History VideoGame / PokemonGoldAndSilver

->''"Enter a whole new world, with new Franchise/{{Pokemon}} to capture, train and battle! Meet Professor Elm and get the all-new PokéGear, including map, radio, cell phone and clock. Set the clock then watch as day turns to night and events take place in real time -- and be sure to keep an eye out for Pokémon that come out only at night!"''

** In ''GSC'', the Elite Four and Lance don't get any stronger after you first enter the Hall of Fame, and you can only battle each of the 16 Gym Leaders only once. That means that once you beat Blue, your best option for leveling up your Pokémon to fight Red was to [[LevelGrinding repeatedly rematch the Pokémon League, whose levels range from being either 30 to ''40'' levels below those of his Pokémon.]] ''[=HeartGold=] and [=SoulSilver=]'' not only offer a way to rematch the Gym Leaders with full, powered-up teams, but give the same treatment to the Elite Four and the Champion, making them even stronger than the Kanto Leaders and bridging the level gap between you and Red. Acquiring the Leaders' Pokégear numbers, however, is another story.

The year is 1996. A game from Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/GameFreak called ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pocket Monsters Red & Green]]'' is released in Japan to immense critical and commercial acclaim, becoming an international sensation after its release in the West as ''Pokémon Red & Blue''. Recognizing the potential a success like this brought, the developers decide to create a sequel; like its predecessor, this sequel was developed for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy. ''Unlike'' its predecessor, however, it experienced some ScheduleSlip that motivated the developers to shift the project to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, for which it was eventually released. Aided by the late Creator/SatoruIwata (who would later become Nintendo's president), Game Freak moved the series into the "second generation," unveiling a new region filled with more {{Mon}}s, threats, and challenges to await players.

In late 2009, these games were [[VideoGameRemake remade]] into ''[=HeartGold=]'' and ''[=SoulSilver=]'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. Unlike the remakes of the first generation games (which mostly updated them to Generation III's mechanics and graphics), these remakes pulled elements from everywhere else in the series; not only did they include the added plot points from ''Crystal'', the original storyline was further expanded upon, pulling in cameos and {{Continuity Nod}}s from later regions. New minigames were added via the Pokéathlon and [=PokéWalker=], and one of ''Yellow's'' main gimmicks was brought into play, allowing trainers to let one of their Pokémon run free behind them and interact freely with them instead of remaining on standby like the rest of the player's PartyInMyPocket. Major changes were made to some areas as well, such as the addition of a new Safari Zone (noticeably missing from the original versions), which can be accessed even before beating the game, and new dungeon and Gym layouts.

On June 6, 2017, it was announced the ''Gold'' and ''Silver'' versions would be re-released for the 3DS UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole via Nintendo eShop, adding the same features as the Virtual Console releases of their predecessors, including compatibility with Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter and wireless battling and trading, as well as retaining the original Generation II games' ability to use infrared communication for Mystery Gift. ''Crystal'' was later announced to get the same treatment on December 14, 2017, with it releasing on January 26, 2018. This version of ''Crystal'' had the additional bonus of having the Mythical Pokémon Celebi available without the need for events.

** The Bulbasaur family feature bluish-teal skin in official art, but bright yellow-green in-game. Additionally, Bulbasaur's bulb is the same color as its skin in-game, a trait carried over from its UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy sprites in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue''.

** Jynx's skin was changed from black to purple in the West and the 3DS UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole release in all regions, due to concerns she resembled a BlackfaceStyleCaricature.

* ConsoleCameo: The playable character as well as the playable characters of the last games all have a UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 in their rooms. Using the Mystery Gift option allows players to receive decorations for their rooms. This includes other Nintendo consoles released at the time, including the NES, SNES and the Virtual Boy.

** In the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole release of ''Gold and Silver'', any Mew obtained through the Coin Case glitch will be denied by the Poké Transporter, unless the original trainer's name and ID matches 'GF' and '22796,' or the 8F glitch is used after transferring Mew to the Generation 1 games.

** The Australian version of ''Crystal'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfMwIHLFc9I changes dialogue relating to the Game Corner to some laughably bland lines,]] presumably to avoid portraying gambling as exciting.

** If you have only one Pokémon in your possession while in Cianwood City, an NPC in the Pokémon Center will [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H73ESn6VYvI give you a Tentacool]] he was about to release. This would prevent the player from being soft-locked if their last Pokémon could not learn Fly or Surf to leave the area.

** Like its predecessors, ''Gold and Silver'' have a bizarre TM list, which includes the [[FireIceLightning elemental punches]] and Endure. This is also the only generation where Flamethrower, Ice Beam and Thunderbolt are absent as [=TMs=], though ''Crystal'' introduces a Move Tutor at the Goldenrod Game Corner who will teach these moves for a steep 4,000 Coins. It wasn't until ''Ruby and Sapphire'' that the TM list starts having reoccurring moves across Generations.