The Korean release of Pokemon Geum, the second generation fully localized. Day and night cycle, egg breeding, a hundred fresh species and a Kanto return after Johto. An absolute portable benchmark for Nintendo, smooth, generous and unforgettable.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
The trainer explores the Johto region and faces Team Rocket in this second Pokémon entry introducing 100 new species. Published by Nintendo, released in the United States in October 2000. Real-time day-night cycle, egg breeding, 100 new Johto Pokémon, Kanto revisitable after the League. US Gold version.
Pokemon - Gold Version review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
At the heart of the Johto region, the compositions of Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose weave unforgettable route themes, at once nostalgic and luminous. From the National Park to the nervy battles, every melody stays etched in trainers' memory. This sonic richness, prodigious on a handheld, remains a benchmark.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Catching, raising and evolving your team keeps a loop of formidable effectiveness, backed by the day-night cycle and a generous world to roam. The gentle progression and freedom to explore still pull you in effortlessly, and the return to a second region doubles the journey. This well-paced density explains why the game is still so satisfying to play.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Catching a creature, leveling it up then filling your Pokédex constantly relaunches a string of short goals that never truly stops. Two regions to traverse, the day-night cycle and trading between versions multiply the reasons to push on. The pacing shows its age and the grind appears, but this collecting quest stays irresistibly gripping.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Exploring the Johto region and taking on Team Rocket unfolds an adventure studded with gyms, captures and an unexpected return to Kanto. Completing a Pokédex enriched with a hundred new species and aiming for the Elite fills very long hours. That double region, generous and full of secrets, founds a lifespan dear to trainers.
North American launch of the second generation, planted in October 2000 as the biggest GBC release of the late cycle. The cartridge introduces the English-speaking market to the real-time clock, the CR1616 cell and the Johto region. Long-term desirability rests as much on the quality of the conversion as on the title's role as a hinge between the 1998 Pokémon craze and the impending GBA arrival.
A cult cover
All warm golds and solar light, the legendary bird Ho-Oh spreads its rainbow wings at the heart of the artwork. The almost heraldic composition and the golden glow promise a mythical journey across Johto. Twenty-five years on, this blazing crest is still the instant emblem of a whole generation of trainers.
A questionable morality
The stated dream fits in two words: become a Pokémon Master. In practice you trap wild animals inside little balls, hoard them by the dozen and send them to bash each other senseless to earn gym badges. The adventure is so warm-hearted that you happily overlook this knack for collecting battle-ready creatures, charmed rather than troubled.
Is Pokemon - Gold Version still worth playing in 2026?
Gold and Silver laid down everything that has since defined the series, namely the day and night cycle, egg breeding and the chaining of two complete regions after the credits. Nearly twenty five years later, the pacing still feels remarkably tight and the sense of discovery stays strong, especially at the moment Kanto opens up again. The original Game Boy sprites carry less depth than Crystal's animated ones, yet the journey holds a real collector and gameplay appeal, especially for anyone curious about the turning point of the second generation.
