Pokemon Black Version 2 Review

Traditionally, Pokemon games go through a specific sequel convention. Each "generation" has two games, often of contrasting colors or materials (Pokemon Red/Blue, Pokemon Gold/Silver, Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire), followed shortly after by a half-sequel that presents a new color or material (Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Emerald). These half-sequels have the same general structure of the main games, but with slightly different Pokemon and events. Nintendo and Game Freak have bucked the trend with Pokemon Black and White, the sixth generation of Pokemon games. Instead of a bland-sounding Pokemon Grey, Nintendo has put out Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2 for the Nintendo DS and 3DS $169.96 at Walmart.com, and instead of providing a retread of the original games they serve as a direct sequel with a new story and sequence of events. At $39.99 each, Pokemon Black and White Version 2 each offer (in very similar ways; there's no reason to buy both unless you're a completionist) an extensive Pokemon experience that manages to feel fresh compared to the original sixth generation games.

Pokemon Black and White Version 2 both take place two years after the events of Pokemon Black and White, putting you in the shoes of a new Pokemon trainer from a small town in the Unova region, just outside the original playable area of the games. It's the same deal as every other main Pokemon game, where you start with one of three elemental starter Pokemon, you have to collect Pokemon and beat the eight gym leaders of the region, beat the Elite Four at the Pokemon Championships, and thwart Team (Something) as they try to do something evil. None of that has changed.

The big change is in the region itself. Not only do you start in a new town, but nearly every location has been altered over the last two years. There are new towns, new gyms, and new ways to get between towns like underwater tunnels. You go through a completely new route and new sequence of gyms, with several new gym leaders (including characters from Pokemon Black and White), and while you do this you have to fight the remnants of Team Plasma, the villains from the previous games. Team Plasma has abandoned its ideals after its leader, N, was persuaded by the last games' hero to give up his mission to free all Pokemon, and now the old members that didn't follow N just want to take over the Unova region.

As you explore Unova again, you meet people who were affected by the previous games' hero and N's actions. If you played Pokemon Black and White and link your game's save file through the Pokemon Global Network (a process that requires visiting the Pokemon Web page and registering both games, then recording your save file to the network), you get more content in the form of flashbacks and special Pokemon involved with N and the hero, and the different characters all remember the name you put in from the previous game. It's a nice touch, even if the process is convoluted.

There are a few extra activities to try along with the ones from Black and White. You can now start in greenscreened movies at a studio, giving you more thoughtful, puzzle-like battled with certain Pokemon that emphasize meeting certain requirements instead of just winning. You can start your own shopping area on Join Avenue, where you can recruit NPCs to run and visit shops and expand by linking with other players through SpotPass. You can also collect medals by performing certain tasks, giving the game a form of achievements or trophies. The Battle Subway returns and is joined by the Pokemon World Tournament. The Battle Subway lets you fight random trainers with an equalized level of Pokemon for Battle Points to get new training machines, and the Pokemon World Tournament lets you fight gym leaders (bosses) from previous Pokemon games.

There are still plenty of online features, including battling and trading Pokemon across the Internet and local wireless connections. The Entralink feature from Black and White returns, letting players walk around parts of Unova with their friends and unlock rare Pokemon and new areas. The competitive Pokemon field is big, and if you like micromanaging and researching stats, you'll get plenty of use out of the online modes.

Pokemon Black and White Version 2 are more of the same as Pokemon games, but they offer enough twists and changes to feel like a genuine sequel of Pokemon Black and White and not just an upgraded remake like the other Pokemon half-sequels. Even if you played through the last Pokemon game, Pokemon Black and White Version 2 can feel fresh and offer plenty of content.