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Pokémon: Red, Green (J) & Blue Versions (https://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/GB-GBC/index.htm#PokemonRedVersion)
For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to RyuMaster's and KeyBlade999's Pokémon: Red, Green (J) & Blue Versions (Game Boy) maps.
Pokémon, the original "catch 'em all" game series, turns 20 years old this month! The original games, Pokémon: Red Version and Pokémon: Green Version came out in Japan on February 27, 1996 for the original Game Boy. It would still be another two years and seven months until Pokémon comes to North America as Red and Blue at the end of September 1998. In any case, it's been a long time, so if you remember playing the original games at the start of "Pokémania", well, you probably feel old right about now. And if you haven't, Nintendo is rereleasing the original games for the 3DS!
Back then there was only one region and only 151 Pokémon (not like the 721 there are now, most with two different genders, and some with different "formes" and variations). But among all the Pokémon that exist, the first 151 species are often regarded as the most popular ones. And this is where it all began!
The Maps Of The Month honour goes to both RyuMaster and KeyBlade999, but it should be noted that these are two separate mapping efforts. RyuMaster mapped the game using the original monochromatic scheme but unobscured, and KeyBlade999 mapped them as coloured with lots of annotation. Both are good map sets on their own merits. Though as stated, they didn't work together, but if they did, it would fitting as it's just like playing the games...always nice to have a friend with another version!
So to recognize the effort put into mapping 'em all, RyuMaster's and KeyBlade999's Pokémon: Red, Green (J) & Blue Versions (Game Boy) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for February 2016.