Pokémon games have always had the same basic concept. You go around collecting little monsters, you train them to death, then become the most powerful trainer in the region. Along with this, there is always a group of thugs and bad guys who mistreat the little guys, and you have to beat ‘em. This has been the basic storyline for basically every single Pokémon game, but Black ad White have enhanced and refreshed the gameplay in some ways, and have ruined them in others. Let’s start with the enhancements.
In the new game, the Pokémon themselves get a upgrade. Along with over 100 new Pokémon to discover, their sprites now display full motion, as apposed to the few frames they got in previous games. The plot has also been modified, as you no longer are trying to stop a group from mistreating Pokémon. The group in this game, called “Team Plasma,” are trying to liberate Pokémon from their “masters.” There are also very many new wi-fi and connectivity features to go along with the increased speed of the game, and the abundance of new items to use, not to mention the excellent storyline and extras after the main game has been completed. Overall, there are very many great additions to the series introduced in this game.
But along with these improvements come some disappointments. The new wi-fi team previewing feature completely shatters the mystery of the opponent’s team, and considering how close the release of the game was to the release of the 3DS, you would think that perhaps they would consider making it a 3D game. There are some nice pseudo-3D effects (especially notable on the bridges and one large city in particular), it’s a far cry from the new 3D games Nintendo has produced for its most recent hand held.
Pokémon Black and White would be suitable to pretty much any age, because from the beginning it feels like a totally new game since you don’t encounter any Pokémon from outside the region until the main game is completed, which is nice for new players, and a bit nostalgic for more experienced ones.
I believe this game would be worth buying, especially if you own any previous games.