Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow are among the most cherished video games in history, and their Virtual Console releases are among the most anticipated releases of 2016. In an attempt to keep the original spirit of the games alive, it has been announced via the official Japanese R/B/G/Y digital manuals that save states will not be supported.
What is a save state, you ask? Save states began as a popular means to save one’s progress at any point in gameplay and allowed players to use an emulator to retry or restart a game at any point they desired. When Virtual Console was released on the Wii U and 3DS, this feature was included. Rather than going back to the last save point after being defeated by a boss, the player could simply create a restore point before beginning the battle and retry to their hearts content if defeated.
Including this feature would be problematic for a game like Pokémon for several reasons. Pokemon’s main draw is to have players use strategy and luck to complete a Pokédex. The feeling of defeat when a rare Pokémon ran away or was accidentally KO’d in battle was part of the appeal that made these games so great. It allowed players to rethink their methods and try again and when they eventually did succeed– it made the experience that much sweeter! Restore points in a game like Pokémon would take away the challenge that made these games so appealing in the first place, and a whole new generation of trainers would miss out on the excitement that many of us older gamers had when we were younger.
Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow release on the Virtual Console on February 27th.
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
