Written by Matt Swider  on December 02, 2001

Accessories: Ash caught Pokemon PelicanЕAsh has now beat the game.

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After receiving a copy of Pokemon Crystal, reviewing the game wasn't exactly the most joyous assignment given to some one that doesn't fit into the little kids category anymore. Alas, feeling the need to complete the game even though I already finished the Red and Yellow versions, I worked extended hours on the title just to complete the entire epic for its review. Not long after, comes Monster Brain for Pokemon from Pelican, an instant cheat device for every version of Pokemon currently available. Lucky me. Of course, I wouldn't have used the accessory in reviewing the game, as it could tamper with my thoughts on the game, so it may have been a blessing it arrived while I was doing so.

No doubt that the marketing of Pokemon titles is geared toward a much younger audience, and in turn, they love it. However when a child plays and becomes stuck at a certain point unable to progress, things usually end up never being played again, or they will request the help of a parent or friend who has expansion knowledge of videogames. Well, fear not Mom and Dad, you've been replacedЧin that area of assistant anyways.

Much like the recent GameShark for Game Boy Advance is designed, Monster Brain uses the same basic setup. Once the device is in the GBA, the game pak is then plugged into the end of Monster Brain, which is jutting out the system. It's a pretty simple concept used by a couple different available accessories through the Game Boy years.

Placing Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, or Crystal carts in Monster Brain will take you to a menu with options including Start Game, Colorizer, Blast Off, Editor, and Memory. While certain names seem self-explanatory, the use of the rest can be clarified in the directionsЧif you decide to read them.

The editor is the main function of Monster Brain. Opening it will provide ways to manipulate the game with the ability to change the names of characters and monsters, increase your cash, time and badges, as well as access new items and Pokemon, which included the hard to catch rare ones. So, if you've missed a one-time only Pokemon, then you're in luck here. Saving the changes after exiting this menu will allow you to return to those exact stats even when the game is turned off. It also delivers a bit of humor when the editor changes are saved, displaying the message: Matt saved the game!

Another key modification to the game is held within the memory menu, where you can backup and restore games from the pak. Seeing how all the versions of Pokemon include a single save file, this is a much-needed option where Monster Brain definitely comes through.

The last couple enhancements that Monster Brain offers have to deal with clearing the kinks within the games, especially the older versions of Pokemon. First, the option to speed the game up will help save even more time of slightly progressing through this now condensed epic. The other is a colorizing feature that proves very interesting for these games as well as other non-Pokemon related titles for Game Boy. Various color palettes can be chosen to match your taste, giving extra magic to the game in whole. While there may be a little confusing on how to use the colorizer button, it won't take the average person more than a minute to work things out and have it running up to speed.

It's no doubt that Monster Brain offers a vast amount of accessible changes for every Pokemon adventure on the market, however this product is suited for certain people at current proposed price of $30; one's who are extreme Pokemon fans who can't live without enhancing the game just a little bit more, and the others who just can't seem to catch Сem all. If you happen to be a person who fits into one of categories, by all means, take the fastest, simplest way to victoryЧcheating.