#3. POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE
Pokemon Black and White are that rare case of Pokemon games being known, first and foremost, for their story. A greater focus on narrative and storytelling isn’t the first thing most look for in a Pokemon games, but Black and White really surprised the Pokemon community. Team Plasma and Ghetsis were excellent villains, N was a fascinating and complex character, and the central impetus of the story – exploring whether or not Pokemon are, in essence, being oppressed by Pokemon Trainers – was surprisingly nuanced.
Even beyond the story, Black and White had plenty of notable strengths. The decision to not include any older Pokemon in the base games themselves was a bold one, but one that proved very effective, seeing as it forced players to experiment and truly learn and understand the strengths and weaknesses of completely new Pokemon species- which is something this series hasn’t really done since… well, since Gen 1, actually.
Oh, and let’s not forget all those bridges. Has there ever been another Pokemon game with as many cool bridges as Black and White?
