User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 753 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 95 out of 753
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  1. Jul 9, 2020
    5
    5/10 ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ
  2. Jan 19, 2020
    10
    Es junto con su secuela lo mejor que pokemon ha dado en la saga principal, completo y muy trabajado, desgraciadamente el juego no fue recibido como se merecía, el juego que la saga necesitaba, pero que el fandom no merecía por no saber apreciarlo, una lástima...
  3. Jan 25, 2020
    8
    Best story in a pokemon game and a big step up in graphics from gen 4 and gen 2 remakes.
  4. May 26, 2023
    8
    Pokemon White is one of the two main games of the fifth generation of the legendary Pokemon games franchise (the other being Pokemon Black). It was released in 2011. The game follows the tried and true recipe of a Pokemon game. This time you travel around the Unova region, apparently based on the greater New York area. You get a great story, fighting the mysterious Team Plasma, having funPokemon White is one of the two main games of the fifth generation of the legendary Pokemon games franchise (the other being Pokemon Black). It was released in 2011. The game follows the tried and true recipe of a Pokemon game. This time you travel around the Unova region, apparently based on the greater New York area. You get a great story, fighting the mysterious Team Plasma, having fun with your annoying friends and battling your way around the obligatory loop. There is a great deal of post-game content available after you beat the Elite Four for the first time. There is a weird level jump that might force you to grind paradoxically right after you beat the Elite Four. Otherwise it is top notch. The graphics is likeable. The difficulty is not great, but it can still get challenging at times. You do not meet Pokemon from other regions until you beat the Elite Four, which kinda sucks, only because the fifth generation Pokemon are really ugly. Very personal opinion, of course. I played this game on PC using the DeSmuMe emulator. No microtransactions or SJW politics are present in this game.

    Pokemon White is a very good game with interesting gym design and ugly Pokemon. Final Verdict: 82%
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  5. Feb 21, 2021
    8
    Well made game,the fact that only 5th gen Pokemon is available until you beat the elite 4 and then all the other gets available and you get to revisit the region and catch them all is awesome
  6. Feb 13, 2020
    10
    Best generation of Pokemon without a doubt. Not only has the best story out of all the games but also it reached its top with pokemon sprites (that I prefer over 3D models). I feel like it is one of the most underrated Pokemon games, having one of the most distinctive and visible split opinions out of all the games. Some will say that the designs are awful and uncreative but in my opinion,Best generation of Pokemon without a doubt. Not only has the best story out of all the games but also it reached its top with pokemon sprites (that I prefer over 3D models). I feel like it is one of the most underrated Pokemon games, having one of the most distinctive and visible split opinions out of all the games. Some will say that the designs are awful and uncreative but in my opinion, these games contain some of the best Pokemon designs, being Chandelure, Victini, Volcarona, Bisharp, Reuniclus and so much more, ones of my favorites. Another counterargument I hear a lot is that it's just a gen 1 rip-off, but even though it is true for some cases, the possibility to experience a similar gameplay experience with a 151-Pokemon Pokedex with only new Pokemon it's worth it. Of course, there's a lot of crap, but what do you expect from them, the had to make 151 new Pokemon, 151! That's not even close to the number of Pokemon we are getting these days! My point is that they ran out of ideas, of course, but is it too difficult to appreciate the effort they put to create these games and some of the good designs? Is it too difficult? According to most people and the rating, apparently yes. I'm just leaving this around here, and if you found this and made it through this whole comment, congratulations! You're probably either entitled and disagreeing or you were searching for a comment like this and you're nodding with your head, which seems improbable, but who knows. Either way, I'm reposting this on Black Version too, hoping for a person with a similar opinion to find this. And please, if you haven't played this masterpiece yet, just give it a try, you'll definitely enjoy it. Expand
  7. Feb 15, 2022
    8
    Really good main game, people will say it is linear, but that's just the layout of the map. The routes offer a satisfying amount of exploration, unlike Swsh, for example. It's only lacking in meaningful post game content.
  8. Apr 4, 2020
    8
    Una de las mejores campañas de la serie con un post-game igual de bien trabajado. La decisión de presentar solo nuevos Pokémon le da mucha frescura a la aventura.
  9. Mar 14, 2022
    8
    The story of this Pokémon game is different from its predecessors. It’s more serious and trying to be mature and profound.
  10. Jun 23, 2020
    7
    Pokemon games have always been too slow for me. The game is enjoyable though.
  11. Jun 25, 2020
    6
    Gen 5 of pokemon provides another fun and entertaining entry to the series; but thats all it is. While the previous entries to the generation felt innovative, exciting, and fresh, gen 5 felt like more of the same, without the heart of the previous entries. Don't get me wrong; it's still an incredibly fun game, and any pokemon fan would love this generation. The new pokemon look great, andGen 5 of pokemon provides another fun and entertaining entry to the series; but thats all it is. While the previous entries to the generation felt innovative, exciting, and fresh, gen 5 felt like more of the same, without the heart of the previous entries. Don't get me wrong; it's still an incredibly fun game, and any pokemon fan would love this generation. The new pokemon look great, and the cities do as well. It just doesn't live up to the quality of it's predecessors, and I personally found myself a little bored pretty quickly. Still, this game should be played by pokemon fans. Expand
  12. Jun 30, 2020
    9
    One of my favorite Pokémon games of all time. The story is phenomenal, the characters are the best in the series and many of the new Pokémon live up to or surpass all previous designs in the series.
  13. Jul 16, 2020
    10
    Generation V of Pokemon is my favorite but this game is, in my opinion, amazing. One of the best villain groups in the entire series, led by one of the best characters in the entire series make this game have the best story, in the entire series. As far as post-game content goes, this one's chock-full of stuff, especially for Pokemon.
  14. Jul 3, 2020
    10
    Sere sincero el mejor juego de la saga principal en cuanto historia y personajes , no se por que la gente la infravalora tanto creo que son los típicos haters que solo toman en cuenta 3 diseños de Pokémon y dicen que por eso el juego es el peor de la saga olvidando el resto de aspectos .
  15. Jul 8, 2020
    10
    this is so cool bro pokemon white dude big chungus im pogging so hard rn even my cock is hard this game is very poggers and gamer
  16. Jul 21, 2020
    9
    This game has a very good plot, the history is a bit more adult than te other games', and this is very good. Unova is a fantastic region, with a very different atmosphere. In general, I think this is the most adult Pkmn game, and the most ambitious and different one, and also the best.
  17. Jul 21, 2020
    7
    Um bom jogo,boa história, personagens muito legais, porém a dex é muito capada,mas é um jogo muito bom.
  18. May 29, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. mi juego de pokemon favorito es HERMOSO gráficamente los sprites son increíbles mas de 500 sprites animados desde cero me encanta pero los graficos NO son lo mejor no no no lo mejor del juego es la historia omg el desarrollo del personaje de N es increíble y el protagonista es probablemente el mejor ya que N y el prota no tienen que imponer sus ideales sino que simplemente presentan sus puntos de vida es hermoso N tiene un desarrollo super humano siendo el mejor personaje de pokemon junto a silver ghechis esta un poco desperdiciado pero igual es uno de los mejores lideres de equipo villano de la historia de pokemon los lideres de gimnasio al fin tienen protagonismo y no simplemente sprites quietos y los dos rivales son de lo mejor y tambien tienen un muy buen desarrollo aunque si te soy sincero el campeón no es taaan bueno como debería pero igual es un muy buen campeón aparte de la historia la dificultad es la tercera mejor hecha solo por detrás de la cuarta generación y b2w2 siendo una muy buena dificultad ya terminando es un juegazo Expand
  19. 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...
  20. Nov 17, 2020
    9
    "Pokémon Blanco" para DS es sin duda un gran videojuego y probablemente el mejor que ha sacado la saga de Pokémon. Fue lanzado en 2011 y puedo decir que es un de los juegos de Nintendo al que más horas "habré metido" (unas 150 horas). No es para menos, porque aparte de contar con una historia interesante y divertida lineal a través de la "Región de Teselia" en la cual nuestro entrenador"Pokémon Blanco" para DS es sin duda un gran videojuego y probablemente el mejor que ha sacado la saga de Pokémon. Fue lanzado en 2011 y puedo decir que es un de los juegos de Nintendo al que más horas "habré metido" (unas 150 horas). No es para menos, porque aparte de contar con una historia interesante y divertida lineal a través de la "Región de Teselia" en la cual nuestro entrenador viajará a través de diferentes escenarios, también puedes conocer ciudades y pueblos (especial atención a Ciudad Porcelana), explorar zonas ocultas (me encantó explorar la ruta en la cual hay un desierto y ruinas por descubrir) y enfrentarte "como buen juego de Pokémon" a combates a manos de otros entrenadores.
    El objetivo es típico, derrotar en combate a los líderes de los "gimnasios Pokémon" distribuidos en diferentes ciudades y cada uno supondrá un reto. Al final, nuestro pequeño héroe se enfrentará a la liga Pokémon. Aún así, tiene una verdadera trama, la cuál es derrotar o frenar los planes del "Equipo Plasma" y a su líder, "N". Su objetivo es liberar todos los Pokémon de los entrenadores y así dominar el mundo. La historia también tiene toques enigmáticos, personajes sombríos (N principalmente) y escenarios bellos, además de poseer una gran variedad de Pokémon normales y legendarios.
    Otro punto positivo es la banda sonora, sin duda la mejor que se ha incluido en un juego de Pokémon y una de las mejores que habré escuchado.
    Sin duda es un gran juego. Repetitivo; desde un punto de vista sí, pero este se trata de un juego más complejo y elaborado de lo que parece en la carátula.
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  21. Dec 13, 2020
    9
    Zajebista gra zasługuje na co najmniej 8.7 oceny użytkowników no ale cóż Metacritic to dziwna strona i byle kto może dawać opinie
  22. May 29, 2022
    10
    This seriously is the best game I have ever played. The gameplay is fast, yet satisfying as well as all of the characters. Arguably one of the best stories in all of pokemon. AND THE MUSIC HOLY COW. I could go on and on for hours about how incredible the game actually is, however I guess for now I'm just going to leave a 10 on this one : )
  23. Jul 1, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pokemon Black and White is arguably one of the greatest games in the series. Whenever I recollect memories of my favorite, this game usually comes to mind. While I wouldn't go as far and say it's the greatest Pokemon game of all time, it definitely ranks in the top three. This is the type of Pokemon adventure that I will always be available to replaying, at least regarding the main story levels. It's the ideal Pokemon game to play from beginning to end, but no further due the somewhat lackluster post game.

    If you had plans to build a competitive team to complete the Battle Subway challenge, I recommend you prepare that team in Black and White Two instead. Because at this point of time, Gamefreak would exclusively only add Rare Move Tutors to the deluxe versions of there games, like Emerald and Platinum. So while you have to he option to teach ultimate moves like Draco Meteor, Water Pledge, and Blast Burn in this version of the game, you will be unable to teach more unique skills like Ice Punch, Super Fang, and Iron Head.

    It's a real shame too, because the level and theming design is incredibly well done. The game opens up with a gorgeous, dramatic anime opening of the King of Team Plasma reflecting on his childhood as he's being crowned by the seven sages, hinting a medieval war theme that would be revealed later in the adventure. And if that wasn't thrilling enough, the game has this wonderful pseudo third dimensional graphic style to make certain images appear like they're popping out of the screen, without the support of obnoxious effects.

    Everything is littered with sharp color and great shadow work. I remembered the developers experimented with this stye in in a few Heartgold and Soulsilver stages like the Glitter Lighthouse. And the Distortion World in Platinum. And seeing it come full circle here is simply remarkable. And adding to the charm of the style are the levels with unique camera angles. Some stages will have special angles to tie in with the theme of the area. Skyarrow Bridge will use a bird's eye view angle as you rush across to the city and a moving closeup shot in the ledge filled room in Dragonspiral Tower. These angles make the world around you feel more vast and alive. No longer are we dwelling in the generation of flat Pokemon environments, now we can explore enormous worlds that still retain the charm of the world building from the original games. Only difference now is that the grind mechanics no longer make me want to tear my eyes out.

    You know how in Dragon Quest whenever you defeat a Metal Slime you get a ton of experience in the over world? Well, by defeating the Audino and the other rare Pokemon in the shaking grass, you can play catch up in almost every stage in the game just in case your Pokemon are unprepared for the future challenges. Tedious and long grinding is a terrible trope for role playing games. And I'm more than happy to see that the worst returning mechanic from the Gold and Silver remakes had been finally given a grave.
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  24. Apr 19, 2021
    6
    Story is bad, but not as bad as before, Pokémon designs are horrible, more inspired by Kanto than ever and most of them evolve at high levels so you won't be able to see their final form in the maingame this time around, maingame is short and difficulty is a joke... But... The game is pretty fun to play and it improved a lot all of the flaws Diamond and Pearl or Platinum had. It reallyStory is bad, but not as bad as before, Pokémon designs are horrible, more inspired by Kanto than ever and most of them evolve at high levels so you won't be able to see their final form in the maingame this time around, maingame is short and difficulty is a joke... But... The game is pretty fun to play and it improved a lot all of the flaws Diamond and Pearl or Platinum had. It really feels like a DS game, not like those. Also the music is as always very good. Expand
  25. Jun 3, 2021
    9
    Despite the fact that Diamond, Pearl and Platinum are my main childhood Pokemon games and the ones I have the most nostalgia for I definitely consider Pokemon Black & White to be my personal favourite games in the series.
    I consider this game to be the last "amazing" game in the series as it pretty much did everything right, from its design to its music to its story to even it's
    Despite the fact that Diamond, Pearl and Platinum are my main childhood Pokemon games and the ones I have the most nostalgia for I definitely consider Pokemon Black & White to be my personal favourite games in the series.
    I consider this game to be the last "amazing" game in the series as it pretty much did everything right, from its design to its music to its story to even it's aesthetic. The mix between 2D and 3D graphics actually brings an amazing amount of style to this game's visual approach as it allows for a lot more perspective and can actually create some of the best atmosphere in the series and it also prevents the game from ever looking dated. The music is extremely memorable and quite funky at times but also rather engaging to the point where it actually makes certain battles in the game a lot more epic and intense. The Pokedex for the Unova region is probably where the game can be considered weak in comparison to most of the Pokedex's that came before it however the fact that you can only capture the regional Pokemon until the post-game is actually a great addition as it allows you to build a more diverse team that actually ends up holding more sentimental value to you than you'd expect. But by far my favorite thing about this game is surprisingly enough its story and characters simply due to the fact that a Pokemon game has never directly gone as deep into it's story as Black and White has.
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  26. Feb 8, 2022
    9
    ....................................................................................................................................................................................................blank
  27. May 4, 2022
    10
    This is one of my favorite pokemon games of all time. I love the story. It's even alittle disturbing and sad but that's at the end. I remember getting the game and beating it in a few weeks. I needed my brothers pokemon to beat the final bosses. The game can get hard and while some people may complain about the game being linear, I don't mind because pokemon ruby andThis is one of my favorite pokemon games of all time. I love the story. It's even alittle disturbing and sad but that's at the end. I remember getting the game and beating it in a few weeks. I needed my brothers pokemon to beat the final bosses. The game can get hard and while some people may complain about the game being linear, I don't mind because pokemon ruby and sapphire was pretty much just as linear and no one complained. However pokemon white 2 has way more exploration. I also have to say that the post game isn't the best, it's still a better post game than some of the other previous games. One thing I also love is that they unlocked the older pokemon at the post game so that way I can get acquainted with them rather than just use older pokemon. Lastly this game is nostalgic to me because I played more of the game after I beat it during the time I graduated high school. There was ship I went on during that time and then when I started playing the game again, I went on the ship and it was one of the most magical feelings I got. Especially with the music. Who cares about some ice cream pokemon. Expand
  28. Dec 29, 2021
    10
    When i first played Pokèmon White, it was an unforgetable time and i seriously had so much fun. Playing them again, they are still as good as i remember. The music is SO good and my favorite in the whole franchise, the character designs are fantastic, with highest quality waifus ever; Hilda, Skyla and Elesa. Both Hilda and Hilbert are the best avatars for the player in any Pokèmon, in myWhen i first played Pokèmon White, it was an unforgetable time and i seriously had so much fun. Playing them again, they are still as good as i remember. The music is SO good and my favorite in the whole franchise, the character designs are fantastic, with highest quality waifus ever; Hilda, Skyla and Elesa. Both Hilda and Hilbert are the best avatars for the player in any Pokèmon, in my opinion of course.
    Unova is a beautiful region made better with season changing. Unova`s routes are more linear now, but i can forgive it, cause they are expansive. Though Unova and its Routes does not match the glory of Hoenn, Sinnoh and their routes.
    The new Pokèmon are like any other Generation for me. Some good, some that i truly love, some bad and some i hate, but only having new Pokèmon and placing older ones to post Elite Four made the games feel more fresh for me too and i loved it.
    The sprites are amazing here too, i must say. The story is alot of fun and feels more significant. You can argue wheter its truly good or not, but i enjoyed it and thats all that matters. The post game once again allows me to explore new areas, which is all i ask for as post game for Pokèmon
    For me, these games and their sequels are the definitive way to play Pokèmon. I could go on and on and on about how great these games are, but nah. I love them so much. Fun story, great music, wonderful region and a great new cast. White is my favorite Pokèmon game of all time.
    Ill leave this review with an appeal:
    Game Freak, please DO NOT REMAKE GENERATION 5!!! They are great enough as they are!!!
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  29. Mar 1, 2022
    8
    I remember playing Pokémon White when I was a child and having a hard time knowing why B/W even existed, but the more I grew, the more I noticed that Pokémon B/W are indeed the best games in the franchise even at this day.
    Pokémon B/W succesfully tell the most mature plot in any Pokémon game, making a focus on character development and presenting a constant clash between truth and ideals,
    I remember playing Pokémon White when I was a child and having a hard time knowing why B/W even existed, but the more I grew, the more I noticed that Pokémon B/W are indeed the best games in the franchise even at this day.
    Pokémon B/W succesfully tell the most mature plot in any Pokémon game, making a focus on character development and presenting a constant clash between truth and ideals, making this the reason of the names, different ways of seeing something, but more than dividing in Black and White, finding shades of gray between both. That made a huge impact on me when playing this game at this age.
    Pokémon B/W shows different ways of growth and acceptance with our rivals, N, Bianca and Cheren, every one connected to the main character in one way or another, but at the same time, so unique and far away from our truth and ideals, each having their own. In this game, even characters like Gym Leaders are important, and the champion is arguably the best in any Pokémon game, helping our characters to grow and develop.
    Pokémon B/W made a daring decision with its art style, making moving 2D sprites and taller more mature looking overworld, using sometimes 3D animation, something unbelievable taking into consideration Nintendo DS' hardware.
    This game also introduced the most amount of new Pokémon, making team building feel fresh and unique, as if back on Red / Blue. A lot of people didn't like this, but in my opinion, it changed the way I played future titles, using only new Pokémon.
    5th gen OSTs are, also, pretty good, and I've seen a lot of people who say the same, some even saying its one of the best Pokémon has seen ever, but I think this is totally subjective, even though I really like it, and say it's memorable.
    If I had to say something I dislike, is mythical Pokémon encounters. B/W started a trend I actually dislike a lot, making these Pokémon gifts at the Pokémon center, something rarely seen in previous generations, where, for example, you could get Darkrai, Shaymin and other Pokémon in special areas made for them.
    Overall, Pokémon Black and White, in my opinion, are the best games in the franchise, and I totally recommend giving them a shot, if possible.
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  30. Feb 5, 2022
    9
    85/100
    The developers with this one tried to make Pokémon a little more mature and the result is the most interesting and captivating iteration of the franchise.
  31. Sep 5, 2023
    9
    très bon jeu qui a voulu j'imagine marqué le coup les animation des pokemon en combat sont spécial en tout cas pr l'époque mais se n'est pas une mauvaise chose en soit ca apporte du changement, l'histoire est excellente une des meilleur des jeu pokemon sur ds
  32. Nov 30, 2022
    3
    The year is now 2022 and everyone remembers these games fondly. I personally have no idea why. They’re not hard like everyone says? They’re easy. They story isn’t amazing like everyone says? It’s only N who’s interesting. The post game isn’t waaaay more interesting then other games? It’s the same formula as the other games. Elite 4, catch all Pokémon. This game is praised as being the bestThe year is now 2022 and everyone remembers these games fondly. I personally have no idea why. They’re not hard like everyone says? They’re easy. They story isn’t amazing like everyone says? It’s only N who’s interesting. The post game isn’t waaaay more interesting then other games? It’s the same formula as the other games. Elite 4, catch all Pokémon. This game is praised as being the best Pokémon game and ALL others released after it are “so beyond bad”. I beg to differ, this is the game that started the annoying trend in Pokémon games of characters non stop talking. The game that started the button mashing. Sun and Moon are the worst for non stop talking but this is where it started. This game also has next to no variety in Pokémon. Early game you’re so very limited for choice, end game you have more choice but it’s end game. Lame. This game also gave us the elemental monkey Pokémon so ew. 3/10. Expand
  33. Mar 6, 2023
    9
    I would give this game a 10 but the sequel honestly is a bit better. Still an amazing game though!
  34. Aug 7, 2023
    9
    El mejor juego de toda la franquicia, innovación por todas partes, un juego donde la dificultad es más elevada que el resto de títulos, un mundo que se siente vivo, con el elemento RPG siempre presente y con la mejor historia dentro de la saga, la mejor aventura pokémon
  35. Sep 4, 2023
    8
    possibly the best pokemon game. the most interesting story of the franchise, much darker than the other games. i love the aesthetics of the game. the pokemon and character sprites are my all time favorite. it's engaging and fun. the main flaws are some unwatchable pokemon.
  36. Sep 8, 2023
    10
    Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awards & Rankings

1
2
#2 Most Discussed DS Game of 2011
5
#5 Most Shared DS Game of 2011
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. 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.
  2. Apr 7, 2011
    90
    One of the best generations of Pokemon titles to date, Black & White take almost all of the best elements from the series and then carefully craft it into something truly wonderful; recreating that same sense of adventure from the very first titles.
  3. Mar 31, 2011
    90
    Almost a franchise reboot, Pokémon Black & White is your ultimate Pokémon experience. Overall better than previous generations by any means, this new installment manages to inspire on veteran players a sense of wonder and awe gone missing years ago. The new adventure flows better and is much more intriguing and challenging but of course you are not going to change your mind if you hate Pikachu and friends.