Pokémon Crystal Version

This article is a short summary of Pokémon Crystal Version. Bulbapedia features a more in-depth article.

Pokémon Crystal Version

ポケットモンスター クリスタルバージョン

Developer(s): Game Freak Publisher(s): Nintendo Platform: Game Boy Color Category: RPG Players: 1-2 Predecessor: Pokémon Gold and Silver Successor: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

Release dates N. America: July 29, 2001 Japan: December 14, 2000 Europe: November 2, 2001 Australia: September 30, 2001 S. Korea: Unreleased China: January 26, 2018 (Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console) Brazil: Unknown, but officially released by Gradiente

Ratings ESRB: E CERO: N/A PEGI: 3 ACB: G8+ GRAC: N/A

Bulbapedia has more information on this game: Read it now!

Pokémon Crystal Version is a game in the Pokémon series for Game Boy Color.

Blurb

The latest in the Gold & Silver series!

Travel back to the world of Johto as the Gold & Silver series continues with brand-new features! Whether you're reading the fresh descriptions in your Pokédex, using the unique sort function to organize your Pokémon in new ways, watching the all-new battle animations, or discovering another way to catch Suicune™, you'll need all of your Poké-skills to master Pokémon Crystal on your Game Boy® Color!

Development

The concept for a mobile phone supported Pokémon game (which in the final Japanese release of Crystal, was possible with Mobile System GB) was planned since earlier in development following the successful Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions. Some sources assert a game was codenamed Pokémon X (not to be confused with the Nintendo 3DS game) that would make use of mobile phone features.

Story

The story is almost the same as Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions, but there is a new plot element involving a mystical Pokémon Trainer known as Eusine, who has dedicated his life to finding the legendary Pokémon Suicune. The specifics regarding Suicune have changed, for instance, (after following it) it is found in the Tin Tower and is not roaming anymore. Minor changes were made regarding the flower shop assistant near/in Goldenrod City. Buena, the fictional host of the "Buena's Password Show" radio channel is also expanded on in a side quest and it is now possible to obtain her mobile phone details in-game.

Additionally, there is a new side quest (originally via Mobile System GB distribution) involving the Mythical Pokémon Celebi in Ilex Forest, pertaining to Kurt (and possibly from Pokémon News machine reports; an obscure dice minigame). Other characters including Blaine also would cameo in the Pokémon News machine menus.

Gameplay

Pokémon Crystal Version is the third version to Pokémon Gold and Silver. It features an altered story with the mythical Pokémon Suicune and Mystery Man Eusine (which would also be included in the much later released remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver), and various improved gameplay elements.

It is now possible to play as a girl, instead of a boy. Some other improved gameplay elements, are the addition of battle entry animations for Pokémon, aesthetic changes like new location indications while changing routes, and some story-line changes.

The game also includes the Battle Tower; a tower filled with trainers with capped level rules, who must be battled in succession for prizes. In the Japanese version, this required the Mobile System GB to use (and would feature parties uploaded by other players) whereas the localisations altered it so that it could be played offline with hardcoded parties and Trainers instead. The game cannot be played on a regular (DMG) Game Boy.

Mobile System GB features and DLC

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The Mobile System GB (requiring a mobile phone and Mobile Game Boy Adapter) would allow the player for a fee, to access Pokémon news, collect player gameplay data such as the number of Pokémon caught, trade and battle online (featuring a predecessor to the Global Trade System), access the Battle Tower and download exclusive items (special mail and the elusive "GS Ball", unlocking the mythical Pokémon Celebi). There was also mobile connectivity with Pokémon Stadium Gold and Silver for watching mobile battles recorded on Pokémon Crystal in 3D and interacting with collected data.

In order to use the service, players have to first register their mobile phone with Mobile Trainer, after which trainer information (such as prefecture of Japan) is to be registered in the Pokémon Crystal game itself. This also unlocks a hidden Mobile System GB logo shown after the game is booted.

All DLC can no longer be obtained in the intended way due to closure of the Mobile System GB. However, the Virtual Console releases of the game (including the localizations) were patched to re-enable the GS Ball event unlocking Celebi as built-in (non-DLC) unlockable content, by defeating the Pokémon League.

In addition to the GS Ball, the Blueskymail (and possibly Mirage Mail) were both items which could only be obtained with Mobile System GB without glitches/external devices.

The localisations never supported Mobile System GB, but have partial support for it (in addition to partially translated text) unused in the ROMs.

The localisations including cartridge versions also enable the Odd Egg event without the need of using Mobile System GB for downloading the Egg Ticket.

List

• Online Pokémon trades at the new PokéCom Center.
• Pokémon news, and quizzes/minigames (via Pokémon News Machine). Included prizes (e.g. TM04 (Easy game) or Blueskymail x3 (Hard game) for winning the Pokémon Character (Kana) Maze challenge/ポケモンもじめいろ).
  • Game progress, such as the number of Eggs hatched is noted, and there is a ranking between players who uploaded it. There may have been rewards for this based on the data-mining of unused test news entries.
  • Items from the PokéCom Center or Pokémon News machine (research incomplete): TM04, TM26, TM35, TM38, Blueskymail, Mirage Mail^{[citation needed]}, GS Ball, Egg Ticket.
    • The GS Ball distribution unlocks an event to catch Celebi in the Ilex Forest.
    • The Egg Ticket allows redemption for (possibly Shiny) Pichu, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Tyrogue, Smoochum, Elekid or Magby.
• Downloadable Battle Tower parties and Battle Tower ranking data.
• Paid online battles between other players who are registered with the Mobile System GB.

With communication between Crystal and Pokémon Stadium 2:

• Record battles that can be replayed on Pokémon Stadium 2, or challenge the team in the video.
• Content pertaining to Pokémon tournaments in Japan could be purchased for 10 yen each.
• Obtain Battle Data including new "Battle Rules".

Related Games

• Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions
• Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions
• Pokémon Stadium 2
• Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

Release data

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• Original Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish versions
• A second revision of the English version was silently released (Rev A), unofficially known as v1.1. It fixes a glitch related to Battle Tower names and genders. There are also small technical changes to the memory and code, e.g. the page number of the Pokédex has its own status variable, as for an effective change; the irony is Rev A rather than 1.0 caused broken graphics in the English version's Mobile Stadium (or [sic] "Mobile Studium") menu (for some reason the graphics were converted as if changing Unix to Windows new lines for a text file (i.e. 0x0A becomes 0x0D 0x0A), however the final English game would never use it).
• A third revision. This is based on Rev A. This was curiously the Australian release; and it adjusted various text strings to try to avoid references to gambling, despite the fact that the Game Corner still exists. Usually the Australian release is identical to the USA release except in this case (see here).
• The Virtual Console releases of the games as previously mentioned, allow the player to obtain a GS Ball without Mobile System GB (by defeating the Pokémon League and entering Goldenrod City Pokémon Center). It is possible to use two Nintendo 3DS systems to trade and battle wirelessly now (via a separate menu on the Touch Screen), as well as perform the Mystery Gift infrared functions using the Nintendo 3DS, but the Mobile System GB support is inaccessible in the Japanese version (as is Stadium 2 support). Pokémon can now be uploaded to Poké Transporter. The Virtual Console releases may have also fixed the dude demonstration speed glitch. There are other minor changes to the code. Furthermore, Jynx's sprite was changed to avoid alluding to a 'blackface' stereotype by making its face purple following old controversy, Game Boy Printer code is disabled (but there are some quirks with this), and there are changes to reduce the risk of photosensitive epilepsy (most of these may be seen as expected).

Reception

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Pirates produced a poor quality translation into English, which became infamous as "Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal". As there was no official translation for South Korea, wintiger0222 began work on a Korean version of the game in 2017 or earlier.

External links

Pokémon Crystal guide on StrategyWiki

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