If I were so inclined, I’d say W/B were the best versions of the game to be released yet. Compared to something like Gold and Silver where you have two massive regions to conquer it might seem like a small package, but this is hardly the case. There may be less landmass to explore, sure, but there’s still plenty of content here, and so many small improvements have been made that the earlier versions seem like primitive caveman creations in comparison.
The game doesn’t tread too far from what you’ve seen in previous games. You’re still given your first Pokemon from a Pokemon Professor. You’re still from a small town, and the goal is still to find Pokemon, catch Pokemon, and fight Pokemon against one another with the hopes of eventually becoming Pokemon League Champion. There are minor additions though. Where Ruby/Sapphire brought us 2v2 battles, White/Black introduce two different types of 3v3 battles. Static 3v3 and rotational 3v3. Static is exactly like 2v2 only that there are now 3 Pokemon on each side. It does add more strategy into the encounters though, because the two Pokemon on either side can only attack Pokemon adjacent to them. The far left Pkmn can’t attack the far right one for example. Because of this it’s a good idea to put your beefiest Pokemon in the center, because they’re capable of being attacked from any of the enemies 3. The other variation is 3v3 rotational, where you still have 3 Pokemon out at once, but you can only attack with one at a time. Each turn you’re allowed to rotate your Pokemon to change their positions and attack. You don’t see much of this variation at all so I didn’t spend much time seeing what it offers as far as strategy or whatever, but it’s a neat addition, and you’re able to link up and do 1v1, 2v2, or either variation of 3v3 with a buddy (once you’ve progressed far enough to unlock them).
Speaking of linking up. The trading and battling of Pokemon with your friends is still an option but not a necessity to progress in the story. If you want to fill your Pokedex, you’ll need to trade though, and if you’re trading with older generations of the game, you’ll have to conquer the elite four first. If you have a buddy to link up with, you can also do cooperative battles, and there’s also the ability to battle against strangers to get a currency which can then be turned in for rewards. There’s a TON of stuff to do here, even more-so if you have local friends that play the game.
I’m curious to see where the series goes now that the 3DS is out. Black/White in my opinion, lend themselves very well toward the whole 3D gimmick, just with how the camera moves around the environments and things like that. My prediction is that if there’s a 3rd entry in the generation (like Gold and Silver had Crystal and Diamond and Pearl had Platinum), it wouldn’t be too hard to convert the game into a 3DS version. We’ll have to see.
If you’re new to Pokemon, White/Black are excellent spots in the series to get your feet wet. The formula hasn’t changed all that much, but with Pokemon, this is far from a bad thing.
Control- To those of us who don’t care much for the touch controls, Pokemon games for the DS do a good job at letting you use what you prefer. During battles you can control the game using the typical Confirm/Go Back controls you’ve seen since Red/Blue, or you can simply touch your selection and go. Both feel pretty good. You won’t be doing one over the other just because it lends itsself better to the gameplay like some DS games might make you do. Typically you’ll do which feels better for you, and regardless of how you choose to control the game, it’ll still control well. It’s hard to screw up turn-based RPG controls to be honest.
Graphics- White/Black look fantastic. Even paired up against Platinum or Heartgold/Soulsilver, they’ve made plenty of improvements to the way the game presents its graphics. In some areas the breeze might blow fallen tree leaves over the foreground or maybe the camera goes into a over-the-shoulder perspective to give you a nice view of a skyline. It looks a bit more cinematic and does a pretty good job at making areas seem more exciting to explore than they might have otherwise. Sprites and buildings are pretty well detailed although at a distance or a weird angle, some of the minor details such as eyes or mouths on some of the sprites disappear and stuff like that. It’s not too bad though. Personally I’m not a fan of some of the new Pokemon designs. I’m one of the folks who thought there were enough variations of Pokemon during the Gold/Silver era, but I suppose the more the merrier.
Sound- There is no voiced dialogue in the game and I actually prefer that for Pokemon games. It just seems right to be done in text. Each city has its own unique theme associated with it and the battle music is, as always with Pokemon games, pretty great. It sounds memorable without getting repetitive or irritating. Boss fights like Gym leaders, your friends from your starter town or the like each also have a theme, and when you’re nearing victory during an important battle, a remix of the original music from Red/Blue kicks in. White/Black sound pretty good.
Story- Pokemon games have always had a relatively personal (if not selfish) narrative, and while White/Black don’t necessarily go too far off of that path, there is a little more here in terms of overarching story. It’s mainly focused around stopping Team Plasma’s evil schemes to liberate Pokemon from their masters hands. It’s cool to finally see the idea of how Pokemon are in some way slaves to humanity, but the game doesn’t get too dark with it. This isn’t a bad thing. As always, the dialogue is kid-friendly but not to the point where I feel silly as a grown man playing through the game. The story is a step in the right direction. It isn’t as impactful as some other RPGs, but for something like Pokemon it’s a good balance between simply exploring the world and interacting with important characters toward a world-changing goal.
Longterm Value- It took me just over 23 hours of game time to collect all of the gym badges and conquer the Pokemon League to see the first credits scroll. I didn’t go too far off the beaten path to explore every nook and cranny and I didn’t sit around each area until I’ve captured every Pokemon from that particular spot. What I’m trying to say is: you’ll have plenty of game to last you for awhile, especially if you don’t just plow your way through it. You can also (like in previous games) continue your adventure after beating the Elite Four, and there are still plot bolts left unturned if you choose to seek them out. A few new areas open up and you’re allowed to trade Pokemon from previous generations to add to your collection. Wild Pokemon from previous versions of the game also show up for you to capture. These things combined with seasonal or weekly world events will ensure you’ll have plenty of things to do even after the credits roll.