We’ve attached ourselves to so many games growing up, which ironically are becoming seemingly easier to get a hold of as time goes on. The Playstation Network and the Xbox Live Arcade have become a haven for gamers with an inkling towards more old-school titles. Gamers of all tastes, no matter how picky, are becoming well catered for. But it is this trend of re-releasing old games that conjures a particular unease in me.

I spent hours playing Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, but the 360 port failed to keep my attention

If you yearn for the classic Final Fantasys on the Playstation and feel like hanging with Cloud and his posse, just like old times, now you can pick them up on PSN for a very affordable price. Oh how I used to worship Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, I put hundreds of hours into that puppy, believe me. But these days you can pick that up on XBLA for chump change too; it’s even in HD and tarted up a bit – how convenient! Even venerable and much sought after Sega Saturn classics Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes, currently on the market for around £200 and £60 respectively, are being treated to HD-o-Vision on your friendly current generation machines. Developed by Treasure, the name would seem conceited if their games weren’t treated as such.

Gems like these, normally hoarded by the wine sloshing elitists of the free world, are to me losing some of their attraction and lustre for being so readily available for a quick download. Proud of that copy of Vagrant Story on the PSone you’ve kept in immaculate condition all these years? Sorry kid, I ain’t impressed. Played that the other week on my PS3 for a few bob.

A lot of people take pride in collecting things, I can accept that. Shiny trinkets that could be seen as crap to some, are solid gold to others. Gaming has accumulated it’s fair share of holy grails over the years, that can be revered just as much as a classic album or film. It’s just such a shame that digital distribution is reducing things to a more disposable level, even if it is making games more accessible than ever.

Of course, these remakes do have their own benefits. Dreamcast and PS2 games on the original hardware are the equivalent of spearing rusty forks into your eyeballs when viewed on my HD telly, so it’s somewhat comforting to have an old game looking and running better than you remember. In particular, I’m looking forward to Shadow of the Colossus and ICO remastered on the PS3 with some anticipation. I recall my PS2 pleading with me, begging for mercy as soon as a hulking Colossi made itself known on-screen (maybe I just imagined that part), and I’m sure the PS3 will whip those masterpieces into shape and make for even more enjoyable experiences.

Will the release of Ocarina of Time on the 3DS devalue my precious gold cartridge?

However, it’s inexplicably more satisfying to play these old titles running on their intended kit in most cases. The tactile buzz of whacking that golden Zelda: Ocarina of Time cart into the N64 and taking on Hyrule with the same dinner-plate controller you did back in 1998, in the knowledge that the game design and visuals is pushing ever iota out of the machine, subjectively feels so much better to me than when it’s running on a console that could obviously do so much better. It’s hard to appreciate the once revolutionary Final Fantasy VII on the same console you just played Metal Gear Solid 4 with. Zelda: OoT on the 3DS felt like a damp squib when I managed to get some hands on time earlier in the year. Sure, it has some crisper visuals and some added bits and bobs that set it apart from it’s original, but a brand new Zelda built around the technology of the 3DS would have been even more mind blowing.

This is all just subjective when I think about it. I suppose it’s relatively easy to port these games, guaranteeing a quick buck for those that aren’t willing to break the bank to produce a properly meaty blockbuster. I mean it’s win-win, safe, a minimal risk. These games are proven and have a place in the hearts and minds of gamers so it doesn’t take a genius to realise just why they do it.

Perhaps I’m just being selfish. Videogames should be for everybody, right? Why should I be the pantomime villain that keeps all of the good stuff to myself? All while everybody else musing that Call of Duty is the dog’s gonads. All of these re-releases are a good thing, it’s just that something has been lost in the process. Retro paraphernalia used to be something truly worth pursuing, now it just seems to be becoming a nice luxury for people (like myself), a little too sentimental about old hats. I don’t know, there’s something a little sad about the whole shebang to me.

- Jason Borlase

The run up to Christmas has become something of a gaming event these past few years. Why you may ask? Well it’s the one time of the year when every man and his bleedin’ dog seems to release yet another game to add to your list to Santa, it’s HUGE business. Take this year for example: Fifa 11, Fable 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Gran Turismo 5 (unless it gets pushed back AGAIN), Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood… they are all coming out in and around Christmas time.

But if there was one gaming franchise that defines this time of year, for my money it would have to be the Call of Duty series. For the past 4 or 5 years a Call of Duty game has been churned out and released, EVERY year, all in the run up to Christmas. Call of Duty 2, 3, 4, World at War and Modern Warfare 2 have ALL been so close to Christmas that I now no longer consider getting all the Christmas decorations out until that year’s Call of Duty is on the shelves.

2010 of course is no different because, in and amongst the likes of Fable 3 and Gran Turismo 5 (AGAIN… if it actually comes out), lies arguably this year’s biggest games release; Call of Duty: Black Ops. However whilst you read this, quite literally on the eve of its release (unless your reading it after the game has come out, in which case… Hi!), I thought I’d take you back in time, give you a bit of a history lesson and convince you that Call of Duty 2 is still the best game the franchise has produced so far.

The best game the franchise has produced so far? Incredibly controversial I know, but hear me out.

I am biased of course; Call of Duty 2 was, like so many others, my first exposure to the franchise. Therefore the game holds the fondest of memories. Sure, 5 years has not been kind and the game hasn’t aged very well in terms of looks, but that’s all superficial. Look past its graphics and sometimes dodgy controls (yes, I’m talking about the melee system or as I like to call it, the FAILee system) and COD 2 possesses some qualities that, in my opinion, no other Call of Duty game has surpassed.

A singleplayer campaign in recent Call of Duty games seems to have become a mere afterthought. Players pick up the game up for its multiplayer experience rather than the singleplayer one. Sure, Call of Duty 4 has a widely acclaimed campaign due to an emotional, tear-jerking ending, but I feel even COD 4′s campaign relied too heavily on spectacular, blockbuster set pieces at times. Call of Duty 2 on the other hand, swaps out the impressive set pieces with a campaign that’s far more engaging and interesting.

The level of variation that Call of Duty 2 sports is something that I feel is lacking from more modern Call of Duty games. From crawling through pipes, infiltrating a Nazi stronghold in snowy Stalingrad, Russia to the derelict buildings of D-Day, France, the game always keeps you on your toes with different locations and different scenarios, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment, from beginning to end. Call of Duty 2 doesn’t rely on “epic” moments in order to create action, excitement and drama, and yet it’s probably the most dramatic Call of Duty game ever released. Instead, it involves a number of different countries and scenarios that realistically, could’ve happened during World War 2, to provide drama on a bigger, global scale. Whilst this is subtler than other games in the series, it’s also much more varied and much more intense overall.

Perhaps it's the fact that it's based on something so real and so close to home, but Call of Duty 2's story is has dramatic and intense as it gets.

COD 2 also harks back to the days when FPS’s didn’t have to rely on cheap tactics in order to be difficult. Many of the recent shooters, including the latest Call of Duty games, turn into a bit of a grenade-fest when you go up in difficulty. Call of Duty 2′s harder difficulties (including Veteran difficulty), seem fairer and perhaps a bit more intelligent than its more modern counterparts. Sure, grenades are still quite prominent, but the game’s difficulties focus far more on A.I intelligence and increases in bullet damage, meaning that when you die, you often feel like you’ve been outwitted or simply outsmarted by A.I enemies, rather than the game has cheated you by throwing an endless barrage of grenades.

But what about multiplayer? Surely more recent iterations of the Call of Duty franchise have done nothing but improve on the multiplayer formula? Well yes and no. Whilst Call of Duty 2 doesn’t pack as many features (sporting only 5 different game types), with zombie modes, killstreaks, spec ops modes, loadouts, attachments and perks all adding to the Call of Duty multiplayer experience, COD 2, to this day, is still a fun, slightly nostalgic romp.

Call of Duty 2's multiplayer is the very definition of "barebones".

In complete contrast to the fast paced, twitch shooter style of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, COD2 plays at a slower paced (the lack of a sprint mechanic takes some getting used to), and perhaps feels a little bit more strategic. This is mainly due to way maps have been designed and the fact that, just like in singleplayer, it takes more than one good shot to kill an enemy in Call of Duty 2. There’s plenty of cover, plenty of buildings and plenty of vantage points in EVERY map meaning you can get picked off from out of nowhere, so you have to tread quietly and carefully. But even if someone does attempt a sneak attack, it’s not all over just yet because Call of Duty 2 gives its players more HP than your average shooter these days, meaning that not only are firefights more exciting and interesting, but they also last longer, making them feel like more 50-50 exchanges. There is a certain skill to being able to control and win firefights in COD2, a skill that is different to the skills needed to do well in more recent Call of Duty games.

Call of Duty 2 pits you against players that are harder to kill and therefore the sense of enjoyment and achievement when actually shooting and killing an enemy is a lot more gratifying, and because all you have to select are set weapon classes, the game is a fair, level playing field, giving you the feeling that you’ve really earned your kills. The weapons at your disposal can seem a little off at times (one thing the more modern titles have improved upon is hit detection), but if you are willing to let that slide, there is still a lot of fun to be had.

Killing enemies in Call of Duty 2 is extremely satisfying and fulfilling.

Thankfully, even 5 years on, there is still a small but dedicated community that plays Call of Duty 2 online. Matches are rarely full and with such a minority playing, it can take a while to get into a game, but the fact that people still play this game in the light of Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is quite remarkable, and serves as evidence that I’m clearly not the only one that sees the brilliant qualities that COD2 inhibits.

- Kieran Roycroft

Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s sharp and amusing slacker-romance comics and released to promote the film version of the same, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD cannily draws on the 16-bit beat-’em-ups that were popular long ago when the world was young and the Gods guarded jealously the secret of steel, and whose tropes inform a large part of the comic’s aesthetic.

Choosing from one of four playable characters, the game sticks to a simple structure of seven charming characterful levels topped off with a vicious boss-battle. The fighting system contains rather more depth than classics like STREETS OF RAGE or FINAL FIGHT, finding room for two attack buttons that can be combined with directional inputs for a number of special attacks that are unlocked through levelling-up, as well as a traditional screen-clearing special move, which in this case takes the form of Scott’s Chinese-Canadian schoolgirl ex-girlfriend Knives Chau running around the screen slapping everyone to little noticeable effect.

The visual style does a good job of capturing the look of O’Malley’s artwork while simultaneously fleshing it out with colour and more detailed envisonments

While the upgrade system provides a welcome sense of progression and empowerment as the game advances, it does somewhat leave the player underpowered and easily overwhelmed at the outset of a game which has clearly been tailored more for co-operative play. As a result, playing alone can lead to being bundled by large groups of enemies who bully you into submission; a problem mainly remedied by grinding completed levels over and over again to unlock further abilities, very one of which will prove useful in cutting a path through the huge numbers of increasingly-tough opponents to be found within each level. As is often the case with energetic 2D brawlers, the screen can become overwhelmingly crowded, especially if there are four players involved, causing the game to devolve into a confusing whirl of random kicks and punches and thrown bottles and spilt whisky and bitter tears.

Boss battles can be overwhelmingly tough without the right upgrades; be prepared to put in some time grinding through earlier levels again

Review Round-Up

GRAPHICS 4/5 Vibrant and eye-catching animated visuals capture the texture of the comic very well, despite an occasional lack of clarity during busy fights. The colour palette could have stood to be a little more varied in places, but overall the game has an energetic, charming appearance.

SOUND 3/5 Quirky retro chip-based tunes and old-school sound effects fairly accurately recreate the tones of 16-bit gaming, without being in any way as memorable as anything created by the mighty Koshiro Yuzo in those days of endless summers.

GAMEPLAY 3/5 You walk from left to right beating the hell out of everything you see. This basic formula is enlivened by an atypically deep combo-based fighting system which, while not quite NINJA GAIDEN in its versatility, still makes room for parries, reversals, grabs, sliding kicks, weapons and other staples of nominally more sophisticated fighting games, and certainly has far greater depth and flexibility than SHANK, which was released around the same time. Like SHANK, it shares the controversial lack of online multiplayer.

LONGEVITY 3/5 A fairly difficult experience for a lone player, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD can still be finished in a few hours. However, the availability of alternative endings and three other playable characters, plus the inherent simplicity of the scrolling beat-’em-up genre, gives the game a certain afterlife as an enjoyable diversion whenever you’re in the mood for a quick burst of 2D violence.

OVERALL 3/5

[starreview tpl=16]

A pleasant and well-crafted fighting game in its own right, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD suffers not from a lack of attention to detail, but from a certain sense that everything about it is rather too calculated and fussed-over, that it is at heart a corporate product attempting to exploit our fondness of older, more innocent works. Part of what is noble and beautiful and truly touching about games like STREETS OF RAGE is their unknowable peculiarities, their sense of a group of people, artists all, flailing to communicate something about the redemptive emotional power of muscular people in ridiculous trousers mincing around Disneyland beating hookers about the head and neck with lengths of lead piping and killing dwarves with flying knee-drops on a ghost train. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD settles instead for trying to remind us of how good those days were, how blessed we were to see, through a glass darkly, into a better, stupider, punchier world. For all its mechanical assurance, it is both the most ringing endorsement and the most damning indictment of the game when I say that it simply made me really, really want to go and play STREETS OF RAGE 2 instead.

- Elliot Mears

Are you afraid of vampires, ghosts, demons and succubi? YOU ARE!? Well forget about going to the wonderful land of Castlevania for your holidays this year because you’re a pansy. But if you are like me and actually prefer to go on your holidays to places where the likelihood of certain death by werewolves is above 90% then there is no better place this winter. 1200 Microsoft points gets you flights and accommodation, but if you do fancy spending Christmas in Dracula’s castle, a word of warning. when packing your bags make sure you include a whip, for killing various creatures and monsters, meat which you can keep hidden in the walls and lots of sources of caffeine, because unfortunately you will not be sleeping on this little get-a-way.

Harmony of Despair is the latest 2D action-adventure game from Konami, and the 36th game in the long running series, if you include all the Japanese releases too. However Harmony of Despair is the first game in the series to truly embrace online multiplayer. After 25 years not much has changed but unfortunately there is a price to pay for the inclusion of multiplayer and this has resulted in a rather substandard addition to the franchise.

From the moment you jump into the game you immediately know you’re going to struggle without the aid of your comrades or some random strangers on Xbox Live, in fact I would say it is almost impossible to do it all by yourself, without getting very frustrated from death, after death, after death, after…well you get the picture. It’s a frustration which is increased tenfold by attempting to join a game because finding a match in multiplayer can, at times, be a little tedious, not only because it can take a while just to join a match, but when you do finally join one, people seem quit out because they have no say in which level they are going to play.

The game's matchmaking increases the frustration

Despite Harmony of Despair being the first in the series to truly adopt multiplayer capabilities, the core gameplay still remains largely untouched. Running around a castle full of an endless variety of colorful enemies, trying your hardest not to lose all your health despite having little to no items, killing bosses as you progress, it’s still all in there. This time however, you can choose between five of Castlevania’s favorite characters from previous titles, Alucard, Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris, Shanoa, and Charlotte Aulin are all present, willing and able. If you’re not a fan of the series those names won’t mean much to you, but each character possesses different abilities and personal skills relevant to the game they were featured in, which is an excellent addition as each character offers up a different way of playing the game.

Castlevania games have always had some memorable enemies and Harmony of Despair is no different. They are all just as unique, familiar, fun to destroy and as infuriating to beat as they have always been. Predictably you start with low powered weapons and armor and as you progress and obtain better weapons and armor, so does the difficulty of enemies. But a great addition lies in the form of the game’s ability to auto-save either after you die, or after the completion of a level which means that whatever you find to level up around each stage will be right in your inventory upon the next attempt, making the game more convenient. Speaking of inventory, there may as well not be one, that is to say that you can’t access it on a whim like in previous titles. To change your weapons, armor, healing items and your spells, you need to find checkpoints located around the map in strategic positions, which negates the convenience of auto-saves and adds a sense of grinding as you backtrack around the map, slowing the game’s pace right down.

From skeletons, flying eyeballs, knights, angels, minotaurs and skulls, the variety of enemies is huge

As well as including a vast array of different characters from the Castlevania universe, Konami have made some other notable new additions. Unlike in previous installments of the franchise, the entire map is revealed to you from the start of each level, meaning that the pleasure you would normally get from discovering each percentage of the map is absent, replaced entirely by the need to find more loot, which is an unwelcome change. However it does make it easier for you and up to five other vampire hunters to keep track of not only where you are going but also where everyone else is in regards to the boss, which is pretty important since all team members don’t have to be present to fight the boss, after all you don’t want to miss out on fighting a boss do you? Aside from that, a newly included time limit also feels slightly alien, but is essential to keep up the pace and adds a little challenge and more replay value.

The excitement of exploration has been killed off by the unveiling of each map at the start of the level

In terms of presentation, Castlevania - Harmony of Despair is your typical, classic Castlevania game. The music is more Transylvanian than ever (more Transylvanian than The Cheeky Girls in fact), and inspires a peculiar, spooky atmosphere. As always boss fights are accompanied by some epic boss music to compliment each levels final confrontation. Weapons, magic and special moves are all executed with stylish sound effects and the little voice acting that there is, is as cheesy as it comes. This is of course accompanied by some brilliant retro/modern graphics that is a real tribute to the Castlevania games of old.

Harmony of Despair is a graphical love letter to the earlier Castlevania games

Unfortunately, Harmony of Despair itself plays a lot like Castlevania on a diet, “Castlevania Light” perhaps? A lot of the core features which make the previous Castlevania games so great have made way in order to implement multiplayer, and whilst the game plays like your average Castlevania game and the multiplayer is fun, it seems devoid of charm and isn’t all that impressive. To get the most out of the game, playing with your friends rather than six randoms over Xbox Live is essential. But even then, with that many people in the game, the enemies pose almost no challenge at all considering the combined damage from six people which makes for a less engaging experience. As well as taking out core features of the franchise, Konami have added a few new features into the mix, but you can’t escape the feeling that Harmony of Despair feels much more like a big fan service in preparation for the upcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, rather than a fully fledged Castlevania game with a life of it’s own. It feels just like a little something to hold us over until the “proper” new game arrives.

Review Round Up

Graphics: 4/5 - The presentation of this game is delightfully nostalgic and most of all gloriously colorful in HD no less. A tribute to the Castlevania games of old.

Sound: 4/5 - Harmony of Despair has brought back many recognizable tunes from previous Castlevania games which marry perfectly with level maps and are terribly Transylvanian. They haven’t skimped on the sound effects either, its like audio ecstasy and the voice acting is as terribly cheesy and unintentionally as funny as always.

Gameplay: 3/5 – Disappointing to say the least, it lacks charm and can soon become repetitive. Single player is a bit of a drudge and the new multiplayer aspects only really shine when your playing with friends. The new gameplay mechanics such as the time limit work well but also have drawbacks and, I say this as a fan of the series, feel out of place in a Castlevania game. However other fans of the series will no doubt find enjoyment and having the most significant characters in the series all in one game is rather novel and fun.

Longevity: 2/5 - There’s no mistaking that this game is hard, its longevity is reflected in its challenge, not it’s length. With only six levels, you won’t be playing Harmony of Despair for long unless you have plenty of fellow vampires hunters who like you, always want to beat their last high score or find all the loot. It feels much like a precursor to the forthcoming Castlevania: Lords of Shadows.

Overall: 3.5 Bloody, splintered, stakes to the heart out of 5 - Castlevania - Harmony of Despair is the first time a Castlvania game as truly embraced multiplayer and is another great addition to a series. By giving the fans something which they have been patiently waiting for, a traditional Castlevania experience with Multiplayer, it has seemingly done its job but will Harmony of Despair go down as one of the truly great Castlevania games? No.

[starreview tpl=16]

- Adam Radcliffe

Red Dead Revolver was released on the Playstation 2 and the original Xbox in early 2004 to some mixed reviews and fairly decent sales. This week sees the high profile release of the sequel, Red Dead Redemption, which so far has received mostly stellar reviews. So what better time to shamelessly cash in and take a trip back in time to look at how it began?

Created by Rockstar San Diego, the studio behind the Midnight Club racing games, and published by Rockstar Games, the powerhouses behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Revolver was a interesting third person shooter simply because it exuded style from every pore.

Meet Red. He's the protagonist... That means hero.

The game featured a fantastic sound track by Western Legend Ennio Morricone, composer of The Good the Bad and the Ugly, which really contributes towards the authentic western feel.

Like any good Western, Red Dead Revolver put you in the role of a man out for vengeance; Red, the bounty hunting son of gold prospectors. As a child, his parents were murdered by a greedy Mexican general, out to steal their substantial amount of gold.

How did this General learn of his family’s recent find? A trusted friend betrayed them in exchange for saving his own worthless hide. Once Red grows up and becomes a bona fide Bounty Hunter, he sets out to take revenge on both the heartless general and the gutless traitor.

As well as the main protagonist there were several other playable characters at various points in the game. However, they all handle exactly the same as Red, and only really served as a way of emphasising what a bland character Red was.

Shooting fatties as they waddle towards you has never been such fun

Characters like the English sharp shooter Jack Swift, for instance, were far more charismatic. At times these side levels served as little more than distractions from the main quest. Each character was playable in the multiplayer mode, which offered up various death match games; although overall it felt a little tacked on.

The real meat of this game came in the single player story mode. The world of Red Dead Revolver was far smaller than you might expect, what with it coming from the people behind Grand Theft Auto. If any comparison can be made to another existing Rockstar game, it would probably have to be Manhunt. Each level is broken up into small arenas populated with a number of enemies. In order to progress you must defeat every enemy, and defeat the more powerful boss character at the end of the level.

There were a lot of tools at your disposal, ranging from the generic pistols, revolvers, to riffles, and dynamite. The best feature in Red Dead Revolver came in the form of the deadeye mechanic. Basically, deadeye is the equivalent of the slow motion bullet time found in games such as Max Payne and Stranglehold.

When deadeye was activated you could aim at up to six targets, be they six individual targets or just separate body parts, and fill them full of hot lead. Deadeye was also implemented in quick draws at regular intervals in the game. These quick draw moments proved to be some of the most memorable, and genuinely satisfying, moments in the game.

Deadeye aiming is a brilliant feature

Like a lot of Rockstar games, at times the controls could be a bit fiddly, particularly the movement controls. Your character could duck behind cover, roll out of the way of fire, and perform hand to hand combat, but overall you really fighting up close with your enemies was a bad idea. The game was at its best when standing at one end of a deserted ghost town, firing off shot after shot at enemies standing at the other end of the street.

As well as gun fights, you would be right in expecting other Western staples, such as train robberies, saloon fights, and horse riding. For the most part the big set pieces, such as the attack on the train, were exhilarating, although a little clunkily put together.

That is probably the best thing you could say about Red Dead Revolver; it was a neat game with a ton of good ideas. The only problem being that the execution was a little off. It’s probably safe to say that Rockstar are aware of the game’s faults, as the sequel Red Dead Redemption shares little in common with the original. In fact the only links between Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption are the inclusion of the Deadeye mechanic and fact that it has a protagonist that rides a horse.

There are a number of thrilling set pieces, including this attack on a train

Red Dead Revolver is available for both the Playstation 2 and the Original Xbox and should be available at a fairly low price online. It is one of the original Xbox titles that will work on your Xbox 360, and if you are lucky enough to own an old 60GB model of PS3 then you should be able to play it on that too.

Stay tuned to The Newb Review for the ultimate Red Dead Redemption review.

Whilst the popularity of Pokémon has certainly dwindled in recent years, in the Western world at least, The Newb Review thought we’d send out tom01255 to take you, our beloved readers, on a trip down memory lane and try to explain just why Pokémon Yellow was so great.

Let’s begin with something of a contentious statement. Pokémon Yellow is the epitome of handheld gaming. Forget about Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Super Mario and even Tetris. Yellow combined a compelling story and intuitive gameplay mechanics, but the underpinning idea; that of reinventing bug collecting as a worldwide phenomenon was so Japanese kitsch, it really shouldn’t have worked. But massive sales have shot the Pokémon franchise way beyond that of other titles; topped only by the Mario franchise in terms of absolute sales figures.

The idea of catching and exploiting various creatures should have presented the vulgar rebirth of a cock-fighting mentality. But the overwhelming charm of each species and the emphasis on love and respect for Pokémon in order to succeed (a notion that falls short when you consider the game doesn’t allow you to particularly mistreat your Pokémon – it would have been nice to beat Bulbasaur is all I’m saying) gave players a subtle moral message that is missing in a world where shooting people in the face is often touted as the height of gaming prowess.

Don't ask what Ash is doing with his other thumb

The gaming premise is simple; you battle creatures one on one, knocking opponents out to achieve victory. Winning battles grants experience, which increases the strength of your Pokémon, and capturing more powerful Pokémon bolsters your team. Strategy is introduced with the use of elemental abilities. Each move and Pokémon is categorised by element, with fire beating grass, water beating fire etc.

Sure, try to burn a water pokemon, that'll work wonders... Moron

If you haven’t ever played Pokémon Yellow, I urge you to rush out and get a copy right now. Later generations of the game convoluted the game’s structure with overly ambitious night and day mechanics and a tag team structure that is needlessly confusing and bars new players from the franchise. The bare-bones battling with a choice of four moves for each of your creatures is all you need, and the added strategy of carrying only six Pokémon at any time means you really have to think about the situation you are about to encounter and which Pokémon to take.

Ok, so the game can be beaten relatively easily if you grind through to level cap your Pokémon, but doing this isn’t in the spirit of the game. By adding your own challenge, either by seeing how fast you can complete it, or trying to get the lowest level Pokémon possible into the Hall of Fame at the end of the game, Yellow presents as tough a challenge as anything out there.

Personal hygiene isn't his strong suit but "Mankey" is a bit harsh

The game roughly follows the narrative of the animated series, with Pikachu unwillingly following you in the beginning and slowly appreciating you as a trainer more and more throughout the story. Whilst Red and Blue offered a choice of three starting Pokémon, Yellow forces Pikachu upon you. But you have the opportunity to attain the three starting Pokémon from various people on your journey.

When you get to the ship in game, let your Butterfree go and wipe the tear from your eye as you do so. Sure, you lose a strong Pokémon that has taken hours to raise, but I guarantee it will make you genuinely happy. Not only have you given Butterfree the freedom he so craved, you’ve helped strengthen him to survive in the wild. Gaming doesn’t get more beautiful than this.