Pokémon Crystal to be released on 3DS Virtual Console
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Pokémon Crystal will be released on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on January 26, 2018 in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Pokémon Crystal was originally released for Game Boy Color in Japan in 2000 and in the West in 2001 as an enhanced version of Pokémon Gold and Silver, which were themselves released on 3DS Virtual Console worldwide earlier in 2017.
The Virtual Console release of Pokémon Crystal will be compatible with Poké Transporter, with support added after the game launches. Using Poké Transporter, Pokémon from Pokémon Crystal can be sent to Pokémon Bank, from where they can be moved to Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon.
The Virtual Console release will support communication via 3DS local wireless communications. It can trade and battle with other Virtual Console copies of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; it can also use the Time Capsule function to communicate with Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow.
In this version of Pokémon Crystal, players can encounter the Mythical Pokémon Celebi after entering the Hall of Fame. In the Japanese version of the Virtual Console release, after entering the Hall of Fame, when the player enters the Pokémon Communication Center they will be given the GS Ball, which is used in a series of events to encounter Celebi (in the original Japanese release of Pokémon Crystal, the player had to connect to the internet using the Mobile Game Boy Adapter to obtain the GS Ball). In the Western versions of the Virtual Console release, it has only been stated that the player can encounter Celebi after entering the Hall of Fame (the Pokémon Communication Center is replaced by a regular Pokémon Center in original the Western releases, with Celebi being exclusive to event distributions in the Western Generation II games).
In Japan, download code cards will be available for ¥1,111 (excluding tax). They can be purchased starting Jan. 1, 2018, although the games cannot be downloaded until their release on Jan. 26, 2018.
In Europe and Japan, special packaged versions will be available. The box does not include a game card, only a download code to be redeemed on the Nintendo eShop. They will be released on the same day as the games are made available on the eShop, Jan. 26, 2018.
In Europe, customers will be able to purchase a box based on the original Pokémon Crystal box that comes with a download code for the game.
In Japan, special edition download codes will be available for ¥1,389 (excluding tax). The special edition comes in a special box based on the original Pokémon Crystal box, which includes a download code for the game, a magnet shaped like the original Game Boy cartridge, stickers associated with the game, and a poster featuring a list of Pokémon and a type chart for Generation II.
Press release
| “ 15th December, 2017 – When it launched in Japan 17 years ago, Pokémon Crystal introduced many new and exciting elements to the Pokémon franchise. An expanded version of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, it was the first Pokémon game to allow players to choose between a male or female playable character, as well as being the first game to introduce animations during Pokémon battles. Pokémon Crystal is now coming to Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS family systems on 26th January 2018 for AU$13 / NZ$17.
On the day it launches, Pokémon Crystal will also be compatible with Pokémon Bank, a paid service that lets players transfer select Pokémon from classic Pokémon games to the newest games in the series. With the addition of Pokémon Crystal to this service, it is now possible for players to bring Pokémon from all core games in the series to Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. In this version of Pokémon Crystal, players will also have the chance to encounter the mythical Pokémon Celebi in an event after completing the game. In the original version of Pokémon Crystal, Celebi could only be obtained by using a special accessory. As with the Nintendo eShop editions of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, Pokémon Crystal will take advantage of the wireless communication capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, allowing players to enjoy Link Trades and Link Battles with each other. With the Time Capsule feature, players can even trade and battle Pokémon from Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition, which are also available on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. Fans will have the option to play their favourite compatible Pokémon games on a New Nintendo 2DS XL resembling the iconic Pokémon Pikachu, as the New Nintendo 2DS XL Pikachu Edition will be released in Australia and New Zealand on 27th January 2018 with a suggested retail price of AU$219.95. The system comes with a 4GB microSDHC memory card and a Nintendo 3DS AC adapter included in the box*. ” | ||
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