Pokemon Black & Pokemon White | Teen Ink

Pokemon Black & Pokemon White MAG

February 1, 2011
By theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Pokemon has always been a fallback for me. Blue version was my first video game, and I have bought every adaptation Nintendo has thrown at me. I will always love Pokemon; I still, at 17, watch the cartoon and own all the legendaries as plush toys. However, it has always bothered me that these games lack a solid difficulty curve. The game gets easier as I play!

Pokemon Black and White, the newest additions to the franchise, fix this problem. Each game is challenging from the start. Gym Leaders employ strategies with Pokemon that work together oftentimes – frustratingly – perfectly. You have multiple rivals, something not explored thoroughly in other versions, all amped up to “you need to train too much for this” difficulty.

The game itself follows the same path of other Pokemon games. You need to beat all the Gym Leaders to get to and defeat the Elite Four, all while battling an evil Team Rocket knock‑off organization called Team Plasma. As the protagonist, you are a teenager instead of a 10‑year-old, possibly to mirror the difficulty of the game. You still fight turn‑based battles with six Pokemon, and you still walk around in tall grass and caves to catch them.

There are many new features, most noticeably the Pokemon Dream world. In it you can befriend new Pokemon not obtained in the game and get new powers for your Pokemon. In addition, there is a Season Cycle similar to the Day/Night Cycle first introduced in Gold and Silver. Other notable features are new battle systems, including triple battles and rotation battles, and new mini-games.

Every generation of Pokemon has gotten better in terms of graphics. Black and White both have better animated battles, changing camera angles, and interesting scenery. Cities have huge skyscrapers and giant bridges not seen before.

All in all, Black and White is all I hoped for and more. Pokemon will always and forever be my fallback game. Now I know what version I’ll be playing for years to come.


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This article has 11 comments.


DJ Fox said...
on Mar. 29 2013 at 5:26 pm
All right, a poke-nerd has posted! Pokemon+me=heaven!

on Jul. 1 2012 at 7:25 pm
TheDevilsLotus, Rgr, North Carolina
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

I like this review. After playing Diamond (and finding myself somewhat disappointed by it), I was a bit nervous to play Black and White because it was different from the older games, technically speaking. The pokemon were new, the setting was different, and the storyline and battle system... changed to a more current way to the play the game.

Needless to say, I was very happy I picked up both versions of the game. Despite what some fanboys of the older games might say, Black and White is, by far, the most superior of the games. It has a storyline that, while it keeps to the same formula we've been used to since our Red and Blue days, changes slightly. N's Castle and Zekrom/Reshiram are prime examples that have deviated from past games.

I think Team Plasma are the best villians we've had in the games yet. Their prime reason for existing is to liberate Pokemon from humans, saying that humans are using Pokemon as their slaves, and not allowing them to reach their potential. And it's such a relatable cause that it does make the player stop and think if they ARE wrong. So I think this is what makes Team Plasma superior to all the other baddies we've had - because their reason for fighting is not too far-fetched.

Good storyline, cool new Pokemon and characters, interesting foes, and more challenges in the battle system definitely make this a must-have game!


on Feb. 14 2012 at 12:33 am
theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments
Just keep leveling your Pokemon. You aren't Nuzlocking so there isn't any penalty for messing up a couple times. Good luck!

on Feb. 14 2012 at 12:32 am
theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments
Well that is just silly. I played the game at school and generally people never cared. Honestly, if anyone bothers you about it, ask them how you playing a game quietly does anything to effect them. Because if it effects them they have some serious issues they should address.

on Jan. 31 2012 at 11:15 am
carothesparrow GOLD, Lilburn, Georgia
15 articles 9 photos 248 comments

Favorite Quote:
dont give up she will talk someday my friend made this quote she is really cool cause she understands about my sister<br /> it starts with ONE to make a differerence!!! i learned this quote at a leadership camp<br /> <br /> ohana means family no one gets left behind

i like the game but its hard i still haven't gotten past twist mountain

on Oct. 3 2011 at 5:19 pm
blacktime BRONZE, Monticello, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
I like playing the pokemon games and I have White, but at my school most people think the games are like the show when there not so its not popular in my school. Like its a 8 year old game.

on Apr. 29 2011 at 12:24 am
theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments
Yes, it is very much an awesome game.

on Apr. 29 2011 at 12:23 am
theanneh BRONZE, Castle Rock, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 4 comments

I would recommend the game, personally.

If you're into competitve play, like I am, it is getting easier to set up EV/IV trained teams (Items in game can add EVs like defeating a pokemon that normally gives them).

If you don't want to fork over the $40 -- which is understandable -- there is a very decent community on pokemononline.eu that does a lot of online competive battling. It's a downloadable program that allows to connect and battle other players. It is basic but addictive. That is only if you want the battling though.

I think if you're looking for story you're probably better of with actual RPGs -- Skyrim is coming out this year and I'm sure the plot for that will be fantastic (that's a whole other article though). With Pokemon the story has always been lacking. Nintendo sees it more as a game aimed toward kids, therefore the story is pushed further down on their list of priorities. The gameplay, though remarkably similar to early versions, is polished in B&W. I think sometimes playability can outweigh story, especially when nostalgia is involved.

But! There is always roleplaying if you want to add spice to the Pokemon world you are familliar with. There are many Pokemon communities online if that's what you're interested in, all just a google search away.

I would reccomend Pokemon Online though. It's worth a check if you enjoy pokemon. Make sure you learn about competitive play though, or you might get whooped your first few battles!


on Apr. 25 2011 at 3:31 pm
I have always loved Pokemon as you do. I was pretty stoked to learn that new versions of Pokemon were coming out and even more excited to hear that their were new Pokemon! I believe you should get it. I have it and I am so happy I bought it. Another very cool feature in the game is called GTS Negotiatians. It is like the GTS in Diamond/Pearl but when you get connected with a person you actually get to show them the pokemon you want to put up and then they will make deals. You can't talk to the person but they give you a smilies face, a sad face, an exclamation point, and a heart that you can use to express your opinions. I think the story line is pretty good but it probably could have been better. All in all this game is very fun to complete. It is also pretty hard to complete the biggest challenge: Catching all Pokemon in Black/White and obtaining all 493 Pokemon from the other games!!! :)

on Mar. 6 2011 at 8:28 pm
andrewh93 BRONZE, Monroe, Utah
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.&quot; -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm curious - what do you make of the storyline? As a fan of the series for... longer than I care to admit, the one thing I'm beginning to want from Pokemon is a good story. I've heard that it's much more driving and a much bigger part of the game this time 'round, but I've also heard that the story is rather... unimpressive for being a focus.

I haven't bought Black or White yet, and I'm still on the fence. I am excited about the update on graphics and the gamplay mechanic changes, I'm unimpressed by the stunning lack of creativity in the new Gen. V Pokemon. I'd like to know if it's worth it to put $40 down the drain for what is mostly same-old-same-old.

I do have to admit, though, that the BGM for Pokemon has always been among the most memorable. The battle theme and Pokemon Center theme are right up there with the classic Legend of Zelda and Mario 8-bit tunes. If the BGM in Black/White were to get strong reviews, that alone would probably change my mind on purchasing.

Anyway, it's good to hear some feedback that will help me decide if I want to squander a bit of my college fund or not. Thanks for taking the time to write this.


on Feb. 25 2011 at 1:02 pm
Wolf-Pup31 PLATINUM, Easley, South Carolina
30 articles 1 photo 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I am a lone wolf, misunderstood and labled to be dangerous.&quot;

its so ture Pok'emon is one of the bestestestestestestestestestestestestestestestestestestest game ever anyform the old'es to the new they have inproved all over, can't wait for Black'n'White lmao