Game Review: Pokemon Black/White

The sole reason I picked up this generation was so I can be assured that all my Pokemon from SoulSilver could be transferred over to X when the Poke Transporter releases. That said I still enjoyed it as I do with most games in the franchise. Pokemon Black/White marked the beginning of the 5th generation coming out 2 years ago. One of the obvious things is the graphical capabilities is of the DS standard. They definitely were an improvement from SoulSilver/HeartGold but still a bit jarring since I had been spending loads of time with X. You play as a new trainer in the Unova region as you set out on your Pokemon Journey to become the champion. This was also the first game to introduce staples seen in X/Y.

Triple Battles!

I don't think I'm going to bother explaining gameplay functions since I would hope that majority of you know how a Pokemon game works. The new features introduced here include Triple Battles, traveling with 2 people who act as your rivals instead of 1, and arguably a dynamic story. This is also the first time Pokemon were actually given movement during every battle so that was something a long time coming. The antagonist here is Team Plasma yet despite the name, the group holds a medieval theme to them with grunts dressed up like knights. The cities are even more fleshed out with buildings towering over you and larger in scope.

Illustration for one of the cites in Unova.

The legendaries for this game are Reshiram and Zekrom for each respective version and they both have an interesting backstory to them as it turns out they were one Pokemon alongside a proclaimed hero of legend. This was also the first time (least to my knowledge) where you get the legendary right at the very end as you face off against the Champion of the Pokemon League. Usually you get it a few Gyms earlier or when you beat the game entirely (in the case of Mewtwo). The interface is streamlined and simple with the C-Gear serving as Wi-Fi options.

Zekrom and Reshiram

As I mentioned above the graphical difference made playing this a little bit jarring but as I was progressing, it also made me realize how easy X/Y were. Around the beginning of X/Y, you get a staple item known as the Exp. Share. Now normally you give this to a Pokemon and they receive a portion of experience points you earn in battle. In X/Y however that becomes a Key Item which affects all Pokemon in your party. This made leveling up much easier and faster. Black/White had me frustrated most of the time struggling with Gym Leaders and having to level them up individually. I know most people would say "stop being a baby this was the same for every generation before", and you're right. However having played X/Y extensively I gotten used to how easy leveling up was.

The cutscenes in this game were awesome and transferring your Pokemon from past games is a bit annoying as the rule of Pokemon with HM moves can't be brought over which led me to spend an hour bringing my guys over. Plus I wanted to clear through this as fast as I could so with the exception of the legendaries (including 3 fighting types known as The Swords of Justice, and Kyurem) I actually caught less than 20 Pokemon and managed to get through it with the first 6 I actually caught. This was also the first Generation to spawn a direct sequel titled Black/White 2. I think however I'm fine with just playing this game.

Towns and Cities given more Detail!

Should you Play this Game?
Give this a shot, it brought about more changes to the ever growing Pokemon Franchise and as always, it's addicting as they can come!