{"id":46591,"date":"2012-11-04T01:37:30","date_gmt":"2012-11-03T23:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=46591"},"modified":"2012-11-04T01:39:46","modified_gmt":"2012-11-03T23:39:46","slug":"pokemon-black-white-2-review-ds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/reviews\/46591-pokemon-black-white-2-review-ds","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon: Black & White 2 review (DS)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pok\u00e9mon video game scene has always followed a very predictable formula: release two games simultaneously and then follow up with a \u201cmid-generation\u201d game. This has been the case for the past 4 generations of Pok\u00e9mon \u2013 but this time it\u2019s different. For the first time ever, Game Freak released a sequel to a Pok\u00e9mon game instead of just a new title or remake.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 takes place two years after the events of Pok\u00e9mon Black & White \u2013 the games that introduced the Unova region and over 150 new Pok\u00e9mon. 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 Pok\u00e9mon game.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 continues the story of Team Plasma and their quest to \u2018liberate\u2019 Pok\u00e9mon from their trainers. The plot will feel somewhat familiar to players who completed Pok\u00e9mon Black or White, but in effect it\u2019s a brand new experience with a whole line-up of new characters and events.<\/p>\n

The first twist takes places at the start of your journey \u2013 instead of choosing your Unova starter Pok\u00e9mon from Professor Juniper, you\u2019ll be shown the basics of being a Pok\u00e9mon trainer by a familiar face from the first game.<\/p>\n

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Your adventure also starts in a brand new area that was never included in the predecessor. From there, you\u2019ll 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\u2019ll now find a housing development. If you\u2019re playing Pok\u00e9mon White 2 you\u2019ll see a different sight, as the construction work has been abandoned owing to an archaeological discovery.<\/p>\n

One of Black & White 2\u2019s best features is that Pok\u00e9mon from all previous generations can be caught. Over 300 Pok\u00e9mon can be encountered in the wild, making it the biggest Regional Pok\u00e9dex to date. After completing the main game and unlocking the National Pok\u00e9dex, you\u2019re faced with one of the most difficult challenges in video gaming \u2013 catching all 650 Pok\u00e9mon through trading or transferring from previous titles.<\/p>\n

Besides the new locations, different Pok\u00e9mon, and a few great aesthetic improvements, the core mechanics remain unaltered.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s impossible to fault the tried-and-tested Pok\u00e9mon recipe.<\/p>\n

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Another new addition, the Pok\u00e9mon 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\u2019s and Rare Candies.<\/p>\n

Whereas the Pok\u00e9mon World Tournament is a rather exciting new feature, the Pok\u00e9star Studios is definitely not.<\/p>\n

This Hollywood-like setup allows players to participate in various clich\u00e9-ridden scripts with corny casts, such as \u201cMecha Cop\u201d and \u201cBrycen-man\u201d. These short stories are recorded and screened in an adjacent cinema where more scripts unlock if the audience enjoyed your performance. It\u2019s a very dull experience for anyone older than 10.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 also introduces Memory Link; a feature that allows players to link their copy of Pok\u00e9mon Black & White with Pok\u00e9mon 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.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not necessary to have completed the first game in order to appreciate the new story, it\u2019s really impressive to see details of your previous Unova experience reflected in Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2.<\/p>\n

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In conjunction with the launch of Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 was the release of Pok\u00e9mon Dream Radar on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. This R30 application uses augmented reality to find and capture items and Pok\u00e9mon which can be transferred to Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 via the Nintendo 3DS Link.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s truly bizarre to have a Nintendo DS game receive data from a Nintendo 3DS application \u2013 it feels like sending Pok\u00e9mon back to the past. Nevertheless, it works like a charm and coughing up a few bucks for an application that lets you obtain exclusive Pok\u00e9mon is well worth it.<\/p>\n

Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 is packed full of content and features \u2013 some are standard for Pok\u00e9mon games while others are brand new. There\u2019s loads of places to explore, people to talk to and, most importantly, Pok\u00e9mon to catch.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cChallenge Mode\u201d which increases the difficulty of the opponent AI and Pok\u00e9mon level \u2013 another first for the Pok\u00e9mon series.<\/p>\n

In short, Pok\u00e9mon Black & White 2 is the richest and most engaging Pok\u00e9mon video game yet. The campaign story is as engaging as the first and players can expect some truly memorable moments. While it\u2019s 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 Pok\u00e9mon games to date.<\/p>\n\n\t\t