"We were lucky enough to receive an invitation from GAMENOVA, making us among the first batch of players to participate in the playtest of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green."
"What surprised us the most is that GAMENOVA has also prepared a trading mechanism solution for console version players."
"You only need to head to a local shop that supports a Pokémon Center, and you can use the [Pokémon Trade Machine] to trade for your favorite Pokémon with your companions!"
John put down the latest issue of Electronic Games in his hand and looked at the red handheld console resting on the table beside him.
"So that machine is used that way. Thank goodness we were quick enough to snatch the handheld version in advance, otherwise, having to queue up at the shops would truly be a nightmare."
Unlike the floppy disk console version, which was shipped in massive quantities, the handheld version was currently in a state of having high demand but zero market availability, whether due to an insufficient production capacity for ROMs or simply because too many people were buying it.
Although the console version not only featured a higher resolution but also boasted much richer special effects and colors in terms of visual presentation, quite a few people were still more willing to choose the handheld version that could be played anytime, anywhere.
"Speaking of which, I just realized that our versions seem to be different?"
John picked up his handheld console, looking at the large Pokémon title on the start screen, below which a "Red Version" was displayed.
Meanwhile, what was displayed on Mike's unit was "Green Version."
A game launching with two different versions? This was truly a first.
"Hey, it seems so."
Hearing this, Mike also stretched his head over to take a look at John's screen, discovering that it was indeed different.
The two of them took out the packaging boxes of the cartridges to inspect them carefully. Sure enough, even the covers were completely different.
Because they had been too excited previously, they hadn't even noticed this point.
On this cover of John's Pokémon Red, stood that Pokémon called Charizard, breathing a huge dragon breath towards the sky, looking exceptionally majestic.
On the other hand, what was in Mike's hand was Venusaur, and the overall color tone generally opted for green.
"Look at the back, it writes the differences between the two versions here."
John flipped the cartridge box over to look, suddenly noticing a section of text recorded on the back.
"The following Pokémon cannot be encountered in the Red Version and can only be obtained through trading."
"Sandshrew, Sandslash, Vulpix, Ninetales, Meowth, Persian..."
Beside the names were several corresponding illustrations. Mike took a look at his own side, and sure enough, the recorded Pokémon were completely different from the Red Version.
"Wait, in other words, only by trading with players of the other version can you collect all 150 Pokémon?"
Only now did Mike understand. No wonder the NovaPocket had been promoting this communication function so heavily since the very beginning of its release, it turned out an ambush had been laid right here.
This was actually a game that prioritized socializing?
Or rather... was it meant for milking money?
John shrugged his shoulders, being quite open-minded about this.
"This isn't any big deal either. If we can't collect them all, then we just won't collect them all."
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But hearing these words from him, Mike stared with his eyes wide open, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
"What nonsense are you talking, John! Of course, we gotta catch 'em all! Doesn't it feel uncomfortable to leave 11 slots blank in the Pokédex? Anyway, I can't stand it."
Why do a full collection? Because it is right there!
For such a simple and clear matter, John actually spoke such foolish words as "it doesn't matter"!
John flipped the box over again, looking at the promotional artwork on the side featuring Meowth and Persian.
"Alright, to be honest, I really do want this little guy."
If his finances and work hadn't forbidden it, John had always wanted to raise a cat for companionship.
Meanwhile, Mike's eyes were also firmly glued to Scyther, which was exclusive to the Red Version. Looking at that cool, blade wielding mantis, he suddenly found himself regretting that he hadn't bought the Red Version instead.
"Forget it, we haven't even played it yet. What's the use of talking about this."
Shaking his head, Mike directly entered the game. As the screen flashed, a person clearly dressed as a professor wearing a white lab coat appeared in the center of the screen.
[Hello there! Glad to meet you!]
[Welcome to the world of Pokémon!]
[My name is Samuel Oak, but everyone affectionately calls me Professor Oak.]
The opening was similar to GAMENOVA's previous titles like Harvest Moon, consisting of background introduction + player name input.
The only difference was perhaps that besides deciding for oneself, the game also preset three options.
[Red], [Ash], and... [Mike].
"Oho, isn't this just a coincidence."
Mike was amused and simply selected the third option directly. As the name input concluded, a guy with an extremely showy appearance suddenly popped up on the screen. He had one hand shoved in his pocket, with his eyes glancing to the side, maintaining an arrogant attitude.
[This is my grandson. He's been your rival since you were a baby.]
[...Erm, what was his name again?]
Mike understood perfectly in his heart. No wonder he was made to look so punchable, it turned out to be a hook, a design akin to a main storyline quest.
It was precisely to make the player feel a bit repulsed by him at first sight, in order to arouse the player's motivation to improve, so that beating him later on would feel satisfying.
"But being able to decide the name yourself is indeed quite interesting."
Mike had already thought it through, he absolutely must fill in the name of the boss he hated the most and give him a good beating. As he pressed the A button, the option waiting to be selected that appeared on the screen left him stunned.
How was there actually a John here? What the heck, could it be that the names of the two of them were just too mainstream?
This sudden sense of immersion truly made Mike laugh out loud. Unhesitatingly abandoning his original plan, he selected his name as "John."
Afterwards, he secretly lifted his head, glancing towards John who was likewise playing while lying on the bed, only to find that John was also secretly looking at him.
Perceiving that the expressions on both sides were very strange, the two of them suddenly burst out laughing at the same time. It looked like the situation on the opposite side was exactly the reverse of his own side, this was truly a marvelous coincidence.
"Let's fucking go!!!"
Formally entering the game, Mike discovered to his surprise that although the screen resolution of the NovaPocket was much lower than that of a console, thanks to the fact that the screen size itself was not large and the graphic design was well-coordinated, the visual effect actually presented was unexpectedly very good.
Aside from the colors being slightly monotonous and dim, the overall first impression it brought him actually had no sense of jarring mismatch.
Observing briefly, the layout of the starting point was very simple, but all the necessary elements were complete, allowing one to discern that it should be inside a bedroom.
A bed was placed in the corner of the wall, while a potted plant stood on the other side. Right in the center of the floor, before the main character, sat a CRT television, connected by a cable to a console next to it.
This console looked more and more like a NovaBox no matter how one looked at it.
"Wow, there's even a stealth advertisement."
Mike complained under his breath, casually pressing the A button, but unexpectedly discovered that it could actually be interacted with.
[Mike is playing the NovaBox!]
[...]
[It's time to set off!]
With this discovery, Mike went completely out of control, trying out everything inside the room one by one. Very soon, he discovered that computer on the desk which one couldn't tell was an Apple II or a C64.
"So, items are stored and retrieved through the computer."
Mike understood, shut down the computer, and backed out. Unknowingly, under a complete absence of any rigid tutorials for beginners, Mike had actually learned the basic operations.
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