Since the original “Pokemon” games debuted in the U.S. in 1998, very little has changed in how the games are played. That drive to “catch ’em all” somehow manages to bring players back time and again. As with every edition of the game, “Black” and “White” come with a number of new features, while still being chock-full of the tried and true.
This time around, your character travels through the new Unova region as he or she works toward becoming a league champion. With more than 150 new critters, your trusty old Pokedex can now be filled with data on nearly 650 creatures.
It wouldn’t be a “Pokemon” game without an evil group of thugs trying to steal your pets. The cultish Team Plasma has succeeded Team Rocket as the new baddies.
| ‘Pokemon Black Version’ and ‘Pokemon White Version’ |
| » System: DS |
| » Price: $34.99 |
| » Rating: 3 out of 5 stars |
The adventure has slightly revamped graphics, which are incredibly crisp for a “Pokemon” game. Also, you no longer solely stare at your character from above the entire time — sometimes the camera will swing to the side to better show where you are walking. Thankfully this is all automatic, and you never feel like your character is trapped in a blind spot.
One thing that has been fixed from some of the previous renditions is that your character gets a means of travel more quickly earlier in the game. The running shoes make it bearable; otherwise the beginning of the would feel like a crawl.
Along with the all the new “Pokemon” comes a new online system of play. If connected, you can compete in random matches with people from all over the world — no friend code required.
When it comes down to it, it’s still the same old “Pokemon” game, it just has a pretty new skin thrown on it. It would have been nice to see a rebuild of the series, especially after so many years. But hey, why mess with it if it’s not broken? After all, you’re always guaranteed to have a good time playing a “Pokemon” game.
