Pokemon Black Version 2 DSi and DS Lite

Released on 12-Oct-2012

• Japan goes crazy for Pokemon Black & White 2

  We have to wait for the Autumn to get our pokeballs on the Pokemon Black 2 and/or Pokemon White 2, but the sequels went on sale in Japan last week and sold so fast you'd think a hot cake convention was in town.

  According to Japanese magazine publisher Enterbrain, the games combined to shift 1,618,621 copies in just two days, making it by far the most successful launch of 2012 so far - and the only game to sell more than a million in Japan this year.

  Pokemon Black & White 2 represents a shift in tactics for the long-running RPG favourite, providing direct sequels to the previous games rather than a single merged special edition, as with Pokemon Platinum.

  The new games take place two years after the events of Pokemon Black and White, with the world changed by encroaching ice caps. New cities are revealed, along with new rivals and gyms to beat. The line up of Pokemon has been tweaked as well, rotating some old favourites like Psyduck into active play. New gameplay modes and side quests include Pokewood, in which you help to make a Pokemon movie, and Pokemon World Tournament, which lets you compete against characters from previous games.

  Pokemon Black and White 2 arrives in the UK later this year for Nintendo DS.
  

• Pokemon Conquest finally gets UK release date

  The weird and wonderful genre-hopping Pokemon Conquest will reach the UK on July 27th, Nintendo has confirmed. The game has already been launched in Japan and the US.

  The Nintendo DS game, developed by Dynasty Warriors studio Tecmo Koei, mashes up the cute and cuddly world of Pokemon with the historical action of cult strategy title Nobunaga's Ambition, which is set in feudal Japan. It's as much turn-based strategy as role-playing adventure, and earned a hearty thumbs up from the likes of IGN and Nintendo Power earlier this month.

  As a young warlord, setting out to defy the evil Nobunaga, you'll fight through seventeen kingdoms, defeating rival armies and building your own forces. You'll do this by recruiting and training Pokemon, over 200 of the blighters to be exact, drawn from classic Pokemon titles including the recent Black and White.

  Pokemon Conquest is just one of many new Pokemon products headed our way in 2012. Autumn sees the release of million-selling sequel Black and White 2, while the 3DS will gain new Pokemon-related apps later this year as well. There's even something called Pokemon Typing coming in September. But will it be super-effective?
  

• Pokemon Black Version 2 & White Version 2 - Preview

  
  

  Thought You Caught 'em All?

  The Pokémon franchise has been by far and away the biggest-selling ever on the DS handheld, spawning tons of great little role-playing adventures, and winning places in the Guinness Record Books for the most successful RPG (role-playing game) series ever.

  

  As general gameplay goes, it remains the same winning formula with you training your creatures in gyms and squaring them off against each other in battle tournaments. But there's something extra special to this latest outing: it could to be the last ever Pokémon game with two-dimensional visuals. As Bob Dylan once crooned (although presumably not about Pokémon!), the times they are a-changing.

  Return To Unova

  A sequel to the 2011 game, Pokémon Black Version 2 And Pokémon White Version 2 feature all the series' classic gameplay and also feature a competition called Unova's Pokémon World Tournament, where you test your talents against a host of familiar rivals and champions from around the Poké globe. But while that may sound very Bruce Lee and Street Fighter-esque, it isn't - Pokémon's gameplay is turn-based and strategic, and is tailor-made for playing against human opponents. There will be both single and double battles, plus the opportunity to download additional trainers via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Oh, and not to forgot the number of returning familiar faces, including Giovanni, Lance and Volkner.

  Looking for extra developments? Stay calm, there are plenty. For a start, there's a movie studio feature called - wait for it - Pokéwood, which allows you to make your own little battle 'movies' and then watch them afterwards. Budding Poké directors can put their Pokémon characters in motion-capture suits, and follow a series of scripted set-pieces to make the battles more exciting. These replace the musicals of its predecessor, which - let's face it - weren't overly thrilling.

  

  Cloudy, With A Chance Of Catching 'em All

  There are also new 'formes' of Pokémon, such as the Cloudy Trio who can transform into sacred beasts with enhanced abilities. For example, one character - the Tornadus - can turn into a bird with improved speed, defence and special defence. All of these are available exclusively to 3DS owners, who can catch them in the Pokémon AR Searcher app, renamed the Pokémon Dream Radar for European release.

  In the online Pokémon world we're also promised special unlockables and a revamped Global Link, which should result in a larger online Dream World to visit, and you'll be able to trade your own Pokémon at a Global Trade Station. As online communities go, the world of Pokémon is not only fascinating in itself but unsurpassed in a handheld.

  We're very excited by Black Version 2 & White Version 2. The new features seem to be genuine improvements - the movie studio looks like great fun, trading Pokémon should be far easier, and its floating cloud gods look awesome in their beastly guise. And there's also that great gameplay of yore, too.

  For any existing Pokémon addict, this is a game that should be keeping you awake through sheer anticipation, while any curious newbies should be able to dive in and see what all the fuss is about. We reckon this could well be the most comprehensive Pokémon game to date, making it a top introduction to the crazy world of Pokémon.
  

  Published: 28/07/2012

• Pokemon revealed as the inspiration behind Forza

  The connection between lavish grown-up driving simulation Forza, and Nintendo's cheery evergreen Pokémon role-playing series isn't immediately obvious, but it's there according to Turn 10, the developer behind Microsoft's best-selling racing franchise.

  "I knew that I wanted this car-collecting element to be implemented into the game. What game, especially back in 2002, had inspired collecting more than Pokémon?" the studio's creative director Dan Greenawalt explained in an interview with UK games site Spong.

  "It did collecting using a rarity system - through different coloured versions - with a sense that everything felt very natural," he continued. "And actually, there's a really natural sense of rarity in cars. So in Forza 1, the cars had a rarity meter, and you had to pick your region - much like choosing Pokémon Sapphire or Ruby - and that made certain cars more or less rare in the game. That was directly inspired by Pokémon."

  So there you have it. Next time you snap up that desirable sports car in Forza, you'll know it's basically a four-wheeled Mewtwo.

  Turn 10's last game was Forza 4, released to critical acclaim in 2011. It's now collaborating with Playground Games on the openworld spin-off, Forza Horizon, due for Xbox 360 in October.

  Published: 19/09/2012

• Pokemon is 'just like playing soccer and basketball' says producer

  Longtime Pokémon producer Junichi Masuda has explained to Gamasutra why developer Game Freak has kept the core Pokémon series much the same as it was when it launched in 1999. The answer: they see it more as a sport.

  "When you think about games, just like playing, for example, soccer and basketball, they're games that have been around for a very long time," Masuda explains. "The core gameplay of those -- the core of how you play basketball and soccer -- hasn't really changed. Over the years, there's regulation changes or rule changes to those games, but the core gameplay doesn't really change for those, and that's how we kind of feel about Pokémon as well."

  He was speaking ahead of the US and European release of Pokémon Black Version 2 and White Version 2, the first direct sequel in the series. The game picks up two years after the events of Pokémon Black and White, and offers an entirely new storyline, the chance to make your own Pokémon movies in the Pokéstar Studios and the chance to import your old save game to unlock new narrative avenues.

  Critical reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. "Better than Black and White" says Official Nintendo Magazine's 91% review. "A hearty meal of a game" reckons Nintendo Gamer, offering 89%. "You'll be impressed with just how much Game Freak has added to this second trip around the Unova region" says GamesBeat.

  Pokémon Black Version 2 and White Version 2 is out on October 12th for Nintendo DS

  Published: 02/10/2012

• Pokemon Black Version 2 and White Version 2 - Review

  
  

  

  DS Swan Song

  The first direct Pokémon sequels in the role-playing series' history, Black Version 2 and White Version 2 for Nintendo DS represent refinement rather than revolution, as has come to be expected from a franchise which never strays too far from the successful structure that has allowed it to thrive for almost 15 years. Playing them feels like attending a brilliant leaving party, a celebration of all the best things Pokémon has to offer before it sets of on a journey to pastures new (or at least gets a significant visual update for its 3DS debut).

  Your adventure begins in Aspertia City, in the far southwest corner of the Unova region, two years after the events of Pokémon Black and White. The formula's the same as that of the last games, but it's still a winning recipe. As ever, you play as a young trainer collecting Pokémon and battling rivals. Eight gyms and their leaders must be defeated before you can visit Victory Road to take on the region's best, and your quest is punctuated by encounters with main antagonist Team Plasma.

  There's a tutorial that makes the game mechanics easy for newcomers to get to grips with, but the explanation are relatively brief and everything moves at a nice pace. The expertly crafted, turn-based battles are fairly easy in the early stages, but get more challenging later on, and there are 300 Pokémon in total, including a number of older species, which leads to varied encounters, ensuring your quest never devolves into a monotonous grind. The online game seems smoother and slicker than ever too, meaning you'll spend plenty of time playing with friends.

  

  Familiar Yet Fresh

  While the similarities with past entries in the series are clear to see, there are a number of fresh features, including the widest range of side activities in any Pokémon title. These include a game which lets you make miniature movies with your favourite monsters while testing your Pokémon knowledge, and the welcome inclusion of the Pokémon World Tournament, which offers a series of battles against powerful trainers from the previous games in the series.

  Plus there's Join Avenue, a shopping mall populated with other players you've encountered online where their stores sell rare items. The game also introduces achievements, which are handed out in the form of medals when you complete certain tasks, and there has been an improvement on the presentation front too - all trainers are now animated, there are some new Pokémon animations, and the cutscenes that spread across both screens are great. The soundtrack is also one of the series' best.

  There's no denying that many aspects of Pokémon Black & White 2 feel highly familiar, but that doesn't stop this being one of the most significant updates yet in a generational Pokémon follow-up. There's a new narrative, plus some fresh features and locations, all of which is backed up by the compelling 'gotta catch 'em all' gameplay we've come to know and love. As such, this is a highly recommended game for Pokémon fans and a great starting point for those who are new to the series.

  GAME's Verdict

  The Good:

  • Same great gameplay.
  • Some new features and locations.
  • Improved presentation and cool soundtrack.

  The Bad:

  • Structure lacks freshness.
  • Some locations have barely changed.
  • We want a brand new 3DS version.

  Published: 11/10/2012

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