Pokemon HeartGold Version

 DS
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1081 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 975 out of 1081
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 1081
  3. Negative: 52 out of 1081
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  1. Kick454
    Apr 21, 2018
    8
    This game was my first Pokemon game and by far my favorite. However, since it is still Pokemon, it suffers some flaws that others suffer, but not as badly as those.

    Pros: + Walking around: How did a Pokemon game make walking around with more than just one character fun? (I loved this in Xenoblade 2 as well, but this is a Pokemon review) + Post-Game: By far the best Pokemon post-game    This game was my first Pokemon game and by far my favorite. However, since it is still Pokemon, it suffers some flaws that others suffer, but not as badly as those.

    Pros:
    + Walking around: How did a Pokemon game make walking around with more than just one character fun? (I loved this in Xenoblade 2 as well, but this is a Pokemon review)
    + Post-Game: By far the best Pokemon post-game
    + Gyms: Honestly, these are the only gyms I liked out of the franchise.
    + Safari Zone: The customization was excellent and I loved that you had to earn the extra secret areas.
    + Variety: Best variety in a Pokemon game ever.
    + Legendaries: The return of older legendaries was sweet, though the Arceus-event only methods of getting lvl 1 Sinnoh ones sucks.

    Mix:
    = Soundtrack: One of the better Pokemon soundtracks, but still, not too memorable (2nd best champion theme though).
    = Gameplay: Same as others, except minus Z-Moves and Megas (which both are overrated anyways).

    Overall, Pokemon HeartGold version was great enough to warrant an 8.5/10 from me.    … Expand
  2. JT0718
    Jan 7, 2023
    8
    I have never loved Pokemon games, but I enjoyed this game a good amount. I think the game is still bogged down by some frustrating mechanics (I have always hated the random encounters), but generally the moment to moment gameplay is pretty fun. The map is pretty solid and the visuals are also pleasant to look at. I don’t think I would replay the game again unless I did a nuzlocke or someI have never loved Pokemon games, but I enjoyed this game a good amount. I think the game is still bogged down by some frustrating mechanics (I have always hated the random encounters), but generally the moment to moment gameplay is pretty fun. The map is pretty solid and the visuals are also pleasant to look at. I don’t think I would replay the game again unless I did a nuzlocke or some other challenge like that, but overall I enjoyed the game.… Expand
  3. Shadran
    Jan 13, 2021
    8
    Very polished yet grindy game. Progression is good until 8th gym and E4 where you need some preparation. Post E4 is really rewarding for players that played Kanto before. Problem is no good way to grind new pokemons when you run out of trainers. I like addition of new pokeballs in shops. Some parts of the game are time based on day in week or day and night so it's easy to miss some extraVery polished yet grindy game. Progression is good until 8th gym and E4 where you need some preparation. Post E4 is really rewarding for players that played Kanto before. Problem is no good way to grind new pokemons when you run out of trainers. I like addition of new pokeballs in shops. Some parts of the game are time based on day in week or day and night so it's easy to miss some extra stuff. World is pretty compact with a lot of towers and caves so you can travel fast even without fly HM. Overall enjoyable game with some speed bumps.… Expand
  4. MazdoTechno
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This is the sequel to Fire Red/Leaf Green we needed, now we don’t have to go back and play the (because of these much better versions) outdated Gen 1 and 2 games.
    Honestly I would never recommend anyone the original Gen 1 and 2 games unless they like messing around with the glitches (which admittedly is pretty fun)
    This is a great standard Pokémon game, it pretty much does what Pokémon    This is the sequel to Fire Red/Leaf Green we needed, now we don’t have to go back and play the (because of these much better versions) outdated Gen 1 and 2 games.
    Honestly I would never recommend anyone the original Gen 1 and 2 games unless they like messing around with the glitches (which admittedly is pretty fun)

    This is a great standard Pokémon game, it pretty much does what Pokémon does and does it very well
    If you liked Fire Red/Leaf Green I’m sure you’ll also enjoy this game    … Expand
  5. hector_bcn98
    Nov 7, 2022
    8
    Me sigo quedando con los originales, de la misma forma que me pasó con los remake de la 3a generación. Soy un nostálgico.
  6. B0ssReviews
    Sep 3, 2022
    8
    Johto has one of the worst level scaling in pokemon and most of the best pokemon are trade evolutions and the whirl islands suck

    Still one of my favorite pokemon games, amazing experience.
  7. AxelLat
    Jul 19, 2023
    8
    Es muy buen remake por no decir el mejor pero tiene fallos como por ejemplo la pokedex o el tener que usar caramelos para que la experiencia sea mas disfrutable
  8. fnenamg
    Sep 8, 2023
    8
    This is exactly what people want from Pokémon.
  9. M1sfiT
    Sep 3, 2023
    8
    Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! phv
  10. litnlowkey
    Sep 8, 2023
    8
    A proper remake of one of the better entries in the series, adding the extra complexity of the DS Era and building on an already solid foundation. HeartGold and its sister game SoulSilver, released on the 10th anniversary of their predecessors, Gold and Silver, marking the golden age of Game Freak and the Pokémon main series as a whole. The scope of the originals is very expansive and theA proper remake of one of the better entries in the series, adding the extra complexity of the DS Era and building on an already solid foundation. HeartGold and its sister game SoulSilver, released on the 10th anniversary of their predecessors, Gold and Silver, marking the golden age of Game Freak and the Pokémon main series as a whole. The scope of the originals is very expansive and the dedication put into this remake should be the standard for the industry.

    The game takes everything good about the old entries and furthers it with some fourth generation enhancements. The Johto and later Kanto regions feel refreshed with updated graphics, making them feel more akin to the prior fourth gen games, Diamond and Pearl. The addition of a safari zone is welcome considering the original versions of Gold and Silver severely lacked a variety of Pokémon to catch, especially in the early stages of the game. While the soundtrack is considerably better than anything modern Pokémon has to offer, it remains quite forgettable in comparison to some of the more popular entries. The battles received a solid overhaul with the addition of the Physical/Special split, and, although panned for the steep level curve later in the Kanto region, a solid challenge makes succeeding in battle feel all the more satisfying. This is topped off by some quality of life features, the most notable of which being the first Pokémon in your party following alongside you, making you feel as though you are playing a character straight out of the anime. Paired with the Pokéwalker, Game Freaks iteration of the tamagotchi craze, this feature proves to be an excellent extension of the Pokémon I.P. that would have been a solid foundation for Pokémon Go to build off of.

    Designs received a major update, and some of the more prominent Pokémon in the series belong to the ancestor games. Fan favourites like Typhlosion and Tyranitar, introduced in the 2nd generation line-up, and additional Pokémon from the 4th generation are present as well. The legendaries are some of the better designs in the series, and the box legendaries Ho-Oh and Lugia are truly iconic.

    Overall, the decision to remake some of the most expansive games in the series and Game Freaks ability to add to it while keeping the original feeling of it’s ancestors makes this an experience worth taking your time to dive into. It’s minor grievances, mostly being the level curve of the games second region, actually benefit it in the form of providing an extra challenge to an otherwise easy endeavour. The game is far from the best of Pokémon’s offerings, but has more than enough going for it already.    … Expand
  11. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    79/100 . .
  12. AlexMakesToast
    Nov 23, 2022
    7
    Heartgold = 7/10
    ............................................................
  13. AnthonyStf
    Jun 18, 2023
    7
    This is not the best pokemon game and is probably the most overrated.

    ------
    "AnthonySTF will be going away to far ne land from hear that? If you dont hear it"
  14. omniface
    Mar 9, 2021
    6
    a challenging game for competitive pokemon players only

    pros
    good graphics
    good late gameplay
    decent player guy

    cons
    horrible puzzle part
    worst of the gym leaders except number 8
    elite four pales in comparison to pokemon ruby and emerald

    overall a decent game with nothing more to it
  15. ND-Bringer
    Jun 19, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are incredibly faithful games! A bit too faithful though. So much so that it prevents me from fully enjoying the colorful graphics and the soothing remixed music. The sluggish grinding mechanics really kills the adventure, especially halfway through the game. It doesn't matter if you're an experienced trainer. These dated experience gaining tropes are responsible for turning perfectly fine role playing games into electronic chores.

    So why do people enjoy this game so much? Well if you look close enough, you can see just how many gimmicks this game harbors. From strolling with your first slot Pokemon, to the Pokewalker, to the Pokeathlon mini games, to the customizable safari zone, when is comes to simply bonding with your favorite Pokemon...this game excels at adding a lot of heart to experience.

    Its great and all that I can really bond with the Pokemon of Johto to this degree, but the actual gameplay is so by the numbers that rather than feeling like an evolution of generation two's ideals, it feels more like a copy and paste job of what was considered enjoyable gameplay for the time. I'm challenging every trainer in the game, collecting all the rare candies, and it's still not enough to match the levels of the Elite Four or the Kanto Gym leaders.

    All of these wild Pokemon are far too low weak. You would have to slay armies just to stand a chance against the upper class. I would rematch the trainers, but its such a complicated process of contacting them on certain days of the week with luck based mechanics, that I'd rather waste time slaying Miltank by the waterfall, on Route forty seven. I really want to enjoy this game. But every once in a while, when I go to take a photo with my prized team I start to wonder, "Is this really enough?"

    The best Johto Pokemon like Houndour and Murkrow still live in Kanto exclusively. Building a decent team still feels as limited as it did in the original games. Most of the gym leaders are nothing special, their teams are only difficult to defeat due to how limited the Johto Pokedex is. For Arceus' sake, Bugsy doesn't even evolve his cocoon Pokemon! And remember that great move tutor system from Platinum? that's now available in the battle frontier in the post game...and you have to pay a truckload of battle points in order to use it. Have fun using the elemental punches again!

    I feel so weak in this game, even with a team with decent move sets, I never felt comfortable during this journey. I could never sit down and enjoy the set pieces like the shiny Gyarados, the secret rocket base, or the Glitter Lighthouse. I was sick of fighting the same Pokemon consecutively. One of the worst fights in the game is against Executive Petrel and his army of Koffing and Weezing. I don't have any trouble defeating him and yet I feel so tired.

    This game needed fixing, not just a new coat of paint. I can't even challenge the Battle Frontier because I am unable to properly prepare for those challenges. How are trainer supposed to help there Pokemon grow with these horrible grinding methods. Johto's Victory Road contains Pokemon in their early to late thirties, while Sinnoh's Victory Road has Pokemon appropriately in their forties. The wild Pokemon are weaklings, complete weaklings!

    My nostalgia just isn't enough to command my joy to come full circle. It doesn't matter how nice the game looks. The polish for this game was redirected into making more unique rocket executives and some decent Pokemon olympic challenges. Not a terrible journey, but rather a journey with missed potential.    … Expand
  16. evelio28
    Aug 8, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Meh. A comparacion de los Originales, esta nueva implementacion solo promueve indirectamente la avaricia que Game freak intento dar como algo Bueno, cada elemento solo funciona dentro de su Epoca y Nunca como Concepto Inovador, ya que la Franquicia ya lo hizo en la Gen 1 con Amarillo y su contenido Adicional es mas Disfrutable dentro de Crystal (Pese a lo que piense la Mayoria)

    De resto posee todas las Virtudes que Gamefreak le habia puesto empeño en el pasado como a su Banda sonora, mecanicas llamativas y su Atmosfera tipo Sinnoh (Aunque esta con su mismo error del ritmo lento)    … Expand
  17. JasonBB
    Nov 20, 2019
    5
    The big overrated Pokémon game. Story is bad as hell (if it has any), difficulty is null, postgame is boring being Kanto almost empty, but better than the original versions.

    This game is the genwunner exhaust outlet to defend they're not genwunners because they like something from almost 10 years ago.
  18. Real-Ho-Oh
    Nov 23, 2018
    3
    Besides the terrible level curve. It has the same bad distribution from the GS games and basically fixed nothing: every single problem is back, but with the ugly sprites from the dp games. The legendaries were shoving in at inconvenient places, ruining their original lore completely.
    It's also highly expensive, in part due an add on app thats underused and you won't need, so I only    Besides the terrible level curve. It has the same bad distribution from the GS games and basically fixed nothing: every single problem is back, but with the ugly sprites from the dp games. The legendaries were shoving in at inconvenient places, ruining their original lore completely.
    It's also highly expensive, in part due an add on app thats underused and you won't need, so I only recomend this game if you are a collector that want them all. Otherwise, stick to gsc.    … Expand
  19. OctolingSpin
    Oct 27, 2018
    1
    Highly overrated. It's unfortunate to me to say it but it just doesn't stand the test of time: the charm, style, music and design of the original GSC games is completely absent, replaced by safe, boring music that's not even a fraction of how memorable the original was, generic sprites and an ugly overworld that doesnt make good use of what the ds could do. Worse: it has good aditionsHighly overrated. It's unfortunate to me to say it but it just doesn't stand the test of time: the charm, style, music and design of the original GSC games is completely absent, replaced by safe, boring music that's not even a fraction of how memorable the original was, generic sprites and an ugly overworld that doesnt make good use of what the ds could do. Worse: it has good aditions actually locked away through events that are now impossible to get, entire story bits no less that could have made the game better and more unique, not just event pokemon. The level scaling is also made worse than before despite the aditions its gen had.
    I recommend Crystal instead for the better Johto experience unless you really want the pokewalker app (nowadays hard to get) or want to transfer your cyndaquil to newer games.    … Expand
  20. auranaqua
    Mar 31, 2019
    1
    Its a BAD pokemon game, not only that, but the only pokemon game that is bad, all others are at least ok. But this one is slow, bland, not inovative and they manage to make the few minigames weird and unplayable. Its also for the other game's looks what polar express is to reality, this ugliness makes the game even more boring than it adding nothing did. I saw some people praising it inIts a BAD pokemon game, not only that, but the only pokemon game that is bad, all others are at least ok. But this one is slow, bland, not inovative and they manage to make the few minigames weird and unplayable. Its also for the other game's looks what polar express is to reality, this ugliness makes the game even more boring than it adding nothing did. I saw some people praising it in the past but every time I looked up turned out to be some teenager who grew up when this one was new, in other words: if nostalgia and vanity over your own childhood are the only reasons you play a game, go for it but if you want a good game, play Firered, or really any other pokemon game.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best DS Game of 2010
1
#1 Most Discussed DS Game of 2010
3
#3 Most Shared DS Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    94
    It may not be too revolutionary but this is by far the biggest, most packed Pokemon yet. [Mar 2010, p.67]
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    88
    It's still the Pokemon you know and love - and handheld entertainment of the highest order. [Apr 2010, p.78]
  3. Nintendo Gamer
    88
    The Pokemon formula stays unchanged, but Gold and Silver remain our favourites. Essential for Johto newcomers and veterans. [Mar 2010, p.94]
See all critic reviews »