Fifteen years after their initial release, fans continue to praisePokemon Black and Whiteand its eventual sequels for featuring a breadth and variety of side content that’s virtually unmatched by any other title in the series. Although the Gen 5 games infamously received plenty of backlash from fans around the early 2010’s, largely due to their divergence from previous games in several major ways,Pokemon Black and Whiteare fondly viewed by the community today, with no small number of fans regarding Gen 5 as the peak of the franchise.
AlthoughPokemon Black and Whiteare nostalgic titles for many fans, it’s easy to see why they’re still held in such esteem more than a decade later. Memorable characters and Pokemon, a particularly gripping story, and a unique visual aesthetic — largely achieved through “2.5D” graphics and animated Pokemon sprites that came from a time beforePokemontitles received the full 3D treatment— are among the more popular reasons whyBlack and Whiteare often heralded as some of the best games in the series. Beyond that, though, the Gen 5 games still outperform any other core-series titles in terms of side and post-game content, an aspect that many fans wish to see more of in more modernPokemongames.
Pokemon Black and White, along with their sequels,Black and White 2, pack a huge variety of optional mini-games, features, and locations that give players plenty to do outside of pursuing the main story. One fan of the Gen 5 games known as 7akyr recently stirred up some discussion around the topic with a post that lists allsuch side content from the Gen 5Pokemongames, including PokeStar studios, the Battle Subway, the Pokemon World Tournament, Join Avenue, Pokemon Musical, Medal Rally, the Dream World, and Black Tower or White Forest, depending on the version. On top of all this, the Gen 5 games also featured optional locations like the Abyssal Ruins to explore, and even saved Alder - the Unova Champion inPokemon Black and White- as a post-game opponent boasting a level 75 team.
Future Pokemon Games Should Have A Bigger Focus On Side Content
While some of Gen 5’s side content presented equivalents to existing features like the Battle Tower, features like PokeStar Studios and Join Avenue presented creative new ways to explore and interact with the Pokemon world.The Pokemon World Tournamentwas also a particularly popular part of the game, as it allowed players to face off against all kinds of familiar characters from previous games and regions in intense battles.
A significant criticism of more recentPokemontitlesis the general lack of substantial post-game content, with the Gen 8 and Gen 9 games feeling particularly dry to many players after they clear the main story content, and most major side content being DLC-exclusive. While the post-game content of newer generations may not compare to that seen inBlack and Whitein terms of depth, modern games in the series have included some of their own creative approaches to side content, and future games should build upon improving these optional and post-game features.
Pokemon Black and White
WHERE TO PLAY
New Legendary Pokémon, new heroes, a surprising new region, plus new ways for players to have fun and communicate locally are just a few of the innovative and exciting gameplay features offered by Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, exclusively for the Nintendo DS family of portable systems.Redefining the Pokémon series, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version offer fans and newcomers alike a completely new adventure to discover and enjoy - and for the first time ever in the series, the two games feature their own individual areas to explore. Set in the Unova region, which is located far away from the Kanto and Johto regions Pokémon fans will be familiar with, both games also feature all-new action-packed locations, such as the bustling urban environment of Castelia City.In Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version the player is tasked with completing two quests. One is to complete the Unova Pokédex by finding and catching every Pokémon in the region – however, to fully complete the Unova Pokédex, players will need to trade Pokémon between both versions. The other is to become the Pokémon League Champion by battling with wild Pokémon and other Trainers in the region. Players will train their Pokémon with the ultimate goal of taking on the Elite Four and the Unova Champion!
