History Trivia / PokemonGoldAndSilver

* BadExportForYou: The non-Japanese versions of ''Crystal'' remove all of its mobile network functionality, which was the game's biggest new feature. As a consequence of this, the Celebi event is also inaccessible in the international release; it would eventually be restored for the 3DS UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole port. With its main selling point removed, ''Crystal'' contains, for the most part, only minor upgrades over ''Gold'' and ''Silver''.

* SerendipityWritesThePlot: The limited space of UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor cartridges is the reason for some of the changes in Kanto, specifically the various dungeons, routes, and buildings that were scaled down or made inaccessible in order to make everything fit. The game's plot was written in part to justify said changes when possible; Cinnabar Island's volcano erupted and destroyed the town, the Underground Path is closed due to vandalism and gang activity, Silph Co. isn't open to the public due to the events of Gen I, and the Safari Zone is closed because the warden is on vacation. ''[[VideoGameRemake HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'' restores most of the areas and their music, though Cinnabar Island is still destroyed and the Fuchsia City Safari Zone has been with replaced with the Pal Park.

** For starters, ''Gold and Silver'' were originally developed as Game Boy games, with UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy compatibility and a set release date of "late 1997." Enough of the game was completed for a demo at Spaceworld 1997, and from hacking the leaked ROM of the demo, one can observe how much of a mess things were in this state. Hardly any of the gym leaders were programmed into the game, the Kanto region had been heavily distilled into a single map, and many other features were not anywhere close to completion. This, combined with the impending release of the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor in 1998, forced Game Freak to delay the games to June 1999, something they didn't announce until March 1998, three months after the original release year lapsed.

* CommonKnowledge: For years, it was taken as fact that Creator/SatoruIwata, then the head of Creator/HALLaboratory, stepped in during the troubled development of ''Pokémon Gold and Silver'' to personally write a compression algorithm that was so effective that it cut the game's size in half, allowing for the inclusion of Kanto as a second region. That Iwata had helped compress the game's graphic code was known for a while, but this fact appeared to have gone through a game of telephone, resulting in the widespread impression that the size of the data was the issue at play. In actuality, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/hwlylf/while_it_is_true_that_iwata_did_write_a_new/ analysis of the game's source code]] reveals that Iwata's compression algorithm actually ''increased'' the game's size, and the inclusion of Kanto or any other features wasn't dependent on it. The real purpose of the algorithm was to reduce graphical loading times, which a comparison of the final game to the pre-Iwata ''Spaceworld'' demo confirms it was very effective at doing.

* UrbanLegendOfZelda: One related to the game's development. For years, it was taken as fact that Creator/SatoruIwata, then the head of HAL Laboratory, stepped in during the troubled development of ''Pokémon Gold and Silver'' to personally write a compression algorithm that was so effective that it cut the game's size in half, allowing for the inclusion of Kanto as a second region. That Iwata had helped compress the game's graphic code was known for a while, but this fact appeared to have gone through a game of telephone, resulting in the widespread impression that the size of the data was the issue at play. In actuality, analysis of the game's source code reveals that Iwata's compression algorithm actually ''increased'' the game's size, and the inclusion of Kanto or any other features wasn't dependent on it. The real purpose of the algorithm was to reduce graphical loading times, which a comparison of the final game to the pre-Iwata ''Spaceworld'' demo confirms it was very effective at doing.

* WordOfGod: Accoring to Creator/TakeshiShudo, who helped create Lugia, he considered it to be female. Though, like most legendries, it remained genderless.

* UrbanLegendOfZelda: One related to the game's development. For years, it was taken as fact that Creator/SatoruIwata, then the head of HAL Laboratory, stepped in during the troubled development of ''Pokémon Gold and Silver'' to personally write a compression algorithm that was so effective that it cut the game's size in half, allowing for the inclusion of Kanto as a second region. That Iwata had helped compress the game's graphic code was known for a while, but this fact appeared to have gone through a game of telephone, resulting in the widespread impression that the size of the data was the issue at play. In actuality, analysis of the game's source code reveals that Iwata's compression algorithm actually ''increased'' the game's size, and the inclusion of Kanto or any other features wasn't dependent on it. The real purpose of the algorithm was to reduce graphical loading times, which a comparison of the final game to the pre-Iwata ''Spaceworld'' demo confirms that it was very effective at doing.

* UrbanLegendOfZelda: One related to the game's development. For years, it was taken as fact that Creator/SatoruIwata, then the head of HAL Laboratory, stepped in during the roubled development of ''Pokémon Gold and Silver'' to personally write a compression algorithm that was so effective that it cut the game's size in half, allowing for the inclusion of Kanto as a second region. That Iwata had helped compress the game's graphic code was known for a while, but this fact appeared to have gone through a game of telephone, resulting in the widespread impression that the size of the code was the issue at play. In actuality, analysis of the game's source code reveals that Iwata's compression algorithm actually ''increased'' the game's size, and the inclusion of Kanto or any other features wasn't dependent on it. The real purpose of the algorithm was to reduce graphical loading times, which a comparison of the final game to the pre-Iwata ''Spaceworld'' demo confirms that it was very effective at doing.

** Despite this, Game Freak still faced massive difficulties with getting the game properly programmed, due to them having a lot of ideas that they didn't really know what to do with, and due to them having to reprogram much of the graphics to be compatible with the Game Boy Color in addition to the Super Game Boy, with both of these factors pushing the release date further back to November 1999. Even then, the game was in such a sloppy state that it seemed unlikely that it could be released at all; only half the game was finished yet it was close to maxing out the available cartridge space. Enter Creator/SatoruIwata, a skilled programmer who stepped in and did a lot of much-needed fat trimming for ''Gold and Silver'', distilling the games' jumbled collection of ideas into a cohesive unit and optimizing and compressing the game data so well that Game Freak were able to add in almost the entirety of Kanto from Generation I. Only after this were Game Freak finally able to release ''Gold and Silver'' on November 21, 1999 in Japan.

* WordOfGod: Accoring to Creator/TakeshiShudo, who helped create Lugia, he considered it to be female. Though, like most legendries, its remained genderless.

* WordOfGod: Accoring to its designer, Creator/TakeshiShudo, Lugia is meant to be female. Though, like most legendries, its remained genderless.

* BadExportForYou: The non-Japanese versions of ''Crystal'' remove all of its mobile network functionality, which was the game's biggest new feature. With its main selling point removed, ''Crystal'' contains, for the most part, only minor upgrades over ''Gold'' and ''Silver''.

** Despite this, Game Freak still faced massive difficulties with getting the game properly programmed, due to them having a lot of ideas that they didn't really know what to do with, and due to them having to reprogram much of the graphics to be compatible with the Game Boy Color in addition to the Super Game Boy, with both of these factors pushing the release date further back to November 1999. Even then, the game was in such a sloppy state that it seemed unlikely that it could be released at all; only half the game was finished yet it was close to maxing out the available cartridge space. Enter [[SugarWiki/GeniusProgramming genius programmer]] Creator/SatoruIwata, who stepped in and did a lot of much-needed fat trimming for ''Gold and Silver'', distilling the games' jumbled collection of ideas into a cohesive unit and optimizing and compressing the game data so well that Game Freak were able to add in almost the entirety of Kanto from Generation I. Only after this were Game Freak finally able to release ''Gold and Silver'' on November 21, 1999 in Japan.

* BeamMeUpScotty: Youngster Joey is sometimes mistaken for being the trainer that says the infamous line "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!". This was actually the line of another Youngster trainer in Route 3 of ''Red'' and ''Blue'', given the name Ben in their remakes. the confusion likely stems from them both having Rattata on their teams.

** The Fuchsia City Safari Zone from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' is present in the games, but it can only be entered by hacking or using a cheat device to reach an otherwise inaccessible warp tile in the walls of the old entrance building. While the entire area is mapped out, it's also been redesigned to only use up one room and there are no [[RandomEncounter random encounter]] tables set up for the grass tiles, just the water tiles (and only for surfing).
** The cave tileset contains mine carts and tracks that are never seen anywhere in the final game, but we're used in the Spaceworld 1997 demo.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Marill is very frequently treated as a Pikaclone by the fandom. While the parallels are there, Game Freak has never officially promoted Marill's line in that capacity, and the association is a leftover from the old "Pikablu" rumors.
* NoExportForYou: The Japanese version of ''Pokémon Crystal'' had online features (first in the series) that allowed players to trade, battle, and interact over long distance by connecting the game to real life mobile phones. These were removed from non-Asian versions versions due to mobile phones not being as prominent outside of Japan back then. The game also had a special event (also a first) that allowed players to catch Celebi. Since it was tied to the mobile phone feature, it was excluded from Western releases, rendering Celebi unobtainable in-game (although it was still distributed in official tournaments and events). Curiously, the Celebi event was completely excluded from the remakes, though was integrated into all versions of the game when released for the Virtual Console.

** The sheer chaos of the games' development is highly unusual and a much-talked-about subject among analysts, as not only did it mark the only time Game Freak delayed a mainline Pokémon game, but it also marked one of the most dramatic revamps of a Pokémon game from the initial drafts to the final release. The delays in development are also notable in that they forced the staff behind the Pokémon anime to improvise around the games' constantly-shifting release date, creating the Orange Islands arc as {{filler}} to ensure that the show could still keep running during the roughly two-year gap between the intended and actual release dates.

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!!Trivia for ''[=HeartGold=]'' and ''[=SoulSilver=]'':
* CrackIsCheaper: The games are up there with Crystal as being some of the most expensive mainline games to purchase secondhand, going for at least $200USD on average. Anything cheaper is more often than not a reproduction cart. And Mew help you if you're looking for a Pokéwalker, too.

* BeamMeUpScotty: Youngster Joey is sometimes mistaken for being the trainer that says the infamous line "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!". This was actually the line of another Youngster trainer in Route 3 of ''Red'' and ''Blue'', given the name Ben in their remakes. They do both have Rattata on their teams, though. Likely where the confusion stemmed from.
* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: For months prior to the official release of the game promotional materials referred to the Pokémon Marill as "Pikablu" likely due to its mouse-like appearance, the zig-zag tail that resembled Pikachu's lightning bolt tail and... well, [[ShapedLikeItself the fact that it was blue]]. Marill was ''never'' officially referred to by this name at any point, not even during the planning stages. Despite this the misnaming was so prevalent, that even Topps used it in the ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'' [[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pokemon_the_First_Movie_Trading_Cards Trading Cards]].
* DevelopmentGag:
** Certain generic Trainers in Japanese versions are [[{{Tuckerization}} named after the staff members]].
** As well as Blackbelt Nob in the English release, named after dialogue translator Nob Ogasawara.

* NoExportForYou: The Japanese version of ''Pokemon Crystal'' had online features (first in the series) that allowed players to trade, battle, and interact over long distance by connecting the game to real life mobile phones. These were removed from non-Asian versions versions due to mobile phones not being as prominent outside of Japan back then. The game also had a special event (also a first) that allowed players to catch Celebi. Since it was tied to the mobile phone feature, it was excluded from Western releases, rendering Celebi unobtainable in-game (although it was still distributed in official tournaments and events). Curiously, the Celebi event was completely excluded from the remakes, though was integrated into all versions of the game when released for the Virtual Console.

* WordOfGod: Accoring to its designer, Takeshi Shudo, Lugia is meant to be female. Though, like most legendries, its remained genderless.