Import Review: Pokemon Black & White (NDS)

Finally, here comes the 5th generation of Pokemon! With 156 brand-new Pokemon, Pokemon Black and White sold 2.6 million copies on the first two days of release. As of January 9th, 5 million copies have been sold. Now, you may be thinking,"Wait, isn't that game coming out in March?" Well my friends, that's only for the USA. I personally couldn't wait for this game, so when my friend asked me what I wanted him to bring me back from his trip to Japan, Pokemon was my first choice. While I haven't completed this game, or gotten anywhere near close (since with my level of Japanese it takes me a great deal of time to play), so far, I am quite impressed.

It has some noticeable differences from the previous Pokemon games. First off, it has a 3D feel to it, and before you get too excited, I don't mean it's a 3DS game. I just mean that the graphics have more depth to them, and the world doesn't feel so flat in this one. The cut scenes have the same feeling too, and are really well done. Just by watching the opening cut scene, the graphical change in Black and White is obvious.

Also changing things up, instead of a single rival you battle throughout the game, you now have two 'rivals'/'childhood friends', Cheren and Belle. Beyond that, though, the plot remains the same: collect the badges and make it to the Pokemon League. However, I have noticed from the little I've played so far that Cheren and Belle have much larger, more significant roles in this game, as opposed to rivals from previous offerings. Basically, that means they show up a lot more often, which means more battles! Also, Team Rocket is no longer, and is now replaced by Team Plasma. They have a different belief system than Team Rocket; Essentially they think that because humans control Pokemon completely, the Pokemon are suffering, and should therefore be set free. This game is definitely more story-driven than previous Pokemon games, but it's still fairly straightforward.

I've heard that the ending of the story is completely different from other games, and it doesn't end with the Pokemon League. It also apparently has lots of replay value, as many things are not available until you complete the main story line, such as new areas and certain types of Pokemon. It's definitely strong motivation for me to keep trying to beat it! All in all, I think this is the best Pokemon game made since the original version, which is a lot coming from someone who almost lost hope in the franchise. I definitely recommend all you fans and true believers out there pick it up when it becomes available in March.

Submitted By : Layanie Ahlers (Employee)