Pokemon Red and Blue Review | It Belongs in a Museum

I, like many people who didn't own a Gameboy at the height of Pokemon's popularity, first experienced generation one when it got released for the 3DS Virtual Console. I played Pokemon Blue and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. But not for the reasons many 90s kids did.

I've been playing Pokemon since Diamond and Pearl came out, and I've gone back and played every generation prior. Leaf Green was the first time I played through the Kanto region. I had already played the vastly superior remake, so my enjoyment was less because I was impressed with the original game, and more because I kept noticing when it was not up to the standards the series laid out in future games.

I enjoyed my time with Pokemon Blue because it was a look into the dark past of the series. I respect Pokemon Red and Blue for what they started, but I would never say they held up well compared to the rest of the series.

Pokemon Red and Blue feature the simple tasks of becoming the strongest Pokemon trainer and getting all 150 Pokemon. The first task is simple. Win a bunch of fights while playing through the story and you won't have a problem. Getting all 150 Pokemon was always a horrible chore in Red and Blue. There are some Pokemon where you can only obtain one, and it evolves multiple ways. There is no way to get every Pokemon in a single playthrough.

Honestly I could go on for ages about the features Pokemon Red and Blue lack that future games brought. Things like breeding, running shoes, contests, and online trading are all missing here. Even on the 3DS Virtual Console version, you have virtually no improvements.

Pokemon Red and Blue are impressive because of what they started, not because of what they are. I see no reason to play the original games over the Gameboy Advance remakes, unless you want to experience the games that started it all.