We're already familiar with the crazy popularity that is the Pokemon franchise. With every release of the series on the Game Boy Advance, system owners scoop 'em up as quickly as Nintendo can make them. And with good reason, too: despite its overly cute nature that gives the series its "cool to hate" status, the actual game design surrounding the Pokemon franchise -- at least the design that started it all -- is an incredibly satisfying and extensive experience that fits the handheld market extremely well. And a successful series will never stop; as long as there's a market for the games, the companies will keep the brands going. Capitalism at its finest, baby.

From the release of Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire release officially moved the wickedly popular franchise out of the 8-bit realm of the classic Game Boy into the more advanced GBA platform, bumping the series to the standards of what's expected out of the system's enhanced capabilities. But as complete as that game was, it was only part of the story and half of the presentation, and Nintendo is finally offering a way to complete the current package in the form of Pokemon FireRed.

But let's be frank. This is not a completely new experience. Even though FireRed/LeafGreen can be considered the fourth episode in the epic that is the Pokemon RPG, it's actually a retelling of the very first game that started it all. Just as Lucas went back to muck around with his original Star Wars films for a "Special Edition," Nintendo, too, returned to its roots for an updated experience of Pokemon Red/Blue, the adventure that kicked off the money machine for Nintendo. This revisit is obviously a tremendous cash-in to keep the Pokemoney rolling in, but the package is still an amazingly complete, and absolutely recommended experience, even if you've already done this quest five years ago.

Features

30-plus hour quest
More than 150 creatures to catch and trade between each version
Connectivity with Ruby/Sapphire and GameCube Colosseum to complete the collection of more than 350 creatures.
Cartridge save (one slot)
Includes Wireless Adapter
Link cable support
It was obviously all a plan from the beginning: when Nintendo and its Pokemon development studio Game Freaks set out to break Pokemon out of its 8-bit Game Boy home and finally set it free on the Game Boy Advance, the team didn't give the audience a complete picture. The main Pokemon theme -- Gotta Catch 'em All -- just wasn't possible in its Ruby/Sapphire iteration, as the team purposely restricted which Pokemon showed up in that adventure. Oh, sure, the cartridge is brimming with more than 350 critters to catch, trade, and battle, but the original hundred-plus beasts that were a part of the series from the beginning went MIA. It was a devious ploy: offer another adventure one year later that will finally reunite the Pokemon freaks with the original batch of Pocket Monsters. Enter FireRed/LeafGreen, the latest in the RPG series. Brilliant marketing.
The foundation for doing such a thing is definitely sound; the Red/Blue series literally resurged the Game Boy market out of its somewhat obscure casual gaming position and into a "gotta have it!!!" status, and no game since the original Tetris had the power to do this. It wasn't just hype, either, because the game's design was so perfect for the Game Boy platform that, back in 1999, even I gave the game the highest rating we can give. It's a tremendous game hidden under a heavy layer of cuteness that could scare away those worried about hurting their masculinity