WrenchNinja
Member
However, I disagree
So we're only a few days away from Pokemon Sun and Moon's release, and after finishing White, Soul Silver, Y, and Platinum, I went back to the last DS Pokemon game, Black 2/ White 2. Now the interesting thing about B2W2 is that, these aren't exactly third versions that are the typical expanded rerelease Game Freak has put out since Pokemon Yellow. Instead, Game Freak decided to make direct sequels to Black and White, and release another pair of games instead of just one. And y'know what? This actually works really well as these games are completely different from their predecessor.
As these games are built off of Black and White, gameplay wise they're pretty much the same. But Game Freak has changed things, with updated Pokemon availability, Quality of life improvements, new side content, and a host of other cool things. Let's start with the updated Pokedex, we now have around 300 Pokemon available to Unova. While Black and White maintained that you would only catch new Gen 5 Pokemon before the post game, B2W2 make Pokemon from every generation available. You'll be able to catch old favourites like Psyduck, Mareep, and Riolu pretty early on which is pretty awesome. On top of that B2W2 have improved the Pokedex itself, creating a sort of new mode called Habitat mode. Habitat mode lists all of the Pokemon available in a given location by location. You'll be able to easily keep track of what you have and haven't caught in a given area, and you'll receive a stamp for the area once you've seen and caught everything. If you're like me and really need checklists for somethings, this is extremely helpful. New quality of life improvements include being able to add specific bag pokects, options and other things to the quick select menu. Annoyed that you have to go back your bag to get repels? No worries, as soon as one is done, the game will ask if you want to use another.
The side content is also pretty awesome. Black and White only had musicals and the Battle Subway, but this game added Pokestar Studios. In here, you'll have to follow a script and film movies. You'll gain accolades and fans who will give you items if your movie is received well and is a top grosser. Some of the movies are pretty funny too. The biggest piece of new side content in the game is Pokemon World Tournament. It's here where you'll be able to compete with trainers from every generation of games to see who is the greatest Pokemon Trainer in the series. These trainers include every Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova gym leader along with their champions. But this isn't going to be any cake walk, you're going to have to have proper competitive teams ready if you want to be the best.
There's some neat new mechanics to the game because they're a pair. The addition of memory link allows you transfer data from your Black and White save. Now people in the game will refer to the hero of the last games by the name you gave them, along with other neat surprises. There's also the key system, which adds the addition of easy and challenge mode. Challenge mode adds additional Pokemon to trainers along making them much tougher by adding a couple of more levels to them. Even Pokemon lineups may be different. Though this part is very flawed as easy and challenge mode are exclusives to one game each, and on top of that both are only unlockable after beating the Champion which is a bummer if you wanted to start with challenge mode from the beginning.
Visually, the games look just stellar. Beautiful spritework and enviromental design. The seasonal effects are in full force, you'll see the crisp red and golden brown autumn leaves all around in Fall, cherry blossoms in Spring and cute little snow flakes in Winter. B2W2 have also added a bunch of new cities, towns and areas to the game that have greatly expanded on the Unova Region. You'll also be traveling through the Unova region in a different path from the first pair of games, as you'll be starting from the very south west corner of the map and you'll only have access to the earlier route from BW post game.
Story wise, I quite enjoyed it. You start off as a new trainer once again, and your rival and you get caught up in an adventure to fight against the remnants of Team Plasma. This game takes place two years after BW, and has echoes of Gold and Silver, so you'll be traveling Unova where people have grown older and changed. Cheren, the rival from BW is now a gym leader and has matured quite a bit, as has Bianca who has become a researcher. Both still play a major role in the story. But just because this is the same region, it doesn't mean you'll only be seeing old faces. There are also two new gym leaders, Roxie, the Poison type trainer of the Virbank gym and Marlon the Water type trainer of Humilau City. Team Plasma itself has split into two, ex-Team Plasma who still follows N's wishes to make a peaceful world where Pokemon can be free, and Neo Team Plasma who follows Ghetsis' wishes to conquer Unova.
Character wise, the old characters make for good mentors. The rival is great, as he's more of a partner who tries to push you to be better. He's not even interested in the gym challenge, again with the echoes of Gold and Silver, he's interested in defeating Team Plasma and rescuing his sister's Pokemon. And once that's done, he actually peaces out. The new team leader for Plasma is Colress, a scientist who isn't really that interested in Plasma's ideals and just wants to see the power that blooms between Trainer and Pokemon.
There's also a lot of great new music tracks. Every single gym in the region has their own remixed theme that fits the theme of the gym. Lots of cool route tracks, and probably one of my favourite battle themes with Colress.
Route 19 (Fall) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgY2zyYv7vY
Rival Battle theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKqRMfquvgY
Colress Battle theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-6JV-M8oxE
Virbank Gym - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNsUdqCzNa8
Nimbasa Gym - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li7BJdF_pjs
Champion theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvHVAk2DjS8
Altogether, Black 2 and White 2 are an excellent package of games. They are the perfect way to close off the DS generation of Pokemon games, and is ultimately a celebration of the series itself. I highly recommend playing them.
