Pokémon Gold and Silver beta
Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver (Japanese: ポケットモンスター 金・銀 Pocket Monsters Gold and Silver) were the first Generation II games to be released — November 21, 1999 in Japan and October 11, 2000 in the US. A sister game, Pokémon Crystal was released later, featuring some gameplay advances. This guide will show you the development process of these two great games.
Pokémon Gold & Silver - Development Reconstruction
1997: Introducing Pocket Monsters 2 Gold & Silver
In 1997 Nintendo put the first informations and screenshots of their next Pocket Monsters game online. It was initially named "Pocket Monsters 2 Gold & Silver", was developed for GameBoy and Super GameBoy and was planned for release at the end of the same year.
One of the main points posted on the initial website was the addition of a skateboard as a secondary transportation method besides the bicycle known from the previous games. It was mentioned that the skateboard would allow the player to go to unusual and unexpected places. Also mentioned were the integrated RTC (Real Time Clock), additional evolutions for Red/Green/Blue Pokémon, breeding and Pokémon eggs, 100 new Pokémon boosting the total amount to 250 (or 251 including Mew), new technical and hidden machines, meaning new attacks, better in-battle graphics and the game's communication abilities (trading and fighting between each version and trading with R/G/B).
Following is the first batch of media released on the Pocket Monsters 2 website:
The initial logo of Pokémon 2, pretty different from the two seperate logos of the final Pokémon G/S. The only thing implying two versions of the game, besides the text on the site, is the logo's background sporting two colors, yellow and grey or gold and silver.
This is the first picture that reveals some of Pokémon 2's new monsters in form of four artworks and three Super GameBoy sprites. Starting left, the Pokémon are Donfan (Donphan), Denryuu (Ampharos), Yadoking (Slowking) and Houou (Ho-oh).
Next up are the first four screenshots of Pokémon 2 and some of my own speculation and observations about them:
The first one of Pokémon 2's initial screenshots. This shot shows a completly removed or at least entirely reconstructed city. Note the more Asian-looking buildings and the limited Super GameBoy color palette. The final version's standard town graphic set still retains some of this early one (ex. doors and windows).
Second known screenshot of the game. Again, this city was either completly scrapped or totally rebuild. Apparently, this build of the game uses a newer graphic set then the build of the first screenshot: The sign graphics are the same as in the final release, compared to the birdhouse-like signs of the first screenshot. This is also the first time we see the new water look, as well as the first sighting of a NPC character.
Third known Pokémon 2 screenshot. As before, a removed or totally rebuild city. Here we can either see another change in the graphic set OR the first sighting of a secondary one for towns. When comparing the roof visible on the right side of the shot with the roofs in the screenshot above, you will notice a slightly different pattern on them. Anyway, here we have another graphic element that made its way into the final game - the brick pattern on the wall of the top building.
The last one of the first four screenshots. This time we have an area where you could say that it either partially survived into the final version or at least inspired an area in it. Replace the water with trees and fences and open a path to the right. What do you get? A simplified version of Route 35 and the National Park's southern entrance.
Here's another screenshot that I recently found. It somewhat resembles the Goldenrod Radio Tower.
