HGSS vs. DPPT

[Kartz]

Which 4th generation game is your favorite?


My personal favorite is Platinum.
I liked the new concepts of 'god' pokemon (even though I had assumed Ho-Oh to be the god, dang misleading anime) because it added more to the series and to the deep storyline. But what really makes this game shine is the mechanics. Everything's nice and sleek, also very easy to use. The Poketch also serves many uses. There is also a LOT to do, in both the main story and after (I have 327 hours logged myself). I've had SoulSilver since the day it came out, and it's simple to say that I'm not impressed. The graphics and all are nice, but the story is over way to quickly, all I have left to do is battle Red. The Pokegear is no where near as useful as the Poketch, infact it's downright annoiying with all those phone calls. And having to tutor with BPs instead of shards? What bull crap, the whole game's entirely too tedious for me to play non-stop. I'm sure loads of fans love it for the memories, but I never had the pleasure in playing the originals.

 

[Magmortar123]

I'll have to say HGSS, but its very close. I liked a lot of features from both games, but my SS is just too amazing

 

[Pokestar]

I prefered platinum too for the exact same reasons you do..it's so annoying to get 1 or 5 BP every win streak.

 

[Takoto]

HeartGold/SoulSilver.
Sorry but in my books, the Sinnoh-region games don't even compare to the Johto games. Not that they're bad, they're just my least favorite.

 

[Nagini]

HGSS always. For me, Sinnoh was a little boring.

 

[#Daisuke#]

Platinum. Don't get me wrong, I love HGSS to death but Platinum was just...I can't describe it in words. The plot was probably the best in the series and the graphics were amazing.

But I'm biased since I'm a total Sinnoh-tard X3!

 

[Keegman]

Platinum: despite the 8-bit look, I liked the readily-available-ness of the Poketch. I liked how big the region is, and I like a villain team with a plot that is only mildly retarded. I liked the Pokeradar. I like that Sinnoh reminds me of Oregon and Washington.

HG: I like having Pokemon follow you. I like the Pokeathlon more than contests. I like the look of the GRASS in this game. I like that Johto is, like, the only region in which it is easy to plant and wait for the roamers to come to you. I like nostalgia.

 

[Kemine]

HG/SS. Even though I might be biased from having played the originals and thoroughly enjoying them...I still haven't found a region I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed Johto.

I never played Platinum, though I did play Diamond. I would still prefer my SS game though.

 

[QuantumPolagnus]

HG/SS for me, too. I really liked the Pokétch for Platinum, but I am disappointed now, every time I play it, over the lack of stylus compatibility since playing SoulSilver.

I like how you can do pretty much anything with the stylus now in HG/SS, where in DPP you had much less ability to take advantage of it.

For instance, even though it replaced the Pokétch, which I think was one of the best "features" in Platinum (since it was most polished in Platinum), I consider being able to access your bag/Pokémon/Pokédex/save all with the stylus to be a dang good trade-off.

Another stupendous improvement is the ability to use the stylus to move Pokémon around in your boxes on the PC; I find myself saving so much time and frustration when I have to move a lot of Pokémon around, since I can just drag-and-drop, drag-and-drop, drag-and-drop - which is a lot faster and more efficient than the old method (and probably my favorite update).

I find myself using the stylus more and more now, for HG/SS, even though my g/f patently refuses to use it.

 

[Orion-Sama]

Interesting. I thought I was the only one.

Platinum for me. Diamond and Pearl failed, but Platinum fixed them really well and became the best game in this Generation when it gets down to it.

You pretty much mentioned two of many flaws in HGSS. I don't consider Battle Point payment a flaw, but it is indeed infinitely less convenient and more time-consuming than paying with Shards. I do agree with the Pokétch being much more useful and faster to access, while the Pokégear only looks pretty and still treats us to menu navigation. It's a step forward when compared with the old tracking methods of roaming Pokémon, or when compared with the old Pokégear in general, but can't compare with the Pokétch's various functions.

I can't see many pros of choosing HGSS over Platinum, besides the new Movepools and Move Tutors. Platinum still gives me a wider access to every Pokémon and Forme than HGSS does. The Touch Screen controls aren't as convenient, and neither is the new Storage system. Having the Touch Screen doesn't means to make everything done there. Yes, it's also faulty to poorly utilize it, even though people enjoy exaggerating its importance (I've played many amazing DS games that don't even use the Touch Screen beyond a "Status" or "Extra" screen), and neither Platinum nor HGSS managed to achieve a true balance between button and Touch Screen use. However, I'd still pick Platinum, poor Touch Screen usage notwithstanding. It's about quality, not quantity.

The rest doesn't really makes HGSS a better game. The game is barely fixed from the originals, and the new features aren't groundbreaking at all. Maybe the Pokéathlon is more fun than Super Contests (Still a matter of opinion), but I personally don't bother with either. Both involve too different an use of the Touch Screen for me to feel any motivation. Following Pokémon has no true purpose, and it's forced as much as possible, what with the addition of ladders and no option to turn it off.

Aesthetics are just that. I don't base a game's whole value on them. Even though HGSS looks and feels more realistic, there's no real value, and Platinum looks just as good. For music, HGSS has the disadvantage of being a Remake, so the music will be inevitably compared to the original pieces. HGSS measured as well as FRLG. Most music was redone well enough, but there's a few that fail when compared with the original versions. HGSS does have the plus of the GB Sounds, for the people that think the new music sucks, or for those few pieces that don't measure up to the original tunes.

It comes down to what any individual prefers. As far as I'm concerned, Platinum is the better main game and has the better plot as well. It has a better and more usable Gadget, and a gameplay I can enjoy. Plus, it did improve greatly on its immediate predecessors, whereas HGSS didn't do enough, if any, to improve on the original GSC, as far as main quest content and character focus are concerned. It still has a few spots of wasted potential as well, what with the blatant copy/paste of the Battle Frontier. Looking at the minimal changes to characters and the main quest, I'm even more disappointed than before. They had at least 80% of the game ready, but couldn't take the time to create 5 new Frontier Brains. It did make an effort to include several Platinum features, which FRLG failed to do when put next to RSE, but still fell short at places.

As far as I go, HGSS was all style, no substance.

 

[Kamikazen]

Platinum comes close but SS just brought back a heckload of memories.

 

[Nevando]

Nothing wrong with Heart Gold and Soul Silver, but I honestly think that Platinum is currently the best Pokémon game.

I guess a part of it is how it fixed Diamond and Pearl; DP weren't even bad games at all, but Platinum did fix the problems it did have, including Pokémon availability by increaseing the Sinnoh dex, the increased badassery of the story [ok, that wasn't in error; it just got more badass]... you know, I think the only downside to DP really was the available Pokémon [you mean I can catch Bidoof on every route ever, and then they're STILL available in the Safari Zone?! Jubilations! /sarcasm], or lack therof.

As far as systems that are very similiar to eachother, let us compare; I personally prefer the Battleground over the Saffron Fighting Dojo. I could change the DS clock to get all the phone numbers right away and organize them all in the same place at the same time, but considering that's not how the game wants it to happen, I kinda feel that that falls under the category of guilt-free cheating. I wouldn't call anyone as being a cheater for taking advantage of it, but I won't do that. So as far as time investment versus doing nothing, the Battleground is better. And the opponents Pokémon are higher level.

Move tutors by BP, however, I far prefer, in the point that shards are ridiculously retarded to find in the Underground [and that the Underground sucks], but... shards are SO easy to find in HG/SS/Pokéwalker that it kinda makes the change of the tutors unfortunately silly. So I trade those shards over to Sinnoh for their move tutors. Heh.

Touch screen interaction... uh, Heart Gold is cool, but the Pokétch has like... if it was a Poké version of the iPod, they'd be trainer apps. Happiness indicator is so easy to tell when a Pokémon is fully in love with you, and the breeding stuff, and the roaming Pokémon without going into a menu for a phone call or a new map. The storage system with touch screen is cool, but ultimately not practical [atleast not at the start when it's still confusing].

Graphics, well, HG/SS get this one because the Johto region is such a colourful region, and that's excellent. I enjoy it. And you have Pokémon following you. That's awesome. I don't know where I want to go with this post, but I guess I want to say, as much as I love/am loving Heart Gold, I think Platinum is the better title.

 

[Envoy]

Interesting. I thought I was the only one.

Platinum for me. Diamond and Pearl failed, but Platinum fixed them really well and became the best game in this Generation when it gets down to it.

You pretty much mentioned two of many flaws in HGSS. I don't consider Battle Point payment a flaw, but it is indeed infinitely less convenient and more time-consuming than paying with Shards. I do agree with the Pokétch being much more useful and faster to access, while the Pokégear only looks pretty and still treats us to menu navigation. It's a step forward when compared with the old tracking methods of roaming Pokémon, or when compared with the old Pokégear in general, but can't compare with the Pokétch's various functions.

I can't see many pros of choosing HGSS over Platinum, besides the new Movepools and Move Tutors. Platinum still gives me a wider access to every Pokémon and Forme than HGSS does. The Touch Screen controls aren't as convenient, and neither is the new Storage system. Having the Touch Screen doesn't means to make everything done there. Yes, it's also faulty to poorly utilize it, even though people enjoy exaggerating its importance (I've played many amazing DS games that don't even use the Touch Screen beyond a "Status" or "Extra" screen), and neither Platinum nor HGSS managed to achieve a true balance between button and Touch Screen use. However, I'd still pick Platinum, poor Touch Screen usage notwithstanding. It's about quality, not quantity.

The rest doesn't really makes HGSS a better game. The game is barely fixed from the originals, and the new features aren't groundbreaking at all. Maybe the Pokéathlon is more fun than Super Contests (Still a matter of opinion), but I personally don't bother with either. Both involve too different an use of the Touch Screen for me to feel any motivation. Following Pokémon has no true purpose, and it's forced as much as possible, what with the addition of ladders and no option to turn it off.

Aesthetics are just that. I don't base a game's whole value on them. Even though HGSS looks and feels more realistic, there's no real value, and Platinum looks just as good. For music, HGSS has the disadvantage of being a Remake, so the music will be inevitably compared to the original pieces. HGSS measured as well as FRLG. Most music was redone well enough, but there's a few that fail when compared with the original versions. HGSS does have the plus of the GB Sounds, for the people that think the new music sucks, or for those few pieces that don't measure up to the original tunes.

It comes down to what any individual prefers. As far as I'm concerned, Platinum is the better main game and has the better plot as well. It has a better and more usable Gadget, and a gameplay I can enjoy. Plus, it did improve greatly on its immediate predecessors, whereas HGSS didn't do enough, if any, to improve on the original GSC, as far as main quest content and character focus are concerned. It still has a few spots of wasted potential as well, what with the blatant copy/paste of the Battle Frontier. Looking at the minimal changes to characters and the main quest, I'm even more disappointed than before. They had at least 80% of the game ready, but couldn't take the time to create 5 new Frontier Brains. It did make an effort to include several Platinum features, which FRLG failed to do when put next to RSE, but still fell short at places.

As far as I go, HGSS was all style, no substance.

You say that because you're biased against GSC. Far as you're concerned (weather you're willing to admit it or not), nothing any GSC based game does will ever measure up for you. You'll just nitpick and nitpick until you find something wrong with the game, then latch on to that flaw and use it as your reason for why the games are subpar overall. It's just how it goes. I do the same with RS (though I admit that Emerald was a vast improvement)

In my opinion, both Pt and HGSS were great. Their tied for my favorite Pokemon games ever so I really can't choose. However, since the thread title says HGSS vs DPPt, and I think DP epically failed in a way only comparable to RS (thank God for third versions like Emerald and Platinum), I'm going to go with HGSS. I enjoyed them much more than DP and just as much as Pt.

This needs a poll... and possibly a move to the Video Games section. Having it in the HGSS forum will get you biased results, methinks

 

[NoirTHECHA]

I'd have to say that I'm likeing SS but when it comes to ev training Platinum is the winner, the pokeatch counter and the easy ev training spots, the ability to buy coins to get Tms was great and having a large amount of time spent on it, I think last I checked it was 560:34. But for now I'm going to say that it's both, they tie beciase they have qualities that neither has and they are both good in games in those respects, and it should be up to who is playing the game to decide what is best and who knows what gen 5 will be like xD

 

[QuantumPolagnus]

The storage system with touch screen is cool, but ultimately not practical [atleast not at the start when it's still confusing].

I definitely have to disagree about that comment. Although it is still quite easy to use the regular buttons (and I have no problem with using the regular buttons), it is infinitely easier now to move your Pokémon around by using the stylus.

The reason I brought it up in the first place is because of how much more efficient it is. Rather than hitting over, over, over, up, A, A, over, over, over, A, A, over, over, over, up, A to switch two Pokémon's places, it's reduced to a simple Tap, drag, release. I call that a huge improvement over the original method.

Otherwise, I do have to agree that the Pokétch has a lot more useful features on it that aren't available otherwise, which can't be said for the Pokégear. The reason I like the Pokégear so much is probably because one of the times I'm playing it the most is when I'm on break at work and am using one hand to eat and the other to move around and tap with the stylus. It's just a lot better than getting my DS all nasty.

Also, I do agree that because there is stylus-availability doesn't automatically make it a better game - in my opinion, it's how it's implemented, and I believe that Game Freaks did a much better job at implementing it than some other DS games I've played, which have really wonky controls because of stylus use.

 

[Mr. Pokemon]

Can anybody explain to me the faults of Diamond and Pearl? I usually prefer the third versions, but I'm just curious.

And to answer the question, I'd have to say I'm loving SoulSilver right now. But that's usually the case with the latest Pokemon release.

 

[Orion-Sama]

Can anybody explain to me the faults of Diamond and Pearl? I usually prefer the third versions, but I'm just curious.

The biggest flaws are in terms of the gameplay speed. Though the 4th Generation is overall slow, Diamond and Pearl are the very worst. It suffers in two areas:

Battle speed: You need to constantly tap the Touch Screen or the A button to have a slight improvement. As it is, the intro, the animations, and about every event is lagged beyond all relief.

Surf speed: You Surf even slower than your regular walking speed, which is just ridiculous, especially when every game before it made Surfing speed at least as fast as your walking speed (3rd Gen made the speed as fast as your running speed).

There's a third flaw to the game's flow which represents yet another setback when compared even with previous generations: Dismounting Bike on gates. Something that didn't happen since 2nd Generation.

Other things I consider flaws of Diamond and Pearl are the lack of many Emerald and FRLG features (Stronger Elite Four, Gym Leader rematches, Battle Frontier).

All this was completely fixed by Platinum.

 

[Nevando]

I would have said Diamond and Pearls flaw was the availability of Pokémon; they FINALLY introduce a fire elite four member, and what does he have available? The starter and Rapidash.

 

[Falconwing]

HGSS. Don't get me wrong, I love Sinnoh.

But this is Johto man!

 

[Champion Lance]

HG/SS all the way. That said, Platinum was the first Pokemon game I enjoyed since FR/LG--or even GSC if we're not counting the remakes. I enjoy them both fairly equally, but even nostalgia and preference for Kanto aside, HG/SS has a je ne sais quoi.