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. Mikeligi
    Nov 13, 2022
    10
    I just finished beating Pokémon Scarlet (believe it or not), and I, naturally, started to wonder "Is this really Pokémon at its best?","Should this be the direction for all of the future games?,"Do I want it to be?". I just want to say, that Pokémon Black
  2. Zankyouo
    Sep 3, 2019
    8
    Pokémon es una saga que nunca a sido reconocida por su nivel narrativo, o es malo o de paso inexistente. Pero en este juego todo cambia y hace un trabajo muy bueno en ello.

    Este juego habla sobre el debate de si esta bien o no tener pokémon y hacerlos luchar, y es la primera vez en la saga que se trata un tema de una manera un tanto profunda y si, se que pokémon está principalmente    Pokémon es una saga que nunca a sido reconocida por su nivel narrativo, o es malo o de paso inexistente. Pero en este juego todo cambia y hace un trabajo muy bueno en ello.

    Este juego habla sobre el debate de si esta bien o no tener pokémon y hacerlos luchar, y es la primera vez en la saga que se trata un tema de una manera un tanto profunda y si, se que pokémon está principalmente orientado para niños, pero el desarrollo de la trama en este juego es bastante bueno, no sólo por parte del personaje N, sino también de el equipo contrario que empieza a ganar protagonismo por más de la mitad del juego, me parece sinceramente el pokémon mejor hecho.

    Mecánicamente es otro pokémon con toques mejorados que solo se notarán si te gusta el competitivo, así que no hablaré mucho de eso ya que todos conocemos ya esta saga y como funciona    … Expand
  3. MatheusArrocha
    Nov 8, 2019
    10
    It has made my childhood happier; because of it, 10. I could never complete the Unova Pokédex, though. Landorus and Thundurus are the ones that are missing. It makes me feel incomplete :(
  4. Kiraki1120
    Nov 16, 2019
    9
    The second best Pokemon series game for me. Some things were cleared, but many many completely new additions were added and the plot was the best for the Pokemon mainline game. Difficulty and post-game were excellent too!
  5. AShinyGiratina
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    How can you not love these games? This is what pokemon should've been from the start. A nice basic storyline that questions morality of not just villains but yourself for basically enslaving living creatures. The soundtrack of this **** is the best to date of the entire series. If Platinum wasn't so amazing I'd definitely choose these as the single best games in the series.
  6. Melon_man
    Aug 2, 2021
    9
    Best soundtrack in a Pokémon game with one of the best stories. I love the fact that you can only use unovan Pokémon as well. It's great to see the game that was so hated by the fandom at the time of its release become so popular and loved.
  7. Darros2
    Jul 23, 2020
    10
    El mejor juego de pokémon hasta la fecha, puesto que presenta una narrativa interesante que te hace pensar y un villano más que interesante, a mi gusto personal el diseño de los pokémon si decae un poco respecto a las otras generaciones, pero sigue siendo muy bueno. En lo que es historia y banda sonora este juego es realmente asombroso.
  8. hector_bcn98
    Nov 7, 2022
    9
    La generación pokémon con la dificultad más alta de toda la saga y una banda sonora de locos. Lástima que, al compartir plataforma con la anterior, no innovó tanto, y aún con esas, sacaron una segunda parte de ellas. Sería utópico pedir otra generación que rete tanto al jugador como lo hizo está. Son otros tiempos...
  9. Oreun
    Apr 15, 2021
    10
    Un muy buen juego con unos diseños de Pokémon excelentes (Aunque hay gente que dice que son malos, para mi son muy buenos), una historia memorable, un estilo grafico que me fascina, una de las mejores bandas sonoras de Pokémon, un muy buen postgame con una parte de la región ENTERA nueva para explorar...
    Se podría decir que lo único en lo que flaquea es que el avance es un poco lineal,    Un muy buen juego con unos diseños de Pokémon excelentes (Aunque hay gente que dice que son malos, para mi son muy buenos), una historia memorable, un estilo grafico que me fascina, una de las mejores bandas sonoras de Pokémon, un muy buen postgame con una parte de la región ENTERA nueva para explorar...
    Se podría decir que lo único en lo que flaquea es que el avance es un poco lineal, pero aun asi un juegazo que definitivamente deberías jugar.    … Expand
  10. halalgamer
    May 26, 2021
    9
    Best Pokemon game to date. Incredible story with incredible characters. Animation and music are outstanding. Gamefreak outdid themselves on this one. Oshawott is the best starter ever no cap.
    9/10 Great.
  11. Edupley
    Jul 4, 2021
    10
    Admito que la valoración es un poco exagerada para lo que es el juego, pero, sabiendo como son los juegos de pokemon que no tienen apenas un apartado muy centrado en la historia y que la jugabilidad es practicamente la misma (cazar bichos, entrenarlos, conseguir las medallas, vencer al equipo malvado y ganar la liga), este juego se merece algo mas que un simple 8 porque, la historia deAdmito que la valoración es un poco exagerada para lo que es el juego, pero, sabiendo como son los juegos de pokemon que no tienen apenas un apartado muy centrado en la historia y que la jugabilidad es practicamente la misma (cazar bichos, entrenarlos, conseguir las medallas, vencer al equipo malvado y ganar la liga), este juego se merece algo mas que un simple 8 porque, la historia de este juego es de lo mejor que ha tenido pokemon desde su salida, una historia de 10 a la cual se le ve algo de madurez, planteandote dudas sobre nuestros ideales, que hacemos con los pokemon, ¿los tenemos en contra de su voluntad o no? ¿Su libertad sería la solución? ¿En realidad somos los malos?... luego te das cuenta de que es una manipulación dirigida por el equipo malo para que todas las personas se unan a esa ''falsa'' ideologia y poder tener todos los pokemon del mundo ellos... hay mucha mas historia escondida en este juego de 10 que no voy a nombrar aqui para quienes no se lo han jugado puedan ir ahora a disfrutar de el y porque es lo suficientemente larga de explicar como para aburriros.. la musica como siempre de 10, se añaden 150 pokemon mas a la pokedex y es la unica region (junto con la 1ra) que no tiene otro pokemon que no sea de esta región, añadiendole mas originalidad al juego, nada mas que añadir hay muchas cosas de este juego que estan bien y ninguna que esté mal, se merece en mi opinión el 10 tiene todo lo bueno que tiene que tener un juego de pokemon y ademas lo mejora profundizando en algo que no habian hecho nunca.. crear una buena historia que acompañe el juego.… Expand
  12. SunFurry
    Jul 27, 2021
    10
    Still the best pokemon game ever. No old pokemons in main story and the fact that they spend 1 year just to write plot is great opportunity to show quallity of game. Wish there was more games like BW1
    Best pokemons
    Best story
    Godlike music
  13. sathvik_
    Aug 1, 2023
    6
    Good but im not too fond of the "only gen 4 pokemons in this game" thing, its a bit lack luster
  14. 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
  15. FireBroFilms
    Aug 15, 2022
    8
    ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎
  16. Jonnybravo222
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Now this is a pokemon game right here. One of the very best ever made. So many new polemon. Great story. The sprite art is top tier. A game I'll always go back to for a new play through.
  17. andrewrox
    Dec 16, 2012
    10
    Amaziiiinnnnngggg.....well it's a good game great story sadly doesn't have as much stuff to do as black 2 but still a good game.....I find this game great and a must have
  18. LookinLikeMagic
    Jan 31, 2014
    9
    Story & Characters: 8/10
    With the improved 3D effect Game Freak is able portray a much more cinematic story than was possible in past games. Unlike past games the villainous gang have an interesting goal other than to simply steal Pokémon out of greed. Team Plasma believes they are good guys trying to protect Pokémon from the cruelty of human ownership. However it doesn’t make much sense    Story & Characters: 8/10
    With the improved 3D effect Game Freak is able portray a much more cinematic story than was possible in past games. Unlike past games the villainous gang have an interesting goal other than to simply steal Pokémon out of greed. Team Plasma believes they are good guys trying to protect Pokémon from the cruelty of human ownership. However it doesn’t make much sense why they themselves use Pokémon to accomplish this goal. Although this is an interesting twist on the signature Pokémon storyline it is never really developed into a meaningful conclusion.

    Like the past few titles the player has more than one rival, a friend from your home town and an evil rival. Black and White takes this further, the player now has two friends who battle and assist the player throughout the game. These characters however are very dull when compared to Wally or Blue. The main villain and rival “N” however is a breath of air with a great back story and interesting dialogue.

    Visuals & Sound: 10/10
    Black and White looks radically different to past games in the series introducing 3D like effect perhaps leading up to a 3DS version. This graphical update is the biggest leap in the series since the move from GBC to GBA. These 3D effects push the DS hardware to its limits but makes environments look stunning. However due to the limitations of the DS Pokémon in battles look pixelated and sometimes ugly in battles. The game includes pre-rendered cut scenes at some points in the game which look great but they are rarely shown.

    Like every new generation Black and White introduces over 100 new species of Pokémon. However very few of these Pokémon look very impresssive compared to older generations. Although they do not look very appealing it seems to be the most varied generation to date and is not plagued with a particular type such as normal in Red and Blue or water in Ruby and Sapphire.

    Throughout the series they have introduced intro animations were Pokémon move briefly when the battle begins only for it to be removed in the next game in the series but brought back later on. These animations return in Black & White and although they slow down battles considerably they are appreciated. Due to the longer animations during battles, random encounters are much more frustrating taking several seconds before you can flee.

    Gameplay: 10/10
    Black & White keeps to the signature Pokémon formula. Although it doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the series it is the most refined and structured Pokémon game yet. These refinements include Pokémon Centres and Poke Marts being combined into a single building and unlimited TM uses. Other than these refinements Black & White adds some slight adjustments to keep the gameplay fresh, it introduces both triple battles and rotating battles. Rotating battles contain 3 Pokémon per side which are switch into a one v one battle each getting a single move before switching, meaning players have to anticipate future switches.

    Unfortunately takes you by the hand throughout the campaign introducing you to locations even after you have your first badge. I understand they have this in the game but this shouldn’t go one beyond the first 30 minutes or should at least have some way to skip it. Black & White seems to be the easiest game yet in the series due to less emphasis on team type balancing and a lack of enemy powerhouses (Milktank in Gold and Silver). Continuing with the day and night feature introduced in Generation 2 Black & White introduces seasons alter both the appearance of the environment and the types of Pokémon you can catch.

    Multiplayer & Extras: 9/10
    Like the past few entries Black & White have a huge emphasis on player interaction. Early on in the game you are given a C-Gear which allows them to trade and battle with other players. Using friend codes you are able to interact with friends either wirelessly or online. However you are able to trade and battle with random players around the world online making it much more convenient to catch em all. The C-Gear also includes a past by feature which allows the player to exchange information with other players when in range.

    Enjoyment: 9/10
    Although Black & White is nothing game changing it an excellent entry into the series continuing to capture the magic that was introduced in Red & Blue. Besides being Pokémon games, Black & White are excellent turn based RPGs with a huge amount of content making them an excellent purchase for any RPG fan.    … Expand
  19. ALTPL
    Sep 7, 2023
    8
    I first played it in 2023 so 12 years after release date. Does it hold well today? Should it be played?
    I've played it on physical console and I've had lots of fun. I've tried it previously on emulators but such approach doesn't ignite a spark of joy.
    In terms of story-telling, lore and world-building this game should get straight 10 - but after reaching some point of the game near the    I first played it in 2023 so 12 years after release date. Does it hold well today? Should it be played?
    I've played it on physical console and I've had lots of fun. I've tried it previously on emulators but such approach doesn't ignite a spark of joy.
    In terms of story-telling, lore and world-building this game should get straight 10 - but after reaching some point of the game near the end the grind becomes unbearably dull and legend hunting isn't as good as in previous (and later) installments in series.
    Even though I've spent about 150h on this game it doesn't have factor that would make me repeat whole adventure any time in the future.    … Expand
  20. kylesar
    Apr 21, 2013
    5
    The game has a nice storyline, but it all boils down to the Pokemon. I was highly pissed off at the Vanillite and Trubbish families. The Pokemon doesn't meet the awesomeness as it did in generation 4 and 1. Other than those things, the game is pretty nice. Unfortunately, the game revolves completely around the Pokemon you can catch
  21. Bloodlustrous
    May 11, 2013
    9
    Intense story, many cheap designs.

    When someone brings up the Generation 5 Pokemon, immediately people will bring up the "ice cream Pokemon." Yes, there is an ice cream Pokemon. It was a generic design and a bad idea. That is no excuse to rate this game low. If Magneton were to come out in generation 5, everyone would be like "really? an magnet Pokemon? How lame!" but because of it's    Intense story, many cheap designs.

    When someone brings up the Generation 5 Pokemon, immediately people will bring up the "ice cream Pokemon." Yes, there is an ice cream Pokemon. It was a generic design and a bad idea. That is no excuse to rate this game low. If Magneton were to come out in generation 5, everyone would be like "really? an magnet Pokemon? How lame!" but because of it's release date, it is embraced as an original Pokemon and given much praise and love. Magneton the magnet Pokemon is just as generic as Vanilluxe the vanilla ice cream Pokemon.

    The storyline in the Pokemon games has always been predictable yet satisfying. This installment breaks the chain. The story was not as predictable and had odd twists in it every now and again.

    Same enjoyable fighting and leveling, unexpected new plot, interesting change in overworld graphics, all new Pokemon and tons of fun as always.    … Expand
  22. SrOctopus
    Jan 19, 2015
    9
    A great underrated game that deserves more love. It's a great new story and the gameplay mechanics are just getting better. 5th gen is not as bad as everyone says, it's one of the best generation in my opinion.
  23. TVHeadTed
    Aug 9, 2015
    10
    This game is truly masterful and breathes new life into the pokemon series, in more ways than one. Game Freak took a big chance in removing all the pokemon from the previous games, however I think this give the player a chance to experience something great. You are now put into a situation where you cannot rely on using the same pokemon you have been using years before. You must dig downThis game is truly masterful and breathes new life into the pokemon series, in more ways than one. Game Freak took a big chance in removing all the pokemon from the previous games, however I think this give the player a chance to experience something great. You are now put into a situation where you cannot rely on using the same pokemon you have been using years before. You must dig down back into the roots of pokemon, when you first started playing. That experience of seeing a new pokemon, that feeling of trying to come up with a team of pokemon you have never used before. It's a truly nostalgic experience. Looking at some of the designs of the pokemon of this game you'll see that many are similar to the original 151. This allows the players to have an idea of how the new pokemon will play, while still changing the pokemon around enough to make them unique from the originals. The designs are incredibly fresh as well, with nothing overly complicated (except for a handful of very specific ones), but nothing boringly simple. There are some REALLY amazing designs in this game, some of which are a little darker than others if you dig deep into their lore, giving the game a bit of a more adult feel. In addition, the plot to this game is magnificent (by pokemon standards). It asks the player challenging, adult questions at times, and some players are left to ponder their childhood games. There's actually quite some bit of character development in the games rivals and main antagonist. In addition, there's a bunch of great surprises that will keep this game outstandingly fresh, especially towards the end.

    In conclusion, this game was made for the fans. Game Freak knew the players of the original games where getting more mature and many wanted a little more significant pokemon game. So, Game Freak decided to make a game for them. It is a game that appeals to the new players in that there are crisp and cool new pokemon designs, and keeps the basic elements of the games beforehand. It appeals to older pokemon players in that they can get a fresh breath of air, while still being able to go on an adventure similar to their first encounter with the game. It fixes some minor issues, challenges older players, and holds what is probably some of the best pokemon Game Freak have to offer. Over all, it is (in my humble opinion), the best pokemon game to date.

    (ps. Vanilluxe is one of my favorite pokemon, eat your heart out genwunners)    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. gauxelus
    Apr 7, 2022
    8
    Probably the best of mainline games which don't have third versions. A far more responsive battle speed (my god, the Generation 4 battle pace were horrible), probably some of the best graphic style for DS and sprite work bar a few give so much life to the creatures and the environment. The new Pokemon roster is also quite diverse enough to not make different playthrough monotonous. StoryProbably the best of mainline games which don't have third versions. A far more responsive battle speed (my god, the Generation 4 battle pace were horrible), probably some of the best graphic style for DS and sprite work bar a few give so much life to the creatures and the environment. The new Pokemon roster is also quite diverse enough to not make different playthrough monotonous. Story is a bit more thought provoking and better than previous iterations. The map progression leads it to being a linear game, but due to various features like Dream World, Entralink and others (Musicals, they aren't that much liked or used by people), it feels decent enough room to explore. The main story beat ends in a bang. Post-game areas (Black City and White Forest) and the Looker quest were nice but the main draw is Battle Subway. Fantastic facility. While it is a solid entry in the franchise, the extra facilities and features brought by its sequels (B2W2) makes for the best Unova adventure then these. I do recommend playing through BW once through the post-game since our progress can be synced for rewards on the sequels.… Expand
  26. Dragonfly44
    Oct 7, 2018
    8
    With a truly captivating story and a plethora of things to do, this game is undoubtedly one of the strongest in the franchise. While the graphics are rather hit or miss, this game is still spectacular.
    Rating - 85%
  27. Dialga236
    May 18, 2023
    8
    A fantastic game that was given a hard time due to people's refusal to accept change. With a brand-new cast of 156 Pokémon to catch, the largest amount introduced before or after, many people grew hostile to many of the monsters due to not being allowed to use any old favorites in the main story, which is a shame as Pokémon Black and White have the strongest story out of the entire seriesA fantastic game that was given a hard time due to people's refusal to accept change. With a brand-new cast of 156 Pokémon to catch, the largest amount introduced before or after, many people grew hostile to many of the monsters due to not being allowed to use any old favorites in the main story, which is a shame as Pokémon Black and White have the strongest story out of the entire series with the best engine to date both in and outside of battle. A region brimming with life and diversity of location and people alike, Pokémon Black and White are fantastic games that are deserving of being the series' penultimate sendoff for the Nintendo DS.… Expand
  28. Maxttvd
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    Junto ao Pokémon Pearl, um baita jogo de Pokémon, muito legal e bacana kkkkk
  29. KegMinami
    Dec 31, 2019
    8
    Overall a very solid Pokemon game. I like the "soft-reset" idea, with 150 new Pokemon and none of the old ones available until post-game. Some may see that as a downside but I like to see what's new when it comes to Pokemon games. The story is probably the best in the series to date, and it all comes to a head when you reach the Pokemon League. I'd rather not spoil it for those who somehowOverall a very solid Pokemon game. I like the "soft-reset" idea, with 150 new Pokemon and none of the old ones available until post-game. Some may see that as a downside but I like to see what's new when it comes to Pokemon games. The story is probably the best in the series to date, and it all comes to a head when you reach the Pokemon League. I'd rather not spoil it for those who somehow haven't played it by now, but the climax is amazing. There's quite a few interesting dungeons and secrets scattered about the region, even places you might initially miss on your first playthrough. There's a lot to explore here, and I love it. The post-game is basically just checking out a previously unavailable portion of the region. The sprite work is phenomenal, and really helps the Pokemon feel alive.
    Overall, this is one of the best in the series.    … Expand
  30. W-Lights
    Dec 2, 2018
    8
    While the whole only new pokemon could and should be better implemented, and it removed the undreground, following pokemon and contests, it did a good job with the story, which is now a staple in the series but not something they risked meddling with before, and also had interesting looking routes and the urban theme was a creative take to go with (I personally find it better than White'sWhile the whole only new pokemon could and should be better implemented, and it removed the undreground, following pokemon and contests, it did a good job with the story, which is now a staple in the series but not something they risked meddling with before, and also had interesting looking routes and the urban theme was a creative take to go with (I personally find it better than White's rural one since all pokemon games are already nature-bound in their layouts)… Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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