I opened my Pokemon Black and White review by saying that "Pokemon has grown up." I was in awe at how big the game was. From the story to the design to the Pokemon itself, it all felt bigger and more real than ever. I started seeing those teaser trailers for Black and White 2 and was immediately excited. From rumors that the colors of the numbers were related to Ruby and Sapphire incorporation to it's release earlier this month. This game is Pokemon's biggest release ever.
Like the first games you are welcomed to the world of Pokemon by Professor Juniper. She tells you about what Pokemon are, asks if you're a boy or girl, name and the usual. There's a pull in to your new starting town, Aspertia Town, where you're living with your mother. It's been two years since the events of the first games. She asks if you want a Pokemon, Pokedex and to go on your very own adventure. She proceeds to tell you that Bianca is waiting for you in town to give you your first Pokemon. When you step outside you meet your best friend and rival, and his little sister. We find out that Team Plasma, who is now disbanded, took her Purrloin and he swears to get it back. He sends her sister home and accompanies you to get you first Pokemon from Bianca. He will always have "raised" the opposite type than what you picked. Once Bianca is done giving you your Pokemon and Pokedex she shows you around and explains what the Pokemon Center is. Afterward you meet up with your mother and friends sister one last time before setting off on your grand adventure in the Unova region!
As I said in the intro, that the first installments of these games were huge and expansive. Rightfully so as they were the biggest Pokemon games EVER. Well that was until Black and White 2. Everything is somehow bigger and more grandiose than in their predecessors. The cities and landscapes from the first game are still impressive, but they've managed to find a way to almost fully utilize the DS's power in a Pokemon game for the first time here. The cut scenes are new, more complex and amazing. Also the camera pull backs when you're on a huge bridge or city are still there. Mind you this is not a 3DS game. The Unova region is bigger and filled with five new cities and at least six new caves and areas upon the existing ones in the region. Also every gym has been redone. The gyms in the Black and White blew my mind and these just improved upon them in such a good way. Each gym is different, interactive, imaginative and expansive. There are three new gym leaders in the region as well as a new Pokemon League Champion.
You can also catch non-fifth generation Pokemon almost from the get go. While with Pokemon Black and White I liked that you could only start off with new Pokemon, I'm fine with being able to start with any Pokemon in Black and White 2. My reasoning here is, I've played Black and White, I'm familiar with gen five Pokemon. Don't limit my choices in the second addition to the Unova region, and they didn't. The battling and animations are still spot on, I don't think they changed any sprites or anything. That doesn't bother me as nothing really needed to be done. Everything, including the attack animations in battle look fantastic. Triple and rotation battles are a little more prominent as well, which can be fun or frustrating depending on if you like those types of battles or not.
The story is still great in this second part of the Unova region franchise. There's a familiar face as the "bad guys" in Team Plasma. But it's more like a renegade group of pissed off Team Plasma members still living in the past. The dialogue makes it feel that the RPG game its always been, the character development is still great and bringing back characters from the first game or changing their identities of established ones for this story was a great touch as well. The Pokemon Dream World is still in full force too. You can send your Pokemon to Dream World (on Pokemon-gl.com) where it collects berries, items and makes friends with Pokemon so that you can catch them in-game and put them on your team. The Entralink is still around too and you can still get stat-boosts and other effects for your in-game character after completing multi-player and single player challenges.
One of the first new places you're introduced to in the new Unova region is PokeStar Studios. Owned by Mr. Stu Dee-Oh, it's Unova's premiere destination for anything move related. Think of it as the Hollywood of the Pokemon world. It's a huge area that has a filming studio, theater with multiple screens and an area for hair and make-up. You can become a movie star if you visit this place and make movies, most all of them will be made with former gym leader Brycen. Movies are shot in the form of a battle with the likes of actions in scenes being the Pokemon attacks in a battle. There's different genres and difficulties depending on the movie you choose to do as well. The more movies you do, the more recognized (as an actor) you'll become.
Another great addition to the game is the medals. You complete various tasks in the game such as saving money, or buying a lot of things at the store and get medals for doing things. I think of this as the first time Nintendo has implemented something like an achievement system, like Microsoft and Sony have, and I really like it. As I keep playing it'll force my inner collector to want get all the medals as I already (try to) do on my PS3 and Steam games.
There's other things such as after story events, the new Dream Radar, the Battle subway being brought back, the new legendary Pokemon you can see (and form). As well as little things like keys to unlock different game modes, but I want to leave you with some things to discover on your own. I do want to highlight one more thing. That's the Pokemon World Tournament aka the PWT. Clay made this massive facility in Driftveil City where the Cold Stoage used to be. Here you can participate in various tournaments (single, double, triple battles, etc) to obtain battle points or BP to exchange for items, or get on win streaks to get medals. The cool thing about these tourney's though is that no one is off-limits once they're unlocked. You could run into Lance the Dragon Master, maybe some one like Cynthia, or any one of the gym leaders, world leaders, or champions from the previous games and regions. With so many fights and awesome leaders and champions to face this tournament is the most expansive ever in a Pokemon game.
After Pokemon Black and White I wasn't sure what was left for Pokemon to do. I had assumed that nothing more could be done or added without it feeling forced or out of place. Boy was I wrong and I can't find a single bad thing to say about Pokemon Black and White 2. Maybe this is my Pokemon fan boy talking, but these games are the best Pokemon games EVER released. From the updated graphics, the "big feel" of new Unova, the shiny new cut scenes (we've come a long way from SS Anne undocking in Vermilion), the brand new story, the extra bells and whistles added to the Pokemon and battling, these games are immense. I stated at the end of my Pokemon Black and White review that the game felt "complete." I'm not going to say that about this game, but not because it isn't. With the next installment they're going to find a way to either one up these two games or take a step back in production. This is the peak of Pokemon on the DS and handhelds in general. For now I'm just going to enjoy what is already hands down the best Pokemon game ever.
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