Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Full Comparison

The Pokémon series is interesting, as it is constantly evolving without ever truly changing the core formula that long-time fans know and love. That said, each release has its own perks and downsides, which are usually a product of the time that the game was released.

To track this change, we’re going to be comparing two releases from the franchise, Pokémon Sword & Shield and HeartGold & SoulSilver, tracking which is still worth picking up in 2023!

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Release Year and Platforms

Pokémon Sword & Shield were released in 2019, marking the beginning of Generation VIII. After the previous Generation was released for the Nintendo DS, Pokémon Sword & Shield marked the first time a mainline release had come to the Nintendo Switch. This was a seismic shift in direction for the franchise, as Pokémon had typically been a mobile series in years gone by.

In 2009, Game Freak released Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver, remakes of Generation II’s Gold & Silver for the Nintendo DS. Despite coming three years after the release of Generation IV’s Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, they are considered to be the same Generation. Even a glance at the remakes shows just how much of a visual improvement they are over Pokémon Gold & Silver.

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Sales

As of 2023, Pokémon Sword & Shield sit at 25.9 million copies sold. Only Pokémon Red, Green & Blue have sold more in the entire series. There is no greater endorsement of the enduring popularity of Pokémon, that a release in the franchise can still put up these types of numbers.

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver have sold over 12.7 million copies. In terms of remakes in the franchise, these releases are on the lower end of the sales spectrum, only eclipsing FireRed & LeafGreen at 12 million sales. Still, Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver aren’t exactly a failure – they’re still the sort of numbers most franchises can only dream of.

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Available Pokémon

As the start of Generation VIII, Pokémon Sword & Shield introduced a fun variety of new Pokémon for you to meet and catch. There are a lot of new designs on show in these new releases. However, some gamers believe that Generation VIII suffers from a drought of fresh ideas, and the designs suffer as a result. With a series as long-running as Pokémon, this sort of slump is inevitable at some point. This Generation did bring Dynamax and Gigantamax evolutions to the table, temporary changes to Pokémon that give them new powers for you to use while in battle.

Meanwhile, Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver use the exact same Pokédex as Gold & Silver. These games benefit from the Pokémon being designed when the franchise was still new and fresh. As a result, they don’t feel bloated in any way, which definitely became an issue in the later titles.

Here are all the new Pokémon in the Pokédexes of Pokémon Sword & Shield and HeartGold & SoulSilver:

Sword & Shield Pokémon

HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokémon

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Main Characters

You play as protagonist Gloria or Victor in Pokémon Sword & Shield. At the beginning of the game, you’re given a choice between the two, with the option to fully customize them. You can even go back and change their appearance later if you like, which is a great RPG mechanic to have in the game. Comparatively, you also get a choice of protagonist between Ethan and Lyra in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver. However, they’re not customizable in any way, which is a huge shame.

As the Pokémon series has progressed, it has become more story-focused with every release. Nothing makes this clear than taking a look at the side characters in Pokémon Sword & Shield and HeartGold & SoulSilver. Pokémon Sword & Shield features a large cast of characters. Your rival, Hop provides a challenge throughout the entire game. Then, there’s Professor Magnolia, alongside his assistant Sonia. The chairman of the Pokémon League is introduced as Rose, and Champion of Galar Leon also plays a supporting role. That isn’t even discussing Bede, Marnie, and Team Yell, who take the role of the game’s antagonists. Pokémon Sword & Shield really cares about telling a deep story, which is made clear by its supporting cast.

Meanwhile, Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver has the same side characters as the original Gold & Silver. Silver is there as your rival, serving the same purpose as Hop in Sword & Shield. Similarly, Professor Elm starts off your grand adventure in the way that Professor Magnolia does in the later release. Beyond that though, there really isn’t anyone of note to discuss. This is just one area where Pokémon Sword & Shield really excel over older releases.

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Pros and Cons

Pokémon Sword & Shield Pros

• Exploration is more rewarding than ever
• Character customization is great
• Cooperative Raids
• The Wild Area is a great addition
• Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon bring new life to old designs
• Poké Jobs are a great RPG mechanic
• Regional forms of older Pokémon are extremely interesting to see
• Plenty of additions in the new Generation of Pokémon
• The Champion Cup is a good change of pace from the Elite Four

Pokémon Sword & Shield Cons

• The decision to remove a lot of older Pokémon from the game was bizarre
• Restricted Pokédex holds back the entire game’s scale

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Pros

• Much improved graphics
• Small amount of new locations
• First Pokémon in your party can follow you
• New minigame titled Pokéathlon allows you to compete in events
• Can battle with players in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl & Platinum
• New TMs
• Can trade with Pokémon Diamond, Pearl & Platinum to receive Generation III and IV Pokémon
• Can rematch the Elite Four

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver Cons

• Runs slightly slower due to larger scale

In this particular instance, it’s so hard to decide between the titles. Pokémon is a series that has generally gotten better with time, but these releases just have so many individual qualities that it’s impossible to choose. Rest assured that whether you pick up the more modern Pokémon Sword & Shield or the older HeartGold & SoulSilver, you’re going to have a great time regardless.

Pokémon Sword & Shield vs. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver: The Final Details

We’ve already discussed a lot about Pokémon Sword & Shield and HeartGold & SoulSilver, but there are still some final points for comparison.

We’ve got to discuss the different regions featured in Pokémon Sword & Shield and Sword & Shield. In Pokémon Sword & Shield, you’re sent on an adventure through the Galar region, which resembles Great Britain. This was a location never before explored in the franchise, giving Sword & Shield its own unique look. Meanwhile, HeartGold & SoulSilver take place primarily in Johto, which takes its inspiration from various Japanese regions. Many of the earlier games in the series take very similar inspiration, which makes a lot of their locations look very similar.

The next major detail we must discuss is the gym leaders. This staple of the series was taken out in Pokémon Sun & Moon, however, they quickly came back for Pokémon Sword & Shield. These battles are mainly used to track how well-leveled your team is throughout the game, so it’s important that they’re featured to some degree. Of course, Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver have them too – here are all the gym leader battles you’ll find in these games:

Pokémon Sword & Shield Gym Leaders

HeartGold & SoulSilver Johto Gym Leaders

After you’ve beaten the Elite Four in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver, you get to travel to the Kanto region first featured in Pokémon Red, Green & Blue. This opens up an entirely new portion of the game, with eight more gym leaders to beat, too. You’ll recognize most of these from the original games:

HeartGold & SoulSilver Kanto Gym Leaders

Pokémon Sword & Shield takes a large change in direction for the franchise with the Champion Cup. Typically, Pokémon games finish with a battle against the Elite Four. Pokémon Sword & Shield change this up with a tournament format. This effectively means you have more battles than you would against the Elite Four.

Here are the opponents you’ll come across during the Champion Cup in Pokémon Sword & Shield:

Pokémon Sword & Shield Champion Cup

Meanwhile, HeartGold & SoulSilver use the more traditional Elite Four as endgame bosses. These battles will cement your place in the game as a Pokémon Master, if you can progress through the increasingly difficult bosses. These are the first set of Elite Four bosses in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver:

HeartGold & SoulSilver Elite Four

Once you’ve beaten the Elite Four in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver, you actually have the option to go back and beat them again. It’s a unique feature that many of the other games in the franchise don’t have, and it’s interesting because some of the Pokémon you face are actually different the second time around. Here are the replayable Elite Four Battles in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver:

HeartGold & SoulSilver Elite Four Round Two

We’ve covered just about everything you need to know when comparing Pokémon Sword & Shield against HeartGold & SoulSilver. As we mentioned earlier, these games are just too difficult to separate. All of them still play great in 2023, so you can be safe in the knowledge that you’ll have a great time no matter which title you pick up.