About a year ago, I replayed Pokemon Black, and it’s still hands down one of the best mainline Pokemon titles. But that truly was all set up to bring me here, to Pokemon Black 2. Of all of the Pokemon games out there, the one game I missed of the bunch was Black 2, and it’s always been a goal of mine to actually play it. And while yes most of the dual versions are similar to each other, I feel like Black 2 and White 2 especially are different enough to acknowledge them somewhat as separate entities. Regardless of either version though, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are one of the best sets of games in the entire history of Pokemon, and I’m glad I finally got around to replaying them.

The first thing that’s always interesting to me about Black 2 and White 2 are that they’re the only direct sequels to prior Pokemon games. While some take place or continue storylines from older games, none are really as directly sequels like how Black 2 and White 2 are. It’s really interesting to see how Unova has changed between the two year time gap, and how characters have changed between then. Cheren is now a gym leader, Bianca is a full on assistant for Professor Juniper, so on and so forth. It’s really nice to see these characters grow beyond the game they first appear in, which happens so rarely.

One of the first big changes to Unova that’s noticeable from the start is the introduction of so many non-Unovan Pokemon. The regional Pokedex is practically doubled from what it was in Black and White, adding about 150 non-Unovan Pokemon. While I do really adore the soft-reboot style of Black and White, it makes perfect sense why they chose to do this here, and I really appreciate it. It allows for you to sort of re-experience Unova, but with Pokemon from older regions, though with my habit, I still use only Unovan Pokemon. My team for this run of Pokemon Black 2 was Samurott, Stoutland, Leavanny, Mandibuzz, Chandelure, and Beeheyem. The team itself was really fun, and I was able to really figure out how each Pokemon worked. Chandelure was without a doubt the best Pokemon in my team, and it’s one of the few Pokemon I ever kept a status move on. My team was kind of on the slow side too, which added an interesting challenge to the mix.

I mentioned in the introduction that Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 feel distinct enough to count them as different enough games. Of course they differ somewhat in story, since one features Reshiram, and the other Zekrom, but there are more differences as well. Some places are notably different aesthetically, much like in the original Black and White, Opelucid City is entirely different aesthetically. But locations like Route 4 are not only different aesthetically, but the layout and how you explore that route is different depending on the version. Some of the game’s dungeons, including Victory Road itself is laid out different depending on the version. I’ve been so used to playing White 2 that during the areas where the layouts were different, it felt so wrong, but that also made me adore the experience so much more.

Another interesting aspect when looking specifically at Black 2 and White 2 are the key systems. Upon beating the game for the first time, you unlock certain keys, depending on which version you play. One of the most interesting aspects to the Key System is that it makes it so that Black 2 and White 2 actually have difficulty settings. I’ll admit, I edited my save file so that I could play in Challenge mode. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try out, but never had the chance to. It’s unfortunate that you have to beat the game to unlock these difficulty settings, because playing Challenge Mode was exhilarating. Never was I more scared by the first battle in a Pokemon game, or the fact that each gym leader has an additional Pokemon. While I honestly didn’t struggle all too much, it was still a really fun and unique experience that I would love to see in future Pokemon games.

And in a similar vein to this, one of the coolest features that Black 2 and White 2 have is the memory link. Being able to link up with another DS with a save file of Black and White to incorporate that history of that save file into the save file of Black 2 or White 2 is awesome. That’s why I chose to play Pokemon Black and Black 2 specifically, it felt more thematic to line up those two games specifically, and allow for a sort of chronology between them. It makes these games so much more personal, and I absolutely adore it.

I think the one thing that’s somewhat weaker compared to the original Black and White is the story. While I do think Black 2 and White 2 both have amazing new characters, and still a really good story, it just simply doesn’t hit the same highs as Black and White does. What it does do though is create the perfect conclusion for the story of Unova, of Team Plasma, and of N. Hugh is probably one of the best written rivals in the Pokemon series, and these games also introduced one of the fan favorites of the series, Colress. Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 especially have one of my favorite League endings of a Pokemon game. From the music alone, it feels like a proper celebration of all you’ve accomplished, and at the end of it all, it’s time to show how strong you’ve grown from this journey. It’s such a beautiful song for the final battle of the story, I adore it.

I’m so glad I finally got a chance to play through Pokemon Black 2 proper. While I’m not unfamiliar with the Unova sequels, playing it in Challenge Mode, alongside all of the differences to the region in Black 2 specifically, made this playthrough such a unique experience for me. As well since Pokemon Black 2 was the one game I never got as a kid, it feels like some sort of destiny has been fulfilled by me finally playing it. It feels unfortunate that no Pokemon game after this, even the ones I like, never hit the same highs that Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 did. I hope maybe one day down the line we’ll be given Pokemon games that are of this level of quality again, though I’m unsure of when that will be. Regardless, Black 2 and White 2 are absolutely some of the best that mainline Pokemon has to offer.

Tá maluco, esse jogo é absurdo. A história dele não é tão grandiosa quanto a do 1, na verdade, não é lá grandes coisas, mas a gameplay é tão satisfatória que eu fiquei completamente tomado pelo jogo. Hoje em dia, vejo a decisão tomada em pokémon black 1 como uma decisão audaciosa e experimental, no sentido positivo. Porém, expandir a dex para além de unova possibilita uma variedade maior de possibilidades, e isso me agrada. Na minha equipe tinham dois pokémons de Unova, um de Sinnoh, um de Hoenn, um de Johto e um de Kanto, pô isso é do caralho.

As an expansion of the predecessor I think this game does an amazing job. Further quality of life improvements, new towns and other areas and a justifiable expansion to the Pokedex.

As a narrative successor I feel like it drops the ball in some areas while succeeding in others. Team Plasma has understandably dropped the facade and has gone full on evil criminals with Ghetsis frustrated at his setbacks from 2 years prior. However, a lot of the nuance from the previous game's story isn't present which is a shame considering how well they did. A lot of the game feels like a generic Pokemon game with lackluster characters (Hugh is so one-note it is insulting to have him share the title of Unova Rival with Cheren and Bianca) and gym to gym mixed with stop the bad guys plot. N isn't present for a lot of the main plot but I do like what time he does have on screen in the later parts and the post game. The memory link functions for the B/W protagonist add some cool extra details to conversations and I wish we got more but alas (I wanted a Red like fight from HGSS). Bianca and Cheren have each chosen different paths and grown as people and it's really cool to see. I like that Cheren actually helps out on your journey and against Team Plasma, further cementing his GOAT rival status.

Looking at the region as a whole, there a lot of changes to places with little side characters gaining new roles / changes that are a natural progression from B/W. The towns have adapted to the changes as well. Eg. Driftveil becoming a commercial capital thanks to the economy boost from Clay's mining enterprise and the PWT tourism profits. This is all reflected in the landscape which can all be explored. All these developments make the world feel a lot more lived in which greatly helps immersion. Significant areas from B/W have their narrative weight acknowledged which is a necessity for any game to function as a good sequel (something Tears of the Kingdom failed at for example). The ruins of N's Castle can be visited and the atmosphere is almost palpable.

I really like this game (8.5/10) and in some ways it surpasses the original B/W but it falls short in some of the key departments for me.

We still need to beat this, but MAN. We feel like this is easily the "best" Pokemon on an objective level--our only thing preventing a 5-star rating is just having not beaten it ourselves, and refusing to give 5-stars to games we haven't beaten.

This game has a very fun story because it actually gets to do the rare thing in the Pokemon world of directly following up on another game, and we've heard its postgame is apparently just, The Best One In The Series??? We wouldn't be able to vouch on THAT one yet, but boy howdy. Even with what we've seen, we're enraptured.

Really really good sequel. I think the changes in gym leaders and pokemon was very smart and was able to add the distinction between this one and its predecessor. Now this is the absolute best evil organization in a pokemon game with Team Plasma going so fucking hard in this game.

I thought the whole DNA splicers and Kyrem plot were good, Hugh was fantastic as a rival, and the mix of basically five generations of pokemon was really fun for team building. This probably has my favorite post game battle simulator with the Black Tree or whatever its called. I remember this being the first game where I got my 6 mains to level 100.

Pokémon should have ended with this one and I'm so serious about it. It's not that I dislike the new critters or gimmicks in the next generations, not at all. Some of my favorite monsters came later than Unova (Hydrapple and Mega Mawile my beloveds), it's just that you can actually see with BW and BW2 that Unova was the last time any of the people involved in developing these games actually cared about the finished product.

BW had one of the most ambitious plots that the main games had ever seen, which sure, it's not saying much, but it's impossible not to notice that there is an examination on the very bases that defined Pokémon: is Pokémon training ethical? Is human co-existence with the environment really possible? Even the thematic conflict between Truth vs Ideals is a reflection on the question about what is this saga's ethos and where should it go forward. You can see it for example in the existence of the White Forest and Black City, the first is a millenary woodland frozen in an era preceding human's hegemony over the ecosystem; and the second one is a cutting-edge metropolis shining with neon lights.

This is why in BW there's a concious return to form and numerous allusions to Gen 1 and Kanto: you can only use 156 new regional monsters throughout the main campaign (compare it to the original 151); routes and their numbers have reset (Kanto's routes go from 1 to 28 and Unova's go from 1 to 23); evolution lines that deliberately parallel each other (Machop/Timburr; Zubat/Swoobat; Geodude/Roggenrola, etc.), and you could go on and on.

When I look back at Gen 5, I see Pokémon at its best. Even the pixel art and the animated sprites feel like the culmination of almost two decades of progress. Compare it with the modern 3D of later entries, and it's not 3D itself that is the problem --nobody ever complained that Pokemon Stadium, Collosseum or Battle Revolution were badly done-- there's a palpable sense of detail and care that is missing with the newer models.

BW2 might not be as strong storywise as it's predecessor, but if BW was putting some of the core principles of the series under scrutiny, BW2 was a celebration of Pokémon as a whole. ALL the Pokémon created at the time! Fight EVERY gym leader and champion in existence through the Pokémon World Tournament! A robust post-game with new areas, legendaries and a challenging training facility!

None of the aformentioned elements would all be present ever again at the same time moving forward. There would always be something missing between the cut-corners of every new entry.

BW and BW2 feels like a send-off. It feels like a proper goodbye.

HUSBAND OF THE GAME: Drayden.