I planned on having this post up last week. I figured that playing through ten hours or so of the new Pokémon game would be enough to give you some impressions of how the game turned out.
I was wrong on two counts. First, ten hours of playtime wouldn't have been enough time for me to get a proper idea of just how different this Pokémon game is. It seems like the game unveils something totally new every half hour or less. I'm 35 hours in, and I'm still seeing new stuff all the time. Secondly, there is no way I could play this game for just ten hours. As of this second, I'm still having trouble putting it down. Considering I skipped Pokémon HeartGold / SoulSilver, I figured that my Poké-mania had lapsed to the point where I wouldn't be so easily hooked on the latest Pokémon experience.
I would have been right, if it weren't for the fact that game is so awesome. It's like the best parts of every new Pokémon game, condensed into one little cartridge. Read on for my full impressions, but beware of some mild spoilers. My Japanese isn't good enough to properly understand the story, but I will be revealing some vague points about the game's narrative here and there, plus (ZOMG) pics of new Pokémon.
So without further ado: my Pokémons, let me show you them (until, that is, Nintendo tells me that I have to un-show you them).
Pokémon White (DS)
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company
Released: September 18, 2010 (JP)
To be released: Spring 2011 (NA/EU)
The first thing you'll notice about Pokémon White is that its opening movie is focused, serious, and very story-driven. It looks a bit like a water-colored storyboard for one of the many Pokémon movies that have come and gone over the years. Barely any Pokémon are shown. Instead, you see a green-haired young man being crowned king of... something, presumably of some mysterious organization. It's actually a pretty evocative and borderline spooky little animated storyboard, more like the intro to a Castlevania game than anything I've seen in the Poké-verse before. After that, you get a gameplay montage with the traditional Pokémon intro music, with the words "Hope," "Dream," and "Discovery" scrolling across the screen.
It's a very different introduction to what feels like a definitive change in direction for the Pokémon series. Thankfully, the game still hasn't "grown up," but it has definitely filled out.
Despite being on the same hardware as the last main entry in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Black/White is a definite technical step up from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. If anything, the fact that Game Freak was stuck with "the old DS" seems to have just pushed them harder to try to impress us. Unlike with past Pokémon sequels, they couldn't rely on the the power of new hardware to impress the crowds. Instead, they had to pour every ounce of imagination and craftmanship into the game as they could, and it shows. It's hard to go back to Diamond/Pearl/Platinum now that I've been spoiled by Pokémon White.
I'm not going to even try to list all the ways that Game Freak polished up the Pokémon formula. That would lead to a laundry list of epic proportions. From basic menus to fonts to in-game shopping, everything about the game has been tweaked for the better. Instead of getting into all that, I'll touch on the three areas that show the most drastic improvements: the environment, the story, and the battles.
The fully polygon-based backgrounds are stunning. There is so much going on with them; little animations and flourishes that don't necessarily jump out at you, but work to make the whole experience feel much more cared about. The soundtrack is also much more dynamic, and will change on the fly for a variety of reasons. For example, the second or third town you enter has a rather sparse soundtrack, until you meet an in-game drummer and guitar player. Talk to them, and they'll start to play their instruments along to the music. It sounds like a little thing, but enough of these little moments added together really makes the world you're looking into through your DS screen feel like a real place.
More eye-opening are the new dynamic camera angles. Depending on where you're going and what you're doing, the camera will act accordingly to help express the moment. It may swing behind your back to emphasize that you are moving through a three-dimensional space, or pan out for a sweeping "crane shot" to emphasize the distance you have to cross, or zoom in for a dramatic close-up when a serious Poké-moment is about to go down. These camera moves don't happen all the time, but that only makes it more dramatic and evocative when they do. There is one area where all you have to do is ride your bike across a bridge for about a minute (albeit a huge bridge, on the way to a city that greatly resembles Manhattan). There are no battles, little dialog, and no need to explore, yet because of the camera work, it's one of the most memorable parts of the game that I've seen yet.
As the opening cinema hinted, the game is much more story-focused. You spend much more time talking to and battling against/alongside) your rivals, getting to know the game's gym leaders, and thwarting the game's token Pokémon "Team" -- Team Plasma. That green-haired man from the opening is named N. He definitely has some association with Team Plasma (their king, perhaps?), and as such, he plays a major role in the plot. You see him around a lot, though at this point in the game, it's not entirely clear if he is your enemy or not. At one point, he took me on a private Ferris wheel ride just to hang out. Maybe there was something more menacing about that then I could tell, but it seemed that he was working against the knowledge of Team Plasma, in order to tell me something super-serious. Due to my shabby Japanese, I'll have to wait until the game gets localized next year to know for sure what that was all about.
The emphasis on spending time with recurring characters is all over this game, particularly with your rivals. You'll see them at least once or twice in every town, where you'll talk to them (in person or over video chat), battle them, or team up in double (or even triple) battles. You work with them so closely that "rivals" doesn't actually seem accurate anymore. They feel more like party members who just happen to spend most of their time out of your party. As in the most recent Pokémon games, there are two rivals in Pokémon White/Black: a cute, upbeat blonde girl named Belle, and a serious, spectacled, dark-haired boy named Cheren.
Although my Japanese is too weak for me to be sure, Belle seems to symbolize the American way, where Cheren symbolizes Japan. In fact, that "East and West together" theme seems to carry on throughout the whole game. There is a lot of stuff here that seems to be an attempt to recreate America, but from a Japanese perspective. You'll even meet a few NPCs that speak English. Ironically, it's usually a Rastafarian-looking dude who is constantly dancing. They remind me a lot of Tom from Shenmue, but in a good way.
As for the triple battles I just mentioned, they're awesome. They really force you to think differently about the game, as your three Pokémon can only attack opponents that are directly in front of them, or one space to the left or the right. That means the Pokémon on the farthest left can't attack the enemy on the farthest right. That's actually just the first way to take three Pokémon into battle at a time. There are also rotation battles, where you can switch between three Pokémon on the fly without any penalty losing your turn. In short, true "party-based combat" has finally come to the Pokémon series.
For me, that would have been enough of a gameplay evolution, but it's actually just the start of the new ways to play the game. There's more new stuff here than I could possibly list, but highlights include the wild double battles, the new types of moves (like the water/fire-type scalding splash), multiple new online features (including live, real-time trading with anonymous strangers), and strangest of all, the Inception-like Dream World.
I haven't gotten to try it myself yet, as the site has been down for the past two weeks, but in theory, the Dream World lets you put one of your in-game Pokémon to sleep. From there, you can play in their subconscious on your real-life personal computer at the website www.pokemon-gl.com. While dreaming, you and your Pokémon can get new items to be used in the waking world, and best of all, interact with at least thirty Generation-1 Pokémon. After meeting them in the Dream World, you can plant the idea in their heads to show up in your DS game. After you wake up, they'll be somewhere in your game of Pokémon White/Black.
That's actually the only way that I know of to see those thirty Gen-1 Pokémon, or any old Pokémon, for that matter. I've heard that you see more "old" Pokémon in the wild once you beaten the last boss, but I won't know for sure until I do that myself. I can say with certainty that every "regular" Pokémon I've encountered in the game so far has been brand-new. In a series first, you won't even see the Pokémon mascot, Pikachu (better known as "Pokéman" to non-Pokémon-playing parents), unless you trade for him or do that Dream World stuff. I don't miss him, though. The game's two new Pikachu equivalents, a limited-time-online-event fire mouse named Vicitini, and a flying electric squirel named Emonga, are totally badass.
In fact, I don't miss any of the old Pokémon. This new group is incredible, particularly because of their animations. I've been carrying around my DS since I got the game, showing my new Pokémon to the people of America, and they've all voiced their approval. You may not have been impressed with all the new Pokémon designs that you've seen thus far, but trust me, that will change once you see them in motion. The animations here use a combination of traditional frame-flipping animation and computer-aided squash-and-stretch animation, and the results are smooth and expressive. Of course, there are always a few duds. I'm not particularly taken with the red guy made of rock wearing a karate gi, but for the most part, this new group is as good or better than their Poké-predecessors. The designers at Game Freak put a lot of love into the these 156 new Pokémon and their character-specific animations, and it shows.
So that just scratches the surface of all the things that I love about this new Pokémon game. I'd say more, but I promised myself that I'd cut this monster off at 15 paragraphs. In short, Pokémon White is easily my favorite Pokémon game in the series, and I will not hesitate to buy the Black version when it comes out in the US next year. If you wanted Pokémon to get a total reboot, or go MMO or Grand Theft Auto on us, then you likely won't be too impressed by this game. You probably won't be happy until Pokémon isn't Pokémon anymore, and therefore, this series propbably isn't for you anyway. However, if you're a past or present fan of Pokémon, but have been waiting for the series to take some risks, and stop relying the on the same style, presentation, gameplay, and most of all, Pokémon, that have been mainstays for the past fifteen years, then you might also declare Pokémon Black/White as your new series favorite. It's easily the newest-feeling Pokémon game to see release since Red and Blue.
Contest:
7:00 PM on 10.03.2010 | 
Amazing write-up. You've confirmed everything I had hoped for. I am very intrigued by this dream-world. So Holmes, what starter did you pick??
When it comes to final evolutions, I think Fire-pig is my favorite.
SOLD!
And now for the £32,000 question: Does the Game Corner exist?
You, uh... you might want to rephrase this.
"7:37 PM Samit: dude
that was a massive article
7:38 PM there was no way anything could've been done to it "real quick"!
me: Yeah, it's for Pokemaniacs, by Pokemanics.
They demand a completionist's attitude.
Samit: totally
7:39 PM me: Even now, I'm sure they'll be like "You left out the thing about special Pokemon in dust clouds!" or something."
But yeah, I couldn't test out most of the WiFi, or the DSi enambled video chat, because I'm playing an import copy of the game on an American DS Lite here in the USA. The game wont work on and American DSi, and I there isn't anyone to do tag mode with here in the States.
I did mention the live online trading though, which is a big step up from the "put your Pokemon online and come back later to see if anyone wanted it" system of Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.
Looking forward to trading with you come spring, also Vidja Chattan too!
ALL HAIL THE FIREPIG!
First of all: HMs. They are intrusive because they always take up slots you're saving for useful attacks, and since each pokemon can only know 4 moves each, a single move slot is VERY valuable and should never have to be wasted like that. To go without HMs is to confine yourself to the most mundane parts of the game world, so essentially you're only allowed to either explore the world or raise your dream team, but never both at once. Having only 6 HMs in Black/White is barely an improvement; they need to be implemented in a completely different fashion.
Secondly: Attacks. There are a LOT of cool moves in the series, so many that it's ultimately wasteful. A lot of neat moves like Feint and Smellingsalt go to waste because they're too situational, which is a big shame. This could easily be fixed by assigning those unique moves as unforgettable "signature" moves similar to how each specie has its own unique Ability. Obviously you can't give pokemon too many new move slots since classic strategy relies on each pokemon knowing only 4 moves, but there's a buttload of creativity tightly belted down to the point of asphyxiation by the same old 4-move 6-member battle system, such that you're still better off going with the classic Thunderbolt and Ice Beam attacks rather than trying out anything new.
Third: Single battles still rule all. Because each pokemon can learn very little, each one is a one-trick pony, and these ponies are always raised for single battles because that's what the game throws at you all the time. The much hyped Double and Triple battles always turn out to be redundant features, as do the new attacks and moves designed for those kinds of battles. There's just not enough room to make a pokemon that's good at all 3 different styles of battling (4 if you count Rotation Battles), and to make 3-4 pokemon to cover every kind of battle style is a buttload of work and level grinding. This could easily be fixed by allowing each pokemon to learn three 4-move sets instead of just one. They could learn different "strategies" for Singles, Doubles, and Triples, and then automatically switch to the right move set depending on what kind of battle they end up in. Then you wouldn't have to raise as many pokemon either. Seriously, it would be a big relief and convenience because trying to find ideal pokemon is a big pain in the butt now due to nature, core stats, abilities, and all the other variables involved.
Pokemon has some very fundamental problems that could be easily fixed, yet the developers don't. This is immensely frustrating, and Black/White doesn't look like it will ease the frustration any.
I figure the best way to encourage game freak to keep doing great stuff like this is with my wallet.
I was on the edge about this game, but successful preview is successful. Can't wait for the review.
I did learn surf though, just for the fun of it, and there are optional areas you can find using cut and strength, but the whole HM thing is largely gone. And best of all, no Flash cave!
As for your other two points, I'm a little confused. You think that each Pokemon should have a signature move that's like an ability? Why? I also don't get your other point about "single battles ruling all". They don't. You can have triple battles with other people whenever you want.
Or am I missing something?
Actually, I think I'm going to take the "without any penalties part out" and swap it for "without losing your turn." Thanks for the heads up.
Well look at it this way. You can raise more than one pokemon. It's easy to make them adept at handling multiple situations. (Have a fire type learn a electric attack for instance) And honestly having different move sets is just as simple as raising a different pokemon for the occasion.Complaining about grinding in a Pokemon game is like complaining that you have work for red coins in Mario games. You can't be the best without some hard work.
Saying that falling back on some of the old moves is not entirely wrong, but it's not all that true either. They're around cause they are good moves. Trying out new moves is part of the fun of all new pokemon, sure you could teach a physical electric(viable now!) thunderbolt, but it's not the best move for him since lower special attack in the long run makes it not as powerful.
The 4 Move system helps balance things and provide a box to work a strategy around, No one forces you to use just the old moves, and not trying new stuff means not experimenting, which is part of the fun of learning new moves IMO.
Honestly, Bitching about HMs is pointless, seeing how it's not that different from having to pick and chose what loadout you have in any other rpg, equipment wise. Sure it uses up a slot for other moves, but it's not like you are forced to give hms to you're main battling pokemon. I don't really mind anymore, and not having any bad ones this time is a plus for sure. (FUCK YEAH DIVE)
TL;DR Stop Whining about the parts that make the game fun.
As for your comment on moves, I have two words for you: Competitive Battling. A lot of the moves in the game that seem otherwise useless in the main game become much more useable when you're fighting other players. Many moves in fact seem to be designed specifically with player battles in mind.
I think I have something like 500 Pokemon on my Pearl cart, so it's going to be a long day when I finally start shifting mine over.
Then again, that's the only solution to the problem I suppose. Other then that, I can't wait. I preordered Black and White a few weeks ago at GameStop, now I just have to wait till April. This will be a long wait. Nice preview article!
On another note, what are your favorite gen 1/2 pokemon?
@ Kimicario- I think there is a reason that the monkeys look so similar. They are basically supplements to your starters. If you pick the water starter, you'll get the grass monkey as a gift from an NPC. Pick the fire starter, you get the water monkey, and so forth.
If they made the monkeys look different, it could cause unneeded buyers remorse over which starter you picked. What if the fire monkey and the grass monkey looked awesome, but the water one looked stupid? Then everyone who picked the grass starter would feel like a jackass.
Anyway, I think that all three of them look pretty rad, so I guess I wouldn't be the one to talk to about this import issue.
My favorite Gen 1 Pokemon, it's really hard to choose, but it's probably Dugtrio or Exeggutor, just because they are so damn weird. A plam tree with multiple angry heads? So awesome!
Then again, the Kangaroo Pokemon is pretty awesome too, as is Mewtwo, and Jynx.
Yeah, I can't do this. Same goes for Gen 2. I love Sizor, all the baby Pokemon, Lugia, Celebi, Milktank, and many others, with equal levels of passion.
Fuck Ho-oh.
Thanks for making me decide to save money for this
I just don't care about video chat, dream world, dressing up or these other timewasting distrations, I just want my Pokemon experience to 'evolve' like it did with Gold/Silver. I want something added to the core gameplay to turn it on its head, mechanics (like hold items, abilities, special stat split) that can make the difference between a strategic win and a loss.
Pokemon should stay Pokemon, but at least TRY to live up to the legacy.
Also, where are the production values here?
Dynamic cameras were new on the original Playstation, all they did was literally shift the camera and maybe make better 3D assets this time. This is not amazing, this is what we should EXPECT.
I guess some don't agree, but I HATE the animation in the battles, it looks retarded to me. It looks even worse when I stick on the 10 year old game Pokemon Stadium (on the technically inferior all around N64) and marvel at it's beautifully detailed 3D models with silky smooth battle and idle animations.
It boggles mind mind how they can just ignore logic like that. We should EXPECT better from the biggest franchise known to man.
The triple battles (not the rotation ones) sound... okay. Not the big deal double battles (in coolness or strategy) were but...
Does it really matter if you can't hit the guy on the far right? (there are plenty of 'large scale' moves in the game too which fix that) Does the game REALLY make use of it? (and I don't mean a few times like how double battles were used in Ruby/Sapphire)
Story is something I've really wanted to see improved in Pokemon, it's pretty much gotten worse since Gold/Silver but who can tell with this game. The fact that it features a Pokemon rights group that fights with Pokemon doesn't bode well.
I don't really have a problem with the new Pokemon, there are always going to be guys you like and guys you don't. That said, they are covering the same kind of animals, type match-ups and having more 3 stage evolutions that they probably should this time.
New Pokemon is cool, but we've always had new Pokemon in the games. What difference does a few more make, expecially when it's mostly aesthetic (another normal/flying type).
I'm SOOO glad DIVE is back though... lord knows why it was taken out...
I like you Jon (even though that Dead Rising Wii review makes me cry), but I want you to really think about this. Does this game really do for Pokemon what the previous, more ambitious games did? Does it really stand up to the competition on the DS in every way?
The visuals clearly don't, look at Golden Sun.
Trust me though, I've thought about it, and this game more than meets my expectations. A lot of stuff, like the character animation, actually exceeds my expectations. I can't think of any other game that has 156 unique sprite-based characters that have this much animation to them.
Personally, I think that the 2D sprites of Pokemon White look worlds better than Pokemon Stadium, Golden Sun Dark Dawn, or even Pokemon Battle Revolution. Ken Sugimori's artwork is best served by 2D animation. Polygons are fine, but for his style, they will inevitably look inferior to sprite-based artwork.
Just because the DS can push polygons like a PS1 doesn't mean that it should, or that we should expect it to just to meet some abritrary "polygons are better than sprites" standard.
That's the thing that troubles me most about you comment, your use of the word "expectations". I caution you to not let expectations and standards ruin your fun with videogames. That's something that I see happen far too often.
Not that long ago, I was talking with a fellow Dtoid editor who was complaining about Animal Crossing: City Folk. He said that "It was exactly like the DS game, which I love, but I hated it because it didn't meet my expectations."
That's right, there was a new game just like a game that he already loved, but because it didn't meet some preconceived standard that he invented, he ended up hating the game. Not just disappointed, not just disinterested, but hateful, as though he had been personally wronged by Nintendo or something, because they game him the opportunity to buy a new version of a game that he loved, with new features, graphics, etc.
In the end, it was his expectations, and his emotional reaction to seeing those expectations unmet, which kept him from enjoying what is otherwise a very well made game.
I hope that doesn't happen to you with Pokemon White/Black.
And that fact alone is what convinced me to buy it. It's not a multi-region spanning MMO, but Gamefreak has still put a ton of effort into trying to create more of a fresh experience for the franchise.
Not only are the 156 new Pokemon animated, but so are the other 493 from what I understand!
Also I'm loving this game something fierce. I'm taking it slow however, got 3 badges and 45 pokemon. I swear at least 90% of this new generation give me some serious trouser trouble! Great write-up!
No. They're omitting the Pokewalker this time around; so that it's a big deal when they bring it back for the inevitable Grey version that's coming out in the next couple of years or so.