Pokemon Black Version

 DS
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 873 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 624 out of 873
  2. Mixed: 146 out of 873
  3. Negative: 103 out of 873
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  1. Danikyo-Inverso
    May 13, 2023
    0
    Lo peor en toda la saga, pokémon feos, una historia pretenciosa y mal escrita, y es la región de las barreras y los bloqueos absurdos, no hay lugar a donde ir sin que el juego no sepa justificar adonde puedes ir y adonde no, ademas que es fácil en todos sus lideres de gimnasio, no existe reto alguno.
  2. Shulknoblade
    Sep 4, 2019
    4
    This was originally written in White version:

    Don't get me wrong, it was a good game, maybe a 4 is little note... But I expected so much from this game. Someone told me this was the BEST Pokémon game to date and I decided i had to played it... So i did it and... Well... It's FAR from the best. And i'm not talking about the ugly Pokémon designs or whatever... People that love this    This was originally written in White version:

    Don't get me wrong, it was a good game, maybe a 4 is little note... But I expected so much from this game. Someone told me this was the BEST Pokémon game to date and I decided i had to played it... So i did it and... Well... It's FAR from the best. And i'm not talking about the ugly Pokémon designs or whatever...

    People that love this game, always talk about an 'amazing' plot, but it's not. It's just another Pokémon game like the previous generations but now with a green hair male talking and bothering you so much through the adventure to repeat almost the same things he said to you before. And you don't care at all, because he's not your friend, he's just a stranger, why the hell is he talking to you so much?

    The bad guy Ghetsis is... SO BAD. Maybe not the worst villain (Hello XY) but it's just a stupid that don't know how to hide a plan. He spends 90% of the game revealing you and the rest of the people that he's bad and wants to destroy the world. What the hell?

    People tend to romanticize this plot with 'the ideals', 'not everything is Black and White'... And yeah the idea is good, but it just doesn't work. You can't sell 'not everything is black or white' and then create a villain that is purely black and without reasons to be. Ghetsis it's bad because yes, because he born that way.

    N was a good innovation in 2011, he was the first character to take away some prominence from the player, and that's great. Because although he has boring and redundant speeches, he's charismatic and memorable. But let's be realistic, we are in 2019, 'Sword & Shield' is near and 'Sun & Moon' has a much more catchy and interesting story, with little plot twists, great treated relations and well developed characters. For me the best game to date is Sun & Moon, at least talking about the story, and we'll se what happens with SWSH.

    But for me, this game is good, has some problems with flaws in the Pokédex, linear map and things like that, but has great music, interesting topics, a great champion, good postgame and well... It's a Pokémon, it's a good game. The thing is that it's NOT the best, and if you're looking for the best one. For me you better play 'Sun & Moon' (not the USUM version please).

    Hope this don't offend anyone, is great if you loved this game!    … Expand
  3. JasonBB
    Nov 20, 2019
    3
    Hand holding started here. Difficulty in this game sucks, being the final boss the only "hard" battle, and it's in fact easy. Pokémon got boring with this generation. Unova map is linear as hell.

    For me this is one of the worst Pokémon games. This game doesn't have the essence of Pokémon, even the interface is boring and dull.
  4. interprete
    Nov 19, 2020
    3
    not great game. I did not have much fun playing it. lots of room for improvement
  5. shambo
    Jul 21, 2012
    1
    For newcomers to the Pokemon Series, this might seem like a masterpiece, from a Generation One perspective it's a recycled piece of poop , with some of the ugliest character designs in the history of video games. I mean who wants an ice-cream for a pokemon? It may possess some new features, but it is intrinsically the same as all the other series. The storyline as alwaysFor newcomers to the Pokemon Series, this might seem like a masterpiece, from a Generation One perspective it's a recycled piece of poop , with some of the ugliest character designs in the history of video games. I mean who wants an ice-cream for a pokemon? It may possess some new features, but it is intrinsically the same as all the other series. The storyline as always encompasses, getting the 8 badges, defeating the bad guys and becoming the Pokemon Champion. They always try to throw in legendary pokemon, to make the game feel 'special, but the reality is a flawed gimmick that needs to be in the ground.

    On a positive note the graphic improvements are breath of fresh air. The characters although ugly, are at least clear, and the background scenery is nice. But people, let me remind you that the purpose of a video game is not the Michael Bay visual's, it's the feeling that you are sucked the world you are exploring without effort . Unfortunately, Pokemon Black/white does match this bill.    … Expand
  6. zeldass
    Mar 27, 2012
    4
    same thing as past pokemon.it would be a 6 if they madenew thingsauuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee
  7. Lost_Hero9
    May 7, 2012
    4
    This game breaks my heart because its the worse one in the series. I've been playing Pokemon since R, B, Y and this is easily the worst in the franchise. Honestly, the TV series has went downhill and now the games are showing the same signs. At this rate, this series will be milked to death. I'm still a true Pokemon fan but they are going downhill.
  8. JohnCapala
    Jan 2, 2020
    3
    Everyone says that this games have the best story in the franchise but they DON'T. Story is silly as hell, Ghetsis is dumb just revealing his "master plan" to everyone every time he appears, Team Plasma is just a bad filler full of stupid dialogues doing incoherent stuff all the way. It's just really DUMB and childish.

    The game only tells you something interesting at the beginning and    Everyone says that this games have the best story in the franchise but they DON'T. Story is silly as hell, Ghetsis is dumb just revealing his "master plan" to everyone every time he appears, Team Plasma is just a bad filler full of stupid dialogues doing incoherent stuff all the way. It's just really DUMB and childish.

    The game only tells you something interesting at the beginning and at the very end, because the rest is just the same dull characters repeating their favourites words to remember you what to do. Disgusting. The plot make no sense at all since the moment they say you are the chosen one because: yes.

    And let's not forget the bad Pokédex type balance, the MOST linear region of them all, the ugly and Kanto inspired Pokémon designs you must use (thanks GF for improve designs in the new generations), the pretentious the plot is always trying hard to be, the region being bland and similar to Kanto, the short main game...

    This game can be one of the worst games in the franchise with XY.    … Expand
  9. MathewRD
    Mar 10, 2011
    2
    It's the same exact pokemon game you played years ago with a few graphic improvements. The new pokemon are new, true. But the gameplay is still the same, story is still the same, puzzles are still the same, etc. etc. If you're a true pokemon fan, this game is for you and only you.
  10. ProudGenwunner
    Feb 14, 2017
    0
    This game is a massive failure. I can't even get Charizard wtf.
    because this is forcing me to add characters the reason it is a 0/10 is because it has 0 real pokemon and features an abomination known as Druddigon.
  11. GDsReviews
    May 27, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Black and White are games full of spectacular extremes. The soundtrack apart from the grating Low HP Music is great, the world is diverse with day, night, and seasons, has an evil team that comes extremely close to its goal and disrupts the Pokemon League like no team before or since, and then has the worst Pokemon of any generation and grinds to a halt after beating it.

    These games have no older generation Pokemon available to you until you beat the game, and that makes the game an exceptional and often frustrating challenge. This generation of Pokemon is so terrible I passionately refer to it as the “Rotgut Generation.” The final boss isn’t even the champion, it is the evil team leader’s head in Ghetsis. Ghetsis’ theme has since become both the stuff of legends and the butt of jokes with the chants sounding like “Dennis” in his imposing battle theme. You can only face the real champion after beating the game, but the game grinds to a complete halt by then.    … Expand
  12. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    1
    garbage. i regret purchasing it, even unworthy of being pirated. to this day the bottom of the barrel of the entire franchise
  13. ColeEngo
    Nov 30, 2022
    4
    Was not a fan and made me kinda drop pokemon entirely for a while. Nothing memorable.
  14. AnthonyStf
    May 18, 2023
    4
    This an BORING GAME! B2W2 is so much better. The progeinsoions is so slow. The fire starter suck, the anime suck, this sucks. Pokemon black is not a good game, probaly one of the worst. 4/10, and B2W2 is a 10/10

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best DS Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Discussed DS Game of 2011
2
#2 Most Shared DS Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. Universo Nintendo
    Jun 5, 2011
    92
    Learning from the past without ever taking his eyes off the present, this is the pinnacle of the series to date and proof that sometimes you don't need a revolution to give new life to a franchise.
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  2. GameOver.gr
    Apr 30, 2011
    90
    Game Freak did it again. Pokemon Black Version is a masterpiece, delivering all the superb gameplay elements that fans of the series learned to love over the years. The only drawback is the dated technology it uses, something that will surely be addressed in the future versions for the 3DS.
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  3. Level7.nu
    Apr 18, 2011
    90
    Actually a Pokémon game with some news. The online modes have been polished, there's new pokémons, quick, better animated battles and better graphics.
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