Christ... I was checking in on this topic a bit last night, didn't expect close to 50 replies the next morning. Just goes to show how much a good number o' people love the game. I went through and read everything though and appreciate the feedback.
I have no problem playing the old games. So if I do start from the very beginning, it sounds like I should go with Yellow - that combines Red and Blue, correct? If so, looks like I could pick that up on eBay for a not-outrageous price. Or go for the ROM, of course.
Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming!
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Live action Hungry Hungry Hippos though, now that was a sport. ~Aeon Azuran