Hi. My name’s Mike, and I’m a Poké Maniac. My parents bought me Pokémon Blue when I was ten years old, and since then I haven’t been able to get enough. Until recently I would have been hesitant to admit that: people thought of Pokémon as a children’s game and it was difficult to convince them otherwise. Even worse, the original fanbase had been eroded by a lack of innovation on Game Freak’s part — the storylines were repetitive, the graphics looked dated, and Zubat and Tentacool were plentiful.

Pokémon Black and White seem to be Game Freak’s answer. While the core Pokémon formula remains untouched, the latest games ooze newness and several elements have been completely overhauled. But is it the fresh start the series badly needed?

If you’ve been playing Pokémon for a while, you’ll know the storyline has changed very little over the last 15 years. Black and White are no exception, and you’ll still play as a ten-year-old Pokémon Trainer who’s been tasked with meeting and capturing every Pokémon in the region. You’ll still have to challenge eight Gym Leaders and conquer the Pokémon League’s super-powerful Champion. And your progress will still be hindered by a nefarious organisation, who you’ll help to overthrow.

Team Plasma is more interesting than the other villainous teams.

Black and White’s storyline, which is set in the Unova region, is a lot more interesting and grown up than previous games. Early in the game, you’re introduced to Team Plasma — a group that claims it wants to “liberate” Pokémon from humans. It’s the first time the morality of Pokémon battling has been called into question in the games, and although it doesn’t get explored too deeply it’s certainly more interesting than the Pokémon-stealing antics of Team Rocket. Professor Juniper (Unova’s “Pokémon Professor”), the Gym Leaders, the reigning Champion, and the hero’s childhood friends Bianca and Cheren also have a big role to play and help keep the plot moving.

The games have also been made more accessible to new players: while Cheren acts as the voice of long-time players (Professor Juniper: “As for why I gave all of you Pokémon…” Cheren: “It’s for the Pokédex, right?”), Bianca takes on the role of a Pokémon newbie. She’s more naïve and inexperienced than characters we’ve seen in the past, and gives Professor Juniper an excuse to explain the basics in detail.

Sadly, the localisation isn’t as good as in Diamond and Pearl. The new dialogue in HeartGold and SoulSilver was a little clunky, and I’d hoped it was a one-off, but Black and White have a few awkward passages. Those of you who don’t care about the story will be pleased to hear the text has been drastically speeded up — the “medium” setting is now roughly as fast as “fast” was in past generations.

The gameplay itself hasn’t changed much, but it’s a formula that’s worked for 15 years so you can see why Game Freak are reluctant to do a complete overhaul. It means you’ll run into old annoyances — like wild Pokémon appearing every few steps — but it also means seasoned players will be able to pick up the game and know exactly what they’re doing.

Triple and rotation battles are welcome new twists.

In all fairness, Game Freak has included new triple battle and rotation battle features, both of which add a new twist to the battle system. In triple battles the ordering of your Pokémon is important, as the Pokémon on the far left can only “reach” an opponent’s middle or right-hand Pokémon, and vice versa. And rotation battles add an extra layer of strategy, as only the Pokémon in the middle gets to attack. Both you and your opponent has the opportunity to switch Pokémon once per turn, so second-guessing your rival’s choices is a must.

Perhaps the biggest changes come in the new games’ connectivity features, which are easily the best you’ll find on Nintendo DS. The C-Gear, which replaces the Pokétch and Pokégear from Generation IV, unlocks features similar to the Nintendo 3DS’s StreetPass and SpotPass. Passing by players with the C-Gear enabled allows information to be exchanged, including surveys and information from your Trainer card. And using it in conjunction with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (which works like a dream on the DSi, by the way) unlocks even more features including random and ranked battles, and the Pokémon Global Link website which is set to launch on March 30.

If that’s not enough communicating for one game, there’s also an infrared receiver built into the Game Card, allowing fast battles, trades, and Friend Code exchanges; and four-way video chat for DSi users thanks to the Xtransceiver item. Socialising is more important than ever in the Pokémon world.

3D graphics are used to much greater effect in Pokémon Black and White.

So that’s how the games act — what about how they look? Pokémon Black and White run on the same graphics engine as the Generation IV games, and that’s not ideal: things still ripple and wobble about all over the place, and the Pokémon world is still populated by tiny pixellated sprites. That said, the camera’s been tipped back more now and 3D elements are used to much greater effect. There are also some neat artistic flourishes, like Skyarrow Bridge’s sweeping camera angles, Castelia City’s looming skyscrapers, and the ferris wheel in Nimbasa City.

And the Unova region itself is fun to explore. It doesn’t feel as big as Sinnoh, and it’s pretty linear, but it’s new and different thanks to Game Freak’s decision to base it on New York instead of a Japanese locale. It feels a lot more “alive” than past regions, and while it’s pretty impossible to get lost there are plenty of chances for exploration. There are even distinct seasons in the game, which change once a month. These aren’t purely cosmetic — different areas are accessible at different times, and you’ll notice changes in everything from Pokémon rarity to background music.

Pokémon Black and White even include version-specific areas, Black City and White Forest, respectively. Opelucid City also appears differently in the two games, and is home to interchangeable, version-specific Gym Leaders. None of this will drastically change your game, but it’s nice to see Game Freak paying attention to the details.

Perhaps the most welcome upgrade in the new games is the redesigned battle screen. For the first time ever, the Pokémon sprites move — not just a little bit, like in past games, but continuously. Their appearance even changes when they’re asleep. There must be some very tired graphic artists in Japan. Even more significantly, battles now use the games’ 3D engine and the camera constantly repositions to give you the best view of the action. Pokémon still stay rooted to the spot, but it’s enough to make battling feel more dynamic and exciting.

The Verdict

4 ¾ – Great

So… The new Pokémon games aren’t perfect. There are still annoyances, and countless things that could be improved upon, but Black and White are definitely the best so far. A more grown-up story, improved 3D graphics, new battle mechanics, and an almost perfect set of connectivity features mean, whether you’re a seasoned Pokémon fan, a new player, or someone who’s given up on the series — you’ll almost certainly find something to like in Pokémon Black and White.

Fancy catching ‘em all? Order Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version from Amazon.co.uk.