Johto is special. Anyone who grew up with a Game Boy Color knows that magical moment when you think the game is over, but then you realize Kanto is right there, waiting. It's a feeling modern games rarely replicate. When Nintendo finally brought Pokemon Gold Silver 3DS remake versions to the Virtual Console back in 2017, it wasn't just a nostalgia trip; it was a preservation miracle. People often confuse the 3DS Virtual Console releases with the DS remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, but they are entirely different beasts. The 3DS versions are the raw, pixel-perfect ports of the 1999/2000 classics, yet they added a layer of connectivity that changed how we look at the second generation of Pokemon forever.
Honestly, the term "remake" gets thrown around loosely. In this specific context, we’re talking about the digital re-releases on the Nintendo 3DS eShop that updated the communication protocols. Before these came out, your level 100 Tyranitar was stuck on a physical cartridge with a dying internal battery. If that battery died, your save was gone. Poof. Forever. By porting these to the 3DS, Game Freak gave us a bridge to the modern era.
The Technical Wizardry of the 3DS Port
Most people don't realize how hard it is to emulate the Game Boy Color’s infra-red port. Back in the day, Pokemon Gold and Silver used a physical IR sensor on the top of the cartridge for the "Mystery Gift" feature. When the Pokemon Gold Silver 3DS remake ports arrived, Nintendo had to bake that functionality into the 3DS wireless system. It sounds simple, but it's really not.
The most significant change was the implementation of the Time Capsule and Link Trade features. On the original hardware, you needed a physical link cable. On the 3DS, this was handled via local wireless. This meant you could finally trade with a friend sitting across the room without worrying about a cable jiggling loose and corrupting your data. More importantly, these versions were made compatible with Pokemon Bank. This was the first time in history that a Pokemon caught in 1999 (well, a digital recreation of it) could be moved forward to Pokemon Sun, Moon, Sword, and Shield.
It’s about the "Origin Mark." Pokemon transferred from the 3DS versions of Gold and Silver receive a special Game Boy icon in their status screen. This isn't just for show. Any Pokemon moved through this method is guaranteed to have its Hidden Ability if one is available. That’s a massive deal for competitive players who wanted a Lugia with Multiscale or a Ho-Oh with Regenerator.
Why the Virtual Console Versions Surpass the Original Hardware
Let's talk about the Celebi in the room.
For nearly two decades, getting a Celebi in the English versions of Pokemon Gold or Silver was basically impossible without cheating or attending a very specific physical event in the early 2000s. The "GS Ball" event was coded into the Japanese version of Pokemon Crystal, but it was stripped out of the Western releases. When the 3DS versions launched, Nintendo did something incredible. They restored the GS Ball event in the digital version of Pokemon Crystal.
This allowed players to actually hunt for a Shiny Celebi.
Imagine spending 40 hours soft-resetting on a handheld from 2011 to get a pink onion-fairy from a game made in 2000. It’s a specific kind of madness. But it’s beautiful. The 3DS hardware made this accessible. It’s the only legitimate way to get a Shiny Celebi with your own Trainer ID that can be moved into the modern Nintendo Switch games.
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The pixel density on the 3DS screen also helps. If you hold Start and Select while booting the game, it plays in its original resolution with a cute Game Boy Color border around the screen. It looks crisp. It looks right. Playing on a modern 4K TV via an emulator often makes the pixels look like a blurry mess, but the 3DS screen is just small enough to keep the art style intact.
The Internal Battery Problem
Every physical copy of Pokemon Gold, Silver, or Crystal is a ticking time bomb. These games used a CR2025 battery to power the internal clock. Because the second generation introduced a day/night cycle and days of the week, the battery is constantly draining, even when the power is off.
Once that battery dies, you can't save.
The Pokemon Gold Silver 3DS remake versions solved this by using flash memory. Your save file is safe as long as your 3DS SD card is functional. While the eShop has officially closed for new purchases, those who bought the games can still redownload them. This preservation is vital. We are seeing a shift where physical media is failing, and these digital ports are the only "official" way to experience the Johto region in its 8-bit glory without risking a hardware failure mid-game.
Misconceptions About the 3DS Johto Experience
A lot of gamers think the 3DS versions are just ROMs inside a wrapper. That's a bit of an oversimplification.
There were actual code changes. For instance, the move "Blizzard" had its animation toned down. In the original 1999 release, the flashing white screen was intense enough to potentially trigger photosensitive seizures. Nintendo edited the graphics in the 3DS port to be safer for modern audiences. They also fixed several game-breaking bugs that existed in the original localized versions, specifically surrounding how certain items interacted with the backpack's memory.
Another thing people get wrong is the "remake" vs "port" distinction. HeartGold and SoulSilver (the DS games) are full-blown remakes with 3D-ish graphics and updated mechanics. The 3DS Virtual Console games are the original 2D sprites. They aren't "better" or "worse"—they are a different experience. The 2D games have a faster pace. There’s no "saving a lot of data" pause every time you move a Pokemon in the PC. It’s snappy. It’s 1999 speed.
The Strategy for Modern Players
If you're lucky enough to have these games on your 3DS, you have a gold mine for the modern Pokemon ecosystem. The ability to farm "No Guard" Machamp or "Fissure" No Guard combinations (though mostly banned in official play, they are fun for casual matches) started here.
You should prioritize catching the legendary birds and dogs in the Pokemon Gold Silver 3DS remake because they come with three guaranteed "perfect" IVs (Individual Values) when transferred to Pokemon Bank. This makes them infinitely more viable for competitive play than the ones you’d catch on an actual Game Boy.
Don't ignore the "Coin Case" glitch either. While Nintendo patched some things, the core engine of the 2nd Gen games remains exploitable. You can actually use arbitrary code execution (ACE) in the 3DS versions to "create" items or change a Pokemon's shiny status. Because the 3DS treats the save data as legitimate, these Pokemon can often pass the legality checkers when being moved to the cloud. It's a gray area, sure, but for the hardcore community, it’s a playground of technical possibilities.
Moving Your Johto Team to the Switch
The process is a bit of a headache now that the eShop is defunct, but it still works for those who have the software. You need Poke Transporter and Pokemon Bank. You load your 2nd Gen save, open Poke Transporter, and move a box of Pokemon into Bank. From there, you can move them into Pokemon HOME on the Nintendo Switch.
This link is the only reason the Pokemon Gold Silver 3DS remake keyword stays relevant in 2026. Without the ability to move these creatures forward, they would just be isolated digital files. But because your Feraligatr from a "remake" port can fight a Miraidon in Pokemon Scarlet or Violet, the value remains astronomical.
Actionable Steps for Preservation
If you own these titles, back up your SD card data immediately. Use a PC to copy the "Nintendo 3DS" folder. Even though the files are encrypted to your specific console, having a backup of the raw data protects you against SD card corruption, which is common as these cards age.
Focus on completing the Pokedex in Pokemon Crystal specifically. Since it includes the Celebi event and the ability to get the Odd Egg (which has a 14% chance of being shiny), it is the definitive version of the 3DS Johto experience. Use the "Clone Glitch" involving the PC boxes and turning the power off during a save—it still works in the 3DS versions. This allows you to duplicate your Master Balls and Rare Candies, making the grind of a 20-year-old game much more bearable for a modern schedule.
Lastly, make sure your Pokemon Bank subscription is active or updated. While the service is currently free for those who had it, its future is uncertain. Moving your Johto collection to Pokemon HOME sooner rather than later is the only way to ensure your 3DS journey doesn't end when Nintendo eventually pulls the plug on the servers for good.