If you've just picked up a DS or 3DS and you're wondering what to play first — this is it. Pokémon SoulSilver. No hesitation.
But let me tell you how I actually discovered this game, because the story is kind of ridiculous.
THE FAKE CART INCIDENT
I wanted SoulSilver so badly as a kid that I went and bought it on eBay myself. Big mistake. Turns out it was a bootleg cartridge. I got through choosing my starter — Totodile, obviously — and the game just... froze. Every single time. Right after the starter selection. It would not go further.
I was gutted. But I wanted this game badly enough to ask my parents to buy me a real copy, which I probably should have done from the start. And when that legitimate cartridge arrived and actually worked? That feeling of finally getting past the starter screen and into Johto was incredible.
WHY IT'S THE ONE
SoulSilver became my constant companion. I brought it on every car trip. I brought it to all my sports tournaments. I would sit there between games grinding my team at the Elite Four. That's where I got my first ever Level 100 Pokémon — Mewtwo. I can still remember the moment it happened.
💡 Pro tip: SoulSilver comes with a Pokéwalker pedometer accessory in the original box — but loose cartridges work perfectly fine and are much more affordable. Just make sure you buy from a trusted seller (learn from my mistakes).
What makes SoulSilver special isn't just nostalgia — it's genuinely one of the best-designed Pokémon games ever made. You get the full Johto region, and then the game opens up Kanto as a second region. It's essentially two games in one. The sprite work is beautiful, the music is incredible, and your lead Pokémon walks behind you on the overworld. It's the complete package.
If you just bought a DS from me and you're looking at your empty cartridge slot wondering where to start — start here. You won't regret it.