HeartGold & SoulSilver redirects here. For theTCG expansion, seeHeartGold & SoulSilver (TCG).For the ninth arc of thePokémon Adventures manga, seeHeartGold & SoulSilver arc (Adventures).

Pokémon HeartGold Version ポケットモンスター ハートゴールド
Pokémon HeartGold Version's boxart,featuringHo-Oh.
Pokémon SoulSilver Version ポケットモンスター ソウルシルバー
Pokémon SoulSilver Version's boxart,featuringLugia.
Basic info
Platform:	Nintendo DS
Category:	RPG
Players:	1-4 players simultaneous
Connectivity:	DS Wireless,Wi-Fi,IR (for Pokéwalker)
Developer:	Game Freak
Publisher:	Nintendo
Part of:	Generation IVcore series
Ratings
CERO:	A
ESRB:	E
ACB:	G
OFLC:	G
PEGI:	3
GRAC:	ALL
GSRR:	6+
Release dates
Japan:	September 12, 2009[1]
North America:	March 14, 2010[2]
Australia:	March 25, 2010[3][4]
Europe:	March 26, 2010[5] April 2, 2010*[6]
South Korea:	February 4, 2010[7]
Hong Kong:	N/A
Taiwan:	September 12, 2009
Websites
Japanese:	Pokémon.co.jp Nintendo.co.jp Official site
English:	Pokémon.com (US) Pokémon.com (UK) Nintendo.com (HeartGold) Nintendo.com (SoulSilver) Nintendo.co.uk (HeartGold) Nintendo.co.uk (SoulSilver) Official site
Japanese boxart Boxart of Pocket Monsters HeartGold. Boxart of Pocket Monsters SoulSilver.

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Articles relating to Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions

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Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Pokémon HeartGold Version (Japanese:ポケットモンスター ハートゴールドPocket Monsters HeartGold) andPokémon SoulSilver Version (Japanese:ポケットモンスター ソウルシルバーPocket Monsters SoulSilver) are pairedGeneration IVremakes of theGeneration II gamesPokémon Gold and Silver.

Much like howPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen revisited theGeneration I story ofKanto, HeartGold and SoulSilver retell the story ofJohto, with the player's starting town beingNew Bark Town. While the games feature several expansions in key areas, the overall plot follows the same direction as the originalGold and Silver. Some aspects exclusive toCrystal are also included. Like how FireRed and LeafGreen could link up withRuby, Sapphire, andEmerald to complete the Pokédex by trading regionally exclusive Pokémon, HeartGold and SoulSilver can link up withDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum to obtain Pokémon unavailable in Johto and Kanto (such as theSinnoh first partner Pokémon) and vice versa.

Kris, despite being the female counterpart ofCrystal's player character, is not included as the female player character, with anew character instead taking her place. Whether she is chosen to be theplayer character or not, this new character will still appear in the game. The unselected protagonist will take a pseudo-rival role similar to the unselected characters ofRuby, Sapphire,Emerald,Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum.

The games were released on September 12, 2009, in Japan, February 4, 2010, in South Korea, March 14, 2010, in North America, March 25, 2010, in Australia, and March 26, 2010, in Europe (excluding theNetherlands and the Flemish part ofBelgium due to an in-game save error,^[8] with the patched copies later released on April 2, 2010).^[9]

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

The plot of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver is mostly the same as Gold and Silver with a few changes and included plot elements exclusive toPokémon Crystal. Theplayer, eitherEthan orLyra, begins their journey fromNew Bark Town, running an errand forProfessor Elm toMr. Pokémon's house to discover what he was so excited about. Elm supplies the player with one of three Pokémon,Chikorita,Cyndaquil, orTotodile, for this errand. After Mr. Pokémon's discovery turns out to be anEgg, the player returns to New Bark Town, only to find that a suspiciousred-haired boy seen lurking outside of Elm's lab earlier has stolen one of Elm's Pokémon— the one that the player's choice is weak to, coincidentally. Upon defeating him and returning to New Bark Town, the player gives the name of the boy (the player can choose any name, provided it fits under the seven-character limit; his name defaults to Soul in HeartGold and Heart in SoulSilver) to a police officer who has come to investigate the incident. Elm is amazed by the Egg and insists on studying it, allowing the player to keep the Pokémon they traveled with as afirst partner Pokémon. From here, he encourages the player to journey acrossJohto and challenge the eightGym Leaders,Falkner,Bugsy,Whitney,Morty,Chuck,Jasmine,Pryce, andClair, and eventually thePokémon League. With the first Gym inViolet City nearby, the player heads off on their adventure.

Upon arriving at Violet City, the player must first defeat the Elder,Li, atSprout Tower before facing the Violet City Gym. Li has just been defeated by Silver and after the player defeats Li, he gives the playerFlash. After defeating Falkner for theZephyr Badge, Elm's assistant appears to give the player the Egg, which will later hatch into aTogepi. Heading south towardsAzalea Town by way ofRoute 32 andUnion Cave, the player meets up with the villainousTeam Rocket, formed again after it was disbandedthree years prior in the neighboringKanto region bya young Trainer. They are cutting off the tails of theSlowpoke that are sacred in Azalea, intending to sell them for a large profit.Kurt, a local maker of specialtyPoké Balls, is greatly angered by this, and requests the player's help in chasing away Team Rocket and saving the Slowpoke. Though he falls into theSlowpoke Well, hurting himself in the process, he begs the player to continue on to fight the organization with their Pokémon. After this has been done, and Team Rocket is chased away from Azalea, Kurt gives the player aLure Ball and will make his specialty Poké Balls when brought any kind ofApricorn, once per day. After defeatingBugsy in theAzalea Gym for theHive Badge and defeating the red-haired boy (Silver) once again, the player can journey intoIlex Forest to find theCharcoal maker'sFarfetch'd and getHM01 (Cut). With this, Ilex Forest can be navigated through towardsRoute 34. On Route 34, aPokémon Day Care is set up that is capable of raising two Pokémon at once. The Day Care functions the same way as in otherGeneration IV games.

Venturing intoGoldenrod City, the player's third Badge, thePlain Badge, awaits. After defeatingWhitney and getting the Plain Badge, getting aSquirtBottle allows the player to move thestrange tree blockingRoute 36 to the north. If it isTuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, theBug-Catching Contest will be on at theNational Park onRoute 35 as well. InEcruteak City,Bill, the developer of thePCPokémon Storage System is performing repairs on theTime Capsule, and as the player arrives, he will finish, asking for them to come visit him in his parents' house in Goldenrod, where he will give away anEevee. Another Gym is in Ecruteak City, where theGhost-type LeaderMorty battles for theFog Badge. The player encounters theLegendary beasts in theBurned Tower and theyrun off around Johto. The player also meetsEusine who is studying the Burned Tower and takes interest inSuicune.

The player goes on throughRoute 38 andRoute 39 to arrive inOlivine City. Once there, they learn from Silver thatJasmine, the Gym Leader, is not available at the moment, since she is taking care of thelighthouse'sAmpharos and refuses to leave until the Pokémon is given aspecial medicine fromCianwood City. The player thus surfs their way throughRoute 40 andRoute 41 to get to Cianwood City. There, they encounter theFighting-type LeaderChuck, who presents the player with theStorm Badge. They get the medicine from the Cianwood Pharmacy and go back to Olivine City. Jasmine, relieved after getting her Ampharos's medicine, goes back to taking Gym challenges. Her Pokémon specialty is of theSteel type. When the player gets their sixth Badge, theMineral Badge, they travel toMahogany Town, throughRoute 42. The Gym is blocked by a man and the way toRoute 44 and theIce Path is blocked by a man trying to sellRage Candy Bars.

The player heads north toRoute 43 and theLake of Rage. Upon entering the gate, two Team Rocket Grunts charge them$1000 to go through. When the player gets to the lake, they encounter theRed Gyarados. After the player defeats, catches or flees from it, they get theRed Scale. A caped man namedLance appears on the shore and reveals Team Rocket's secret hideout to the player. The player goes back to Mahogany and goes through the hideout, along with Lance. Team Rocket planned to emit sound waves, inducing theMagikarp in the lake toevolve intoGyarados, which caused the effect of theRed Gyarados. Once the player defeats all the Team Rocket members and disables the wave-emitting machine, they can challengePryce, the town'sIce-type Gym Leader.

Upon defeating the Gym Leader and obtaining theGlacier Badge, the player receives a phone call from Prof. Elm about a strange radio signal emitted by Team Rocket, trying to connect with their missing leader,Giovanni. The player goes to theGoldenrod Radio Tower to investigate. Once there, a Team Rocket Grunt tells the player that only Team Rocket members are permitted to enter the tower. The player then goes into the tunnel, where a Team Rocket Grunt says they are looking for new recruits, then dresses the player in a Team Rocket grunt's uniform. The player is then permitted to enter the tower, but, all of a sudden, Silver enters, and tells the player off for thinking they look tough in the clothing. The player finds out the tower has been taken over by Team Rocket. When the player ascends to the top floor, they find the director of the Radio Tower, only to discover that he has been impersonated by a member of Team Rocket and that the real Director is locked in Goldenrod's basement. Once the player enters the basement, they are once again encountered by Silver, who intends to defeat Team Rocket all by himself. He still questions the way he treats his Pokémon. Once the player gets to the very bottom of the basement, they find the Tower's real Director. He gives the player the Card Key so that they can access the higher floors of the Radio Tower.

After clearing all of the Team Rocket members and defeating theTeam Rocket executives, effectively disbanding them, the player receives either aRainbow Wing to encounterHo-Oh or aSilver Wing to encounterLugia, in HeartGold and SoulSilver, respectively. The player then is allowed to go through theIce Path and toBlackthorn City. There the player can challengeClair, theDragon-type Gym Leader. Before giving the player theRising Badge, however, Clair makes the player go through a test to prove their worthiness. To complete this test, the player must enter theDragon's Den and take a test before they receive the Rising Badge from Clair. Having obtained all 8 Badges, the player is given the Master Ball by Elm and is requested to visit the Kimono Girls to prove their worthiness. After defeating the Kimono Girls, the player will either go to the Bell Tower^HG or the Whirl Islands^SS to encounter Ho-Oh^HG or Lugia^SS. Then the player is allowed to go east of New Bark into Kanto.

From New Bark Town, the path to the Pokémon League is to the east, acrossRoute 27 and intoKanto, then acrossRoute 26 and throughVictory Road to theIndigo Plateau. When the player reaches the exit of Victory Road, Silver appears again and battles the player.

TheElite Four awaits the player if they have collected all eight Badges. When the player enters the League, they must face all four in sequence.Will, whotrainsPsychic-type Pokémon, is first, followed byKoga, whose specialty isPoison.Bruno, who usesFighting-type Pokémon, follows, and finally,Karen, who specializes in theDark type. After defeating these four, the reigningPokémon Champion,Lance, whom the player met at the Lake of Rage, challenges the player to a final battle. After his defeat, Oak and his co-host onPokémon Talk,DJ Mary, arrive and congratulate the player. Lance then takes the player to a back room and tells the player that they are admitted into theHall of Fame. The credits roll.

Postgame

The player then returns to their bedroom in New Bark Town. They head downstairs and receive a message that Professor Elm has something for them. Returning to his lab the player receives anS.S. Ticket for the fast shipS.S. Aqua departing to the region ofKanto, where many rare Pokémon live. The player boards the ship in Olivine City and is bombarded by a Gentleman looking for his granddaughter who got loose on the ship. Searching the whole ship, the player finds a sailor who is angry that his co-worker is asleep on the job. Finding him and challenging him to a battle, he runs out of his cabin to join the mate. The player later finds the missing girl at the bottom of the ship. The girl asks the player to play hide and seek with her. After finding her two times, the girl decides to go back to her grandfather. The man from before thanks the player as she mentions that the player was playing with her, as the ship arrives to Vermilion City in Kanto.

Deciding to take on the Gyms of Kanto, the player enters the Gym in Vermilion City, defeatingLt. Surge who specializes inElectric types, and earning theThunder Badge. The player travels north toSaffron City and enters the Gym there defeatingSabrina, who specializes inPsychic types and had envisioned the player's arrival three years prior, and earns theMarsh Badge. Still in Saffron, the player encounters theCopycat in her new house who seems to have misplaced her Pokémon doll. Going back to Vermilion'sPokémon Fan Club the player sees theLost Item and retrieves it bringing it back to the copycat who gives the player aPass to the SaffronMagnet Train.

The player then travels west of Saffron toCeladon City and travels to the Gym, taking onErika and winning theRainbow Badge. Going back to Saffron and traveling east, the player comes to theKanto Power Plant where they find that an important part of a machine in the plant has been stolen and they are unable to get the machine running. Traveling north of Saffron toCerulean City the player finds out that a suspicious character has been hanging out around the Gym. Traveling north ontoRoute 24, the player finds and battles aTeam Rocket grunt who is trying to revive the team unbeknownst to the fact that the team in Johto was disbanded by the player. The player defeats the grunt who admits that he dropped the part in the Cerulean Gym. The player then challenges the Nugget Crew and findsMisty with her boyfriend atCerulean Cape. Misty's boyfriend runs off angering her until she realizes that the player is indeed a challenger. The player returns to Cerulean Gym and takes on Misty'sWater types winning theCascade Badge, while also retrieving theMachine Part along the way. They return it to the Power Plant and the machine is once again returned to its running state.

The player then moves through theRock Tunnel, arriving atLavender Town, where they discover that the formerPokémon Tower has now become a Radio Tower for Kanto. Talking to the director inside the tower, they receive the Radio Expansion Card which allows them to listen to radio stations in Kanto as a reward for restoring power at the Power Plant. Traveling the length of theSilence Bridge andRoutes13,14, and15, the player arrives atFuchsia City and takes on the Gym LeaderJanine who specializes inPoison types, winning theSoul Badge.

Returning to Vermilion City, the player recalls the large Pokémon sleeping outside the entrance toDiglett's Cave on the eastern edge of town. They play the Poké Flute Station on their radio which awakens and angers the Pokémon, a giantSnorlax. After capturing, defeating, or running away from it, the player enters and goes through the Diglett's Cave emerging onRoute 2, just south ofPewter City. The player goes north to Pewter City and challengesBrock and hisRock types and earns theBoulder Badge.

The player travels south across Route 2 and throughViridian Forest before arriving atViridian City. The player then continues south toPallet Town and surfs toCinnabar Island. There, the player seesBlue who mentions how the town previously found on the island was destroyed in a volcanic eruption, and that the town's Gym Leader had to relocate his Gym to the nearbySeafoam Islands. Blue then goes back to his Gym in Viridian. The player travels east to the Seafoam Islands and findsBlaine'sFire-type Gym within the islands and challenges him to earn theVolcano Badge.

The player travels back to Viridian City and challenges Blue in his Gym, which does not seem to have any specialty in types, and defeats him to earn theEarth Badge. The player goes back to Pallet Town and visitsProfessor Oak in his laboratory. Oak sees that the player has earned all of the Gym Badges in Kanto and, after giving themHM08, decides to allow the player to enterMt. Silver, a mountain so dangerous the average Trainer is not allowed to enter it, to challengeRed, who has been the champion of Kanto for three years and trains there constantly. The player goes to Mt. Silver and climbs to the top to find Red training mutely, and challenges him to a battle. After a hard-fought battle, the player defeats Red, becoming the new champion of Kanto, and Red walks away without saying a word. The credits roll again.

Blurb

Prepare for thrilling new adventures asLegendary Pokémon awaken!
Explore the Johto region as you catch, train, and battle with your favorite Pokémon by your side. Turn the tides—call forth the Legendary Pokémon!

Changes from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

Gameplay

• All 493 Pokémon are capable offollowing players similar toPikachu inPokémon Yellow.Shininess andform differences are retained when a Pokémon is following the player. The player can interact with their Pokémon by pressing 'A' while facing it, so they can see how their Pokémon is feeling at the moment. In battle, like Yellow's Pikachu, they are sent out from the side of the screen, rather than from a Poké Ball. The player's lead Pokémon will always follow them except in certain situations, such as while riding thebicycle, surfing, or going indoors with a large Pokémon.
• A new series of events precede encountering thegame mascots in both versions, and thus it is mandatory for the player to engage in battle with the game mascot in order to continue with the game and proceed to thePokémon League, similar to the plots ofPokémon Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald andPokémon Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum. In the originals, it was completely optional to encounterHo-Oh andLugia.
• The fiveKimono Girls fromthe Dance Theater inEcruteak City now have a significant role in the game. During the player's adventure, they can meet each Kimono Girl at different points of the game where they will ask the player to do them a small favor. After receiving theMaster Ball fromProfessor Elm and before meeting thegame mascot, each Kimono Girl tests the player with a battle. Once all five are defeated, they proceed to theBell Tower^HG/Whirl Islands^SS where they will perform a dance to summonHo-Oh^HG/Lugia^SS.
  • As these events were not part of the plot of the originals, the Kimono Girls were originally battled earlier on in the game at the Ecruteak Dance Theater in order to earnHM03 (Surf) once all five were defeated. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, aTeam Rocket Grunt inside the theater needs to be battled instead.
  • The battles done with the Kimono Girls are now consecutive and will always be done in the same order until all five are defeated. In the original games, the player could freely choose the order they wished to face the Kimono Girls in.

• Kurt andApricorns make a return to the series along with the respectivePoké Balls. Apricorns are now carried by the player in a new item, theApricorn Box. As inCrystal, Kurt can be given multiples of the same color Apricorn at once in order to make multiple Poké Balls.
• While theRainbow Wing andSilver Wing allow permission to climb theBell Tower and enter Lugia's cave in theWhirl Islands, respectively, the player cannot encounter their version's respective mascot until they obtain theClear Bell in HeartGold and theTidal Bell in SoulSilver. (Since the Tidal Bell cannot be obtained in HeartGold and the Clear Bell cannot be obtained in SoulSilver, those items are not required in those versions to encounter the opposite mascot.)
• UnlikeGeneration II, new tasks are put in to complete that are now required to progress the story forward. For example, theRadio Card for the Pokégear must be obtained to be able to challengeWhitney, and the Kimono Girls and game mascot event must be completed to challenge the Elite Four.
• While most of the Kanto Gym Leaders can still be challenged in any order, Blue is now the only exception. He will only leave Cinnabar Island to return to his Gym once he has confirmed the player has the other seven Kanto Gym Badges.
• The battle against the Team Rocket Grunt that steals theMachine Part is now mandatory, as it will only appear inCerulean Gym once he is defeated. In the original games, the player can obtain the Machine Part at any point after encountering him in Cerulean Gym.
• TheRageCandyBar is now aKey Item.
  • TheSlowpokeTail was also made a Key Item but is now entirely unobtainable, possibly for this same reason.

• Similar to the eventShaymin andRegigigas in Platinum, two in-game events are unlocked through the use ofevent-exclusive Pokémon. ThePikachu-colored Pichu unlocks an event near theIlex Forestshrine where theSpiky-eared Pichu can be obtained, and an event-exclusiveCelebi unlocks an encounter with formerTeam Rocket boss and Viridian Gym LeaderGiovanni. Giovanni was mentioned repeatedly in the original Generation II games but did not appear. These events effectively replace theGS Ball event formerly found in the Japanese version ofPokémon Crystal.
• ThePokémon Storage System,Bag,party interface, and the screen that pops up when pressing theStart orX buttons in the previous games all use the Nintendo DS's touch screen.
• Legendary Pokémon from other regions can be caught in the games.Hoenn's legendaries,Kyogre andGroudon, return in HeartGold and SoulSilver, respectively, after Red has been defeated, andRayquaza can be caught in both games if a Groudon from SoulSilver and a Kyogre from HeartGold are shown to Professor Oak.Latias (in HeartGold) orLatios (in SoulSilver) can be found roaming inKanto later in the game after speaking toSteven Stone. Thelegendary birds can also be found in certain locations in Kanto whileMewtwo can be found atCerulean Cave.
• Cynthia makes an appearance in an event involvingArceus. This takes place in an area accessed from theRuins of Alph that is far to the north, named theSinjoh Ruins. This event allows players to obtain eitherDialga,Palkia, orGiratina at level 1. The only way to obtain theGriseous Orb and Origin Forme Giratina in this game is to choose Giratina during this event.
• TheEnigma Stone is an event Key Item that features a use similar to that of theEon Ticket, allowing the other Eon Pokémon to be battled (i.e. Latios in HeartGold and Latias in SoulSilver, respectively) in a non-roaming encounter.
• Headbutting trees to locate certain Pokémon makes its return. However, this time it can also be used to collect Pokémon fromHoenn andSinnoh after theNational Pokédex is acquired.
• TheGracidea can be obtained in the flower shop inGoldenrod City by bringing anyfateful encounterShaymin to show them.
• Eusine, a major character fromPokémon Crystal who was not in the original Gold and Silver, appears, as do other aspects originally featured in Crystal.
• A new sidequest, thePokéathlon, features ten mini-games that pit Pokémon in athletic competitions. Its system appears to be analogous to that ofPokémon Contests andSuper Contests from previous games.

• Like theGBA Wireless Adapter that came withPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, a bonus is included with the purchase of HeartGold and SoulSilver: aPoké Ball-shapedpedometer called thePokéwalker that has the capacity to link to the two games and hold a Pokémon. Storing a Pokémon in this manner increases itsexperience andfriendship as the wearer walks. Other Pokémon can be captured in exclusive Pokéwalker-only areas and then transferred to the main game.
• Apricorns are now the only items collected from plants on the field.Berries are instead collected fromJugglers inViolet City andFuchsia City in exchange forshards, through thePokéwalker's Dowsing function, hidden on the ground, or from the deliveryman inPoké Marts sent by the player'smom (if the player allows their mom to save money). A few Berries cannot be collected in these games and must be traded over from other versions, similar to in FireRed and LeafGreen. Though they cannot be grown on the ground like inHoenn orSinnoh, they can be grown portably using theBerry Pots, where theSquirtBottle is controlled via the touch screen to water four Berries at a time.
• Using theApriblender, Apricorns can now also be mixed into drinks that increase a Pokémon's Pokéathlon stats by putting Apricorns in the blender and walking around.
• TheRunning Shoes are obtained inCherrygrove City and can be permanently selected using the touchscreenmenu. The selected item (from pressing Y or SELECT in previous games) is also on the touchscreen. Two items can be selected as opposed to just one.
• Due to the absence of theVs. Seeker, thePokégear reintroduces an improved cell phone feature with a limitless call list. However,re-battling Trainers is now dependent on the day and time.
• Passing certain parts in the game can also affect the rematches by improving the team of the Trainers that can be re-battled. By entering theHall of Fame and then after collecting the 16 Badges the Pokémon team of that Trainer are fought at higher levels as long as each rematch phase has been fought at least once.
• When the player is choosing theirfirst partner Pokémon (Chikorita,Cyndaquil, orTotodile), it is possible to check if any of them isShiny before obtaining them.
• First partner Pokémon from Kanto and Hoenn can be collected fromProfessor Oak andSteven Stone, respectively, as appreciation for defeating Red.
• Commemorative photos can now be taken around Johto and Kanto with the player's partner Pokémon, team,Gym Leaders, and certain notable citizens.
• Many Pokémon have acquired the ability to learn new moves and expand and improve their movesets; for example,Togepi can now learnExtrasensory through breeding.
• When using the moveWhirlpool outside of battle, instead of thewhirlpool disappearing like inGeneration II, the player will simply surf over the whirlpools.
• Rock Smash, previously a TM usable on the field in the originals, is now a full-fledged HM as it has been sinceGeneration III.Defog loses its HM status to the returningWhirlpool.
• Rock Climb, despite it not being available prior toGeneration IV, continues to beHM08 and requires theViridian Gym Badge. As a result, several caves and cliffs have markings that allow them to be scaled like inDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum.
• An addition to thebreeding system is introduced where one of the three randomIVs inherited by the offspring can be guaranteed if one of the parents holds aPower item.
• The Trainers that appear in Viridian City'sTrainer House are now influenced by communication through two Pokéwalkers as opposed to the previous method of Mystery Gifting with the Game Boy Color's infrared port.
• During the player's initial battle with the rival, he is known as Passerby Boy, unlike in Gold and Silver, where he was identified as ???. Players are still required to name him later.
• The man in Ilex Forest, who previously gave out the TM forHeadbutt in Generation II has become aMove Tutor for that move. This is due to the fact that Headbutt is no longer a TM. Unlike other Move Tutors, he does not require anything from the player to tutor the move and will do it as many times as the player would like.
• Similar toPokémon Crystal, thelegendary beasts can be caught from the moment the player sees them fleeing in theBurned Tower, with the exception ofSuicune who can only be encountered in battle atRoute 25, instead of at theBell Tower. Suicune can be seen running around in certain locations across Johto and Kanto.

• The map in thePokégear has the same function as theMarking Map for the Pokétch inDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum to trackroaming Pokémon. Additionally the player does not need to faceRaikou orEntei (as well asLatios andLatias) in battle first to be able to track them.
• All Kanto Gym Leaders give outTMs.
• Trainers inKanto will now give out their Pokégear numbers, whereas only Trainers on Routes26 and27 would do so in the original games.
• In the original Gold and Silver, the real Janine was in the lower-left corner of the Gym, while one of her Gym Trainers was in the middle, where the Leader should be. This isn't the case in HeartGold and SoulSilver, where Janine was moved to the middle.
• It is now possible to Fly to thePokémon League Reception Gate. It is also now possible to Fly between Indigo Plateau or the Reception Gate and any location in either Kanto or Johto. Curiously, however, it's not possible to Fly to thePokémon Centers inRoutes4 and10, whereas it was possible in FireRed and LeafGreen, but not in the original Gold and Silver.
• The clock reset interface from the original Pokémon Gold and Silver was removed, as was the case withPokémon Crystal. In its replacement is a microphone test interface that can be accessed via the button combination X, Y and Down on the title screen; though this feature, unlike the clock reset interface has been officially mentioned by Nintendo via the game instruction booklet.
• Any special Pokémon, such asSudowoodo, will respawn to their specific location after the player enters the Hall of Fame if they were defeated instead of caught the first time.
• The ability to decorate the player's room, a feature introduced in the original Gold and Silver, is absent.
• After entering the Hall of Fame,Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk can identifymass outbreaks daily when accessed through thePokégear's radio. This also includes the six Generation II Pokémon whose outbreak formerly occurred when a specific trainer whose number that was stored in the Pokégear would contact the player to report the outbreak during Generation II.
• The Regional Pokémon which previously had to be transferred fromGeneration I are now availablein game.
  • Omanyte andKabuto fossils can now be found at theRuins of Alph, but are version-exclusive.
  • Articuno,Zapdos, andMewtwo can be found in their original areas, whileMoltres is now located inMt. Silver.
  • Bulbasaur,Squirtle, andCharmander can now be obtained after defeating Red.
• Instead of therival telling his name after his first battle with the player inCherrygrove City, he drops hisTrainer Card and the player looks at it to find what his name is.
• TheSteel type is no longer treated as a newly discovered type. InGeneration II only,Jasmine and theCianwoodGym guide mentioned that the Steel type was recently discovered, but those remarks are absent in the remakes.

Areas

• Elm's Lab has an upstairs level, wherethe professor and his family live, his old house being occupied by Lyra/Ethan and her/his family.
• Several Gym puzzles have been replaced or added in gyms that did not have them in Generation II. One example is reusing the puzzle in theVermilion Gym from Generation I and III that was previously absent in Generation II.
• TheBattle Tower west ofOlivine City, introduced inPokémon Crystal, returns, bringing with it exactly the sameBattle Frontier seen in Platinum.
• Two new routes,Route 47 andRoute 48, are introduced nearCianwood City. They lead to a newSafari Zone, as well as theEmbedded Tower and theCliff Cave.
• Mt. Silver is much bigger andViridian Forest is not cut down.
• Cerulean Cave and theSeafoam Islands remain as they were in Generation III (thoughBlaine still takes part of the Seafoam Islands), allowing thelegendary Pokémon that live inside them to be battled.Moltres, formerly found inVictory Road andMt. Ember, can be found in Mt. Silver.
• Pal Park is located where the closedKanto Safari Zone once stood inFuchsia City.
• TheFighting Dojo inSaffron City takes a role similar to Sinnoh'sBattleground, where the rematches between the player and Gym Leaders take place.
• ThePewter Museum of Science inPewter City and theBike Shop inCerulean City are open, although the latter is packing up.
• Route 3 is once again home to a Pokémon Center in front ofMt. Moon's entrance, and now features four meteorites that allowDeoxys to change forms.
• There are nowgates betweenViolet City andRoute 36, andRoute 1 andViridian City. The gate between Routes11 and12 is also restored after being absent in Generation II.
• Union Cave's ladder from 1F to B1F has been shifted north (now closer to the north entrance). There are also many minor changes to B1F.
• TheRoute 23 in Generation II is now a part ofIndigo Plateau. Route 23 no longer exists.
• TheCinnabar Gym andViridian Gym have been expanded to include Gym Trainers. In Generation II, the Gym Leader was the only opponent that was fought.
• The Tin Tower is renamed theBell Tower.
• Instead of letting the player step out to see how their Pokémon are doing at thePokémon Day Care and having each people taking care of one Pokémon, the Day Care Man stands outside and tells how the player how the Pokémon are doing while his wife sits at the desk for the player to drop off the Pokémon.

Graphics

• The maleplayer character receives a redesign and is now calledEthan, whileKris is replaced by a new female player character calledLyra.
• Ambient sound effects are used with greater frequency than in previous games; for example, running water, blowing wind and the player walking through grass will produce audible noises.
• ThePokégear has been redesigned. There is a range of skins that can be used and changed at the player's will.

• Much like Kanto's was for its remakes, Johto's Pokédex has been redesigned. Unlike Kanto's remakes, which contained the sameregional Pokédex as the originals,the original regional Pokédex for Johto has beenslightly altered, including fiveGeneration IVEvolutions for Pokémon found in Johto.
• An image of certain locations, like inFireRed and LeafGreen, appears when entering the location. Some of these images change depending on the time of day while others change the image of the Pokémon obtainable at the location on the image at random.

• Team Rocket Grunts are redesigned once again. The Team RocketExecutives are also redesigned from Generation II, with four new ones appearing:Archer,Ariana,Petrel, andProton. Like howTeam Galactic'sCommanders followed a planetary naming scheme, the Executives are all named for various real-world rockets. Archer would go on to reappear inPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
• All formerBerry trees have becomeApricorn trees.
• Gym Leaders,Elite Four members,Silver, andRed have animated battle sprites and battle intros, as inPlatinum. ManyGyms have been redesigned as well, some with new puzzles.
• If the player turns off the battle scene in the Options menu, the Pokémon will not be animated when they come into battle, whereas in Platinum they were.
• TheMagnet Train's tracks can be seen overhead onRoute 32, as well as inGoldenrod City where the tracks were previously on street-level.
• A river now flows through the middle ofRoute 45, which cannot be Surfed on.
• The player can now see how many Kanto Badges they have. In the original games, the player could only see how many Johto Badges they had.
• The Goldenrod City Radio Tower has an observation deck accessible via elevator. This replaces the second recording room.
• There are wind turbines standing inNew Bark Town and onRoute 14.
• When viewing thestats of a Pokémon outside of battle, one of the stat names will be very light blue, indicating which stat is decreased by the Pokémon'sNature, and one will be very light red, indicating which stat is increased. If the Pokémon has a neutral Nature, none of the stats will be colored.
• TheOlivine Lighthouse contains balconies that are used to navigate through the tower. While on the balconies, the overhead viewing angle of the player changes.

Music

• All the game's music is rearranged to better utilize the DS's sound capabilities.
  • TheGB Sounds, a Key Item available after all 16 Badges have been obtained, allows players to swap the background music for the original chiptune soundtrack from the original Gold and Silver.
  • New music tracks, such as the music that plays on Routes 47 and 48, also receive an 8-bit remix. However, not every track got an 8-bit remix and some can only be listened to through thePokémon Past Archive radio station in the Pokégear.
• Lugia andHo-Oh each have their own unique battle music, while thelegendary beasts each use differently remixed versions of their battle theme fromPokémon Crystal.
• Slowpoke Well andMt. Moon had their themes changed from those ofIce Path andRock Tunnel, respectively, to now both use the same one asUnion Cave.
• Ecruteak City andCianwood City, while sharing a theme in Generation II, now feature separate remixed variations of the same theme.
• Cerulean City,Fuchsia City,Cinnabar Island,Route 24, andRoute 25 use the same themes in HeartGold and SoulSilver as they did in Generations I and III. However, they used different themes in Generation II.
  • In Generation II, the theme shared byCerulean City andFuchsia City was removed, as well as theCinnabar Island theme. Cerulean City and Cinnabar Island used the same theme asViridian City,Pewter City, andSaffron City. Fuchsia City used theCeladon City theme.
  • In Generation II, "To Bill: Leaving Cerulean City" was removed as well. This is the theme shared by Routes24 and25 (the pair of northern routes leading fromCerulean City to theSea Cottage). They used the "Road to Cerulean City: Leaving Mt. Moon" theme (the same music as Routes3–10, as well as Routes16–22).
• A few themes changed most likely becauseViridian Forest is now a standalone area again like in Generations I and III. (In Generation II, Viridian Forest was downsized into a tree maze and made part ofRoute 2.)
  • Viridian Forest now uses the theme Route 2 had used in Generation II.
  • Kanto Route 2 now uses the same theme asKanto Route 3. This means that Route 2's theme is now different from any previous generation, given that in Generations I and III Route 2 usedKanto Route 1's theme.
• TheSeafoam Islands main cave (which was unavailable in Generation II) uses the same theme as theIce Path.
• The final battle againstthe player's rival plays his regular battle theme instead of theChampion theme like in Generation II.
• Upon defeating Red, the game plays the regular trainer victory theme rather than theGym victory theme played in Generation II.
• Instead of sharing the same music as the city/town thePoké Mart is in, it now has its own theme.
• When the player flies to another town, the music does not change until the player is done with the flying instead of while the player is flying.

Pokémon

As inPokémon Gold and Silver, the primary Pokémon of the remakes are native to the Johto and Kanto regions. Due to advances in gameplay since the second generation, the regional Pokédex used in Gold and Silver (theNew Pokédex) has been updated to include those Pokémon whichevolve upon learning a newmove. Rather than simply excluding these Evolutions (asPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen did withfriendship-based Evolutions), an improvedJohto Pokédex was established with 256 Pokémon: five more than the New Pokédex.

Similarly to other recently released Pokémon games, Pokémon from outside the regional Pokédex can be captured after entering theHall of Fame and earning theNational Pokédex. Pokémon native to Sinnoh and Hoenn can be found in various methods.Mass outbreaks of Pokémon sometimes break out across the Johto and Kanto regions; oftentimes these are not native to either of the regions. Pokémon from other regions can be located by playing one of two special stations on thePokégear's radio function. There is a channel for Sinnoh Pokémon which plays only on Thursdays; the Hoenn channel only plays on Wednesdays. By having either of these programs turned on when intall grass the chance of finding a foreign Pokémon increases. TheBug-Catching Contest also hosts, from time to time, Hoenn and Sinnoh Pokémon. They will only appear on Thursdays and Saturdays. TheJohto Safari Zone's customization option also allows for the finding of Pokémon from other regions. Trainers in Kanto (which is accessible after obtaining the National Pokédex) often have Pokémon from Hoenn and Sinnoh. AllGym Leaders exceptClair use at least one Pokémon from Hoenn or Sinnoh inrematches.

In an apparent attempt to remove reliance onGeneration III cartridges,first partner Pokémon of Kanto and Hoenn can be obtained late in the game fromProfessor Oak andSteven Stone respectively. Somelegendary Pokémon which were not included in theGeneration II games, such as Kanto'slegendary birds andMewtwo, are also available.

Version-exclusive Pokémon

As in allcore series Pokémon games, there are a number of Pokémon which can be found in one of the paired games, but not the other. A list of these Pokémon follows below.

HeartGold 0056 Mankey Fighting 0057 Primeape Fighting 0058 Growlithe Fire 0059 Arcanine Fire 0138 Omanyte Rock Water 0139 Omastar Rock Water 0167 Spinarak Bug Poison 0168 Ariados Bug Poison 0207 Gligar Ground Flying 0226 Mantine Water Flying 0231 Phanpy Ground 0232 Donphan Ground 0302 Sableye Dark Ghost 0343 Baltoy Ground Psychic 0344 Claydol Ground Psychic 0347 Anorith Rock Bug 0348 Armaldo Rock Bug 0380 Latias Dragon Psychic 0382 Kyogre Water 0458 Mantyke Water Flying 0472 Gliscor Ground Flying

SoulSilver 0037 Vulpix Fire 0038 Ninetales Fire 0052 Meowth Normal 0053 Persian Normal 0140 Kabuto Rock Water 0141 Kabutops Rock Water 0165 Ledyba Bug Flying 0166 Ledian Bug Flying 0216 Teddiursa Normal 0217 Ursaring Normal 0225 Delibird Ice Flying 0227 Skarmory Steel Flying 0303 Mawile Steel 0316 Gulpin Poison 0317 Swalot Poison 0345 Lileep Rock Grass 0346 Cradily Rock Grass 0381 Latios Dragon Psychic 0383 Groudon Ground

• While only eitherLatias^HG orLatios^SS roam Kanto, the other one can be found inPewter City after obtaining theEnigma Stone via an event.

Connectivity

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Do HGSS feature the same issues trading with Korean games, as present in previous Generation IV games?

HeartGold and SoulSilver are able to connect to each other, as well as all the other main seriesGeneration IV games (Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum), once the player has access to thePokémon Center.

Pal Park

Main article:Pal Park

After receiving access toKanto, it's possible to visitPal Park inFuchsia City to be able to transfer Pokémon fromPokémon Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald andPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen into the game.The previous games,Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum, only allowed the player to transfer 6 Pokémon perGame Boy Advance game per 24 hours, while these games have lifted this restriction, allowed unlimited transfers per 24 hours.

Because this method of transferring Pokémon relies on having both aNintendo DS and aGame Boy Advance game cartridge inserted into the same system, this will only work on the original Nintendo DS and theNintendo DS Lite.

Pokémon Battle Revolution

Main article:Pokémon Battle Revolution

These games also have the ability to connect toPokémon Battle Revolution, just like their predecessors.This allows the player to connect theirNintendo DS to theirNintendo Wii to be able to fight in Pokémon Battle Revolution using their team from the game.

While these games are fully compatible with the new Pokémonforms introduced inPokémon Platinum, those fromGiratina,Shaymin andRotom and also added another special form,Spiky-Eared Pichu, these special forms are incompatible with Pokémon Battle Revolution.The Pokémon with these special forms will revert to their normal forms when used in Pokémon Battle Revolution. That means theStats will be reverted to those of the normal form.Rotom will also temporarily forget the move granted by this special form.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Main article:Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

These games featured the same Nintendo Wi-Fi capabilities asPokémon Platinum, including theWi-Fi Plaza.Before theNintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was shut down on May 20, 2014, the Wi-Fi connection could be used to battle and trade with other players ofPokémon Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum and HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Players could trade with others around the world using theGlobal Trade Station.On the GTS it was possible for players to offer their Pokémon and ask for a specific Pokémon in return. The Pokémon a player could request were only the ones they had seen or captured before. In addition to asking for a specific Pokémon, it was also possible to set certain demands on this Pokémon, namely itsGender and a specificLevel range.It was also possible to search for a Pokémon on the GTS, to see and make use of trade offers from other users.

Pokéwalker

Main article:Pokéwalker

This pedometer accessory was bundled with the games, and features different ways to interact with them.A player can send aPokémon to thePokéwalker to make it gainexperience with steps counted on the device. Pokémon caught and items found can also be transferred to HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The game's cartridges and Pokéwalker both feature an infrared transceiver to communicate with each other.

Pokéathlon

Main article:Pokéathlon

The games do not featureSuper Contests likeDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum, but instead have the Pokéathlon. Players of HeartGold and SoulSilver are able to link up with up to three others players to play multiplayer events.

Mystery Gift

Main article:Mystery Gift

Just like the otherGeneration IV games, HeartGold and SoulSilver had the ability to receivespecial event Pokémon throughMystery Gift. Some events were available to allGeneration IV games, while others were exclusive to certain games.

By trading or transferring certain event Pokémon to certain games, it's possible to unlock special events, such as using an eventArceus to access theSinjoh Ruins and receive an egg containingPalkia,Dialga orGiratina.

Poké Transfer

Main article:Poké Transfer

TheGeneration IV games are not able to directly trade with the subsequentGeneration V games, but it is possible to permanently transfer Pokémon from Generation IV games to Generation V games. After players of the Generation V games have completed the main game, they are able to access the Poké Transfer building onRoute 15.

Any twoNintendo DS or3DS systems can be used to transfer Pokémon from HeartGold and SoulSilver to a Generation V game. The device with the Generation V game cartidge has to open the game and enter thePoké Transfer Lab building and talk to scientist at the top floor. The device with the HeartGold or SoulSilver cartidge should turn on the device and open the DS Download Play, from which theGeneration V game can be joined. Up to six Pokémon can be selected to transfer to the Generation V game.Certain Pokémon cannot be transferred, such as those withHM Moves,Eggs orSpiky-eared Pichu. Attempting to transfer a Pokémon holding an item will result in the item getting placed back into the bag.

Localization changes

• Unlike inGeneration II, the availability of these Pokémon remains the same in all language versions:Phanpy/Donphan is exclusive to HeartGold andTeddiursa/Ursaring is exclusive to SoulSilver
  • In the Japanese and Korean versions ofPokémon Gold and Silver, Phanpy and Donphan were exclusive to Gold, and Teddiursa and Ursaring were exclusive to Silver. In the Western localizations, this was switched for unknown reasons: Teddiursa and Ursaring could be found in Gold, and Phanpy and Donphan could be found in Silver instead, though the most plausible reason would be the similar coloring of the Pokémon with their version with Teddiursa being somewhat gold colored, and Phanpy and Donphan being somewhat silver colored.
• In the English, German, and Italian versions,Lyra will occasionally call the player and claim that she turned around and suddenly found herMarillevolving intoAzumarill. However, this is a translation error as evidenced by the fact that she will still have a Marill upon meeting the player.
  • In the Japanese, Spanish, and Korean versions, she states that she would be surprised if she turned around and suddenly found it evolved intoAzumarill. In the French version, she wonders if turning around would be enough to cause Marill to evolve.
• In all international versions, the slot machines were replaced with a Minesweeper style game calledVoltorb Flip.
  • Although theGoldenrod andCeladon Game Corners were changed in the non-Japanese releases, all versions (Japanese, Korean, and Western) have every map of the Game Corners: in the Japanese versions, the maps related toVoltorb Flip andMr. Game are unused and have no events or warps programmed, while the Korean and Western versions have the original maps with their warps intact, plus the event to interact with the clerk is still present and the interface used to buyCoins is functional and was translated.TM78 (Captivate) also remains in the unused Goldenrod Game Corner in the Korean and Western versions, and theslot machines in the leftover maps triggerVoltorb Flip in these versions.
• In the Japanese version, the old man outside theCeladon Gym still says the same as in previous generations: 「にひひ！ この ジムは ええ！ おんなのこ ばっかし じゃ！」 (Nihihi! This Gym is good! Nothing but girls!)
  • This has been translated in previous games as"Heheh! This Gym is great! It's full of women!"^RBYFRLG or"Nihihi! This Gym is great! Only girls are allowed here!"^GSC
  • In the English version of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, he says that the Gym is great because it is full of "strong Trainers" instead of mentioning women. In the German version, he says that he feels weak compared to those strong Trainers. In the Spanish version, he says that it is full of female Trainers (Entrenadoras). This mention of "strong Trainers" was also reused later in the international versions ofPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
• In the Korean versions of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver,Sage's sprite was altered to remove the prayer beads in his hands and gave him a sash. His Trainer class name was changed as well.

Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver (JP/INTL)	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver (KR)

Reception

Gaming magazineFamitsu gave Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver a score of 37 out of 40.^[10]IGN rated the games a "Great" 8.5/10.^[11] Both Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver hold a rating of 87% onMetacritic.^[12][13]

Sales

In the fiscal year of their release, they sold 8.40 million units.^[14] As of March 31, 2021, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver have sold 12.72 million copies worldwide.^[15]

Japanese sales

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver sold 1,442,990 units on their first week on the Japanese market, being 720,086 from Pokémon HeartGold and 722,904 from Pokémon SoulSilver, with asell-through of 91.16% and 91.48% respectively. By December 29, 2013, at the end of their 225th week, they had sold 3,910,512 copies, being 1,864,152 from Pokémon HeartGold and 2,046,360 from Pokémon SoulSilver.^[16]

Staff

Main article:Staff of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Music

Main article:Pokémon HeartGold & Pokémon SoulSilver: Super Music Collection

The soundtrack contains all of the background music from the games. Much of the music is remixed from the music ofPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal. It serves as the closest approximation to a soundtrack release of Pokémon Gold and Silver, which are the only paired versions that lack an official soundtrack release of the games' original tracks. Discs 1 and 2 of the soundtrack contain the rearrangements of Generation II music, in addition to the music assigned to new areas. Disc 3 of the soundtrack (based on theGB Sounds feature), is meant to emulate the style of 8-bit music. However, not all of the GB Sounds music is available on the CD.

Version history

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Document the changes.

Japanese

English

French, German, Italian, and Spanish

Korean

Beta elements

Main article:Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver beta

Gallery

Logos

• 
  English HeartGold logo
• 
  English SoulSilver logo
• 
  Japanese HeartGold logo
• 
  Japanese SoulSilver logo
• 
  Korean HeartGold logo
• 
  Korean SoulSilver logo

Title screens

• 
  English HeartGold title screen
• 
  English SoulSilver title screen
• 
  Japanese HeartGold title screen
• 
  Japanese SoulSilver title screen

Trivia

• Several figures were given away with pre-orders. People could receive aHo-Oh figure by pre-ordering HeartGold, aLugia figure by pre-ordering SoulSilver, and anArceus figure by pre-ordering the Japanese versions of both HeartGold and SoulSilver.
• These games mark the tenth anniversary since the release of the originalGold and Silver Versions.
  • The games were also released in Japan almost exactly one year after the Japanese release ofPokémon Platinum, and exactly eleven years afterPokémon Yellow, the first game to feature walking Pokémon.
• Unlike howPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen used completely differentTrainer sprites fromPokémon Ruby and Sapphire, manyTrainer classes shared betweenregions, likeHikers andPsychics, keep theirDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum sprites in battle.
• In these games, all the front sprites of theGeneration I andII Pokémon were renewed, while the rest were taken fromPokémon Platinum. For example:Bidoof, in these games, appears with the style and animation ofPlatinum, notDiamond and Pearl. Some of the species in these games have had their color palette slightly modified. As for the back sprites, almost all of them are the same as those in Pokémon Platinum (including the animation when leaving theBall), except for the modification of the color palette of some Pokémon.
  • One of the few Pokémon that differs in design on the dorsal form isCyndaquil.
  • AlteredGiratina's secondary front sprite is different in design from that ofPokémon Platinum.
• The font used for the English titles of these games was changed from the one that has been used sincePokémon Ruby and Sapphire, while the Japanese logos are still in the same style used since those games. FireRed and LeafGreen also used a different font than the Hoenn games, however, it was still the same color. The fonts are Athenaeum Bold, Futura Extra Bold and Helvetica Black Condensed, respectively.
  • Additionally, the heart-shaped Ho-Oh crest and the Lugia silhouette are used in the English logos, while the fire and leaf that appear on FireRed and LeafGreen's Japanese logos were not used in the English release.
• These games mark the first time that the English versions were announced before the games themselves came out in Japan.
• These games are the onlycore series games released for the Nintendo DS that do not have aDragon-typegame mascot.
• Because ofHM05's conversion fromDefog toWhirlpool, these games are the first in which all available HMs teach damaging moves (both Defog and Flash, contained in HM05, prevented this in previous games).
• These are the first games in which major characters offer their Pokémon for trade with the player, withGym LeadersBrock,Lt. Surge,Jasmine, andHoenn's former ChampionSteven Stone offering Pokémon of their specialty type in exchange for another.
  • These are the first games in which anin-game trade accepts a Pokémon of any kind, with Jasmine accepting such in exchange for her Steelix.
• Unlike howFireRed and LeafGreen's intro was an updated version of the opening fromRed and Green, HeartGold and SoulSilver have an entirely new intro, using none of the footage from the intro ofGold and Silver. The intro, however, uses some music that was in the original and the title screen displays 3D renders of Ho-Oh and Lugia in a movement similar to the original title screens. They differ with HeartGold's intro featuring Ho-Oh at dawn and SoulSilver having Lugia at dusk (both at the beginning); additionally, at the end with Suicune on the cliff, the screen moves towards the sky in HeartGold and towards the ocean in SoulSilver.
  • They are the only remakes with this distinction, asOmega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire andBrilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl use an update of the openings fromRuby and Sapphire andDiamond and Pearl.
• HeartGold and SoulSilver include theChampions from each of the previous paired versions:Blue fromRed and Green,Lance fromGold and Silver,Steven Stone fromRuby and Sapphire, andCynthia fromDiamond and Pearl.
• To date, HeartGold and SoulSilver are the only pair of remakes to not gain any new types that weren't available at the time of their original versions. FireRed and LeafGreen gained theDark andSteel types, which did not exist inGeneration I, whilePokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire,Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! andPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl all gained theFairy type, which did not exist in Generations I,III, orIV.
• The credits of HeartGold and SoulSilver are the first to featureGym Leaders,Elite Four members andvillainous team members.
• The Pokédex entries for the Pokémon that existed in Gold and Silver are carried on over to HeartGold and SoulSilver, respectively, much as how FireRed used the entries from the Japanese Red and Green while LeafGreen used the entries from Blue.
• These titles are the first Pokémon games to be available domestically inCanada in French, other than just in English.
  • Similarly, these titles are the second set of Pokémon games (after the originalRed and Blue) to be released inLatin America in Spanish.
• HeartGold and SoulSilver, as well asGold and Silver, haveGym Leader orElite Four specialists for every type that existed at the time except theGround type. However,Giovanni, a former Kanto Gym Leader who specialized in the Ground type, appears during a special event and can be battled.
• UnlikeDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver do not track sudden changes of the system's clock, making the games act as if it is a new day, letting daily events happen instead of them not occurring due to the games knowing the date has been changed.
• HeartGold and SoulSilver are the last Pokémon games to include a playableGame Corner.
• These were the last games untilBrilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to have single-use TMs.
• HeartGold and SoulSilver were the last games to have two explorable territories, untilScarlet and Violet, withPaldea andKitakami.
  • These are the last ones to have both included in the base game, since Kitakami requiresThe Teal Mask to be played.

Typographical errors

• Froslass's entry in SoulSilver's (but not HeartGold's) Pokédex has a typo where the period at the end of the sentence is missing.
• A second nearly unnoticeable typo appears in both versions duringProfessor Oak's congratulations speech, when the player has a completely filledNational Pokédex (minus event Pokémon). One of his sentences, "Meeting you is somethingl will cherish all my life long!", uses a lowercase L instead of a capital I.
• In the North American manual of Pokémon SoulSilver, it is said on page 6 that "In order to catch all the Pokémon in the Johto region and complete your Pokédex, you must trade with thePokémon HeartGold Version, as well as with other Pokémon versions." In reality, it is possible to complete theJohto Pokédex with nothing more than Pokémon caught in HeartGold and SoulSilver (other thanevent-only Pokémon). However,Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are needed to complete theNational Pokédex, as well as eitherPokémon Ruby and Sapphire,Pokémon Emerald orPokémon Platinum.
  • In the North American manual of Pokémon HeartGold, the same text is said, including "you must trade with thePokémonHeartGold Version" when it should say "with thePokémonSoulSilver Version". This error is not present in the SoulSilver manual, which identifies the correct opposite game.

External links

• Official PDF-file manual forPokémon HeartGold Version(English)
• Official PDF-file manual forPokémon SoulSilver Version(English)

In other languages

References

Related articles

• HeartGold and SoulSilver walkthrough

This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.

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