Pokemon Black Review for the Nintendo DS
. The Pokemon series is back in Black and it just got serious. Do Pokemon truly benefit from being captured, trained and pitted against one another? Are the relationships between trainers and their Pokemon symbiotic or are Pokemon being subjugated and abused? Team Plasma, the latest antagonists in the Pokemon series think so. In Pokemon Black its up to you to stop Team Plasma from freeing all the Pokemon as you explore the Unova region and attempt to fill your Pokedex which can now contain a whopping 649 entries!
. Philosophically it seems Team Plasma may have a point, after all Pokemon battles are startlingly similar to dog fights when you think about it. Pokemon Black sidesteps this irony by gradually revealing more sinister motives behind Team Plasma as the game progresses. Raising this ethical objection to training and battling Pokemon is refreshingly thoughtful for the series. Unfortunately the game chooses to attack a straw man in the form of Team Plasma’s disingenuous goals rather than engage in this moral argument head-on.
. Narrative logic aside, this is the most heartfelt and well-told story in the series. Pokemon Black pushes the player to see the value of accepting the differences of others. The plot and themes in Pokemon Black are good if not a bit heavy handed.
. Pokemon Black follows the original Pokemon game formula closely. You catch wild Pokemon, battle gym leaders, and collect badges. Many of the locations and Pokemon in the game are reminiscent of those in the original Pokemon games. For instance, near Mistralton City there is a tower filled with ghost-type Pokemon similar to the tower in Lavender town from Pokemon Red and Blue. However, there are no Pokemon to catch from previous games until after the credits roll. Instead there are 156 new Pokemon to collect during the main story. This keeps the story feeling fresh because every Pokemon you encounter is new. This approach extends to other content like sidequests and encourages the player to keep playing long after the main storyline.
. Pokemon Black has a steeper learning curve than previous Pokemon games. The first gym pits you against Pokemon that have an element advantage regardless of what starter you chose. If you choose a fire Pokemon as your first Pokemon then you will have to face strong water-type Pokemon early in the game. It is harder to get away with using Pokemon of only one type than it was in the past. This forces you to train several Pokemon and pay close attention to their types and the elemental attributes of your foes.
. Routes between towns and other game locations are far shorter than in previous Pokemon games. However, each route is aesthetically distinct and each usually explores a unique gameplay twist. For instance, one route has narrow wooden walkways that allow the player to bypass grassy areas as long as you don’t misstep. Pokemon Black also features fewer minigames and places to explore than previous entries to the franchise.
. The real focus of Pokemon Black is its competitive multiplayer battles. The addition of triple and rotation battles as well as 2-on-2 matches give battles greater variety. The game makes it very easy to challenge players all over the world. Pokemon Black has the most impressive multiplayer suite of any DS title with numerous features and superb balancing.
. Touch controls seem underutilized in this title. Hardly anything in the game requires you to use the touch screen nor can you move your character with touch controls. This is a minor gripe but worth mentioning. Pokemon on your side of the screen still look pixelated during Pokemon battles. This is another minor complaint against what is otherwise a visually stunning DS title.
. Game Freak and Nintendo refuse to rest on their laurels with Pokemon Black. While not without its quirks Black exceeds expectations and makes numerous refinements to the series. Pokemon Black’s high difficulty and focus on competitive multiplayer make it hard to recommend to casual gamers or newcomers. But for returning players that have never explored the multiplayer aspects of Pokemon this is by far the best entry point to date.
Immersive – 9 – The deepest story in the series and highly addictive gameplay despite underused touch controls.
Technical – 9 – Possibly the best looking game on the DS which makes the pixelated sprites all the more out of place.
Value – 9 – Shorter and more linear story than previous Pokemon games but Pokemon Black has content and replayability in spades.
Average = 9/10
