorb cards over, you can increase the multiplier (level) and play for more coins.

For slots, the game is much easier and requires less thinking. The object of slots is to match three icons, which will award you with coins. This game requires coins to play, which can be bought from the clerks at the counters. A minimum of one coin is required; it is optional to put in up to two more coins in case there are matches diagonally or on other rows. Once you put in the coins, you can press A to stop the slots and try to get a match. The icons that give the most are the 7 or the R/Poke Ball, and its values have changed over the years. After you’ve saved up enough coins in your Coin Case, you can proceed to the Prize Corner, where you can exchange coins for prizes such as TMs (which can’t be used multiple times like Generation V), hold items, or certain Pokemon.
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The Pokemon Day Care

By Matt

The Pokemon Day-Care has, for generations, entertained us by offering to take care of our Pokemon. Believe it or not, this was the pioneering of breeding Pokemon. The Day-Care is run by a nameless elderly couple, known as the Day-Care Lady and Day-Care Man. Usually, Day-Care centers are found on Routes, but are close to cities. The Day-Care in Pokemon Black and White version are on Route 3, which is right next to Striaton City.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Day-Care is located right before Goldenrod City. But location doesn’t matter, as long as the Day-Care can do what it does: provide you with Pokemon Eggs that turn into first-stage Pokemon. But besides breeding, Pokemon can also level up over time. The cost for keeping them in the Day-Care is relatively easy to figure out: it is 100 Poke Dollars, plus 100 for every level it gains. Of course, keeping your Pokemon in the Day-Care for a set amount of time will not level it up.

To prevent abuse of the game for players who will keep the game on, experience is gained by simply going about with other business. In other words, you have to take steps if you want results, like receiving Eggs.

In Black and White, the Day-Care man will notify you if your party has room when he has an Egg. HeartGold and SoulSilver have the calling feature, which allows the Day-Care Man to call you when he has an Egg ready for pickup. The Day-Care Lady runs the main office, which allows you to check on your Pokemon’s progress in leveling up. The Day-Care Man is located outside, and will tell you when he has an Egg ready.

In older games, there was no way of instant notifications of Eggs. This was remedied by having the Day-Care Man change his usual position. Instead of facing straight, he would either be found out one step, or change the direction he was facing. Of course, if you could anticipate when the Day-Care Man had the Egg ready, you could talk to him. The Day-Care Man also tells you how compatible the two Pokemon are.
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A Teenager’s View On Smeargle

By Matt

Smeargle, known as the Painter Pokemon, possesses many unique qualities, yet is still overlooked by many. It is a Normal-type, and its Ability is Own Tempo, which prevents the status affliction Confusion. This was the norm until Generation V, where its second possible Ability became Technician, which powers up moves with a base power under 60. A contributing reason to why Smeargle are sparce in the newer games is because it’s from the Johto region; HeartGold and SoulSilver are the only Johto games in the DS series. Now, you can find Smeargle in Pokemon Black and White, but only when the bulletin board says there’s an outbreak on Route 5.

What makes Smeargle stand out from the rest is because of its signature move, Sketch. It’s a very unique move which copies the target’s last move. The move that was copied replaces Sketch and becomes one of Smeargle’s moves. All moves can be learned by Sketch, which makes Smeargle capable of learning just about any move. In fact, Smeargle has been used in competitive battles to use a stat-raising move such as Belly Drum, and Baton Pass to the next Pokémon, who will gain the stat changes. Smeargle learns Sketch starting at level 11, and learns one every ten levels until 91. If you’ve accidentally used Sketch, you can replace that move with another Sketch.
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Pokemon HeartGold And Soulsilver Guide Review

By Carl00456

Pokemon guides have helped me throughout the years, explaining many hints, secrets and tips about the Pokemon games. Though they are truly excellent in their essence, I can not escape the feeling that it is cheating, taking most of the fun away from the game. I found that the artwork for the guides were very detailed, showing a range of Pokemon from the region, including the starter Pokemon and the fantastic legendary Pokemon. The back cover explains the contents of the Pokemon guide, usually detailing some of the sections and things you can expect to find inside.

As you open up the book, you are told the tale of Pokemon, a sort of prologue to Pokemon which explains the story so far. This is neat and gives you a recap of what had happened in the previous game. Of course there is the contents page, showing you the pages of the sections to help you complete the game. Most of the pages are illustrated nicely, with a variety of Pokemon and images of routes laid out across the page. There is a small section dedicated to newcomers of Pokemon games called ‘primer for Pokemon training’. This is just a small guide on what Pokemon are, how to catch them and other information like how to level them up. The main section is definitely the greatest part of the book, each route or area is given a specific page, including a quite large picture of the route and items and Pokemon you can find in it. It does not, however, tell you what these items actually are, so you will have to explore and find out for yourself. There is a list of things you should do, a guide to the route or town which is accompanied by a picture. This is great help to the game but sometimes it includes things that are side-tasks to the game, for example, collecting items or helping people. These can be done anyway to get the full experience of the game. Although I did say that the image of the towns and routes are detailed, the caves are sometimes tremendously hard to navigate around as the guide gives you a range of letters that you’re supposed to follow in order and this leads to you searching around the page for the next letter. I found this especially frustrating in the caves at Whirlpool Island and the bell tower.
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Pokemon Weight Mechanics

By Matt

Since the beginning of the game, each Pokemon has a specific weight in pounds or kilograms, based on the version (language) of your game. This can be viewed in the Pokedex, and in HeartGold/SoulSilver, you could compare your trainer and that certain Pokemon on a scale. Generation III, with Ruby and Sapphire versions, started using two moves which would determine damage based on the target’s weight.

Low Kick actually started from Generation I, having a constant base power. In battle, weight plays a small part in battle strategies, as weight does not determine the Speed stat. However, the weight of a Pokemon foreshadows its Speed; heavy figures tend to move slower in battle, with a few exceptions.

In Generation V, more moves are being created that deal with weight. A common move used is Grass Knot, which is a Special attack. Since all nations except for the United States use the metric system, weight categories are separated into six groups: under 10 kg, 10-25 kg, 25-50 kg, 50-100 kg, 100-200 kg, and over 200 kg. Grass Knot (Grass-type and special) and Low Kick (Fighting-type and physical) both use these categories, and its power is predetermined to do 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120 damage.

Generation V introduced Heavy Bomber, the Steel-type move, and Heat Stamp, the Fire-type move, both of which are physical. Contrary to Grass Knot and Low Kick, these moves factor in the user’s weight. The added twist is that power is determined based on how heavier the user is than the target, which is categorized into five groups: if the target is 50% of the user’s weight, 33-50%, 25-33%, 20-25%, and less than 20%. The damage is massive: 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120, respectively. The only weight-based status move that exists right now is Body Purge, a Steel-type move which doubles its Speed in return for halving its weight. Hold items were made to influence or discourage weight-based moves. For example, the Float Stone halves a Pokemon’s weight, discouraging Low Kick or Grass Knot.
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