Pokémon 2 (Nintendo DS)

I had my doubts about this game when it was announced, I thought that it would be the same game that I bought 2 years ago but it just isn't. The amount of new features on this game are going to keep you occupied for hundreds of hours, I won't go into too much detail about it because there are so many that it would take me forever to list them all and you would get bored reading through all of them. The plot of the game is just as if not as strong and compelling in this version as it was in the first game. Best of all though for me is the amount of Pokémon to choose from in the Unova Pokédex, over 300 different monsters available. The graphics are improved slightly and everything feels a lot slicker however, there are still pixelation issues in battle but this is a minor gripe with an otherwise fantastic game. As a fan of the series who has been playing them since Red/Blue, I have seen more changes to freshen up the franchise in the last 2 installments than I have ever seen. Buy this game you won't regret it.

Graphics:

+ An excellent cross between 2D and 3D (2.5D?). All the trainer and Pokemon sprites are animated and the scenery is some of the best looking you'll see on the DS. Some of the attack animation have been beefed up.
- Some of the Pokemon look a bit stupid but...I didn't care. You probably won't either.

Gameplay:

+ An excellent combination of depth and accessibility means that it's fairly easy to learn but hard to master. You won't need the HMs as much this time - you could complete the main story using just Surf and Waterfall, with the others only being used to access secrets and shortcuts.
- No real complaints

Sound:

+ Excellent all round. Some tunes remain from Black and White, others have been reworked. My particular favourites are the Team Plasma and Colress themes, but this was the only Pokemon game I've ever played where I liked every single tune.
- The beeping when your Pokemon's health is low is annoying. That needs to go. I CAN SEE MY POKEMON HAS LOW HEALTH, I DON'T NEED BEEPING!

Story:

+ The best in any Pokemon game. Mind you, that doesn't mean what it should...Team Plasma has split in two, with the half who believed N was trying to help Pokemon trying to make amends and the other half who just wanted power are trying to take over the Unova region. This is also the only time I ever played a Pokemon game where there was a sense of threat from the baddies, especially towards the end.
- No complaints.

Lifespan:

+ The main story takes a good 20 or so hours to finish, and when that's done you've got Black Tower/White Forest to clear, the Pokemon World Tournament to challenge (this lets you battle the great trainers from other games) and 10 legendary Pokemon to catch. You've also got the Pokewood movie studios to make short films with your Pokemon, the Musicals (a hangover from BW, I wasn't too impressed with those) and the Battle Subway. The Unova regional Pokedex contains over 300 Pokemon. You could spend a good 100 hours on this game, no exaggeration.
- No complaints

Closing Comments

I absolutely loved this game. It may even be the best one yet - it's certainly up there with the best. If you're a Pokemon fan, buy it! If you're not a Pokemon fan but you're looking for a very deep game, you won't be disappointed. Older gamers, don't be put off. I'm 22, and I loved it. This is probably the last Pokemon game we'll see on the normal DS (the Mystery Dungeon series has already moved to the 3DS). What a way to finish! I have minor nitpicks, but no game is absolutely perfect. This is one of the best games I've played in a long time.

Rating: 10/10. Masterpiece.

Pokemon Black and White 2 are by far the most developed games in the Pokemon franchise.
The plot has expanded beautifully on the previous two games; Black and White. There is so much to do in these games; the Pokemon World Tournament is a new alternative to the Battle Subway, which will eventually let you challenge every gym leader there has been! The previous Unova Pokedex has been expanded to include some old favorites, which was one thing I did miss about Black and White. New areas being added gives more exploring, a medal system which acts somewhat like achievements. There is even an option to change the difficulty, never done before on Pokemon, which means you can play through the whole game again being more easy or difficult.
Yep, these games are fantastic, a must buy for any Pokemon fan!