Pokémon Crystal

Pokémon Crystal
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color in Japan in 2000 and internationally in 2001. The game is an enhanced edition of the 1999 titles Pokémon Gold and Silver, commonly referred to as the 'second generation' of games in the Pokémon franchise. Crystal featured several additions to the core gameplay of its predecessors, including additional story elements, the inclusion of the Battle Tower, the option to play as a male or female player character, visual enhancements to the sprite animations of Pokémon, and other minor fixes and quality of life improvements. The Japanese version of the game also showcased the capabilities of the Mobile System GB, a peripheral released to add mobile phone networking, but was not distributed outside of Japan.
Released following the commercial success of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Crystal experienced similar commercial and critical acclaim, with the combined titles forming the best-selling game for the Game Boy Color and the third-best-selling game for the Game Boy family of handheld consoles. Critics praised Crystal for its additional features and improvements, whilst noting that many of the features in the non-Japanese version of the game, which lacked the Mobile System GB, were minor in nature. Retrospective assessment of Crystal has been highly positive, with several critics noting the game's introduction of a range of features that would become commonplace in later iterations of the Pokémon franchise.
Gameplay
Crystal is largely an enhancement of the content and gameplay of Gold and Silver, with most additional features providing minor cosmetic or gameplay improvements. The visual presentation of Crystal was enhanced through the animation of Pokémon sprites when first encountered in battle, the inclusion of signposts appearing on the screen when entering a new area, and a range of minor graphical enhancements to various locations in the game. A major cosmetic change included the ability to select one of two player characters, including the addition of Kris, a female trainer, with a unique sprite. A major addition to gameplay was the inclusion of the 'Battle Tower', a stadium that allows players to enter a Battle Room and challenge a succession of trainers with Pokémon of a customizable level ceiling.
The Japanese release of Crystal supported the Mobile System GB, an adapter and paid online service connecting a Game Boy Color unit to cellular phones for wireless networking between devices. The Mobile System GB enabled subscribing players to use a cell service to receive a number of networked features, including to battle and trade with players online, receive news, quizzes and minigames, and connect the game to a Nintendo 64 using a 64GB Pack to play battles using the data from Pokémon Stadium 2. The Mobile System GB network remained active until its closure on 14 December 2002.
Plot
Whilst the setting and story of Crystal remains largely the same as in Gold and Silver, several encounters and additional characters were introduced to the game to provide greater content to the game's narrative. The legendary Pokémon Suicune now has a more prominent role in the game's storyline, with the player awakening the legendary Pokémon Suicune, Entei, and Raikou, and encountering Suicune at various stages of the game. A new plotline with a character, Eusine, who has been searching for Suicune, is also introduced, providing the player with a more direct and narrative pathway to battling and capturing Suicune and the remainder of the game's legendary Pokémon. Crystal also includes minor changes to role of Clair in the game's storyline. Furthermore, the game also features minor additions to the role of the Pokémon Unown in the Ruins of Alph, with players able to complete additional puzzles to receive rewards and messages from the Unown.
Development and release
Crystal was developed by Game Freak in 1999 following the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. Crystal was the first Pokémon game to feature Junichi Masuda as a lead director, who had previously been a composer for the Pokémon franchise and sub-director for Gold and Silver. Nintendo initially announced development of Crystal and the Mobile System GB in December 1999, developed under the working title of Pokémon X. Artist Ken Sugimori stated that Crystal was primarily developed to support Nintendo's launch of the Mobile System GB, with director Junichi Masuda stating that the title of the game was influenced by the "crystals used in electronic transmissions". Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi stated that "Pokémon, which incorporates elements of exchange and 'collection', would be the best way to get people to understand the new genre of games that use mobile phones."
Nintendo first previewed Crystal and the Mobile System GB at Spaceworld in August 2000, although several sources outside Japan expressed doubts that Nintendo would extend the release of the peripheral to other markets. Nintendo ultimately made the decision to contain the release of the Mobile System GB to Japan. Journalists outside Japan speculated reasons for this decision, including conflicts in international cell phone standards, and lack of mobile infrastructure in other countries. IGN noted that "billing and popularity of cellular phones are very different than in America, and (the Japanese) market is designed specifically for devices such as this. It might not be practical for Nintendo to release the device here...it's questionable whether enough young gamers would have a cellular phone to use it with."
Crystal was released in Japan on 27 January 2001, following delays to ensure the game could be bundled with the Mobile Adapter GB. Nintendo previewed the release of Crystal in Western markets at E3 in May 2001, and released the game in North America on July 29, 2001, Australia on September 30, 2001, and Europe on November 2, 2001. Promotional releases of Crystal in North America included packaging of the game with lime green models of the Game Boy Color, sold as the Pokémon Crystal Bundle. Following release, Crystal was also made available on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS line of handheld consoles on 28 January 2018.
Reception
Critical reception to Pokémon Crystal upon release was generally positive, with many reviewers praising the variety of additional features added to the game. Writing for GameSpot, Frank Provo stated that the game's additions provide "a great deal of value," highlighting the quality of life features that "enhance and broaden the game's overall variety", including timed events, quality of life improvements and visual embellishments. Nintendo Power highlighted the addition of the Battle Tower, finding the feature a "truly challenging" addition that would appeal to "hard-core fans". Kelly Starr found the new features to form "enough little differences to make (the game) a worthwhile addition," directing praise at the ability to play as a female trainer, the inclusion of location signs, and the enhanced animations.
Many critics noted the additions to Crystal were largely insubstantial and difficult to distinguish from Gold and Silver. Craig Harris of IGN noted the game featured "some improvements to the overall design," but found the cosmetic changes to be "very little", expressing frustration that "the same game engine can be milked over and over, and we've been playing this game for almost five years internationally." Simon Brew of Game Boy Xtreme stated "for those that have bought (earlier titles), there's really very little else on offer," later remarking that the game "stretched the traditional formula as far as it could go." Chris Johnston for Electronic Gaming Monthly stated the additions "don't alter the game-playing experience at all," suggesting the "changes should've been in Gold and Silver to start with."
Sales
Although not as comparatively successful as Pokémon Gold and Silver and successive Pokémon releases, Crystal was a minor commercial success. Upon release in Japan, the game became the highest-selling video game for the month of December 2000, and sold a total of 1,871,307 copies, making it the second most successful Game Boy Color game in the country. In the rest of the world, Crystal was the best-selling Nintendo title for Game Boy consoles in the month of January 2002, and remained in the Nintendo Power top-ten charts for the rest of the year. In the United States, Crystal reportedly sold 600,000 units in the first two weeks of release. Internationally, Crystal sold 6.3 million units, a significant drop in comparison to the 23.7 million units sold of Pokémon Gold and Silver. To date, the game remains the least commercially successful mainline Pokémon release by units sold, attributable to the reduced interest in 'enhanced' versions of Pokémon titles.
Legacy
Retrospective reviews of Crystal have praised the game as one of the best titles in the Pokémon franchise. Writing on the "best Game Boy Color games of all time," Darryn Bonthuys of GameSpot stated Crystal was "the definitive Pokémon game of the Game Boy era," highlighting the "revolutionary animations" and story. Writing for Eurogamer, Chris Tapsell praised Crystal as "the best Pokémon game," praising the game's "peerless artistry" and "quaint, restricted painterly presentation" in its enhanced animations, and as the "first (game) to really have a story as we know it...building the first proper "chosen one" narrative of the series." Arjun Joshi of Nintendo Life noted that Crystal "(added) even more life to an already vibrant game", praising the game's animations and "captivating and memorable" additions to the game's plot. Catherine Lewis of Gaming Bible stated the game was "an absolute masterpiece," praising the game as representing "Johto at its best", citing the "extra character" of the animated sprites, and the "significant alterations" to the story.
Many reviewers have also observed that Crystal pioneered features that would become a standard in successive Pokémon games, including the expectation of an "enhanced third version" following the release of the primary games, the selection of the player character's gender, an overarching narrative, and the inclusion of a 'Battle Tower' feature. Tomas Franzese of Dual Shockers notes that the game was "important in helping set up and cementing many of the Pokémon series' standards...(setting) multiple precedents for the future of the series." Nintendo Power noted that whilst the innovation of the Mobile System GB was confined to the Japanese market, its design also served as a major influence for portable networking features of later Nintendo products, including the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter and Nintendo DS.
Retrospective narratives of the history of Pokémon have observed that Crystal was released at a transitional and uncertain period in the development of the franchise. Writing for Well Played, Arana Judith characterised Crystal as a "melancholic" release that represents "the end of Pokémon's early years (and) original vision," citing several factors including the relative failure of the Mobile System GB, the end of the Game Boy Color life cycle, and the increasing fatigue with the Pokémon franchise. This was reflected by contemporary critics who had predicted that Crystal reflected an "end of the Pokémon craze", with Simon Brew of Game Boy Xtreme stating "the game arrives at a time when some are foretelling the end of the Pokémon phenomenon." Judith noted that "although Ruby and Sapphire versions would eventually prove the longevity of Pokémon, they wouldn’t see release until 2002. According to the general public who were seeing Pokémon merchandise fade from shelves, the Pokémania that had swept those last years of the 20th century was truly on its way out." Similarly, Rhiannon Bevan of TechRaptor noted the game's additions reflected a "certain bravery", observing "Pokémon was explosively popular, but it was too soon to call it a cultural mainstay. (Crystal) could have been the final chapter in a fad, like many before it.
Crystal has received retrospective praise for the inclusive impact of a player character with a selectable gender. Writing for Polygon, Juno Stump stated Pokémon Crystal and Kris impacted (girls) greatly, allowing us to finally see ourselves in a video game and on our very own Pokémon adventure." Similarly, Catherine Lewis of Gaming Bible stated "the fact that female players were finally recognised by this hugely popular gaming franchise was a big deal at the time." Clare McBride of SyFy Wire stated "(whilst) playing as Kris didn't change the mechanics or storyline of the game at all...it changed the game for us. Instead of having to (play) a clearly male character...we got explicitly invited into the Pokémon space we’d already been inhabiting." Although the intent of the feature was to "appeal to cisgender girls", queer and transgender authors have also noted the formative queer experience of being able to play as a character whose gender does not reflect the one assigned at birth.
Twitch Plays Pokémon
On March 2, 2014, Crystal was played by Twitch Plays Pokémon, an interactive experience allowing users of the video game live streaming service Twitch to influence the play of the game through input commands in the chat box. The game featured the same protagonist and Pokémon to develop a continuity with the previous stream. The stream experienced criticism due to the involvement of players attempting to imitate high-stakes moments in the first stream, such as the release of Pokémon using the PC, as well as the temporary introduction of features that were abandoned, including changes to the 'Democracy' and 'Anarchy' modes. The stream of Crystal was completed in 13 days and 2 hours.
Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal
A bootleg release of Pokémon Crystal called Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal, often shortened to Vietnamese Crystal, is infamous for its poorly translated English text and gameplay oddities, such as profanity and calling Pokémon "elves".
Notes
References
External links
(US)
2000 video games
Game Boy Color games
Game Freak games
Games with Transfer Pak support
Japanese role-playing video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Crystal
Role-playing video games
Video game sequels
Video game remakes
Video games developed in Japan
Video games with gender-selectable protagonists
Video games with alternative versions
Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS
Video games scored by Junichi Masuda
Video games scored by Go Ichinose
Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto
ja:ポケットモンスター 金・銀#ポケットモンスター クリスタルバージョン