Pokemon Black

Okay, I confess; Instead of reading as I should have been (heaven knows my book list is waiting) I’ve been playing the new Pokemon. Each school break I allow myself one video game to totally play into the ground. I mean, beat it up and down and all over. Totally decimate it. Think you’ve got the idea.

This year it’s Pokemon’s first 5th-generation game. I’m 27, and still totally willing to admit that I love Pokemon. It stems from my 14-year-old self, the depressed little kid that was full of hormones, but lacking in knowledge on how to deal with the world.

I’m being light-hearted about it, but I kid you not, I had major problems adjusting to the changes of the world of “thinking for yourself”. I was supposed to be an adult, but only had the privilege of a kid. I learned that gossip, heartbreak, and betrayal were real – not just in the movies.  I learned that parents really don’t know it all, as I had previously believed.

In a previous post I credited my mother for getting me an old-fashioned Game Boy. I tell you, that changed my life for the better. Especially once I got bored with Dr. Mario and borrowed Pokemon Red from my friend Jason. Pokemon saved my life.

Although I don’t actively collect the cards (I still have my collection from my youth), and I was never a huge fan of the show, I do allow myself the occasional stint of Pokemon Gaming to keep the nostalgia.

Now to Pokemon Black. How do I rate it?

Best of the games so far. TMs are good for any number of uses now. The game itself is designed to have many events to keep you busy (story battles, legendary pokemon, daily events, etc).

The New Starters

The Gym Leaders actually become your friends as you go, and show up in the story repeatedly. For the first time, there is no “easy” or “hard” mode that depends on the Pokemon you choose at the beginning. (For example, in the fist game, Bulbasaur was easiest because he would give you advantage against the first three gyms. Squirtle would give you advantage against the first only, and Charmander was at a disadvantage for the first two. Easy, Medium, Hard.)

Hidden abilities give a whole new realm of possibility to Pokemon. The Dream World gives you access not only to these hidden abilities, but to other secrets; promotional or otherwise. I personally never got online to take advantage of these things, but in my multiple play-throughs, I had plenty of fun.

Plus, I really liked the design of a lot of the new Pokemon. Sometimes (such as in case of Pidove… really, another Pidgeon? Cmon Gamefreak!) it felt like we were just re-hashing some of the old designs, but there were a lot of really interesting new Pokemon to come out of the woodwork. I played three whole games through before becoming tempted to Action Replay out my Eevey evolutions team… and let me tell you, that’s saying a lot.

Eeveelutions