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Well, now that the game has been released into foreign countries such as Europe and McDonald Land, let's make a thread where people can share their reaction to how they felt Pokemon Black and White has been overall, whether it fulfilled their expectations, where some aspects were lacking, etc. I will start and I will try to be brief.
I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!
All right, first, I will admit, I have been overly critical at Pokemon Black and White before it came out, and I do realise that. In fact, I will also concede that some of the criticisms I have been stating were quite unfair but it happens during first impressions. It was just mostly due to the repetitiveness of the premise (Pokemon journey, guy with a cap, Team Plasma, etc...) and it was growing tiresome. It was also the icky design of the new Pokemon, and that is something I'm still struggling to get over with. I have warmed up to some, but other than that, it still hits me. But is this game truly the 40/40 that it was given? Let's see...
"Dude the girl's mad hot O_O"
~ Gin
First off, the main characters' designs are somewhat pretty bland, but I like the simplicity of the male protagonist's design. As for the female... I'm sorry, she is too repulsive. Dawn of DPP still holds the crown as the best designed female protagonist in my opinion. I'm rather appalled at the BW girl's attire and how... unchildish she looks, rather taking the form of an uncouth rebellious teenage girl. I guess many will disagree with me, particularly Gin as you can see, but my sentiment still stands. (Stares at Skyla's attire and begins to facepalm). Professor Juniper is the first female professor in any Pokemon games, and usually, I do not like it when women take the roles where a man usually is. However, Juniper is quite quirky and seems to be an amiable character, so I do not mind her much actually.
As for your two best friends, Cheren and Bianca... they are very well designed and clearly their personalities develop a lot throughout the game. I especially was enamored with Bianca. While I do not agree with anything that has the slightest thought of rebellion against parents, young Bianca sets off on a journey to strengthen herself as a person through a Pokemon journey. She is quite the ditzy girl, but nonetheless, she is resourceful and quite helpful and her presence is always nice... except when she does that whole surprise battle thing (only happened once so far though). Bianca's just really cute in her own way and is definitely a well thought out character, and her development is quite good, as she turns from a klutzy girl who even lost her Munna to Team Plasma once into a more confident character, even though she is still a bit flawed. Nonetheless, that certain charm about Bianca certainly gets to me and makes her one of the most lovable characters in this game in my opinion. I'd like to see how she reconciles with her father later, as that whole outburst in the 4th gym city was quite emotional, but she promised her father she would return after her journey. We will have to see how she ends up.
Cheren on the other hand, seemed a bit boring to me, but he's quite understandable. He is someone who knows so much about Pokemon that he wants to become the best. Almost like an elitist trainer, in fact. He even calls Bianca hopeless for her conduct when she battled the protagonist in his room. Cheren also heals your Pokemon at many times and allies with you against Team Plasma and at other times too. However, he has this little rivalry going on with the main character, always wondering why he can never beat you in spite of having the same badges as the main character does. He just battles to win and become the strongest, and he truly shows his ambition throughout the game. He is like the real rival of the game and is incredibly ambitious. Is he likable? Well certainly, but sometimes he is quite patronising and certainly likes to make surprise battles every time. He is on the road to become the Pokemon Champion and NO ONE (except Gary Oak) is gonna stop him. Well, except me. I will
This is where the game truly shines: character development. It seems every characters play a major role and you want to know how they end up and why they decide to act a certain way and all. This game is not short of a cast, and the story will certainly want you to get to know more these characters. N is especially a good one. I liked the whole beginning coronation scene and the whole Ghetsis and Plasma instilling revolutionary thoughts to people about "Pokemon liberation". Monarchy and revolution topics really excite me, they really do.
As for the scenery? Extremely gorgeous! Even the first town looks amazingly well done, and I was really in awe when I crossed the bridge to the third city. Then I was bewildered by the HUGE city that beheld me and that the third gym was really going to be fought here. They had everything: piers, business buildings, streets, busy people, dark alleys with muggers that don't mug, a park, vending machines, etc. This is certainly a huge step up from the old games, though a bit too much. I'm rather concerned about the World Map resembling the Eye of Horus though, but I will not get to that. Overall, it was quite the amazing panorama and I believe I have not seen everything yet.
Now for the gameplay... this is where some things fall apart. Many things were just way too repetitive. Yes, I know 1st routes should not be that great, but only two species? Lillipup and Patrat? No bird even... so it was a trolling. Then, all the trainers spamming Lillipup and Patrats all over and over. Some had Purrloins, but that was like once in a blue moon. And those trolls you call Team Plasma keep sending out the same boring stuff over and over. EPIC GOON FIGHT, er no, another Patrat? GRRR! In fact, if the first two gym leaders were not gym leaders, I would have easily mistaken them as regular trainers because they too, use Lillipup or Herdier or Watchog and even the elemental monkeys, which become more prevalent later in the game by gazillion fold. Seriously, this is what was dragging down the beginning of the game. I wanted to fight a bit of variety... it's not too much to ask with the 649 Pokemon out there. Well, no, I don't want to fight a level 70 Mewtwo from the start, but you get what I mean. Then afterwards... all these Timburrs and Woobats get on my nerves! Speaking of Woobats... Woobats. Really now? One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Zubat Newbat Woobat Swoobat. Great. And while I have warmed up to some of the new Pokemon designs, some of them are just... incredibly trollish. I go near Pinwheel Forest, and all of a sudden, I am confronted by a Blue KARATE MAN they name SAWK. That was the funniest thing I've seen in my life, and I couldn't help but crack up so loudly. I wonder how the White Version people will feel with THROH. Ha ha THROH. Unfortunately, it took me 8 Great Balls to catch that Lv. 12 monster... and after that, I found a Lv. 15 one. Brilliant! That DESERT RESORT map is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BORING I cannot stand it! But I gruelingly decided to do all the sidequests there were so... no regrets.
"This is badbadbadbadbadbadbad... or Plasbad for short!"
~ Team Plasma Grunt
Also, as for the TMs being infinite, that's great. In fact, it's one of the best things to have ever happened in this generation. However, what I am displeased about is the fact that some of the GREATEST TMs such as Stealth Rocks or Dark Pulse being replaced by completely trollish moves. In fact, while Gamefreak clearly has a fetish for skyrocketing stats for some of the new Pokemon, they certainly were not so generous with the new moves. 30 BP moves everywhere! Hi Struggle Bug! You're my prize for defeating Burgh? No way! Incinerate? Like, what do I do with you? Even Feint went from 50 BP to 30 BP. Gamefreak really loves their 30 BP moves. Struggle Bug did like... 8 damage to my Servine, with STAB. Seriously.
That's not to say this game has no innovation. There are some good innovations that personally I was about to do with a ROM hack I was developing, such as Gyms doubling as another building. 2nd gym was a library and a gym, 3rd gym an art gallery, etc... it was quite cool. How about nurses and doctors doubling as battlers and healers? I had those types of ideas too and I was rather amused that it took them this long to think of that. But an innovation is an innovation, and stuff like this may come in the near future.
Overall, I'm only up to the 5th gym city and have not even done that whole part yet. However, this game is certainly looking pretty good for a Pokemon game, aside from a few nitpicks. It is mostly the storyline that is interesting me, and my level 35 Servine named Antoinette is certainly getting fun to play with (and also my Tranquill named Heart). In spite of the flaws it's overall pretty okay. No, it does not deserve that perfect score, and I have not covered everything that I wanted to cover (such as Kyurem's flaws, since that is not my main concern here), but the game has certainly exceeded my expectations. I've just started and already I am hooked. I'm resisting a little only because the beginning was too repetitive, the goons of this game are just completely ridiculous, and that desert resort map completely burned me out. But hey that's what deserts do to you.
Now everyone share your sentiments about the latest Pokemon installment.
Wraith Pokemon Black File 1.zip