POKEMON HEART GOLD AND SOUL SILVER FAQ's

POKEMON

- Which Pokemon can follow you around?
All Pokemon will be able to follow the player as Pikachu did in Yellow. Whichever Pokemon is in the first slot will be the one to follow your character.

- What are these event Pichus all about?
Those who preorder a ticket to the 12th movie will receive a special Pichu with Pikachu colors. Much like the special Regigigas, this Pichu will trigger an in-game event. This time, you will be able to catch another Pichu in the Ilex Forest. That Pichu has a differently shaped ear.

- What's so special about those Pichu?
The Pikachu-Colored Pichu comes with a moveset of Charge, Volt Tackle, Endeavor, and Endure. The Notched-Ear Pichu comes with the moveset of Swagger, Volt Tackle, Pain Split, and Helping Hand.

- What's up with that Arceus in the pictures?
There is an in-game event where Arceus can be used to create a Level 1 Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina for the player.

- Are the original Legendary Pokemon from the games still available?
Ho-Oh and Lugia, the flagship Legendaries of the region, are still available, as are Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.

- What other Legendary Pokemon are available?
In addition to the events mentioned above, Groudon will be in SoulSilver and Kyogre in HeartGold. Once you have both in the same game, you will also be able to capture Rayquaza. There will also be a way to capture Celebi this time.

- What about the Red Gyrados? Is it still red?
It was red in the original Gold and Silver; it will be red in the HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes.

RELEASE

- When does the game come out in Japan?
A release of September 12th 2009 has been confirmed for Japan.

- When does the game come out in the USA?
No release date is set yet. However, given the typical trend of the turnaroud from Japan to US releases of the games, Q1 of 2010 is the most likely release.

- When does the game come out in <insert my country here>?
Based on the Japan date and the best speculation for the US date, a good rule of thumb is "one year after Platinum." So, whenever Platinum came out in your country, expect HeartGold and SoulSilver the same time of year in 2010.

MISCELLANEOUS

- Will Kanto be in these games?
Yes, the player will still be able to travel to Kanto after completing Johto, just like in the original Gold and Silver.

- Who are the bad guys in these games?
As these are remakes of Gold and Silver, the evil organization will once again be Team Rocket.

- Will there be a Crystal remake?
At this time, there is no reason to believe that Crystal will receive a remake. There was no AquaBlue, much less a LightningYellow in Generation III. Furthermore, as Crystal was an enhanced version of Gold and Silver, and these games are also enhanced versions of Gold and Silver with elements from Crystal, it is unlikely that there will be a new version of Crystal.

- What games are these compatible with?
These new games will be compatible with the rest of Generation IV; Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. It is likely that there will be some sort of in-game quest that must be triggered before you can fully interact with the other games.

- Do these games work on Generation II mechanics?
No - All indications show that these games are based on the same engine and mechanics of Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Thus, the gameplay experience from these games is what you should expect, not that of the original Gold and Silver. This includes full use of the dual-screen and touch screen capabilities.

- What is this PokeWalker all about?
The PokeWalker is an accessory that will come bundled with the games. You may transfer a single Pokemon at a time to the device, which functions as a pedometer. This Pokemon will gain experience and happiness as you walk (or as you simply shake the device). Like the Pocket Pikachu pedometers, you can also earn a currency as you walk. This currency can then be spent to activate the Poke Radar to catch additional Pokemon or the Item Finder to locate items, both of which can then be transfered back to the Heart Gold or Soul Silver game.

- What characters have been changed?
The male lead (Gold) has been given a new look, and the female lead has been completely redesigned. Other characters have been redone in the stylings consistent with FireRed/LeafGreen and Diamond/Pearl, depending on where they come from.

- Is the Pokegear still available in the new games?
Once again it should be stressed that these are remakes of the original Gold and Silver. Thus, the Pokegear will be included. In addition to its original functions, the Itemfinder is also incorporated into the device, which will now utilize the touch screen, like the Pokétch in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.