GB Sounds

GB Player redirects here. For the Nintendo GameCube accessory, see Game Boy Player.

The GB Sounds (Japanese: ＧＢプレイヤー GB Player) is a type of key item exclusive to Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. It is obtained from the Game Freak sound designer at Celadon Condominiums after obtaining all 16 Badges.

The item changes the background music to chiptune-like rearrangements of the tracks in the area that are similar to the original ones from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Sound effects and radio music are unaffected by the GB Sounds.

Flavor text

Games	Description
*	A music player that allows you to listen to nostalgic songs. It's operated with a single switch.
*	A music player that allows you to listen to nostalgic songs. It’s operated with the flip of a single switch.

Music information

Changes

Despite the fact that the old-style tracks are supposed to sound like the original tracks from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, none of them sound exactly like the originals. The acoustics sound different and many notes have other pitches. Some tracks had their tempos altered somewhat and other notes in various tracks are not even heard at all. This is due to the games using a soundfont for MIDI playback rather than generating real chiptunes. The different audio hardware between the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS would also have been taken into consideration.

Additions

Main article: Pokémon HeartGold & Pokémon SoulSilver: Super Music Collection

Several tracks that are absent in the original Pokémon Gold and Silver have received old-style rearrangements. Examples include Global Terminal and Route 47. Despite this, none of the Battle Frontier facilities, except for the outside area and the Battle Tower, received an old-style rearrangement. Battling in the facilities at the Battle Frontier with the GB Sounds active will also result in the old-style Battle! (Trainer Battle—Johto Version) being used. This effect is reverted when battling a Frontier Brain.

Limitations

Some of the original tracks from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, such as Professor Oak and Opening Movie (Pokémon Gold & Pokémon Silver), cannot be listened to with the GB Sounds. The tracks pertaining to Team Rocket can only be listened to in the Giovanni event triggered by taking a Celebi to the Ilex Forest shrine. To solve this issue, the Pokémon Music Channel hosts the Pokémon Past Archive program every Sunday, which features these tracks in addition to a few others, such as all the Trainer encounter themes.

Oddities

If active during a Bug-Catching Contest, the GB Sounds will not switch to the old-style version of National Park during the contest results; however, it'll perform the switch after the results are announced.

There is also a glitch which results in the music being muted on Route 20 or Cinnabar Island.

The GB Sounds does not affect the unused SEQ_DUMMY (played in the Mystery Zones) or SEQ_TEST_TITLE tracks, which are mere copies of the regular Route 29.

Trivia

Although the GB Sounds is unable to play certain old-style themes such as Radio Tower Occupied! during regular gameplay, it was programmed to play them.