Coming soon to the next generation of Pokemon, Pokemon Black and White. Generation V introduces a multitude of new features to the series, along with a new cast of Pokémon that have yet to be translated. Generation 4 was left with 493, but with the addition of generation 5, there are now a total of 649 different Pokémon!

The new features are nice, but for any hardcore Pokémon fan, you know you have to catch them all! With an additional 156 new Pokémon, it will take even more time to train and evolve each of them, train them, and then battle with other players around the world, or at least your neighborhood.

Pokemon Black and White are separate, like all Pokemon games; for how legendary you can get (it first started in gen 2 with Ho-Oh and Lugia). Pokemon Black owners get the all-white Reshiram and Pokemon White owners get the all-black Zekrom. On top of that, both versions have specific Pokemon that can only be found in-game (as well as trading with older versions).

The game starts out like any other Pokémon game; you start out in your hometown on the continent of Unova, as a novice Pokemon trainer just starting out. You get 3 starters ranging from a grass, fire and water type. Each with powerful forms of evolution. And continue your adventure to collect all the badges, defeat the four elites and finally save the world!

Enough of that, let’s take a look at the new features of this game:

New cosmetic changes

As well as having a new graphical look as you would expect from the latest Pokémon game, you can also see a huge difference in battle. Now the whole battle is animated, you can see how your Pokémon attacks the enemy. Battle is still turn-based now, but the new battle graphics are a sight to behold, good for people who actually watch it anyway.

PokeChange

Like Pal Park, Time Capsule, and Transfer Machine, this is the Generation 5 ability that allows you to transfer Pokemon from older versions into your game. As with Pal Park, you can’t get access to it until you get the national dex, which means you must have seen every Pokémon in Unova at least once. However, afterwards, you are free to use it however you like.

C-gear

Similar to the Gen 4 Poketch, this nifty device shows you the time on the bottom screen of your DS, but the best part is that it’s a portable multiplayer device. You no longer have to go to the Pokémon Center to trade and battle with friends. It also gives you access to the world of dreams, where you put a Pokémon to sleep and wonder in an online environment and interact with other players.

pokemon global link

This is like the Global Trade Center in the fourth generation. This device allows you to trade Pokémon with other players online, also some new features are that you can have random matches with players from all over the world. Now you can finally have a way to battle other live challengers who aren’t your friends online!

pokemon dream world

This is a special place you can get to by submitting your save file online to the official Pokemon Black and White site, allowing you to go and interact with other players. On top of that, you can catch a lot of Pokemon here that can’t normally be found in the Unova region. So you will see many trainers who have already won the game here.

Entralink

Accessed through the C-Gear, you can literally travel with your friends locally, in a special area, where you can find Pokémon that are not originally native to Unova. You and your friends can go on side quests together, fight and trade!

pokemon music

This is basically the beauty pageant that was first introduced to the game in the third generation. It consists of dressing up your Pokémon, playing mini-games, and then showing the judge how beautiful your Pokémon is (with 5 different categories of beauty!), It’s a fun thing to do when you go to elite four. or when you are done with the game.

Seasons

Introduced in the second generation was time, well 3 generations later we have seasons. However, the game does not work in real time, the seasons are swapped every month, so in a year we will go through the season 3 times. Certain Pokémon change with the seasons, and certain locations open up during certain seasons. And as you can imagine, the look of the game changes with the season!

sprite battle animation

As mentioned above, the sprites are fully animated. This means that you can literally see the movement of your Pokémon attacking other Pokémon or being attacked. And not to mention that the sprite of the Pokémon also increases, you have a larger sprite of your Pokémon.

triple battle

One of the most popular new additions to Pokémon Black and White is the triple battle. You may have thought it was crazy to have a double battle, but now we have a triple battle! Just as the name suggests, you use 3 Pokémon at the same time. However, there are some rules that you should know. The Pokémon in the middle can attack all Pokémon on the other side; however, Pokémon on the sides cannot attack Pokémon on the other side.

rotation battles

This is similar to triple battle, except you’re fighting on a rotating platform that allows the player to rotate their Pokémon, increasing the game’s strategy as one must predict what their enemy will switch their Pokémon with and create a strategy against them.

gyms

It wouldn’t be a Pokemon game if there weren’t gyms and gym leaders. In this game, you see the usual 8 gyms, but one twist is that there are actually 11 gym leaders you can take on, how’s that for a new twist on the game? People who have seen Pokemon Best Wishes will see familiar faces!

elite four

After collecting all the badges, the next thing you need to do is challenge the elite four, beat them, challenge the champion, and then win the game. However, one twist to this game is that you can choose to fight as many elite members as you want in any order.

Exclusive game features

For Pokémon White, trainers have access to the White Forest, an area where players can catch even more Pokémon. But what about Pokemon Black? Well, Pokemon Black owners get Black City, a city filled with trainers, battles, and items. I honestly think Pokemon Black was scammed in this case.

So, in conclusion, you can see that Pokémon Black and White is going to be a big game, even bigger than Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Japanese review sites have given this game full marks, and I expect nothing less from this game when it finally arrives in the US or any other country!

With 156 new Pokémon, trainers like you and me will have a blast playing the game, catching them all, experiencing all 4 seasons, and then trading/battle with each other. I know that I will be spending a lot of time online fighting with friends and random people.