Summary
The Spark that started the Fire...
The Good
Pokemon Red and Blue (both came out at the same time and both are identical) are proverbial sparks that started the Pokemon craze-- which became one of the biggest fads of the 20th century. So with all the history surrounding this title, one has to wonder if the game has been hyped by history or it still remains a great game. Needless to say, Pokemon Red and Blue remain just good as they once were.
The game uses a good mix of open world exploration and Turn based combat. In the exploration sections you get explore fair size towns which all have plenty of useful things to you. There are plenty of people to talk to and plenty of in game characters to trade with for one of a kind monsters.
The combat is arguably the best part of the whole game. Battles last a healthy amount of time and are very involving. Attacks range from standard commands to special attacks and elemental attacks which can have different effects on each character. Every Pokemon can be useful when trained, although it is best to evolve them into their more powerful forms.
The Bad
Pokemon's flaws mostly come from convenience issues. You can't save in the middle of a battle which can result in frustration when you need to go to a meeting or something to that nature.
Whenever gamers lose a battle, you lose half your money and have restart at the last Pokemon Center you were at. This can be an extremely big problem for when you're in a cave and loose because then you have to start all the way over again.
Although you can play the game as much as you want, there is only one story and once you beat it there are no more objectives. After beating a trainer in battle, you can't face them again and although this is not a problem at first it can become bothersome when you start to run out. Even after beating the Elite Four even they don't advance their Pokemon's levels or change the order of them so after beating the game once there isn't much left to do except battle your friends (Pokemon's biggest perk).
The Bottom Line
Despite Pokemon's age and linear story, Pokemon Red (Blue is the exact same game with some different Pokemon) is an enjoyable adventure game well worth picking up. If you've played it before its well worth a second go and if you haven't played the older games give them a try because they are worth the effort.
