Pokemon has grown up. From it's humble beginnings with Red and Blue Versions on the Gameboy, the birth of Black and White Versions on the DS is grandiose. The first installment of Generation 5 feels like a bigger game. With over 150 new Pokemon, new gym leaders, new battle types, a new evil team of criminals, new Pokemon type-combinations and a brand new region to explore, the Pokemon Universe has expanded even more with these releases.
When you start up for the first time you are greeted by Professor Juniper. Who welcomes you to the world of Pokemon. Asks for your gender, name, and wishes you luck as your journey in the Unova region begins. The camera pull-in to your house with Pidoves or Woobat's flying away in the new starting town of Nuvema is a welcome addition. You're in your room waiting for your two best friends, Cheren and Bianca. Professor Juniper has gift wrapped your Pokemon. Cheren will always choose the strong type against you and Bianca the weaker. You have your first battles in your bed room before heading to meet Professor Juniper. Juniper then gives you a Pokedex and tells you that the Pokemon you're given are for going off onto a grand adventure in the Unova region to fill the Pokedex and explore the land. You take your first steps onto Route 1 with Bianca and Cheren and your adventure begins!
From the start this game already feels bigger, just from the pull in into your house in Nuvema. The Unvoa region has eight cities, not including the Elite Four and three more cities not available until after you beat the main story. Safe to say the map is huge. But it's not just a large map. The landscapes, cities and bridges can be massive. Based off of, believe it or not, New York City and surrounding areas. Also they have added in cut scenes throughout the game. This isn't the SS Anne undocking from Vermilion Port with an 8-bit puff of smoke. This is a dragon type Pokemon exploding onto the the screen in a huge blaze of glory. It really utilizes the power of a DS and makes the Pokemon world seem expanded compared to the rest of the generations. This is not a short game either. The story is more than just beat the bad team and defeat the Elite Four now. There is character development, dialogue and back story. There's nuances for almost every main person you meet, even gym leaders, the professor, and the kids' parents. Pokemon has always been a RPG, but this game has really felt like one like no other.
There is also a new "Team" on the block. This time it's Team Plasma. This team is different from the get-go. They are't hiding in the shadows. They are out and about talking to crowds and trying to recruit people to their cause. Pokemon liberation. They believe that Pokemon shouldn't be confirmed to Pokeballs and to battle. They believe they should be set free and live on their own. A noble idea at its core but as you play through it develops and evolves into a very nice over-arching story.
As I said before there is well over 150 new Pokemon. You can only catch Generation 5 Pokemon until you beat the main game. I love that. Let me catch the new and learn what they do. With every generation there is both good and bad. Both in type, design and actual usefulness. New types include anything from Rock and Flying/Fighting to Fire and Psychic/Ghost/Bug and Dragon and Fire/Electric/Ice. The battles are still turn based. Pokemon go, you want to win, you attack, they attack, win fight, gain experience, level up, evolve Pokemon. This is, and will always be the Pokemon mainstay. What can change is sprites and battle animations. The sprites move and even close their eyes if they are put to sleep. The battle animations for the moves are updated as well and look great. There are also new types of battles beyond one on one and double battles. There's the new Rotation battle in which three Pokemon are put onto a rotating battle field and every turn the Pokemon are shuffled around in a circular motion. The more common, and the one I prefer, is the triple battle. Where you send out three Pokemon and basically have double battle rules. The middle Pokemon can attack any of the three, but the one to the left and right may only attack the two closest to them. Takes strategy in Pokemon one step further, and I like it.
I've said this many a time, I love this game. It feels complete. The story is leagues above all the other games. While character development is almost non-existent in other games, this game gets me involved with their lives. It feels like a RPG finally. The graphics are updated and look great for a DS game and are a huge step forward from Gen 4 graphics. Same with the sound. There's also cut-scenes now for God's sake. There's an after story, characters from previous games, the Battle Subway, the Dream World, and a host of other things to after you beat the main story. Replaying it so close to the release of Pokemon Black and White 2 has me hyped to the release as well. It's Pokemon, it's huge and expansive, it's fresh and re-playable. It gave me a reason to want to catch them all again.
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