An overhauled graphics engine adds to the freshness, and makes a Pokemon game feel technically impressive for the first time in forever. The camera moves in and out, and scrolls dynamically, shifting at strategic points in the game for maximum impact. Moreover, Poke-veterans’ age old prayers have finally been answered, as we find that battles are no longer stationary sprites based slide show affairs, but instead feature a camera that moves in and out, zooms in to close up on some dazzlingly animated attacks, and even the Pokemon sprites move… somewhat, and sometimes.
The best thing to notice in the battles is that your environments and surroundings are reflected somewhat in the battle screen. So if you’re battling in the city (why would you do that?), you’ll see a sketchy skyline in the distance in the background. This of course leads further to the immersion of the game’s world, and breaks the historic divide that has always existed between battle screens and the overworld, thus bringing the games one step closer to being absolutely seamless with no perceptible transition.
The sound finally seems to have caught up in Pokemon. The series has always been known for having excellent (if MIDI) music, and in Black and White, what is featured is perhaps the best Pokemon soundtrack yet. The music is upbeat and groovy, and suitably dark and foreboding in places where the story takes a decidedly darker turn. The ambient sounds, first introduced in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, return, although they are much more subdued this time around, adding further to just how real and living and breathing this world really feels.
Ultimately, my time with the Japanese edition of Pokemon Black and White has convinced me of one thing: this is the best Pokemon game ever, and in a series that includes Pokemon Gold and Silver, which have universally been heralded as the greatest handheld games of all time, that is an impressive feat indeed. For the first time in over a decade, the Pokemon games actually feel fresh.
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