Pokémon Gold (1999) | Nintendo Original Game Boy Color Video Game
Play Pokémon Gold on the Game Boy Color and explore the Johto region, catch and train Pokémon, challenge Gym Leaders, and continue your adventure through the classic Kanto region in one of the most beloved Pokémon RPGs ever made.
Pokémon Gold is one of the most memorable entries in the Pokémon series and marked the beginning of Generation II on the Nintendo Game Boy Color. Developed by Game Freak and released by Nintendo, the game first launched in Japan in 1999 before arriving in North America, Australia, and Europe over the following years.
Set after the events of the original Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow games, Pokémon Gold introduces players to the Johto region, a brand-new world filled with new towns, routes, challenges, and over 100 newly discovered Pokémon. Along with expanding the roster, the game brought several features that became series staples, including a real-time day and night cycle, Pokémon breeding, held items, and new Pokémon types.
What made Pokémon Gold stand out at the time was its sense of adventure and scale. After conquering the Johto region, players could continue their journey by exploring the entire Kanto region from the original games, effectively doubling the amount of content available. Even decades later, many fans still consider Pokémon Gold one of the strongest entries in the franchise.
How to Play
Your adventure begins in the Johto region, where you receive your first Pokémon from Professor Elm. From there, you'll travel between cities, battle Gym Leaders, collect badges, and work toward becoming the Pokémon League Champion.
As you explore the world, you'll encounter wild Pokémon in tall grass, caves, forests, lakes, and other environments. Different areas contain different species, encouraging exploration and team-building throughout the journey.
Battles take place in a turn-based format where each Pokémon can use a variety of moves with different strengths, effects, and elemental types. Winning battles grants experience points, allowing Pokémon to level up, learn new attacks, and evolve into stronger forms.
Beyond battling, players can catch Pokémon using Poké Balls and gradually build a diverse team suited to different challenges. Trading with friends also allows access to Pokémon that cannot normally be obtained in a single game.
The game's progression revolves around exploration, strategic battles, Pokémon collection, and uncovering the many secrets hidden throughout Johto and Kanto.
Controls
Desktop Controls
- Arrow Keys – Move your character and navigate menus
- Z – Confirm selections, interact with characters and objects
- X – Cancel actions or return to previous menus
Game Boy Color Controls
- D-Pad – Move your character and navigate menus
- A Button – Confirm selections, interact with characters and objects
- B Button – Cancel actions or return to previous menus
- Start – Open the main menu
- Select – Activate registered items or special functions
Gameplay Features
- Explore the expansive Johto region and the returning Kanto region
- Capture and train more than 250 Pokémon
- Battle Gym Leaders and challenge the Pokémon League
- Experience a dynamic day and night system
- Breed Pokémon to discover new possibilities
- Use held items to gain advantages in battle
- Trade and battle with friends through the Game Link Cable
- Discover legendary Pokémon and hidden locations
Final Thoughts
Pokémon Gold successfully expanded everything that made the original Pokémon games popular while adding meaningful new mechanics and a much larger world to explore. Its combination of exploration, creature collection, and strategic battles helped define the role-playing experience on the Game Boy Color. Whether you're revisiting a childhood favorite or playing it for the first time, Pokémon Gold remains a classic Pokémon adventure that still holds up remarkably well today.
