Review

With Black and White, Game Freak took the risk of starting everything over: 156 new Pokémon and no old ones before the end of the story, a region inspired by a real city outside Japan, and a plot that finally poses a real moral question. Fifteen years later, the gamble remains one of the boldest in the series. Our verdict, with hindsight.

Released in France on 4 March 2011 on Nintendo DS, Black and White were followed, on the same console, by a direct sequel: Black 2 and White 2, a first for a main-series generation.

👍The strengths

• A story that dares: N, sincere and manipulated, and a Team Plasma that questions the relationship between humans and Pokémon. The finale at N’s Castle remains one of the narrative peaks of the series.
• A living region: Castelia City and its skyscrapers, the Skyarrow Bridge filmed in 3D, the Ferris wheel in Nimbasa City, and seasons that change every month.
• A real fresh start: discovering 156 unknown Pokémon, with no landmarks, gives exploration back its original flavor.
• Livelier battles: constantly animated sprites, a dynamic camera, Triple and Rotation Battles.
• Reusable TMs, at last, and a redesigned interface with the C-Gear.
• A dense postgame: the entire eastern half of Unova, the Sages to find, Kyurem and the Swords of Justice.

👎The weaknesses

• A very linear adventure: the story guides the player firmly, with few possible detours before the League.
• Designs that divided opinion at the time, from Vanillite to Trubbish, even though many have become cult favorites.
• Little variety among wild Pokémon on the first routes, and levels that are sometimes low before the League.
• Online features that are now closed: the Dream World, at the heart of Hidden Abilities, no longer exists.

⚖️Our verdict

Ready to go? Our complete walkthrough takes you from Nuvema Town to Champion Alder, in thirty-three steps.