A lot of people don’t like Pokemon Black & White. They were controversial when it was released in 2010 because it locked all old Pokemon to the post-game, but I loved that change. It was a treat to have a wholly new experience, to use an entirely new team, to the extent that I’ve self-imposed the same rule in every new game since.
I’ll level with you, I didn’t play Gen 5 on launch. I took a break from the series after Gen 4, which thoroughly disappointed me, and only came back to try Black & White after I’d already played Pokemon X. But what a treat it was, especially playing Black 2 & White 2 immediately after, while the first games were still fresh in my mind.
Pokemon Games That Take Risks
I miss it when Pokemon games took risks. Black & White took numerous, starting with that decision to exclude existing Pokemon from the main game. But it goes far beyond that.
Let’s take the story, for starters. Team Plasma has a point. N, specifically, has a really good point. Why do we treat Pokemon like slaves? The narrative is almost Kojima-esque in its meta commentary on the series as a whole. But it goes further than that. You beat Team Plasma after becoming the Champion, the Gym Leaders actually help you on your quest for justice. It makes sense in ways that other Pokemon games don’t. And then you’ve got the NPCs. Some take on board Team Plasma’s message and, if you meet them in the sequel, have released their Pokemon. It’s that kind of storytelling that brings Unova to life.
Black & White’s two versions are also radically different, as are their respective sequels. Black’s industry versus White’s verdant natural world are visually distinct, best represented by Black City and White Forest, geographically similar locations that are completely different in execution. Opelucid City looks completely different in each game. If you’ve only played one of the pair, take it upon yourself to try the other. You won’t regret it.
Pokemon Black & White Remake
I often think about Pokemon remakes. What used to be skillful reimaginings of old games with graphical overhauls and new mechanics – think of Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby or SoulSilver & HeartGold – are now bland recreations, cheap cash-ins to monetise our nostalgia. Brilliant Diamond is up there with the worst Pokemon games I’ve ever played, and I’ve played Pokemon Masters Ex.
Pokemon Black & White are the second best-looking Pokemon games ever made. Sure, I’m a sucker for pixel art and it’s only the stunning autumnal vibes as you approach Bell Tower in SoulSilver that stop it from taking the top spot. Still, Black & White excel in every area, and the battle sprites are unbeaten even after a decade and a half.
Sadly, I think a remake would ruin everything that makes these games special. I’d love for Pokemon to put its heart into a remake again, for it to actually try to make something on a par with, or even better than, the game it made all those years ago. I’d love Black & White folded into one package with its sequels so we could play through the series in one cartridge for an experience like my back-to-back playthroughs. But it seems like its releases are now solely profit-driven. The love of the craft has gone, or been crunched out of the developers.
That’s why it’s time to replay the originals right now. Dig out your DS. Grab a copy of the games – they’re still relatively cheap secondhand, all things considered. Get your dose of nostalgia before Pokemon tries to charge you for a cheap knock-off in a year or two.
Pokemon Black & White are misunderstood, so it’s time you gave them a second chance. Don’t wait for Pokemon to force your hand with a cheap remake, replay these games on your own terms.
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