(First thoughts)
It's safe to say that Black and White were the most innovative Pokémon titles yet, adding so much compared to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, while somehow remaining on the same system. The two also improved in every aspect in which D/P/Pt failed miserably. The gameplay wasn't so awkward, the sprites didn't look half-assed anymore, the music was styled better, and the dialogue was made so it didn't sound like everyone was raised with mind-numbingly good manners. The best part, though, was the story. Out with the "get every badge because why the hell not" plot, and in with a coherent, well-written narrative that actually made the player rethink the very basis of the Pokémon universe.
But we're not quite done with the Unova region just yet.
It's safe to say that Black and White were the most innovative Pokémon titles yet, adding so much compared to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, while somehow remaining on the same system. The two also improved in every aspect in which D/P/Pt failed miserably. The gameplay wasn't so awkward, the sprites didn't look half-assed anymore, the music was styled better, and the dialogue was made so it didn't sound like everyone was raised with mind-numbingly good manners. The best part, though, was the story. Out with the "get every badge because why the hell not" plot, and in with a coherent, well-written narrative that actually made the player rethink the very basis of the Pokémon universe.
But we're not quite done with the Unova region just yet.
Enter Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the first numbered sequels in the Pokémon franchise (save for Stadium 2).
Now, I don't want to go too in-depth, considering I haven't played my planned Challenge Mode run on White 2, but here's my thoughts on my run of Black 2 summed up in one word: "Wow."
As if Black and White didn't add more to the table as is, Game Freak decided to upgrade even more stuff to make the gameplay flow better, and holy crap, did it work. You can now select multiple Pokémon at once to drag around in the PC, you can press L during battles to get information on your Pokémon's moves (which may have actually been in the series earlier, I'm not sure), the game promts you to use the next Repel while still on the field, and they provide you with a "Free Space" pouch in your bag, which essentially acts as a "Favorites" tab.
The graphics didn't get too big of an overhaul, but they definitely look nicer than the past games, featuring more unique areas with brand-new tilesets, more realistic-looking water, and, as an added asthtetic, every trainer has his or her own fluid animation at the beginning of the battle, which is a nice step up from the scarce three-frame animations from Generation 4 and Black and White. As a side note, certain attacks, such as Flare Blitz and Aerial Ace, have updated animations that look real nice.
The biggest difference (other than the region changing over the course of two years, which I'll cover in the full review), is the music. Black 2 and White 2 have an almost entirely separate style of music from Black and White, and it sounds really cool. It seems to come down to personal preference on whether or not the remixes on the majority of the themes are better than the originals, because I've heard it go both ways, but I enjoy both versions and think Game Freak did a nice job on giving the old battle themes an electronic twist. The most noticeable musical changes are with the Gyms: every last Gym has its own unique theme pertaining to the type the Leader specializes in and the atmosphere of the Gym's layout. (For example, Burgh's Gym, which uses caccoon-shaped tunnels, has this disturbingly creepy piano rendition of the regular Gym theme.) My favorite Gym theme by far has to be Elesa's. The techno remix of the Gym theme sounds freaking amazing and catchy, and her Gym actually has a unique encounter them for all her Gym Trainers. You'll have to listen to it yourself. Oh, and the title screen theme kicks a lot of ass as well.
There's a lot more I could talk about, but I'd rather save it for the full review so that I have more content in it. I'll cover things like the gameplay and the plot in my full review of Black 2 & White 2, which may come in a month or so, so hang tight and enjoy the games if you have them already. If you don't, go buy them as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed.
Edit [4/4/13]: Kinda given up on the White 2 review, but this still sums them both up quite nicely.
Now, I don't want to go too in-depth, considering I haven't played my planned Challenge Mode run on White 2, but here's my thoughts on my run of Black 2 summed up in one word: "Wow."
As if Black and White didn't add more to the table as is, Game Freak decided to upgrade even more stuff to make the gameplay flow better, and holy crap, did it work. You can now select multiple Pokémon at once to drag around in the PC, you can press L during battles to get information on your Pokémon's moves (which may have actually been in the series earlier, I'm not sure), the game promts you to use the next Repel while still on the field, and they provide you with a "Free Space" pouch in your bag, which essentially acts as a "Favorites" tab.
The graphics didn't get too big of an overhaul, but they definitely look nicer than the past games, featuring more unique areas with brand-new tilesets, more realistic-looking water, and, as an added asthtetic, every trainer has his or her own fluid animation at the beginning of the battle, which is a nice step up from the scarce three-frame animations from Generation 4 and Black and White. As a side note, certain attacks, such as Flare Blitz and Aerial Ace, have updated animations that look real nice.
The biggest difference (other than the region changing over the course of two years, which I'll cover in the full review), is the music. Black 2 and White 2 have an almost entirely separate style of music from Black and White, and it sounds really cool. It seems to come down to personal preference on whether or not the remixes on the majority of the themes are better than the originals, because I've heard it go both ways, but I enjoy both versions and think Game Freak did a nice job on giving the old battle themes an electronic twist. The most noticeable musical changes are with the Gyms: every last Gym has its own unique theme pertaining to the type the Leader specializes in and the atmosphere of the Gym's layout. (For example, Burgh's Gym, which uses caccoon-shaped tunnels, has this disturbingly creepy piano rendition of the regular Gym theme.) My favorite Gym theme by far has to be Elesa's. The techno remix of the Gym theme sounds freaking amazing and catchy, and her Gym actually has a unique encounter them for all her Gym Trainers. You'll have to listen to it yourself. Oh, and the title screen theme kicks a lot of ass as well.
There's a lot more I could talk about, but I'd rather save it for the full review so that I have more content in it. I'll cover things like the gameplay and the plot in my full review of Black 2 & White 2, which may come in a month or so, so hang tight and enjoy the games if you have them already. If you don't, go buy them as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed.
Edit [4/4/13]: Kinda given up on the White 2 review, but this still sums them both up quite nicely.
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