94
It may not be too revolutionary but this is by far the biggest, most packed Pokemon yet. [Mar 2010, p.67]
88
It's still the Pokemon you know and love - and handheld entertainment of the highest order. [Apr 2010, p.78]
88
The Pokemon formula stays unchanged, but Gold and Silver remain our favourites. Essential for Johto newcomers and veterans. [Mar 2010, p.94]
9
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver take the originals, improve their graphics, and combine features from Crystal and Platinum such as the Battle Frontier and Stealth Rock. They also add extra content and are artistically stunning.
9
Almost perfect. One of the most complete Pokemon experiences ever made, and it could have been the perfect game and the best Pokemon game of all time if its pacing and balance issues were fully fixed. Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver are basically the peak of what Pokemon remakes can be. They take an already great generation and turn it into one of the most complete and content rich experiences in the entire series. Having both Johto and Kanto in one game makes it feel huge, and there’s always something new to do even after the main story. The presentation is easily one of the best on the DS. Following Pokemon alone adds a ton of charm, and the world feels alive in a way most other entries don’t match. It constantly rewards exploration and makes the journey feel personal and memorable. That said, it’s not perfect. Johto still has pacing issues, level scaling can feel uneven, and progression isn’t always as smooth as it should be. Kanto is a great addition, but it also feels a bit underdeveloped compared to the main Johto journey. Even the soundtrack, while still strong, doesn’t always reach the emotional peaks of other DS era games. Still, the amount of content, polish, and care put into it makes it incredibly easy to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours.
2
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
Pokemon HeartGold Version
DS
Released On:
Mar 14, 2010
Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
User score
Universal Acclaim
9.1
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
87
100% Positive
59 Reviews
59 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
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0 Reviews
100
HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes, that’s true, but the quality here is capable to impress those who played the original as the ones that enter this world for the first time.
90
While it’s not really anything new, it provides a chunky stop-gap in lieu of a real new Pokemon title. Playing it, you’ll get the sense that Gamefreak are rehashing the classics to get their crosshairs tuned for the next generation of Pokemon.
User score
Universal Acclaim
9.1
91% Positive
1347 Ratings
1347 Ratings
5% Mixed
74 Ratings
74 Ratings
4% Negative
56 Ratings
56 Ratings
Apr 18, 2026
10
It was the best amongst all Pokémon games I've played until now. Second best is SM
Dec 25, 2025
10
Pokémon HeartGold ist eines der besten Pokémon-Spiele aller Zeiten, weil es genau versteht, was Pokémon ausmacht: Atmosphäre, Struktur, Herausforderung und Liebe zum Detail.HeartGold fühlt sich nicht wie ein Remake an, sondern wie die perfekte Version eines Pokémon-Spiels. Die Welt ist klar aufgebaut, jede Route hat Charakter, jede Stadt ihre eigene Identität. Fortschritt fühlt sich natürlich an – man arbeitet sich Schritt für Schritt vor, wächst mit seinem Team und merkt, wie man besser wird.Besonders herausragend sind die Arenen: Jede Arena ist ein echtes Ziel. Man bereitet sich vor, passt sein Team an, lernt die Typen wirklich zu verstehen. Ein Sieg fühlt sich verdient an und bleibt im Gedächtnis. Arenen sind hier keine Checkpoints, sondern **** Feature, dass Pokémon dir folgen, verleiht dem Spiel unglaublich viel Persönlichkeit. Dein Team fühlt sich lebendig an, nicht wie Daten im Menü. Dazu kommen ein starkes Tag-/Nacht-System, großartige Musik und unzählige kleine Details, die zeigen, wie viel Herzblut in diesem Spiel **** größte Beweis für die Qualität von HeartGold ist jedoch der Umfang: Zwei komplette Regionen – Johto und Kanto – mit 16 Arenen. Nach dem Abspann ist das Abenteuer nicht vorbei, es beginnt erst richtig.HeartGold nimmt den Spieler ernst, fordert ihn heraus und belohnt Neugier. Es ist ruhig, episch und zeitlos. Ein Spiel, das versteht, dass Pokémon nicht modern sein muss, sondern gut. Genau deshalb gilt HeartGold bis heute als Maßstab dafür, wie Pokémon sein sollte. Außerdem wird hier gezeigt wie gut ein postgame/lategame aussehen kann!!!!
90
If you’re a Pokemon fanatic, the kind that has bought every last iteration Nintendo has released, then you’ve most likely already purchased either Heartgold/SoulSilver. However, if you’ve only dabbled in the series, it’s still highly recommended you give one of these two a try.
90
While it is, at its core, the same game that you've played many years ago, it still manages to feel new and the updated features bolster the original experience in a manner that never intrudes and only enhances. Put short, this is a lot of fun and something that a huge amount of DS owners should look into.
85
Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works as evidenced by HeartGold, I can’t help but hope for a new Pokémon title that breaks some new ground.
80
A funky little pocket peripheral adds a fun new twist to a dated formula.
75
The biggest drawback in HG and SS is without a doubt the random encounters.
Dec 11, 2025
10
An unbelievable masterpiece! Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are two must-play Pokémon games packed with tons of exciting content and a post-game that put's all other Pokémon games to shame. It's one of the only Pokémon games where you get access to two fully developed regions instead of one, which honestly makes you feel like you're playing an extra game's worth of DLC.
Mar 12, 2024
7
A strong remake that suffers from being a gen 4 entry. The DS era of Pokemon wasn't sharpened until gen 5. Fans say the Hoenn region has too much water. But, only for a small % of the gameplay. It comes nowhere near Gen 4's slow pacing for 100% of the time. Despite this setback, these games are delightful.
Jun 18, 2023
7
This is not the best pokemon game and is probably the most overrated. ------
"AnthonySTF will be going away to far ne land from hear that? If you dont hear it"
Nov 23, 2018
3
Besides the terrible level curve. It has the same bad distribution from the GS games and basically fixed nothing: every single problem is back, but with the ugly sprites from the dp games. The legendaries were shoving in at inconvenient places, ruining their original lore completely. It's also highly expensive, in part due an add on app thats underused and you won't need, so I only recomend this game if you are a collector that want them all. Otherwise, stick to gsc.
SummaryReturn to the beloved Johto region first introduced in the Pokémon Gold and Silver Version games for the portable Game Boy system. Several new enhancements for the series, such as updated graphics and touch screen features, enrich these timeless adventures, and the new Pokéwalker accessory allows players to take their favorite Pokémon wi... Read More
Rated Efor Everyone
