Pokémon Gold and Silver Getting Boxed 3DS Releases In Europe

Oh man. Me want.

Did the Red, Blue and Yellow virtual console games do this? It's cool and all, for people who like things on a shelf, but its just so random, especially if there's nothing else inside.

Maybe it's just me, but this sounds pointless. Most people who want to buy physical boxes, do so with the idea of owning the game itself. Merely sticking in a download code kinda defeats that purpose.

Guess I'll get them after all.

@MoonKnight7 Only in Japan.

so your paying for the download and a box!! why cant they put it on a cart?

I already own the original cart(s) on GBC.

I can't wait to see these ones being made available for triple the price of the digital download, and then being sold out before the majority of the potential buyers have even managed to find one from online stores. And then seeing eBay listings with double the original price.

Because hey, this is Nintendo with their "limited goods" we're talking about here.

So it's just a box?.... Nothing else?

These box-only gimmick is stupid. I hate it.

@LegacySmikey

Yeah, retail space is likely the reason why they did this. I don't think it would kill them to put a little collectors booklet inside or something though.

Without a physical cartridge, this just seems pointless to me. I'll probably get the download version if the Poke's have unique hidden abilities worth transferring to otherwise, I'm happy with my boxed Gameboy originals and the DS remakes.

I still have the box for HeartGold that came with the pokewalker (that thing was pretty fun) so I don't really need another box.

But why

Seeing that Pokemon Gold version box again is so nostalgic. I'd say after Smash Bros Brawl, Pokemon Gold/Sliver was the game I have been the most hyped for ever.

And unlike Brawl the hype was totally worth it too, Gen 2 Pokemon is still, in my eyes, the best Pokemon has ever been.

A copy of the original game manual (or a slightly updated version of it) would've gone a long way. People are are nostalgic for physical game manuals as it is, and it would have straddled the line between 'cheap to produce' and 'meaningful content' nicely.

If people are buying a box, they naturally want that box to have some contents. If they didn't, we wouldn't have the craze of 'unboxing' videos. We'd just have, 'let's sit and look quietly at the exterior of this box without opening it because we're not really interested in m what's inside it' videos. And we don't.

Actually that's a lie. Following that weird curfew with the Switch, there was that weird wave of "So we've got the box! ...but we're forbidden from actually opening it... so... yeah, here's a box" type videos. The 'non-boxing' videos.

But they were kind of painful. Like, "Here's a load of bubble-wrap, but we're not allowed to pop any of it. Sorry. So, err... please rate, comment and subscribe!".

What a waste of paper product, but if it'll sell with the collectors...

Sorry but this box is totally misleading users. If i didn't know any better (wasn't reading forums), just looking at the box i would probably buy it thinking its a 3ds version of pokemon gold/silver. It should say in big letters its the classic gameboy game.

It's one of those, for me: if it's the same price as buying digitally then sure, I wouldn't mind but there's no pull for the additional cost. Like many have said: Not even a booklet!

Surely they could see the value in putting both on one cartridge or even red/blue/yellow/gold/silver collection? No way that wouldn't justify it's cost to put out physical. Bet there would be an even bigger uptake than digital red/blue/yellow saw.

Practically zero effort for their dev team and there are plenty of low budget physical releases out there that manage fine.

Okay... it rated PEGI 12 for what ?

@Anti-Matter
Game Corner most likely.

Wonder how much extra they'll charge you for some cardboard? Bet they'll label it as a physical release in order to jack up the price, too.

@MoonKnight7 Not in the UK, but they did get their own 2DS console variants.

Is there at least some kind of memorabilia or manual in the box? Or is it just a box? Seems like a waste of paper.

I despise this trend of putting digital codes in the box. I want a physical copy please.

I agree. Box seems a bit excessive. Hopefully it includes more

Oh my...

Still got my original boxes. 😎
Um, that ages me quite a bit doesn't it. 😒

@Fandabidozi considering only adults saved their game boxes back then heh

I'd rather have a port of HeartGold and SoulSilver instead!

Get yours today! pay full price for a cardboard Box replica of a cardboard box that housed a game that came out almost 18 years ago. Is the game inside THIS NEW cardboard box? Saddly no, BUT what you DO get is even BETTER it's a piece of paper! But not just any piece of paper, it's a piece of paper with a serial code to download a digital copy of the game from the digital store.

Just go to a real store and wait in a real line to buy a real cardboard box with a real piece of paper to download a digital game from a digital store instantly with no need to wait in any lines.....
Are you sold yet?

@cowntsikin so you would be happier with digital only?

I appreciate the effort, but why add that ugly download code sticker on the front? If it was an exact copy of the original box, I could understand it, but why even bother with something that looks like this?

How utterly pointless. Who in their right mind collects empty boxes?

The Japanese versions come with a sticker book (shaped like a manual), a magnet (shaped like a GB cart) and a poster (shaped like a poster).

As well as the download code.

No extras for us?

Pointless, but as GSC are my favourite games ever, I NEED THIS.

Wouldn't buy just a box for any other game, but Gen 2 Pokemon is the best Gen of all time. Hopefully America gets these, but NOA is so upredictable who knows.

How about some instructions? Or a Johto map? Or something worth it?

I was actually really excited until I read "With a download code inside!". That's...super lame, what's the point?

@jswhitfield8 No, not really. Even if it does count, the people who keep up with the charts know about the games anyway. A simple YouTube trailer on Facebook raises more awareness.

@jswhitfield8 Well of course, it's all about store presence. But really, the game possibly showing up on the charts is probably the last reason why this happens. Most sales are going to be digital anyway.

I remember when I got Pokémon Silver. I never got a box with it though because we could never afford anything but second-hand games. It was the best game I had ever played and still holds a lot of nostalgia for me. If possible I would like to get the boxed version. Maybe I can even modify it and put my original Pokémon Silver cartridge in there.

@MoonKnight7 Kinda, as 2DS Edition consoles. While they used the box art the Japanese boxes looked like giant boxes of the original games.

That big yellow "DOWNLOAD CODE" label is incredibly off putting.

@Meowpheel I was like 9 and I saved my boxes.

@FX102A That would make more sense.

At least Sonic Mania gave away a little action figure. That's the way to do it.

@MoonKnight7 The Japanese versions of Red, Blue, Green and Yellow also got a boxed version. The box included a download code of course, but it also came with a small kanto map, a little booklet (sort of) describing the 3 starter pokemon (not sure if yellow had this with pikachu instead) AND a really neat gameboy cartridge (of said game) magnet.

Found you a pic the boxes and content, so check the links.
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/yudiyudi/imgs/a/9/a91c375c.jpg
http://pm1.narvii.com/5914/16a844d0eb52fa42c4b44b12da1c51eb1502ff78_hq.jpg

@Octane because without the sticker you'd have even more people buying the box thinking it's something else and then complaining and demaning stuff when they realize it isn't.

Even with the sticker, you'll have a few.

@ShadJV you were a tiny adult.

It would be cool if they put all 5 games on a 3ds cart. I'd buy that.

These are totally unnecessary, so obviously I must have them.

But... why?
It would have been so rad to have actually carts.

@Ogo79: Boexes! Get your overpriced Pokemon boexes here!

On a serious note, why go to all this trouble to make a box and not manufacture an actual 3DS cartridge? If that were the case (and if this were to happen in the States), I may have grabbed a physical copy.

@TsukiDeity

Thanks for the info. I'm personally not interested, but I hope others who buy it get similar things inside.

@Azikira They need that big yellow bit for the idiots who don't understand what they are buying.

Who needs a game in the box when you've got "imaginaaaaation?"

@Meowpheel I wish I would have saved more SNES in particular boxes, but at least starting with PS1 and what not you got the disc in it's box basically unless you are one of those people that just put them into a big sleeved case /shudders.

I wouldn't mind the idea of a digital code in a box, but the fact that the Japanese version has a sticker book shaped like the manual, a poster, and a fridge magnet that looks like the cart, makes me hope we get something like that rather than a box with just a code and not to mention it be confirmed for a North American release.

it'll cost more than the eshop release so why bother?

@Trikeboy I know I know, but still. I kind of wish it was just a sticker on the outer plastic wrap, so we could take that hideous thing off.

So I pay money for a piece of cardboard and a game code. Only Nintendo.

Shame I want Crystal.

Just an empty box? Why not include something neat? Even printing up a promo TCG card would be nice.

Damn that title!

Lol pay me 20 bucks and I can get u a box with a Pokemon picture on it... With special "Nintendo " air in it also LMAO.

Glad i still got the original box in my shelf, still a cool thing, and i would've bought it if i didn't.

So... are there any other goodies inside the box to justify the fact that it's 2-3 times thicker than a standard 3DS case?!

@Daezara same! Unfortunately the battery's long dead, so my beautiful Dragonite now belongs to the ages.

@RaizenPrime Why not wait until we know for sure? The Japanese release comes with some goodies. Could be the case in Europe as well.

Probably pick this up

I've played red and yellow ruby y and moon but never gold or silver so looking forward to it.

I still have my boxed copy of HeartGold with Pokéwalker and manual, that was such a good time in 2010 for younger me. ;-; I'm not sure how much fun there is to be had with a box with only a download code...

Help me understand who would want this? Is an empty box on a shelf some sort of benefit?

@Shane76 Hah! Did not expect to see a Dethklok reference on this site. Also, I have massive nostalgia for these two games and I still think this is the dumbest thing ever.

This box needs something else than a code to get me exited. I might get the digital (even tho I have the originals and the remakes both complete). But if this box would have a map, a reprinted manual from the original, or maybe a pokedex booklet then It would be cool. Or if it's cheap enough I might consider.

This would be awesome, but... Well come on. The Switch NEEDS some retro ports anyways. Why not give it to both?

This reminds me....I wonder how much Pokémon RBY have sold on VC. They were at 1.5 million as of March 31st but considering at least 1 version(often multiple) have remained near constantly in the top 20(with yellow usually being in the top 5 except during big sales) worldwide....porbobaly a lot more now.

Pointless.

why not put the game in a cartridge as well? Many people would go crazy for that even if price is a little higher.

@scamander I'm not writing this off. I might even get this. It is, after all, a neat box.

Besides, I was considering downloading at least one of them, anyway. The download code might be a sufficient selling point.

@Tyranexx
lol i was just thinking about boexes

Where's the sense in that?

@manu0 yeah. Might as well not bother at all with this.

@MoonKnight7 I just love the magnets! Super cool!

Dang it nintendo! you done it again giving Europe all the good stuff! but still love G/S/C

wow, its coming out on my birthday, heck yeah!

any word on a north american release though?

You can buy paper inserts and put your original cart inside which I imagine a lot of people might do since most likely younger gamers back then will have unknowingly threw their box away.