Pokemon Black and White offer largely more of the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Which brings us to Pokemon Black and White, the newest additions to the Pokemon series. Like before, these new games initially appeared to evolve the Pokemon formula in drastic ways. But do they really?
To be blunt, no, they don't. Despite all their numerous advancements, Pokemon Black and White still follow the same basic structure set before them. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. There is a reason why the series remains so popular today despite the lack of originality, and that reason is that the Pokemon formula is one of the most fun, addicting game concepts ever created.
If you have ever played a Pokemon game before, then you know what to expect (obviously). You start out as a young boy or girl living in a small town with your mother. You are about to set out on a journey all across Unova, meeting all kinds of people and Pokemon. Professor Juniper, the region's notorious expert on Pokemon, let's you choose among three Pokemon to begin your journey. In Black and White, the starters are Snivy, the grass snake Pokemon, Tepig, the fire pig Pokemon, and Oshawott, the sea otter Pokemon. In case your wondering, I always choose the fire-type starter, so I chose Tepig without a moment's hesitation.
After this short introduction, the gameplay begins. If you have already played Pokemon, you can skip these next three paragraphs, since they just state things you already know. In certain areas, such as tall patches of grass, you'll experience something called "random encounters", where wild Pokemon pop up, and turn-based battles begin. From here, you have three basic options: 1.) attack the Pokemon until it faints 2.) attack the Pokemon until its health is low; then attempt to catch it by throwing a Pokeball at it (when you capture a pokemon, it become under your control) or 3.) flee from the battle. You'll also encounter other Pokemon trainers. If you get within their eyesight, they will engage you in a Pokemon battle. These battles are similar to random encounters, except you cannot flee or capture the Pokemon, leaving fighting the only option. Defeating Pokemon (especially those owned by trainers) will give your Pokemon Experience Points. When a Pokemon gains enough EP, it levels up, thereby increasing its stats. Also, depending on the level and Pokemon, it can learn a new move (a Pokemon can only know four moves at any given time; a move must be deleted to make room for a new one) and/or evolve (a process which more closely resembles metamorphosis) into a stronger Pokemon.
Two of the most important things (if not THE most important things) about Pokemon are type and stats. I'll start with the latter: every Pokemon has six stats: HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. When a Pokemon's HP hits zero, it faints and can therefore no longer be used (that is, until its HP is restored through Pokemon Centers, items, or some other means). Attack and Defense deal with physical blows, such as punches and kicks. The Special states correlate with energy based moves, such shooting fire or electricity. Last but not least, Speed normally determines which Pokemon attacks first (though there is something called priority, which can change this). Most Pokemon tend to excel in some stat(s), but do comparatively poorly in others. For example, my Emboar (the fully-evolved form of Tepig) has incredibly high HP and Attack Power, but its Defense and Special Defense aren't so good.
The other important property of Pokemon is elemental types. Every Pokemon has either one or two types, and every move has one type. When the type of move used matches a type of the user, the attack becomes 50% stronger, known as STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). More importantly, every type does well against some types, but poorly against others. For example, Fire attacks do twice as much damage to Grass type Pokemon, but only half as much damage to Water type Pokemon. Please note: a type advantage or disadvantage doesn't necessarily guarantee a victory or loss, respectively, but type is nonetheless something that you should watch closely. It's this type mechanic that forces (in a good way) you to build a well-rounded party, since you can't rely on one Pokemon even if all of its stats are fairly high.
The Pokemon formula is as strong and as addicting as ever in Black and White. There were so many moments in my playthrough that I intended to play for just another battle or to catch one more wild Pokemon but played longer due to the game sucking me in. One of the amazing things about Pokemon is that it suits the needs of the hardcore, the newcomers, and everywhere in-between. Whether you want to catch em all or just build your party of six; whether you want to become the greatest player ever or just want to beat the main story; whether you want to take your skills to competitions or just play occasionally with friends: there is something here for everyone. Of course, you don't have to be one of the two extremes. I am myself a middling player: building a strong team (though far from the strongest) and catching a lot of Pokemon (though far from every single one).
The biggest two advancements in Black and White, in my opinion, are the new Pokemon and the new story, in that order. New Pokemon might not sound too exciting, since they happen every generation, but this time 156 of the monsters are introduced, more introduced than any other generation (including the original 151). Because of this, the main story uses only these new Pokemon, rather than adding on to previously existing Pokemon (like previous generations). Hardcore fans have no reason to worry, though, since all old favorites (like Charizard) can still be caught, traded, and imported, but only after one beats the game. Now granted, some of the monster designs are questionable (*glares at the trash-bag, ice cream, and candle Pokemon*), but some of them are pretty cool, such as a Ground/Dark crocodile Pokemon. Having all new Pokemon gives a feeling of excitement, since you don't know what's around the next corner. Plus, this gives newbies a chance to join in on Pokemon, since everyone starts from scratch. Several of these monsters owe a lot to the original 151 Pokemon (e.g. Swoobat has some similarities with Zubat), so seasoned veterans will appreciate the nostalgic winks and nods.
The other big advancement is the story. Previous Pokemon games have had your typical group of goofball minions (like Team Rocket) trying to use Pokemon to rule the world or something like that. Black and White shake this cliche up my introducing a more interesting group of villains called Team Plasma. This group goes around preaching Pokemon liberation. They claim that confining Pokemon in Pokeballs and using them to battle each other is wrong. The only way for these creatures to be happy is by releasing them. Their leader, Ghetis, is surprisingly a fairly scary guy. Also, N, the mysterious character who constantly pops up (usually to battle you), is an interesting character due to his motives and background being wrapped in mystery. The overall story certainly isn't going to win any awards (there is some unused potential in it), but it's still a step up from other Pokemon games.
There are several small, but nonetheless appreciated, innovations in Black and White. Pokecenters and Pokemarts have been combined into one building, so you can heal/change your party and stock up on supplies all in one trip. Technical Machines can now be used an infinite number of times, meaning that you no longer have to use them so painstakingly carefully. EP gained in battle is now directly proportional to how much higher your opponent's level is in relation to your own. Therefore, hard work is more rewarded. There is also an item called the Lucky Egg, which, if held by a Pokemon, boosts the amount of EP gained. Two new styles of battling are introduced: Triple Battles (which act like an expanded version of double battles) and Rotation Battles (which are similar to normal battles, except you can swap Pokemon and attack on the same turn). The only problem with these battles is that they are barely used. I can recall about five Triple Battles total and only one Rotation Battle (Pokemon White has more Triple Battles than Black, and Black has more Rotation Battles than White).
The graphics and sound of Black and White are some of the best the series has ever seen. The camera this time zooms in and out at parts, such as when crossing one of the game's numerous bridges. This creates some beautiful scenery. Also, the Pokemon are finally animated, and even if these animations are basic (don't expect something like Pokemon Stadium), they are still a nice upgrade. The music has variety and is quite enjoyable at parts. The sounds are fairly basic, but they aren't bad.
By Pokemon standards, Black/White is fairly short, with emphasis on the "by Pokemon standards". The main quest runs in at about twenty or so hours (about normal time by Pokemon standards), but the post-game adds only about ten to twenty hours, which is comparatively short. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, for instance, had the entire Sevii Islands to explore after the game, while Heartgold/SoulSilver had the Kanto region after Johto. Of course, this post-game doesn't include catching, trading, breeding, and battling Pokemon, so Black/White will still keep you busy for plenty of time.
CLOSING COMMENTS: Pokemon Black and White do a great job of improving and adding on to an already great formula, but they don't reinvent it. Hardcore fans have no doubt already picked up a copy of Black or White, while those who have always hated Pokemon shouldn't bother giving Black or White a chance. For those in-between, I recommend Black and White to anyone who is looking for a great handheld RPG. Even if you're getting a little tired of the Pokemon formula, Black and White make enough advancements to squeeze in at least one more visit to the Pokemon world.