The Pokémon video game scene has always followed a very predictable formula: release two games simultaneously and then follow up with a “mid-generation” game. This has been the case for the past 4 generations of Pokémon – but this time it’s different. For the first time ever, Game Freak released a sequel to a Pokémon game instead of just a new title or remake.
Pokémon Black & White 2 takes place two years after the events of Pokémon Black & White – the games that introduced the Unova region and over 150 new Pokémon. More importantly, there was the reintroduction of a first-class campaign – the story of Team Plasma and N, which is widely considered as the pinnacle of storytelling in a Pokémon game.
Pokémon Black & White 2 continues the story of Team Plasma and their quest to ‘liberate’ Pokémon from their trainers. The plot will feel somewhat familiar to players who completed Pokémon Black or White, but in effect it’s a brand new experience with a whole line-up of new characters and events.
The first twist takes places at the start of your journey – instead of choosing your Unova starter Pokémon from Professor Juniper, you’ll be shown the basics of being a Pokémon trainer by a familiar face from the first game.
Your adventure also starts in a brand new area that was never included in the predecessor. From there, you’ll make your way through a plethora of locations and cities, some of which underwent drastic changes since Black & White. For instance, where there used to be a construction site near Castelia City, you’ll now find a housing development. If you’re playing Pokémon White 2 you’ll see a different sight, as the construction work has been abandoned owing to an archaeological discovery.
One of Black & White 2’s best features is that Pokémon from all previous generations can be caught. Over 300 Pokémon can be encountered in the wild, making it the biggest Regional Pokédex to date. After completing the main game and unlocking the National Pokédex, you’re faced with one of the most difficult challenges in video gaming – catching all 650 Pokémon through trading or transferring from previous titles.
Besides the new locations, different Pokémon, and a few great aesthetic improvements, the core mechanics remain unaltered.
Players still set off to challenge 8 Gyms, obtain their badges, and become the Champion of the region. The familiar and highly addictive turn-based combat system remains vastly similar to previous titles and showcases years of perfection – it’s impossible to fault the tried-and-tested Pokémon recipe.
Another new addition, the Pokémon World Tournament, allows players to compete in a single-elimination tournament with prominent trainers (such as gym leaders) from previous generations. Players earn Battle Points through the tournament that can be used to redeem awesome prizes like TM’s and Rare Candies.
Whereas the Pokémon World Tournament is a rather exciting new feature, the Pokéstar Studios is definitely not.
This Hollywood-like setup allows players to participate in various cliché-ridden scripts with corny casts, such as “Mecha Cop” and “Brycen-man”. These short stories are recorded and screened in an adjacent cinema where more scripts unlock if the audience enjoyed your performance. It’s a very dull experience for anyone older than 10.
Pokémon Black & White 2 also introduces Memory Link; a feature that allows players to link their copy of Pokémon Black & White with Pokémon Black & White 2. If players completed the first game, various elements and NPCs unlock in Black & White 2, which provide a deeper and more engaging campaign story.
While it’s not necessary to have completed the first game in order to appreciate the new story, it’s really impressive to see details of your previous Unova experience reflected in Pokémon Black & White 2.
In conjunction with the launch of Pokémon Black & White 2 was the release of Pokémon Dream Radar on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. This R30 application uses augmented reality to find and capture items and Pokémon which can be transferred to Pokémon Black & White 2 via the Nintendo 3DS Link.
It’s truly bizarre to have a Nintendo DS game receive data from a Nintendo 3DS application – it feels like sending Pokémon back to the past. Nevertheless, it works like a charm and coughing up a few bucks for an application that lets you obtain exclusive Pokémon is well worth it.
Pokémon Black & White 2 is packed full of content and features – some are standard for Pokémon games while others are brand new. There’s loads of places to explore, people to talk to and, most importantly, Pokémon to catch.
The main story can easily consume 20 hours of your life, after which even more content will unlock. In particular, one can then activate the “Challenge Mode” which increases the difficulty of the opponent AI and Pokémon level – another first for the Pokémon series.
In short, Pokémon Black & White 2 is the richest and most engaging Pokémon video game yet. The campaign story is as engaging as the first and players can expect some truly memorable moments. While it’s packed to the brim with new content, a release on the Nintendo 3DS would have been welcomed; however, the Nintendo DS still does justice to one of the best Pokémon games to date.
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