Ah yes, Pokémon. No other series has earned the label of a "love-to-hate" franchise more than this; worshipped by children, hated by parents, and avoided at all costs by most hardcore gamers. A game where kids learn such important values as teamwork, self-confidence, and the fact that you should never put a Gyarados into battle with an Electric-type. A game that has probably started more than a couple playground fights because some douchebag kid is using a party entirely full of legendary Pokémon. However, there is one solitary fact that nobody can argue - the game SELLS. Pikachu and his compatriots have been practically everywhere on the Nintendo radar, making appearances in pinball games, photograph-taking games, games about TV stations, and yes, even an appearance in the acclaimed Super Smash Brothers Melee, where Pokémon were either used as overly powerful random weapons or cannon fodder for the likes of Link and Marth (don't forget the sweet level made up entirely of gigantic Pokémon -ed.). To bring back an old cliché, there is no stopping Pokémon, you can only hope to contain it. And after 10 best-selling Game Boy/Color/Advance titles, two N64 titles, a GameCube title, constant spin-offs and cameo appearances by its characters, its own store in Times Square, a TV show, card game, and a million headaches given to parents who just can't find that Charmander doll, where was Pokémon to go from here? The answer is simple - right back to where it all began.

In Pokémon Leaf Green, as well as in its counterpart, Fire Red, Pokémon trainers are brought back to the world of Kanto, the land of Pokémon Red and Blue all the way back from 1998. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon is ready to cash in on nostalgia - the world is officially ending. Anyway, these are indeed updates of the original Red and Blue, but there is much more in the package that meets the eye here - although both sets of games' storylines are pretty much the same as before, and the graphics have been updated to the standards set by Ruby and Sapphire, there is plenty more that makes these games truly awesome.

If you played Red and Blue, you already know the story - you play the role of a young boy (or girl - you can now choose your sex) from Pallet Town who has aspirations of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon trainer, catching all 150 Pokémon, and defeating the most elite of trainers. However, you'll need to start small, catching the most pathetic of Pokémon and battling the weakest of trainers, to obtain the title of Pokémon Master. After going through the various towns, battling your rival, catching and evolving the most powerful of Pokémon, and clashing with the villainous Team Rocket, you'll reach the Indigo Plateau to battle the Elite Four to gain the right to become a Pokémon legend.

Wait, chat what?

For the most part, the song remains the same for this game, but for players whose experience has only been with the classic Pokémon titles, Leaf Green serves as a great way to get back into the series. Also, Nintendo included some new features to greatly enhance the Pokémon experience. For example, didn't you hate it when, after you battled a trainer, you could never battle them again? Not anymore. Fire Red and Leaf Green are the first Pokémon games to introduce the new Vs. Seeker, a special item that will allow you to challenge trainers you've already beaten. This helps out immensely with leveling up one's Pokémon, as previously the only way to do so was to battle the usually weaker ones found in the wild. Also, the Running Shoes from Ruby and Sapphire make their return, and their inclusion shows why they would have been so awesome for Red and Blue - it is now much quicker to get around areas earlier in the game, as well as useful in several of the game's "dungeons" where you could only have walked previously. Another great new feature is one that Nintendo should truly be praised for adding - that of the Orange Islands. After the first season of the Pokémon anime was completed, Ash and his friends set off on a new journey to the Orange Islands, where new battles and new Pokémon awaited. Needless to say, this development got 8-year-old Pokéfreaks into a tizzy, and rumors rose up in the hundreds of silly, untrue ways to get to these mysterious islands, rumors that rivaled the ones that Ocarina of Time fans fabricated while searching for the nonexistent Triforce. Nintendo has listened, and included the Orange Islands in Fire Red and Leaf Green. Now, after players have beaten the game, they will be able to go to these islands to capture Pokémon from the Gold and Silver versions of the game, as well as find new battles and challenges waiting for them. This addition, much like the inclusion of previous worlds from previous games in other Pokémon games, greatly improves the game's lasting appeal.

The best addition by far has to be the brand new Game Boy Advance wireless adapter, packed in with either game for free. No longer are Pokémon fans forced to use the cumbersome link cables to trade and battle their Pokémon with other trainers, they can now do it completely wirelessly! Overall, the adapter works pretty well - AJ and I tested it to have a range of about 30 to 100 feet, with the ability to link up 2-5 Pokémon players for single and team battles, not to mention the incredible ease of wireless trading. This innovative feature is probably the best reason to get either of these games, if only due to the fact that it will also be used for later games such as Dr. Mario and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. You can even hook up the adapter for use with the Nintendo GameCube's Game Boy Player! It's a great peripheral to have, and is worth the price of admission alone - not to mention it provides an interesting preview of what the DS will be capable of. Also, you can trade your Pokémon from this game to Ruby and Sapphire, and vice versa, but you can only use a link cable to do so. In the same way, the game is compatible with Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon Box, so players can make use of and transfer their Pokémon to the GameCube, as well as back to their Game Paks.

Charmander then ate the Pokéball with the captured Pikachu. Needed salt.

This game is on par with Ruby and Sapphire in visuals, but far above and beyond the graphics for the original Red and Blue. However, it isn't the fact that the game looks so much better that makes this game so well improved. Due to the Game Boy Advance's bigger screen, the game now has an expanded view, allowing players to see much larger of an area than before. The Pokémon battles look much better than before, plus most of the attacks look cool, but still, there really isn't much in this game that shows off what the GBA can do graphically.

The gameplay is the same tried and true Pokémon style that's been in place since Red and Blue. Throughout the game, you'll be able to fight wild Pokémon in special grassy areas, or in caves. You can defeat them for experience points, or, if you can wear them down enough, you can capture them in a Poké Ball and make them your own. However, unlike previous games, there is no real-time day/night system that changes along with the time of day, allowing players to catch different Pokémon at different hours of the day. This is understandable, however, since Nintendo probably wanted the game to have the feel of Red and Blue for gamers who started out, and ended, with those titles. Also, I really don't feel like waking up at 9:00 AM just to catch a bloody Bellsprout. The battles are the same as they've always been - turned based-RPG goodness, in either 1-on-1, or the new 2-on-2 battles introduced in Ruby and Sapphire. Although this may be a turnoff for some people, RPG fans will love it, not to mention the oodles of children (and Pauls) that eat, sleep, and poop Pokémon. The only change I can see is that the AI-controlled opposing trainers and Pokémon seem to be a lot smarter, using better strategies than before, and not just utilizing random moves. Players will be forced more than ever to create their own strategies, and to form a good party of strong Pokémon in order to win their battles effectively.

Pokémon Leaf Green may very well be the best Pokémon game to date, and a must purchase for any Pokémon fan. The nostalgia factor is enough for those whose only previous experience has been Red and Blue, and this game also does a great job of showing newer Pokémaniacs their roots. Also, for those who are new to the franchise, Pokémon Leaf Green (or Fire Red) provides a great starting point for gamers looking to make an entrance into the world of Pokémon. Although there's nothing revolutionary about this game, Pokémon Leaf Green is an RPG that should appeal to all Pokémon fans, young and old.