So for the last week, I have done almost nothing but play Pokemon Black v2. Prior to that, I was playing Pokemon White v1 non-stop and I am proud to say, Ash Ketchem ain’t got nothing on me! Pokemon Black/White v2 marks a first for the series, as it is a direct sequel to the game instead of a new generation release or simply a copy+paste, throw in like two new things that most of the Pokemon games have been over the last 14 years.
Reshiram, The Legendary White Dragon
Having played several iterations of Pokemon over the years, I can tell you without a doubt this is the largest outing Pokemon has ever had. And if you thought B/W v1 were big, wait till you see what was added. Basically Gamefreaks put Unova on its head. You start in Aspertia City instead of Nuvema which is now an end game area. You have the largest starting pokedex which covers the 300 species you will find over your first adventure in Unova, as opposed to the standard 150 that each game usually contains until completion. In addition to the standard story, you will discover many meta games such as the Pokemon Studios which features what I will call, a Battle – “Movie” puzzle (basically a set number of rounds to complete a goal in order to make your big screen debut), extra in game tournaments as well as a challenge mode which is unlocked upon beating the game, giving all gym leaders enhanced levels.
Zekrom, The Legendary Black Dragon
Having played both games so closely together, I think one can really appreciate the subtle and not so subtle changes that were added to the game, with a few surprises for good measure, such as when challenging the Unova Regional Champion, I found it to be Iris, the Dragon Gym Leader from V1 instead of Alder, the former champion who also trains a Bug team. Yeah, a lot harder when you only have one dragon in your six man roster!
Even the story seems more mature this time around. Team Plasma isn’t just about separating pokemon from their trainers, but actual world domination. Ghetis (the main antagonist from v1) went insane in the two year time frame between games, and has developed a bitter loathing for anyone he deems lower than himself, and will stop at nothing to harness the power of Kyurem, to freeze Unova until all bow at his feet. I really appreciated seeing the series mature as it grows as well.
Genesect: 300 million years in the making!
Throw in a host of returning features such as wireless trading via the internet, or friend codes, the Dream World, which is basically a lottery you can partake in every 24 hours for a random pokemon of your choice through the Pokemon website, and it all mixes together for something familiar but still fresh and new. I believe this to be the best Pokemon game to date! As an added bonus, if you act quickly before November 7th, you can still download a free legendary pokemon, Genesect, who tops the pokedex roster at #649!
So drop what you’re doing, grab that DS and get into Unova, your pocket monsters are waiting!
-Nic
Back to the Farm!
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