These five Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal features allowed the sequels to evolve from one-off to true worldwide megahit, enduring even today

Pokemon Gold & Silver might be iconic now (alongside the revised and definitive Pokemon Crystal), but Game Freak's second generation of the monster catcher faced one of the hardest tasks of any Pokemon game – living up to the genuine global phenomenon that was Pokemon Red and Blue. The feeling of anticipation from a fan community that devoured the original games, plus the anime, card game, and beyond, was monumental. How can you improve on what, for many, already felt perfect?

Plenty of ways, of course – and we didn't know it until it was in our hands. Deeply innovative, Pokemon Gold & Silver didn't just refine and perfect what made the originals great for this second generation, they also defined what we come to expect from a Pokemon sequel even today. In some ways, this iteration even went beyond what's even possible on modern machines – who can forget that moment when you realize the Kanto region from the first gen is fully explorable? Even outside of that, Pokemon Gold & Silver brought plenty new to the table that ensured they'll always remain some of the best Pokemon games ever made, so join us as we count down the new features that cemented Pokemon's legacy for 30 years and counting.

5. Real-time clock

Having a real-time clock and a day/night cycle meant that you felt more involved with the world, whether you were hunting down Pokemon that only appeared on certain days, waking up early to fish for rare Corsola or evolving an Eevee to Espeon or Umbreon, Generation 2 made your real-life play time matter in-game, too.

4. Backwards compatibility

Because Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal added new stats and traits to Pokemon, trading something from your old game and seeing that it had a personality, or was holding an item, felt really special. It also meant none of your old collection was just sat around on a dusty, unused cart.

3. Held items

Whether you’re giving a Pokemon a berry to hold so that it heals itself in battle or a special item it can hold when you trade it to make it evolve into something different (like a Metal Coat), Generation 2 got creative by granting Pokemon the ability to hold items – and it’s a mechanic that’s persisted ever since.

2. Breeding

Who would have thought that an inconspicuous little house on Route 34 would be the start of a now-classic Pokemon mechanic? Whether you want to breed to get Shiny Pokemon, try for a ‘perfect stat’ monster, or simply want to put Ditto through its paces in order to get a baby Pokemon (like the iconic Pichu), the breeders had you covered.

1. PokeGear

Part watch, part personal assistant but all innovation, the PokeGear was a handy little gadget that allowed you to play the radio, check your map on a whim, or call up other Trainers in order to organise rematches. Each of these useful gimmicks would be upgraded and built on in future mainline games.