Pokemon White 2 And Black 2 Review: Gotta Catch ‘Em All Again

Pokemon White 2 and Black 2 are finally in store. Are they worthy of the Pokemon name? Did they live up to being the potential Pokemon Grey it could have been? If you enjoyed any of the other Pokemon RPGs, it is safe to assume that you will enjoy this title as well.

Unlike it’s predecessor, which only had generation V Pokemon found before defeating the Elite Four, version 2 features a mix of new generation V Pokemon and older Pokemon throughout the series. In fact, just around 300 different Pokemon can be found and caught between the two versions. Even when you beat the Elite Four, there is quite a large section of the game to explore. Two to three large sections are off limits to you until you beat the Elite Four. This also happens to include the Pokemon Day Care center. One of the newer features in this game is the change in the Breeder trainers. They will attempt to challenge you every time you re-enter the area. This can help to gain money and more experience. The three stadiums in the middle of the map also feature daily trainers that will challenge you.

Like most mainland Pokemon games, there is usually a evil organization trying to take everyone’s Pokemon for their own for this reason or that reason. Version 2 of White and Black are no different. Even though Team Plasma was defeated in the 1st versions of the game, they are back. But they tend to play a smaller role and are largely split up with all the ex-Team Plasma characters running around trying to repent for their sins. So do expect some plot involving Team Plasma as you work your way up to the Elite Four, but you won’t have to deal with them often.

For the first time ever, the Pokemon series has a difficulty setting. This has to be unlocked by beating the Elite Four or or receiving a key code from another copy of the game which has unlocked it. Pokemon White 2 will unlock the Easy Mode key, while Pokemon Black 2 will unlock the Challenge Mode key. The Challenge Mode is actually quite useful in training your Pokemon after the Elite Four. With it enabled, the artificial intelligence of the enemy is increased and most trainers have an increased set of Pokemon and higher levels.

If you are a fan of any Pokemon mainland RPG game, you will love Pokemon White 2 / Black 2. Don’t be worried if you never played White 1 or Black 1, as the story does not require knowledge of what happened in those games. If you also have a Nintendo 3DS, I also happen to recommend picking up Pokemon Dream Reader on the eShop. That inexpensive little game will help you catch some rare and other uncommon Pokemon to help fill out your Pokedex.

Rating: 9/10