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Guide Review  Pokemon Crystal  
- By Michael Loewer

POCKET GUIDE -- NOT REGULAR VERSION

The Pokemon Crystal Pocket Guide is unlike any guide I've reviewed before--all two of them, anyway. It's an interesting little book, attempting to offer vast amounts of information in a quaint little package. The entire guide is only perhaps 5 inches wide and half an inch thick, yet supposedly covers not only Pokemon Crystal, but Gold and Silver as well.





Intrigued by this grandiose claim, I peered inside a guide no wider than the palm of my hand...

Maps:

There aren't really any maps in the Crystal Pocket Guide. The closest representation are the many black and white screenshots that attempt to show the location of a certain trainer or item. Even these, however, are mostly aesthetic. Instead, the pocket guide hits on the most important aspects of every area, in the order in which you'd most likely visit them. For example, the first location covered is New Bark Town, then Route 29, etc. Besides, you can always use the map in your PokeDex.


Hints and Tips:

The author of this guide was a master at cramming in important information while leaving out filler. In each locale, a short summary is given detailing important aspects of the surrounding area. Examples of local Pokemon are shown with full stats, as are simple instructions on where to find major items. What really impressed me, though, are the descriptions of every trainer you'll meet along the way. We're not talking about just gym leaders -- this includes the pseudo-trainers like "Bug Catcher" and "CoolTrainer." The pocket guide, incredibly, gives a summary of each of their Pokemon (with stats) and the prize money for winning.

Bonus points are awarded for the author's throughness in pinpointing time-specific events. For example, in the Union Cave area, there's a little section called "Friday Only," because Lapras can only be found on that day.


Quality of Item Descriptions:

If we're concerned with "true" items, such as power-ups like "X Attack," the guide could initially be considered lacking, since there's no item description list. However, isn't knowing what "Psncureberry" does pretty much common sense? There's no need for an item list because the names have always been self-descriptive.

As far as TMs, HMs, and techniques go, you'll find the same list here as in any regular guide. Each list includes a description of the move, what type normally uses it, attack power, etc.

Two things new to Crystal, the Pokeball variants (Moon Ball, Friend Ball, etc.) and Mystery Gifts, are also extensively explained.


General Writing Quality:

As mentioned earlier, the author of the Crystal Pocket Guide managed to fit a ton of information into a relatively small package. Sentences are short and quick -- there's no room for filler to be taking up space.


Level of Coverage:

I felt it was necessary to add in this category because the guide claims to present so much information (covering basically three games), and it really wouldn't be fair for people to buy this guide thinking they're really getting a 3-for-1 deal.

To "cover" Pokemon Gold and Silver, small notes are interjected at any point where Gold or Silver differs radically from the gameplay of Crystal. This may actually be acceptable since the games are so closely related, just don't expect to see a different section for each game.

However, the amount of information covered is really quite extraordinary, and pretty much negates any need for one of the larger guides. The only bonuses you'll get with a larger guide are color pages, actual maps, and a full listing of all Pokemon (even thought the guide "examples" cover the vast majority of them). There's also included information on where to find rare Pokemon, breeding tips, and a section on the Kanto area that allows you to replay the original Red/Blue/Yellow version.


If you're looking for a guide for Crystal (or Gold and Silver for that matter), why not skip the regular guide and pick up this Pocket version? It already has all the information you'll ever need to reference -- and at half the price and half the size of the regular version. Unless this is the first time you've ever picked up a Pokemon game, the Crystal Pocket Guide is all you really need to be a Pokemon Master.


Senior Editor Michael Loewer, signing off.
Shameless Plug: The Necessity

 

The Lowdown on  Pokemon Crystal Maps: Average Hints and Tips: Awesome Quality of Item/Weapon Descriptions: Awesome General Writing Quality: Very Good Level of Coverage: Very Good Overall: Very Good! "A Quality Guide"