Pokemon Fan Gives HeartGold Cartridge A Nostalgic Makeover (2024)

A Pokemon fan has changed up their copy of Pokemon HeartGold to give it a makeover that may be nostalgic for fans of the original Game Boy version of the game. While Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver were major successes, the physical cartridges were missing something that the original versions of the game had.

Many fans have nostalgic memories of gaming in years past, and with the longevity and continuing popularity of Pokemon, the series is a big part of that. Though they were merely Gen 2, Pokemon Gold and Silver introduced numerous new features to the titles, like having two massive regions to explore, phone chats and rematches with trainers, and of course, full color. Like some other Nintendo titles of the time, the cartridges were even special, with each having a sparkly finish and matching the color of the game's title. This was absent in the remakes, however.

One fan has amended that by giving their valuable copy of Pokemon HeartGold an overhaul. Supertazon took apart their copy of Pokemon HeartGold and removed the printed circuit board. They then reinstalled the circuit board into a golden aluminum anodized shell. The fan also used a laser to engrave "Nintendo" on the back of the cartridge. A side-by-side image with the original version of Pokemon Gold shows how similar the colors of the cartridges now are.

Fans React to Pokemon HeartGold Cartridge Overhaul

Many fans thought that the redesign looked great, referring to it as "cool" or calling for the fan to do the same thing with a copy of Pokemon SoulSilver next. However, some were critical of the rebuild. As the player themselves notes in the post, the swap isn't perfect. While the game works, it was tough getting everything to fit, and the system can no longer utilize IR. The original cartridges offered a small port that allowed the game to directly communicate with external devices like the PokeWalker, which this copy can no longer do.

Another concern shared is that while the original copy of Pokemon Gold and Silver used plastic cartridges that just had a metallic color to them, this one is real metal. In theory, the cartridge could scratch up the cartridge slot of a Nintendo DS, which could potentially damage the console. However, supertazon allayed those concerns by saying that they don't intend to remove the cartridge often, so with any luck, no harm will come to the device.

Even for non-Pokemon fans, gold cartridges hold a special place in many fans' hearts due to Nintendo's use of them on systems like the N64. While this particular cartridge redux may not be for every Pokemon fan, it's nice to see the remake of the iconic games get the same special treatment that the original versions of the game had.

Pokémon Heart Gold

Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version are 2009 remakes of the 1999 Game Boy Color role-playing video games Pokémon Gold and Silver, also including features from Pokémon Crystal. Pokemon HeartGold is considered one of the most popular games among fans of the franchise with fans adoring a variety of the game-exclusive features, such as the Pokewalker.

JRPG

Franchise

Pokemon

Platform(s)

Nintendo DS

Released

March 14, 2010

Developer(s)

Game Freak

Publisher(s)

The Pokemon Company , Nintendo

ESRB

E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence

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