Pokemon Back in Black & White [Nintendo DS]

The next generation of Pokemon is here! The Black and White editions usher in the fifth generation of pokemon games, with a new region to get lost in and another ~150 pokemon to commit to memory. Oh, and of course all these newer pokemon rank from preciously cute to monstrously awesome. Even the graphics got an upgrade, allowing a third-person view at times that allow for amazing vistas even on my crappy, ancient DS screen.

Thou shalt become the very best

As always the game starts out with a pokemon professor introducing themselves, asking your name and your gender. You know, being a bigwig scientist and all they should be able tell what sex you are, damn it. Instead of naming your rival, you are introduced to your two friends, a competitive young chap named Cheren and Bianca, an adorably awkward lady friend. It will seem even newer when you first meet Team Plasma, a 16-bit PETA trying to reform the relationship between human and pokemon with methods taken out of Magneto’s playbook.

Of course wolverine is a steel type!

Fightin' 'round the world

I’m most familiar with the first generation of games (Red/Blue/Yellow), so the new types of pokemon that were introduced in past generations takes some getting used to. Once I gathered a specially selected team of pokemon I started on my quest to become the best, kicking pokeass all over the pokeregion of Unova. The combat has gotten an overhaul too, giving battling pokemon animations and a camera that moves around like me after 5 shots of tequila. Somehow I seemed to pick up the eight badges pretty damn quick, and thanks to the game shelling out two experience shares, training those cute and cuddly death machines is a lot less of a hastle.

Ash wont see us coming

Gamefreak really has outdone themselves this time, constructing the ultimate nostalgia bomb. I have shed tears of joy battling fellow prepubescent trainers in the wilds and taking their money in this new and untamed land. Thanks to the overhauls in the combat and graphics, and introducing us to a new region and new faces it makes this ever evolving franchise ever more addicting and will definitely keep this pokefan pokecatching them pokeall for a long time to come.

20 out of 20 Spliffs