I've finally finished both games. Now it's time for my thoughts on it...
Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version are the first two games for the 5th generation of Pokemon series for the Nintendo DS.
In Pokemon Black/White You will experience your own adventure in becoming the champion of your region, Unova and in completing the PokeDex as a side quest. Unlike the other Pokemon games, the protagonist is a teenager - not a twelve year old kid. You were given this chance when Professor Juniper from your hometown sends the starter Pokemon to you and your two friends Bianca and Cheren.
As your journey starts, you will meet a mysterious boy called N, who is plays the role of your rival. Along your journey, you will also encounter the evil schemes of Team Plasma who wants to free the Pokemon from their trainers.
Now, for the gameplay, It is still similar to the previous games plus a lot of changes. 156 new Pokemon has been added to the lineup giving you 643 to collect in total. The graphics are now in semi-3D, the battle scene has been enhanced and there are some areas where the camera angles actually changes.
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| Professor Juniper is the first female Pokemon Professor in the game series. |
The system had major upgrades as well, One of the noticeable improvements is the implementation of the
Season cycle. Since the 2nd generation games, a day/night cycle system has been implemented where the wild Pokemon that you encounter varies if it is day or night. In Black and White, the day/night cycle is still implemented, the season cycle is added where you encounter different Pokemon from season to season. One season lasts a month. Several areas have new areas accessible within certain seasons. An example of this is Icirrus City where, in Winter, a snowfall allows you to access areas previously inaccessible. It also affects some Pokemon such as Deerling which has different forms depending on the season.
Also introduced are the Triple Battles and Rotation Battles as an upgrade to the Tag Battles started in Pokemon Emerald and Ruby. It also comes handy that the TMs can now be used infinitely, similar to HMs.
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| C-Gear Interface (below) |
Also added is the C-Gear function. It sits upon the bottom screen in a similar manner to the Poketch in the Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. It constantly looks for local Wireless, Infrared and Wi-Fi connections. Through infrared, players can have speedy battles with up to four players and speedy trades directly from the player's party or PC box.
Another one of the new features within Pokemon Black and White is the
Pokemon Global Link. Accessed through the C-Gear, this feature allows you to upload your save to the Internet to access a specific website in order to get features and Pokemon in the game.The Dream World is another aspect added to the game where you can sync your game up to your Pokemon Global Link account and play mini-games.
Overall:
Pokemon had a major upgrade in Black and White. The new legendary Pokemon's designs are nicely done. New features and new areas to explore provides you with a new Pokemon experience and could leave you playing any of these games for hours. The wait for these games are worth it. Just like how the previous Pokemon games were, it's simply addictive. It's almost a perfect game for all ages. Check it out and you will not be disappointed, especially if you are a fan of Pokemon.
I wonder what will be the title of the third one... (Pokemon Gray, anyone?)
