The Pokemon franchise made its money early on through the release of multiple versions. This simple trick pushed sales of link cables as friends had to trade with each other to “catch ’em all.” The release of a third version in Generation I, Pokemon Yellow, was seen as chasing the popularity of the anime and Pikachu. It proved to be a trendsetter, however, and Pokemon Crystal would be a similar follow-up version to its initial duo in Generation II. What was so special about Pokemon Crystal that it warranted being made instead of pushing forward to Generation III? Let’s go over how this game set the standard for iterating on a generation before moving on from it.
At the Height of Pokemania
The late 1990s may have been Pokemon’s genesis, but the early 2000s saw the franchise reach massive heights all over the world. Fans had been teased with new Pokemon in 1999’s Pokemon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back. They finally became catchable in Pokemon Gold and Silver versions, which introduced a new region to explore known as Johto. These games were considered a major improvement from their predecessors, featuring the entirety of the old game’s region as explorable after players had beaten the Elite Four. Debuting with options for fully-colored sprites on the Game Boy Color, they were well-loved.
However, fame can disappear as quickly as it arose. Many at the time dismissed Pokemon as a fad, and interest seemed to wane as new films proved less popular. Despite this, Game Freak followed up their success by releasing Pokemon Crystal. Only a year after Gold and Silver, Crystal did not offer a new region or any new Pokemon. Instead, it relied upon enhancing gameplay and presentation to draw players in. Numerous features that became series staples were introduced here, like gender choice for the player character via the addition of a female protagonist. Animated Pokemon sprites at the start of battles would make the game stand out from its predecessors as well.
A Retooled Story
Pokemon Gold and Silver used their respective legendaries as box art and title screen mascots, differing from the use of starters in Generation I. Pokemon Crystal used another one of the game’s legendaries, Suicune, who was one of a trio of legendaries capturable in the previous games. However, their nature was altered in this new release, with the three no longer roaming and requiring the player to chase them across the map. Instead, a storyline was added that guided players to all three, as well as Lugia and Ho-Oh of Gold and Silver. There was now a story guiding you to all of the Legendaries, not just the version mascots.
Pokemon Crystal also featured the addition of the Battle Tower, a post-game challenge that was built to be far more difficult than any other content the games had featured as of yet. By using max level Pokemon, the player had to battle a gauntlet of trainers to win special prizes. With only three Pokemon usable at a time, strategies were different than the rest of the game and proved quite popular. Later games would borrow from this feature and include similar content to keep players engaged after beating the Elite Four. Overall, even for those who had enjoyed Gold and Silver, Pokemon Crystal was a big leap up in features and presentation.
Final Thoughts
The Pokemon franchise would ultimately avoid a major slump and would continue to grow. Each new generation continues to sell and draw in fans. Pokemon Crystal would serve as a guideline for Game Freak to follow in each subsequent generation. Games like Pokemon Emerald or Platinum would serve the same function in their generation, being the best version of that generation’s features. Players didn’t wait for these versions, however, so they didn’t seem to cannibalize sales of the initial release. While later generations would find newer ways to keep fans coming back, such as DLC, Pokemon Crystal was a blueprint for years due to genuinely improving on what came before.
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