Pokémon Silver and Gold, first released in 1999 for the Game Boy Color, are two of the most beloved games in the entire franchise. The second generation of games, these versions started the trend of the developers behind every iteration of the game (Game Freak) constantly adding new things and slightly tinkering with how the game is played. While being able to play as a girl wasn't added until Crystal version, the in generation sequel to both Silver and Gold, there were still a lot of new things for players to consider.
We've already covered some of the unknown parts of these games, but there is still so much more to be revealed. In addition to new Pokémon and battle mechanics, there are some mysterious things in the games that players weren't explicitly told about. While the games may be simple, the designers did a good job of making sure it only explicitly tells you the things you need to know to progress through the game - not see everything in the world or access every feature.
With all of that said, come learn about 15 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do In Pokémon Silver & Gold!
15. Give Your Pokémon One of MewTwo's Genes
Mewtwo is one of the strongest and most mysterious Pokémon from the first generation of the games. He's also one of the rare characters to cross over into other games, becoming a staple in the Super Smash Bros. Melee community. Despite the creature's popularity, Mewtwo didn't make a full appearance in Pokémon Silver or Gold.
While trainers can't capture the legendary Pokémon, they can still harness a bit of its power for themselves. Thanks to the equipable item known as Berserk Gene that players find outside the Cerulean Cave, the location where Mewtwo is hiding in both Red and Blue, Pokémon can boost their attack stats during battle. While the power increase is helpful, Pokémon equipped with the item also suffer from confusion and can hurt themselves.
14. Take Pikachu Surfing!
Thanks to his prominent role in the manga and anime series, Pikachu has cemented himself as the face of the Pokémon franchise. The mousey Yhunder type is only available as a starter in Pokémon Yellow, but he can be found in the wild throughout the franchise in different areas.
Traditionally, Pikachu can't learn any water moves, but there is a way to have a Pikachu who knows how to use surf in Pokémon Silver and Gold. Thanks to a minigame exclusive in Yellow called Pikachu's Beach, trainers can capture a surf board wielding Pikachu and trade it to Silver and Gold. Additionally, in HeartGold and SoulSilver, a Pikachu with a surfboard can be found randomly in Yellow Forest and some Pikachus there can even be caught knowing Fly.
13. Enter the Glitch Dimension
Like pretty much every video game in history, the Pokémon series is jam-packed full of big and small glitches. Everything from being able to capture opponent's Pokémon to hatching Pokémon holding master balls is possible with cheat codes. Players can also step out of the map either accidentally or with the help of a cheat code, they enter a mysterious glitch zone that results in a corrupted game experience. Sometimes the game will immediately freeze and force a player to restart, but sometimes trainers can actually walk around this weird glitch dimension.
While it may look cool, sometimes the experience can leave the player's name and battle scenes in the game permanently corrupted. It has been reported that the Route 22 music frequently plays when players enter those areas, but it doesn't always.
12. Lapras, I Choose You
The second generation of Pokémon games included an expanded Pokédex with numerous new Pokémon. Fortunately for players, the new games expanded the number of possible Pokémon for players to catch from 151 all the way up to 251. While trainers may have loved the new starter Pokémon, there are still some classics that just can't be replaced.
Lapras, in particular, is one of the most beloved Pokémon from the first generation. While it can be found in Silver and Gold, it can only be found at a specific location and during certain times. To catch a Lapras, the players needs to go to the last water area in Union Cave on a Friday and search around for a wild Lapras who will be seen swimming around.
11. Hatch a Celebi
As if it wasn't obvious enough, Game Freak clearly borrows parts of its older games when designing new versions for the Pokémon franchise. In Pokémon Red and Blue, players were made aware of the fact that there were 151 Pokémon on the Pokédex, but they were only able to capture 150. Mew, the legendary Pokémon, is referenced but never directly seen.
Pokémon Silver and Gold replaced Mew with Celebi, another legendary Pokémon that is supposed to be impossible to catch in the game. Sure, the Pokémon can be received at special real-world Pokémon events, but there is one more way to get the Legendary 'mon into your party. Through an egg glitch, trainers can trick the game into giving them a Celebi egg from the daycare center.
10. Hit the Whirl Islands
Between the mainland and Cianwood City, players will suddenly come across a group of secluded landmasses called the Whirl Islands. To access the zone, a trainer must have a Pokémon who can use Whirpool to even stop foot on one of the islands. As if that's not a big enough obstacle to find a break from the ocean, trainers can't traverse all the way through the cave system if they aren't travelling with a Pokémon who can also use "Waterfall."
While that already sounds like a lot of work, there's one more thing trainers need to do to reap the island's full potential. If the trainer is there with both the Tidal Bell and Silver Wing in their item bag, they will come face-to-face with Lugia, one of the legendary Pokémon.
9. Capture The First Shiny Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon have become a staple of the franchise, but they weren't always included in the games. Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow didn't include any shiny Pokémon, but the rare feature was introduced in Silver and Gold. While the most famous shiny Pokémon is the Red Gyarados, there are random creatures throughout the game who are also off-colored.
Everything from Pidgeys to Dratinis can be found in the wild as a shiny, but there is no way to control when or where a player will find one. Apparently the odds to of finding a shiny are 1:8192, meaning there is no certain place or game that produces them more than any others. The best way to get a shiny is find a rare, shiny Ditto and breed all your Pokémon with it in the daycare center.
8. Find The Safari Zone
When Red and Blue versions first came out, the games included an area called the Safari Zone. Limited to 500 steps, trainers can walk around with special Pokéballs and try to throw bait or rocks at Pokemon to catch them off guard and capture them.
Every generation of the game has included a Safari Zone somewhere on the map, but Silver and Gold is an exception to the norm. When the game was first released, the Safari Zone was not included and player's couldn't frolic and capture Pokémon.
With the help of rom hacks and cheat codes, certain gamers have been able to access the zone and access the unused zone, proving that the coding is there but the developers chose not to include for some mysterious reason.
7. Rematch With the Gym Leaders
One of the weiredst things about the Pokémon franchise is the fact that the earlier gym leaders are very weak. From a game progression standpoint it makes perfect sense that the early leaders would be weak, but the game implies that these are the eight best trainers in a certain region even though some of are actually pretty tepid.
Well, HeartGold and SoulSilver allow the player to get rematches with the different gym leaders at a much more powerful level. Once a week, each gym leader is outside of their gym and in the world somewhere, and if the player is able to find them they can register their phone number in the PokéGear and try calling them at specific times to set up a rematch.
6. It Feels Like the First Time
At this point in the Pokémon franchises' history, we all take the breeding system for granted. Introduced in Silver and Gold, trainers could leave two Pokémon at a daycare center and return later to receive an egg. If a trainer leaves two Pokémon of the same species with different genders, they can receive an egg that will hatch a level five version of that same creature.
Silver and Gold introduced baby versions of beloved characters to the Universe to make the breeding system more alluring to players. Pichu and Elekid were two of the first baby Pokémon introduced to the franchise, and the easiest way to get one was depositing your Pokémon at the daycare center for a little bit of afternoon delight. As if that isn't enough, the daycare man will even make comments about the status of your Pokémon's relationship and tell you if they are a good match.
5. Trade a Chansey for An Aerodactyl
One of the coolest mechanics of the game series is being able to trade Pokémon with friends in the real world. Through the use of a link cable, two trainers can link up and battle or trade exclusive monsters back and forth.
In all of the games, there are various characters put in specific locations who will are also willing to trade their Pokémon with you. Silver and Gold don't feature any fossils like Red and Blue did, but players can still have an Aerodactyl on their party if hey find a specific trainer on Route 14. For some reason, this guy wants to give you his Aerodactyl - the only one in the game- and he wants a Chansey in return.
4. Finally Battle Psychic Pokémon Effectively
The original Pokémon games are classics that introduced the world to what would become one of the most popular pop culture franchises ever, but they're not perfect. The battle mechanics in particular for the first games were very unbalanced with psychic Pokémon being nearly unbeatable. In the first games, only bug-types had an advantage against them in battle and very few trainers carried Butterfree with them later on in the game.
To balance that out, Game Freak added two new types in Silver and Gold. Steel and Dark Pokémon were introduced and they were able to withstand their attacks and deal significantly more damage to psychic types than all the rest. Dark types in particular are completely immune to psychic attacks and are even able to deal double damage to psychic types.
3. Fight a Creepy Couple
Ruby and Sapphire, the two versions in the third generation of Pokémon games, introduced a new battle mechanic to the series. No longer were all Pokémon battles restricted to simple one-on-one duels, now trainers could participate in tag-team battles that see duos of Pokémon fight alongside one another.
In the SoulSilver and HeartGold DS remakes of the generation II games a particularly funny couple was introduced to fight the protagonist. On route 47, the protagonist runs across a flirty duo who quickly challenges the player to a battle. Both trainers only have one Pokémon on them, and they are quite symbolic of their owners' loving relationship. The girl sent out Cloyster while the boy sends out Onyx, a rather suggestive duo of first generation Pokemon.
2. Gamble Away All Your Money
In Goldenrod City, players can relax and kick-back at the local game corner. Full of various slot machines, the casino invites players to gamble their own credits in the hopes they can win more money and potentially even trade in coins for prizes. These aren't lame prizes like a Pokéball or a Moon Stone, people can walk away with rare TMs or Pokémon like Dratini and Sandshrew.
It's nowhere near as scandalous as the current uproar about loot boxes in games like Star Wars: Battlefront II, but this is certainly a pro-gambling mechanic in the game. Players have to match symbols on slot machines or select the right card in a roulette like game that sees them bet multiple times to expand the size of their wallet.
1. Fight the Real Champion
Players grew attached to the protagonist as they made their way through their Pokémon adventure. After beating 16 gym leaders and the elite four, one final challenge opens up for the player in the form of one last Pokémon battle.
Red is hidden on Mt. Silver, an in-game area that was blocked to the player until Professor Oak gives him permission. There, on the top of the mountain, Red is standing watching the world beneath him. The two engage in a fierce battle which may be difficult for the player because Red has the strongest party seen in the game. At the top of the pack is his trademark level 81 Pikachu followed by a level 77 Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise.
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Are there any hints you'd like to share for Pokémon Silver and Gold? Are there a few things that made you scratch your head we forgot about? Leave them in the comments!
Source:gamerant.com