Pokémon Gold and Silver beta: Difference between revisions

In 1997, Nintendo announced the first details of the next generation of Pocket Monsters games, to be titled '''Pocket Monsters 2: Gold and Silver'''. The games were intended to be released at the end of the year for both Game Boy and Super Game Boy.

One of the many additions promised, notably, was a skateboard that could be used in addition to the [[Bicycle]] of the previous games and would allow users to travel to "unusual places". Though this never made the final cut, other things announced, such as the [[time|real-time clock]], {{cat|Generation II Pokémon|100 new Pokémon}}, including [[List of Pokémon with cross-generational evolutions|new evolutions of old Pokémon]], new [[TM]]s and [[HM]]s containing new [[move]]s were included. The trading and communication abilities of the games were also to be improved, and [[Time Capsule|backward compatibility]] with the Generation I games was also announced.{{game|Gold and Silver|s}}, released in 1999 in Japan and 2000 elsewhere, were in development for a long time beforehand. Several aspects from their prototype versions were released to the public during their development, many including aspects that did not make it to the final games.

[[File:MicroGroup Game Review Volume 14.jpg|200px]]

[[File:1997 GS Pokemon.png|480px]]

[[File:Rediba Silver Title Cutscene Concept.png|250px]]

| A 1997 edition of 'MicroGroup Game Review', featuring {{colorlink|Prototype Pokémon and characters|000}} that were part of the {{colorlink|generation II|000}} development.  

|  Four "new" Pokémon that would be included in Pocket Monsters 2: {{colorlink|Donphan|000}}, {{colorlink|Ampharos|000}}, {{colorlink|Slowking|000}}, and {{colorlink|Ho-Oh|000}}. Due to the color used in the sprites, these were likely released after the games' development was focused on release on the {{colorlink|Game Boy Color|000}}.

| Concept art depicting {{colorlink|Ledyba|000}}, {{colorlink|Silver|000}}, and the Title cutscene from {{colorlink|Gold & Silver|000}}.

The {{pkmn|anime}} also provided early looks at the new Pokémon. {{p|Ho-Oh}}, the eventual [[version mascot]] of Pokémon Gold, appeared in the [[EP001|first episode]]. Later, {{TP|Misty|Togepi}} hatched from an egg {{Ash}} himself found, and Misty became the first main character to own a Generation II Pokémon. {{p|Snubbull}} and {{p|Marill}} made their first appearances in ''[[PK01|Pikachu's Vacation]]'', and {{p|Donphan}} appeared at the start of ''[[M01|Mewtwo Strikes Back]]''. During [[Pokémon: The Adventures in the Orange Islands|the second season]], Ash and Misty also encountered {{Tracey}}, who owned a {{TP|Tracey|Marill}}, and the focus of [[M02|the second movie]] was {{OBP|Lugia|movie 2}}, the version mascot of Pokémon Silver, in which {{p|Slowking}} also appeared. {{p|Bellossom}}, {{p|Ledyba}}, {{p|Hoothoot}}, and {{p|Elekid}} also made an appearance in ''[[PK04|Pikachu's Rescue Adventure]]''.

At this time, the early game screenshots released generally didn't look all that much different from Generation I. The pictures clearly show the games' engine being in a more developed but still early stage. The lack of battle images would seem to indicate that a redone battle system had not been implemented yet.

| This town was ultimately either changed into {{colorlink|Ecruteak City|000}} (perhaps with the {{colorlink|Bell Tower|000}} at right) or removed altogether.

| A possible early design for the {{colorlink|Goldenrod Radio Tower|000}} can be seen on the right-hand side of this screenshot.

==Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions announced==

[[File:1998 Pokemon GS Logo.png|thumb|right|Pocket Monsters Gold and Silver]]

It was at this time that Pocket Monsters 2 was re-announced as Pokémon Gold and Silver. Though the "2" was dropped, the games remained essentially a sequel to Generation I. Much of the year was quiet with regard to information about the games, as {{game|Yellow}} was on its way out in Japan, and {{game|Red and Blue|s}} and the [[Pokémon anime]] were on their way to the United States.

[[File:1999 Pokemon Gold Logo.png|right]]

[[File:1999 Pokemon Silver Logo.png|right]]

Following nearly a year without press releases, the Nintendo site was finally updated with new information on Pokémon Gold and Silver. A revised release date of June, 1999 was given and it was announced the games would be compatible with the then soon-to-be-released [[Game Boy Color]].

[[Ken Sugimori]]'s artwork for {{p|Slowking}}, {{p|Marill}}, {{p|Bellossom}}, and {{p|Hoothoot}} was also released, as were several screens of the new battle system featuring full-color sprites.

The images released look very similar to the images that appear in the final versions of the games. The locations shown don't appear to be part of the final map, though they look similar. The colors of the locations are more washed out than they are in the final versions, though this may be due to the fact that they are pictures ''of'' a Game Boy Color screen.

File:1999 Slowking Artwork.png

File:1999 Marill Artwork.gif

File:1999 Bellossom Artwork.png

File:1999 Hoothoot Artwork.gif

File:1999 shot p1.gif|{{p|Snubbull}} vs {{p|Marill}}

File:1999 shot p2.gif|{{p|Butterfree}} vs {{p|Venusaur}}

File:1999 shot p3.gif|Player vs {{tc|Picnicker}} [[Johto Route 35|Kim]]

File:1999 shot p4.gif|{{p|Charizard}} vs {{p|Donphan}}

File:1999-GS beta title screen.jpg|The prototype title screen of Pokémon Gold, reminiscent of those of Red, Green, and Blue.

File:1999 trailer titlescr.png|A near final title screen for Gold.

File:1999 trailer battle2.png|Ah! A wild Togepi appeared!

File:1999 shot yado2.gif|Now investigating this newly discovered Pokémon.

==After the release==

| "When my Pokémon got sick, the pharmacist<br>in Ecruteak made some medicine for me."

Since Pokémon Gold and Silver were released, other things have been uncovered that reveal interesting details about the games' development. The final games have a large number of incomplete maps that detail what most Johto towns looked like during development. One of the most complete prototype maps found in the ROM is a rough version of the [[Kanto Safari Zone|Safari Zone]].  Although no wild Pokémon appear inside, it has several of its attributes defined, such as music, and connections to Fuchsia City, which other prototype maps do not have. The Safari Zone also appears in the internal list of PokéGear map locations, along with [[Viridian Forest]], [[Cerulean Cave]], and {{ka|Pokémon Mansion}}. Another complete map is a house in Olivine City, where a woman refers to a pharmacy in [[Ecruteak City]] instead of [[Cianwood City]]. It is unknown if this is a typo made by the game designers or if this means the Cianwood Pharmacy was originally meant to appear in Ecruteak.

Full maps (minus events) exist for the [[Cinnabar Island]] Lab, indicating [[Cinnabar Island]] was originally to make an appearance without the erupted volcano, or at least that the lab was going to remain.

Apart from maps, other prototype discoveries include a mine cart image in the cave tileset, and a second card-flipping Game Corner game. There is also an unused event script, complete with text, which would allow a different event for a level 40 {{p|Entei}}, analogous to the birds in [[Generation I]].

The {{type2|Bird}} from [[Generation I]] remains in [[Generation II]]. This is presumed to be a carry-over from the Generation I game engine, as Gold and Silver are based on it. Also returning from leftover [[Generation I]] code are [[Town Map]] and [[Poké Flute]] items. Both are named "[[Teru-sama]]" and are unusable, but if hacked to have a use option, the Poké Flute will still function, and the Town Map will attempt to, but fail, as the data it would access is now in a different location.

There is unused battle data for {{ga|Cal}}, the default opponent in the [[Trainer House]]. There are two parties - one with the basic forms of the Johto starters and one with the middle forms of the Johto starters. As [[Viridian City]] and therefore Trainer House cannot be legally accessed until late in the game, it is unknown what purpose these parties would have served.

Image:New_bark_beta.png|[[New Bark Town]]'s beta map

Image:Cherrygrove_beta.png|[[Cherrygrove City]]'s beta map

Image:Violet_beta.png|[[Violet City]]'s beta map

Image:Azalea_beta.png|A beta map of a town, possibly {{to|Azalea}}

Image:Ecruteak_beta.png|[[Ecruteak City]]'s beta map, showing Magnet Train

Image:Olivine_beta.png|[[Olivine City]]'s beta map

Image:Betarage.png|A prototype [[Lake of Rage]], with Pokémon Gym present

Image:Blackthorn beta.png|A beta map possibly of [[Blackthorn City]]

Image:BetaSafariZoneGSC.png|The [[Beta Safari Zone|prototype Safari Zone]], which uses the [[Generation II]] evolution music as the background track

Image:Route_23_beta.png|{{rt|23|Kanto}}'s beta map