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Full Review for Pokemon Black 2 by TVKL

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Introduction

The last Pokemon games for the NDS, Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 (henceforth known as B2W2) were the first (but not the last!) sequel-style Pokemon games. They serve as a direct continuation of the story of their predecessors, taking place approximately 3 years after the events of Black and White. They were also the last Pokemon games to not be in complete 3D (however they came very close).

Graphics

Still unsurpassed by even Generation 7, B2W2's graphics are unmatched. Outside of battle, overworld sprites are taller and more detailed than that of the sprites of Generation 4, and everything that isn't a sprite is a 3D model (and people say XY were the first 3D Pokemon games...). In-battle, it gets better. The battlefield itself is technically 3D (though never viewed from any perspective other than the default) while the Pokemon sprites - for the first time in the series - are fully animated, both front and back.

Sound

This, sadly, is where B2W2 begins to falter. While certainly having many diamonds in the rough, B2W2's tracks often leave too much to be desired. That being said, they're still above average for many reasons - each Gym Leader has their own unique theme, there are actual vocals in some of the songs (barely decipherable but still), and the Gym Leader Final Pokemon Theme is a must-listen for any audiophile. I'd say that B2W2 likely has the best songs in the series, but ultimately? That's not saying much. Pokemon has never been good with music.

Gameplay

B2W2 brought the height of gameplay in the franchise, as even today it's renowned for it's difficulty settings (which didn't make it to any future generations) and abundant quality of life features (infinite use TMs, anyone?). With 255 medals to collect in all, a fun little companion game (Dream Radar), the amazing Hidden Abilities, Hidden Grottoes, the introduction of Shaking Grass, and the fact that it's the only generation since the feature's inception to not feature roaming Pokemon? I could go on, but I think my point has been made quite clear - gameplay-wise, this is the best thing to happen to the franchise.

Lastability

Unlike it's immediate successor generation, B2W2 (and even BW) see regular playthroughs from the entire Pokemon community. Countless romhacks exist to make the game even better (including hacks that make every single Pokemon available to catch in the wild!) and at the end of the day the only reason to play Generation 6 games over this is for the Pokemon they introduced.

Overall

Overall, B2W2 is so far the pinnacle of the Pokemon franchise. While others certainly come close (Platinum and HGSS, for example) it has yet to truly be matched in terms of gameplay, story and most importantly the abundance of content. Ultimately, the only Pokemon games I'd recommend over Black 2 and White 2 are romhacks of them.