Product Description

Nintendo Gameboy. Pokemon Special Pikachu EDITION.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1448 in Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Released on: 1999-10-18
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Game Boy

Features

• Onyl used once!!!!

Editorial Review
While it's basically the same game as the previously released Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition features enhancements that make it the best version yet. In all three versions, the player is on a quest to become the World's Greatest Pokémon Trainer, with exploration and Pokémon battles (think advanced paper-scissors-rock) factoring heavily into the gameplay. While the game world is the same in all three versions, the Pokémon you encounter vary from version to version; the underlying goal of collecting all 151 Pokémon can only be met by trading Pokémon via Link Cable with another player with a different Pokémon version. (Players can also battle against one another using the Link Cable setup.)

Pokémon Yellow follows the TV cartoon series more closely than the other versions. Your first Pokémon in Yellow is Pikachu, and he travels alongside you as opposed to inside a Pokéball (like most Pokémon). Pikachu's mood can be displayed virtual pet style: keeping him happy is important, as his mood affects certain events in the game. In addition to the inclusion of other TV show elements like Team Rocket, new battle modes between players are available as well as a secret game called Pikachu's Beach.

If you haven't played any of the Pokémon games before, Pokémon Yellow is the best place to start. But while Pokémaniacs will go gaga over Yellow's new features, less enthusiastic veterans of Red and Blue may not find the extras to be quite so special. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Best version yet of the highly addictive Pokémon game
• Pikachu's moods raise the game's cuteness bar to an all-new level
• Features new battle modes between players
• Includes Pikachu's Beach secret game

• Pokémon battles can be repetitive at times
• New features may not be enough for some Pokémon veterans

GameSpot Review
It's here. The biggest news in the world of portable Pokemon gaming since the original Red and Blue titles hit the shelves so long ago. Pokemon - Special Pikachu Edition (Pokemon Yellow to you and me) may be a cynical marketing ploy to make millions of kids buy the same game all over again, but Nintendo has done it so well it's hard to care. You should be familiar with the premise by now, so we'll skip the banter and cut to the chase: What's new? Not a lot, though the differences are clearly noticeable. In many ways this feels like a slightly updated version of the original, with a few surprises here and there to keep long-time fans interested. Pikachu is given to you at the very start of the game - Oak even goes to the trouble of capturing it for you - and your rival, Gary, starts his Pokemon-collecting spree with Eevee instead of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, or Charmander. Dungeon layouts have been slightly altered, and different Pokemon are now found in new places than you would expect. For the visually conscious, new character portraits for each and every creature are a welcome sight. Full Game Boy Color support is noticeably lacking - we will have to wait for Gold and Silver, which will have it - but on a Super Game Boy this looks fantastic. Good to see that niche version of the world's most popular handheld still being supported so well. The modifications are mostly made to resemble the animated series as closely as possible. Encounters with Team Rocket now pit you against those lovable rogues Jesse and James, and Pikachu follows you around on the screen instead of staying inside his Pokeball. As this is the Special Pikachu Edition, everyone's favorite electric rat stars heavily. When you're not out catching 'em all, you can check on Pikachu's condition - a close-up view of him is always available, and his facial expressions indicate whether or not you need to spend some more quality time with him. Pikachu is at his happiest when he's sent into battle and kept well taken care of with potions. Oh, and before we forget, he even stars in a surfing minigame for no apparent reason. Overall, Yellow is just a stopgap to help us wait for the real sequels - Gold/Silver. Thankfully, the new challenges are enough to fill the hole - but only just. Good thing for Nintendo that Pikachu is so darn cute.... --Cameron Davis
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Pokemon Yellow is the best of the three!
My kids and I all love the Pokemon Gameboys (the three of us each have our own Gameboy). The blue Pokemon game is very similar to the red, with the Yellow having some slight differences.

The foremost of these is the fact that Pikachu just won't stay in his Pokeball! He follows you around in the game, and you have to keep him happy or you lose points and various opportunities. I also like the addition of Jesse and James (characters from the cartoon), and the additional battles they provide. If I had to pick just one of the three, this is the one I'd pick.

I like the way the Pokemon game challenges kids. I suggest also buying one of the books which shows the various routes and places. This allows kids to work at the tasks without getting frustrated.

The idea is to start at Prof. Oak's house, get your first Pokemon from him, and then journey all around the land of Pokemon, collecting various wild pokemon (which you catch by battling them until they faint), and doing battle with other trainers along the way.

In the process, kids learn to manuever through mazes of increasing complexity (which is why the manuals are a help), to gather and use items, and to develop strategies for fighting various types of Pokemon. My five year-old even started to read while using her Gameboy, from needing to know which items she had with her (in her Item List)!

All in all these are great games which can be played over and over (although only one game at a time can be saved), and which will provide your kids with hundreds of hours of fun.

PoKéMoN YeLLoW
Pokémon Yellow is a great game! It has BETTER pics, BETTER Pokédex data, and DIFFERENT attacks for Pokémon(including a new psychic attack called KINESIS)! You can get Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander(a.k.a. the starters). You start off with a Pikachu and Gary begins with an Eevee. I don't care if you already have any other version, THIS IS A BEST BUY!

Thoroughly enjoyable video game!
I am a middle-aged mother who bought this game for my 5 year old son for Christmas. However, upon plugging it in, I found that unless a child is a pretty good reader already, this game would be difficult for them to play. I was going to put it aside for him, but thought I'd give it a whirl myself first. It hooked me completely! I love it. It's given me a great education into the Pokemon phenomenum, which is good since my son likes Pokemon. It's non-violent. And, although challenging, not too difficult or frustrating - a plus for both kids and adults alike. This is the first video game that I have played to the end. I highly recommend it for anyone with children who are already competent readers. For those with younger children, buy it but wait until they can read to let them play it. I'll be waiting impatiently for Nintendo to release the Gold and Silver gameboy cartridges here in the states.