Pokemon Crystal, or specifically Gen 2, is what everyone claims to be one of the best games in the series next to Gen 5, and I can kinda see why now upon beating it. The game itself has made numerous quality of life changes 3 years after the first games came out. Things that I can remember are an exp bar underneath to specify how close your Pokemon is to levelling up, your map is now stored on your phone called the PokeGear, and the select button can be used as a hotfix for any key item set there like a bicycle.

Crystal added so many new features into this that would be added, or refined, in future installments. New types were added not present in gen 1, being the Steel and Dark types, more Pokemon to play with in the Johto region AND the Kanto region when you play the post game, a radio feature which...I found pointless, new Poke Balls to create in Azalea Town, and a day and night cycle which took the Game Boy's battery and turns it into a digital clock for exclusive Pokemon in the moning, day, or night. It was such a monumental moment for Pokemon as a whole.

But the game however is still a little braindead with its behaviour. Such as the fact you can still go overlevel your team before the first gym, dark types are semi stronger than steel, and certain special Poke Balls not working properly. Either way you slice it, it still makes Gen 2 a solid game to play though. But just like Gen 1, you're better off playing the remake on DS. Good luck finding a copy though just like the next generation I'm tackling.