One Hour In -- Pokémon: Black
By ssj4raditz 5 Comments
When I decided to start writing a blog here on GB, I though, "Hrm, what might I do to set myself apart? A gimmick, perhaps? That might work..." And so, after a little brainstorming, an afternoon of consulting psychics, and a dollop of laziness, I think I found it!
What if I gave my impressions of new and - hey, why not - old games, but after only an hour of gameplay? Now I know this may seem a bit cheap to some, or not at all worth it to others. Let me say this - I will in no way be "reviewing" the games I talk about here. I'll simply play them for an hour (or so) and then let you know what I think. Where might the game go? How does it play? What's the game's world like? Just simple things like that. Hopefully, this will be an entertaining experiment that could turn into something (at least) semi-regular. Now, join me, won't you?
Pokémon: Black Version
Let me start out by say that I haven't played a Pokémon game since Blue was released back in '98 on the original Gameboy. I remember having a very enjoyable time with that game. In fact, it was one of the few games I actually owned for my Gameboy, and it got me through numerous road trips back then. Since then, I fell away from Pokémon, and handheld gaming in general. Not that I disliked the games, I just wanted to focus more on my console gaming. That is, up until the end of 2009. With my time being more and more consumed by work-related activities, and having less time to sit down in front of the TV and fire up my 360 or PS3, I found myself wanting to get back into handheld gaming over the course of the last year. So, I got myself a DS, and picked up a few games for it over the past few months. Then came the reveal of a new Pokémon game. As it had been so long, I figured I'd give this new generation a go to see how much has improved (and, more likely, what's stayed the same!).
Okay, enough of the backstory, here's where the fun part comes in! I finally got my copy of Pokémon: Black Version from Amazon in the mail yesterday. Like I said, it's been over 12 years since I lasted played a game in this series, so I was eager to fire it up. I clicked the cart into my system and dove right in. First off, I picked the girl trainer (naming her Sarah, after my little sister) because I thought she looked a little more sassy than the boy. Sure, it probably won't matter in the long run, but hey, it's what I wanted, right? Anyway, the next thing I know it's time to choose a starter Pokémon. Well, not so different from what I remembered. I chose Oshawott, the water-type. Next thing I knew, BAM! Pokémon battle with my two friends right there in my room. No big deal, cause it was bound to happen, so you can see what your new little buddy can do in a fight. But, then? Battle over, and my room's a complete mess! Wow, that was a good touch, and a bit unexpected!
Well, it's time to start the journey to catch as many of the little animals as possible to help Professor Juniper (ah ha! tree name people must have high IQs...) fill out the Pokédex! She's nice enough to show how to catch 'em all. Of course, it looks like this hasn't changed either, thankfully. So, I spend the next few minutes tromping through the grass up and down Route 1, battling and catching new Pokémon. Satisfied with the small team I collected, I make my way into Accumula Town, the first place the resembles somewhere interesting. The Professor is there, ready to show me the ropes on how to use the Pokémon Center's services. Oh look, Nurse Joy! She heals my Pokémon. I use the shop and pick up some potions and more Pokéballs (can never have enough, right?). Proceeding outside, there's a commotion. Here's where I fist meet Team Plasma. Okay, obviously the bad guys, right? There's a speech, and then they leave. A strange kid named N challenges me to a battle. I defeat him, and he takes off. Not the last I'll see of him, I think.
Let's keep going! Route 2, here I come. Oh look, my Mom shows up with some running shoes. Good, I felt like I was moving kinda slow. Now it's on to more battles, this time with other Trainers! I beat them all, continuing to build up my team's strength. No doubt I'll be facing a Gym Leader sooner or later. Better to get them leveled up now, right? So, I'm almost to the next town when I get stopped by one of my friends, Bianca. She wants to have a battle. I soundly trounce her, and she takes off into Striaton City. Looks like there's a Gym here, and a Gym Leader to take down!
Unfortunately, looks like my hour is up! From what I can tell, the Pokémon series hasn't changed all that much from back when it first started. Oh, I'm sure there are new features that I'll get to delve into later on in the game, but for now it's just like I remember. The game sure does look nice, the polygonal world is a step up from the flat sprite-based map. Plus, I love the new animations given to all the Pokémon during the battles. It brings so much more character and life to them! All in all, if the first 60 minutes is any indication, I'll be having just as much fun with Black as I did with Blue.
Look for next time, when I'll relate my first hour with Bulletstorm! See you then.