I wasn’t sure what to expect when replaying Pokémon Yellow. I always play the Pokémon games over and over, but not the first generation. For me, this was the first time playing Yellow since 1999. Back in the day, I thought training my own Pikachu and battling the anime versions of Team Rocket were cool, but nothing worth spending hours over again. But as I played the game for the first time in decades, it’s more than just a game with a few cosmetic changes. It’s the definitive version of the first generation of Pokémon games, and it’s an adventure that holds up exceedingly well years after it’s original release.

The premise is simple enough that you can pretty much put it as the plot for any main story Pokémon games: you are a trainer whose goal is to catch all the Pokémon and complete them in a Pokédex. Along the way, you’ll battle your rival, take down an organization that threatens Pokémon and mankind, all while getting the eight gym badges needed to face the Elite 4, plus the Pokémon League champion. Pokémon games are never known for their expert storytelling, but there’s enough here that it’s perfectly acceptable for Game Boy standards. It won’t rock your world, but it’s solid. Add the pleasant graphics, music and settings and you have a very nice presentation wrapped around a decent enough premise.

Training with Pikachu, which is the core difference between the original games, gives Yellow a tougher first few hours. After all, it’s not like you can clear Brock easily with an electric type Pokémon: he's not going to do anything. It makes you play the game differently and find ways of clearing the first gym through new methods. It does make Misty an easier battle and Lt. Surge a bit tougher, but since you get all three starters in the first half of the game, getting a diverse team is a bit easier. This does mean that the gym leader levels ramp up significantly in the second half of the game (Koga starts at level 40, and everyone after him is level 50) so grinding and finding the right move set makes the game a tougher experience. Grinding is necessary, especially in the later stages of the game, but I never found it to be too big of an issue. It’s just how RPGs were back in the day, and I kind of have to accept that as it was common back in the day.

It’s a tougher experience, but Pokémon Yellow is a very accessible game that anyone can pick and play today and enjoy. The inclusion of trading mechanics make them feel like time hasn’t changed all that much since 1999. Yellow is the most refined version of the Kanto experience, barring the GBA remakes, and has a Surfing Pikachu mini game. What more could you ask for? The story is kind of linear, but then again Pokémon has always been about the adventure and the charm, not so much dialogue and engaging characters. Pokémon Yellow has aged wonderfully since it’s release in 1999, and sets the tone for future Pokémon games with it’s pleasant atmosphere, charming music and addicting gameplay.