Pokemon Crystal Coming to 3DS eShop in January

Pokemon Crystal will become the latest game in the series to get a 3DS Virtual Console release on January 26, 2018.

The only major gameplay difference between this version of Crystal and the original is a new encounter with Celebi - the legendary Pokemon that was previously only accessible through an extra accessory. It's not clear what the encounter entails, but it comes once the player has completed the game.

Like Gold and Silver on Virtual Console, the game will be compatible with Pokemon Bank from day one. As Nintendo points out, this means Pokemon from all 29 core games in the series can now be imported into the latest games.

This version, again like Gold and Silver, supports wireless trading and battling, as well as the Time Capsule option that allows Pokemon from Red, Blue and Yellow (all also available on Virtual Console) to be traded and battled.

In Japan (per Serebii), Crystal will receive a boxed release featuring a code for the game, a Game Boy cartridge-styled magnet, stickers and a poster. Gold and Silver also received this treatment in Europe, although we've had no word of the same for Crystal in the west.

Way back in 2001, we awarded Pokemon Crystal a 9/10 review, calling it "one last hurrah for the Pocket Monsters on the Game Boy Color", but criticising its relatively small difference from Gold and Silver.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor, and Crystal was the first Pokemon game he didn't own. Follow him on Twitter.