Kind of a random question, but would you guys suggest HeartGold/SoulSilver or Platinum as the better starting point for someone who's never played a pokemon game before?

Probably Platinum, as HG/SS kinda have that "You've played this before, we won't hold your hands this time" feel to it, and Platinum felt like you weren't expected to know/do everything ASAP.

I would say that HG/SS probably has the most to offer overall, but with the right friends there's not a whole lot you can't get hooked up with pokemon-wise regardless of which version you pick up. Also, while HG/SS has some neat features of its own (fuck all y'all bitches, I like having a pokemon out following me), a great deal of its content is pure nostalgia factor for both the original Gold and Silver as well as Red and Blue in the latter half of the game.

So I dunno, go with the game that has the starter you like best (or hate least), maybe?

Man, you guys disappoint me for the lack of logical conclusion for the Black/White nonsense.

Also, this is(possibly) the female protagonist. Concept art, methinks.

This is more what I'm talking about, here. There's nothing inherently wrong with GBA graphics. They're at the very least 16-bit, which is plenty for that resolution. Hell, the consoles were using it not too long ago (relatively speaking) and nobody complained. Chrono Cross is still one of the prettiest games ever made. Looking at it this way, if the GBC was most closely related to the NES in terms of hardware (and it was, scarily so), then the GBA was the SNES and the DS is the N64. Looking at them all, the graphics are pretty comparable to those consoles. Now if we can get past the addiction to bad 3D we seem to have, we can go back to good 2D and save the resources for more game. Maybe they'll finally get the Safari Zone working again. They've only had four generations to solve the bugs at this point.

They've had Safari Zones in all of the 4th gen games >.>

I'm going on record as saying that HG/SS had the best Safari Zone. Screw the Great Marsh.

Also: We're not gonna see any more info on B/W until about mid-May. So I'm gonna reserve my comments/complaints/whathaveyou until then.

That said, HAY GUISE, I'LL GIVE YOU FIVE POKEMON THAT ARE GONNA BE IN B/W GUARANTEED!

ZUBAT, GEODUDE, WINGULL, BIDOOF, AND TENTACOOL!

No Ratata?

OKAY, I OVERLOOKED SOMETHING THERE GUISE!

KICK BIDOOF OFF THE LIST AND SUBSTITUTE:

GENERIC NORMAL TYPE THAT ONLY EVOLVES ONCE! YOU'LL BE LUCKY IF IT EVEN BECOMES A DUAL TYPE, FUCKERS!

I'm aware that's a bad pun, thank you very much.
 

I kinda sorta agree, but man, are you in for some Wake Up Call and That One Boss style hurt.

I also agree with this one. Keeps the pacing of the original G/S/C, so you're usually not underleveled, as you are in Platinum for the second half of the game. Great way to experience both Johto AND Kanto if you're a first timer.

Also, as I'm assuming you have WiFi... you have us to help you out if you get stuck or need to trade for something. So, yeah, my HG friend code is in my sig, so you know you can "bug" me if you need anything.