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As the saying goes: You never forget your first. No, I'm not referring to George Washington's autobiography. I'm referring to our first experiences, be it love, job, car, or house, to name a few. And for me, Leaf Green was my first foray into the gaming world of Pokemon (as I've previously mentioned here). Don’t worry, this is more reminiscing and somewhat of a review - of which I feel I am entitled to, having registered over 500 hours of gameplay – and not a life lesson involving hatchets, cherry trees, and integrity. Whenever I see this image, I can hear the intro music in my head Leaf Green was released in 2004 (alongside its counterpart Fire Red) as GBA remakes of the 1996 Red and Blue versions, so it only seemed fitting that I also started out in the Kanto region like so many others before me. I believe it was my fascination of the ocean that swayed nine-year old me to pick Squirtle as my starter, thus kickstarting a love for the Water type (every other first playthrough of future games saw me pick the water starter with zero hesitation). And boy was the game fun. Picking a water type made the first gym a breeze (sorry Brock, Water Gun triumphs Rock Tomb) although I did lose my bearings in Mt Moon for a bit. I faced my first real test in Cerulean City, where Wartortle didn't fair too well against Misty's water types. However, the Pikachu I caught in Viridian Forest came in clutch. It was also here where I had my first real taste of capitalism, with the bicycle shop owner asking for a million Pokedollars for one of his two-wheelers. Blasphemy. Nine-year old me really wanted to join Team Rocket, but I reckon the data size and work required to script a whole new ending for the GBA game made it untenable. Still, glad (I'm being sardonic) to see Gamefreak has continued the "illusion of choice" farce in Legends: Z-A, because I really wanted an autograph from Canari It was also here where I came oh-so close to being a full-fledged Team Rocket member (Nugget Bridge, directly above Cerulean City), although it was just an illusion of choice (much like most of the dialogue and options in Legends: Z-A). I also helped out Bill at his cottage in Cerulean Cape and met the nice Day-Care couple on Route 5, who I unwittingly left one of my Pokemon with and promptly forgot until long after I became the Kanto champion. By then, I handed over 6,700 Pokedollars and got back my Level 73 Kakuna. Talk about getting too big for its boots, or in this case, exoskeleton. And so, my Kanto journey continued. I discovered Pokemon abilities the hard way (Dugtrio's Magnitude attack doing nish against Gastly thanks to Levitate), realised the importance of having a team that can dish it out against all types (I struggled against Sabrina's psychic attacks), and exercised patience (Seafoam Island's boulder puzzle was a little too much for nine-year old me). But the part I most enjoyed about Leaf Green? The post-game. You're a real one if you can name the islands based on their map layout, including the two "green" ones As previously mentioned, I have a soft spot for the ocean. That includes beaches, islands, reefs, etc. And the Sevii Islands were absolutely beautiful, to say the least. Gamefreak gave us a small taste when, after defeating Blaine, Bill takes us over to see his buddy Celio on One Island, where we subsequently gain access to Two and Three Island, chasing off a rogue biker gang and saving Lostelle from Hypno's paralysing gaze. And if you thought that was it, you're dead wrong. Upon defeating the Elite Four, Celio requests your help to find the Ruby and Sapphire (only if you have the National Dex), a reference to the GBA games released in 2003, but also to open up trading with Lanette in the Hoenn region. And so begins a chase that starts from One Island, where you discover remnants of Team Rocket attempting to steal the Ruby from a cave. Beat them, grab the shiny rock, and give it to Celio. However, the Sapphire is still out there, so Celio upgrades your Tri-Pass to a Rainbow Pass, giving you access to islands Four, Five, Six, and Seven. Four Island's BGM is a remix of the music used for Azalea Town and Blackthorne City, one of many post-game references to Johto Head over to Four Island, where one of my all-time favourite Pokemon BGM starts to play. Seriously, I once came here and left my Nintendo DS on for two hours just to hear the music (this was before smartphones and almost every household having access to the internet or a computer). A little sidetrack: I also love the BGM from Hoenn's Sootopolis City, Sinnoh's Eterna Forest, and Mystery Dungeon's Great Canyon. Wait, where was I? Right, Four Island. Soon, you find out that this is where Lorelei of the Elite Four lives. She's currently battling Team Rocket members – there to capture Pokemon for nefarious intentions – in the depths of Icefall Cave (you can also catch Sneasel here). Fight alongside her and defeat the grunts, who reveals that the Pokemon they caught are in the Rocket Warehouse on Five Island. The grunt then gives you one half of the password to the warehouse, proclaiming that you’ll never figure out the second half, and runs off with his lackeys. Exchange pleasantries with Lorelei and head back to the docks for your next destination. Five Island kind of feels like a vacation, with minimal battling, chill BGMs, and a poignant tribute to a beloved Onix One quick boat trip later, and you step onto the docks of Five Island. Surf is the main form of travel here, as there are a series of smaller islands dotted around. On one, a Pokemon Breeder gives you a mysterious egg, which hatches into Togepi. Rescue Lady Selphy from the Lost Cave and speak to her daily at her Resort Gorgeous villa for a chance to attain valuable rewards. And don’t forget to pay your respects at the Memorial Pillar, where a trainer's Onix, affectionately nicknamed Tectonix, lies. But this isn't where the Sapphire is located, so off you pop to Six Island. Six Island is pretty large, split into two halves and separated by water. The top half will take you through Water Path, Pattern Bush (where you can catch Heracross), and finally Altering Cave on Outcast Island, which only offers up wild Zubat. Pretty anticlimactic, right? Well, the wild spawns were officially meant to be altered via Mystery Gift, which would allow Johto-exclusive Pokemon like Houndour, Pineco, and Shuckle to be caught. Sadly, this data was never distributed. Ruin Valley sorta feels like a trip back into time, and true to its name, ruin-loving Pokemon like Natu call the place home The bottom half of Six Island contains the next part of the post-game progression: A long, sprawling canyon named Ruin Valley. And just like the other islands, Johto Pokemon can also be caught here, such as Natu and the iconic Wobbuffet. Make your way to the centre, where the Dotted Hole is located. Find another reference to the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald GBA games here, as the entrance to the door is closed, with a three-letter word in braille plastered on the front door. Fortunately, it's a quick deciphering job, and you’re on your way down. Reach the bottom to find the Sapphire, but before you can do anything, a scientist appears and steals it with the intention of selling it to Team Rocket. He mocks you and gives you the second half of the warehouse password, proclaiming that you’ll never figure out the first half. Now where have I heard that before? He takes off, and now, armed with the full password, you're ready to kick Team Rocket’s behind once again. "Passwords at the ready" - Professor Oakgonagall Back you go to Five Island, where you're now able to unlock the door to the warehouse. And just like Team Rocket's hideout underneath Celadon City's Game Corner, there's a conveyor belt puzzle. Once you've figured it out, defeat the scientist who stole your Sapphire and take it back. He’ll also see your Earth badge, realise that you've defeated Giovanni, and disband Team Rocket's Sevii branch for good, vowing to rebuild the organisation and return one day. Since that's that for the post-game main quest, one can only assume that he failed. So where does that leave Seven Island? Well, if you're a fan of battling, you've found your home. Kanto's Trainer Tower is located in the upper section of the island, a short walk from the jetty. But if you want to do more side quests and get your hands on one of the most sought after Pokemon from Johto (Clue: Its final evolution has the Sand Stream ability), head down towards the Sevault Canyon. This place is littered with trainers carrying the highest level of Pokemon you can find anywhere else in the game (bar the Elite Four, obviously) and itching to battle, which makes it – combined with the VS Seeker's rematch capabilities – the best place to train up your Pokemon in preparation for the post-game Elite Four grind (The levels of the Elite Four's teams have gone up by at least 10, some with evolutions like Bruno's Onix to Steelix, so its not as easy as the first time). Will you test your mettle at the Trainer Tower or head towards Sevault Canyon to hunt for one of Johto's fan-favourites with a 5% encounter rate? No cap, I’ve spent much of my post-game journey here, getting my team to a high-enough level to then grind at the post-game Elite Four for that coveted Level 100 status, that I reckon I'd be able to name every single Pokemon that every single trainer in the canyon has. Nine-year old me actually found this puzzle pretty straightforward and simple This is also where you find the Tanoby Key, which is a key-shaped cave (duh) with boulders beside open holes in the ground. The obvious answer is to push them in, after which the ground rumbles and the distant sound of something unlocking can be heard. Make your way further down and reach a stretch of water that houses seven individual caves, known as the Tanoby Ruins. It is here where you can find all 28 iterations of the Unown Pokemon, and if you've done it in ascending order, the final side quest of Fire Red and Leaf Green's post-game content. The Pokemon Adventures manga bring a fresh perspective to the relatively tame games. Series 1 through 30 mostly covers Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, so for gamers who are still very much in love with the older regions (I don't blame you because girl same), give it a read if you haven't yet The Pokemon Adventures story also features the Sevii Islands, but the plot plays out very differently. I suggest you give it a read (you should be able to find PDF copies online) if you want a bit more drama than the main games are able to provide. And while I do agree that Emerald is the overall best out of all the GBA games, the Fire Red and Leaf Green remakes have done Kanto justice, especially with its post-game content. But if you ask me what's the best remake overall? Heart Gold and Soul Silver, hands down. That's a story for another day. ~ Fremont (Images from Nintendo Life, Archive.org, YouTube, Twitter, Bulbapedia, PokeDream, and Pokemon Wiki)

For us 90s babies, the Holy Trinity of Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network formed a big part of our childhood. The internet was just about coming into fruition, with the rise of a plethora of websites with numerous entertaining flash games and of course, the early days of YouTube. And though those things have come and gone, one thing in my life remained constant: My love for Pokemon. I first got into Pokemon 20 years ago, and I remember exactly how it went down. Let me set the scene: My friends and I were sitting on the staircase steps of the corridor leading to the school hall in our primary school. It was a sunny afternoon in 2005. That year was pretty much life-changing for me: I got my own computer, got cable for the first time (goodbye Kids Central, hello Holy Trinity), and as per the story goes – got into Pokemon. My friend showed me a few Pokemon trading cards he had. I don’t exactly remember what they were, but I remembered I wanted to start collecting too, just to be a part of the trend. Spoiler alert: no regrets. You couldn't pay me enough to sell my childhood collection. It would be like losing a huge part of me. And thus began my foray into the hobby. I got my dad to buy me a Nintendo DS and my very first Pokemon game: Leaf Green (yes I know, I was late to the game). I begged and begged for him to buy me Pokemon cards. I saved up my allowance to grab the pre-built decks (I remember they were going for about $18.90) just for the EX chase cards. And slowly, my passion for the hobby grew. A year later, I had a binder full of amazing cards and all five GBA games for the Pokemon series (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Leaf Green, Fire Red), all of which I still have with me today. Throw away a huge part of my adolescence? Blasphemy. Perish the thought. I stopped collecting the cards in 2007, although I still played the games. I got the Diamond and Pearl versions for the DS, but as a growing child, my focus quickly shifted to other games such as Counter Strike, Blackshot, and Soldier Front (you’re an OG if you remember this). However, Pokemon still remained a big, big part of me. I replayed the GBA games, I tried to get all my favourite Pokemon to Level 100, I beat the Elite Four over and over again just to try and hit personal milestones. The passion may have withered, but it never died. They're all still working perfectly. Fun fact: I've logged over 500 man hours on Leaf Green alone. But my passion ignited again in December 2023. My mum wanted to get me a Christmas present, so she asked what I wanted. I thought about it for a while, before deciding on a Nintendo Switch. And obviously there was only one game series I wanted to start with. With Eevee being my favourite Pokemon and Blastoise (Squirtle was my first ever starter) coming a close second, I chose Let’s Go, Eevee! as my first Pokemon console game in 16 years. And suddenly, the memories came flooding back. The wave of nostalgia hit like a truck. I felt like a kid again, carrying a handheld gaming console around and playing Pokemon on it. Back like I never left. And of course I had to buy the classic remakes first. I practically grew up on them. And so began the revival of a passion that just took an extended break. Mystery Dungeon came next (the remake of the DS game I also played 16 years back), with Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet following shortly after. I was back, I was hooked, and now I have adult money to fulfil the yearnings my inner kid never got to. Still, I didn’t think I’d get back into the trading card game (TCG), until the Twilight Masquerade (TWM) set dropped in May 2024. It featured a specialised Eevee artwork (known as an Illustrated Rare) and immediately I knew I had to have it. Out of impulse, I went down to the Pokemon Centre at Jewel and got myself a TWM booster box to try and pull it myself. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. But again, ripping the packs after almost two decades brought me back to my nine-year-old self ripping booster packs for the first time and getting so excited at whatever I manage to get, caring not for the rarity or the price, but because I pulled it myself. And so, I fell back in love with the TCG hobby. A year later. The binder purely contains Eevee singles, all different variations from different sets. The goal is to fill up all 360 slots. Slowly, but surely. Fast forward ten months. Yes, I managed to get the Eevee card I mentioned. And the Japanese version too. Oh, and both English and Japanese versions in PSA10 slabs too. Along with a binder with different Eevee cards. And numerous other Eevees in PSA10 slabs. Alongside other cards ranging from Full Arts to Special Illustrated Rares. I may have dropped quite a number of greenbacks on this hobby, but at the end of the day, what matters most is my happiness and the healing of my inner child. I’m going full geek but I don’t give a damn. I’m back, baby! ~ Fremont (Images by Fremont Seow, Facebook)

Writing about a gaming device... you would be thinking that I must be quite the gamer. However, the reality is quite the contrary. Being a car guy through and through, even the games that I play are predominantly driving or racing ones. That said, there are other games that I've enjoyed from young - from the Pokemon titles on Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance to the RPG games on Playstation 2 (PS2) and rhythm games such as DJ Max on the Playstation Portable (PSP), these were the games that kept me occupied during my childhood and teenage years. And it is why I ended up buying the device you see here - the Retroid Pocket 3+! So, what is the Retroid Pocket 3+? It is an android-powered handheld console that is relatively affordable, and is made predominantly for running emulators. You see, software developers and retro game aficionados quickly realised that the powerful Android mobile devices could be made to run emulator software, which would allow you to emulate retro console games. In the past, you would require a proper gaming PC to run Playstation 2 games. However, mobile hardware has became powerful enough to do so these days. But there still presents a serious issue - your powerful smartphone does not have physical buttons and analog sticks for an enjoyable gaming experience. And this is where the a device such as the Retroid Pocket 3+ comes in - it looks like a smaller Nintendo Switch lite, and it has all the buttons you'll need for retro gaming. While it's hardware isn't able to run all Playstation 2 games smoothly, it is still able to handle quite a fair bit. And the best part is that it isn't prohibitively expensive! Being an Android device means that it will run many native Android applications and games, such as the Grand Theft Auto 3/Vice City/San Andreas trilogy (these were originally PS2 games!). Of course, you can also run apps such as Youtube and other media players (sadly Netflix isn't supported), which means that it'll double up as a media player as well. But you don't really buy one of these to play Android games, it really is in its element when you are a fan of retro games. Want to play Pokemon? You'll be glad to know that Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance emulation are easily achievable by almost any hardware these days. In fact, the Retroid Pocket 3+ will even run some Nintendo 3DS games! The most amazing thing about retro game emulation is the fact that I can now play my favourite home-console title on the go. Youngsters these days probably wouldn't be able to understand it as they are well too familiar with the capabilities of the smart devices in recent times. But in the early 2000s, where the PS2 was the most advanced console in the market, we had to set up the console, connect it to the TV, and play these games with wired controllers. But now, I can play my favourite PS2 JRPG game on the go. I don't even have to be made to play till I find a save point (RPG gamers would understand...) - the emulator comes with a save-state function that allow you to start the game from the exact point as and when you want to. With these functions, you can really enjoy the flexibility - drove 5 out of 10 laps in Gran Turismo and you feel like taking a break? Sure, just create a save-state, and pick it up again when you want to. It's kind of funny how I chanced upon this device - I was actually contemplating the repair of my old PSP for nostalgia sake, then I read about how such devices can not only emulate the PSP smoothly at upscaled resolution, resulting in sharper images, but also capable of much more. I've since gotten the Retroid Pocket 3+ and never looked back. The portability of the device also made it an excellent travel buddy. Being so easy to pick up and just start gaming, I've spent countless hours on it since the day I received it. My only gripe is that the Retroid Pocket 3+ could be a little more powerful, as it has some trouble running quite a fair bit of PS2 titles among others. That said, the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro packing almost twice the performance of the 3+ was recently announced, and I am contemplating getting it.... Are you also into gaming or retro gaming? Feel free to share your thoughts and recommendations! If you aren't familiar with retro gaming, but would like to get something after reading this post of mine, feel free to comment as well, I would be happy to share what I know with you! - Zhi Xuan

Hi all,any idea where can find shop dat trade-in older version of Gameboy Advance SP for the newer version of Gameboy DS (dual screen)? There used 2 be a shop in clementi central dat does dat trading, but the shop close down due upgrading. Understand they had another shop in Yishun but dun knoe where leh? Any help here? Or any shop dat u guys knoe around yr neighbour hood does this kinda trading? TQ!!!