Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 are role-playing video games released in 2012. They were created by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. These games are part of the fifth generation of the Pokémon series and are direct follow-ups to Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, making them the first sequels in the series. They were first released in Japan in June 2012 and later released worldwide in October 2012. These games were the last first-party titles for the Nintendo DS. The games feature two legendary Pokémon, Black Kyurem and White Kyurem, identified by Junichi Masuda. The games were first announced on February 26, 2012, during an episode of the Japanese television show Pokémon Smash!, and later confirmed on the official Pokémon website.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 follow a new Pokémon Trainer’s journey to become the Unova League Champion, two years after the events of the original games. In the story, the criminal group Team Plasma returns as Neo Team Plasma, and players must stop their plans to take over the world. The games include new features such as the Key System, Hidden Grottoes, new cities, and additional Pokémon. Like other main series Pokémon games, players must trade between the two versions to complete the Pokédex.
A Pokémon Grey game was not released because the name "Grey" would conflict with the theme of opposites in Black and White. The developers also wanted to surprise players by not following the same naming pattern as previous games. Critics generally praised the games for their new features and changes compared to the original, but some noted that they lacked major innovations.
Gameplay
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 include two main types of gameplay: exploring the game world and battling. During exploration, players control their character from a top-down view, interact with non-playable characters, and search for items and Pokémon. Battles involve sending out Pokémon to reduce the opponent’s Pokémon to zero health points. Players use their Pokémon’s "moves," which can attack, help or hurt other Pokémon, or cause special effects like status changes.
The game takes place two years after the events of Pokémon Black and White. Many early events occur in new areas on the western side of the Unova region. These new areas include Pokémon that were not available in the first games, with a total of 300 unique Pokémon available at the start of the game.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 work with a new downloadable game for the Nintendo 3DS called Pokémon Dream Radar. This game introduces Professor Burnet and alternate forms for Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus, which can be transferred to Black 2 and White 2 after being captured. The Dream World feature from Pokémon Black and White returns but was closed on January 14, 2014, along with other fifth-generation game services. The mythical Pokémon Keldeo also gains a new form called the Resolute form in this game.
A new feature in Black 2 and White 2 is the "PokéStar Studios" side-game, where the player helps film a movie with Pokémon and other characters. A character named Brycen-Man appears, representing Brycen from the original games returning to his acting career. Another new feature is the Pokémon World Tournament, where players battle strong trainers from earlier games, including Gym Leaders like Brock, Misty, Volkner, and Giovanni, and League Champions like Cynthia, Steven, and Lance. The Key System is another new mechanic that unlocks after completing the game. It allows players to access harder challenges and new areas, such as Black Tower or White Tree, within the same version. Players can also unlock special chambers where they can capture Regirock, Registeel, and Regice.
Plot
The story of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 happens two years after the events of Black and White. There are new places that players couldn't visit before, such as Virbank City, Flocessy Town, Lentimas Town, Humilau City, and Hidden Grottoes, where special Pokémon can be caught. Instead of starting in Nuvema Town, players begin their journey in Aspertia City, a new city in the southwest part of Unova. The region of Unova is designed to look like New York City.
Players and their rival start their Pokémon journey on the previously unexplored western side of Unova. They live in Aspertia City and receive their starter Pokémon from Bianca, an NPC who was one of the player's rivals in Black and White. Players also meet Cheren, the other rival character, who is now a Gym Leader in Aspertia City. As in other Pokémon games, players travel around the region, battle Gym Leaders to collect eight Gym Badges, and then challenge the Elite Four and the Unova League Champion to finish the game.
The main enemy group in Black 2 and White 2 is Neo Team Plasma. Players first meet them while running an errand and later when the group announces its plan to take over the world and steal Pokémon in front of the player, their rival, and a new Gym Leader named Roxie. At Iris's request, the player helps Burgh find more members of Neo Team Plasma in the sewers of Castelia City, where they meet Colress, a researcher studying Pokémon's strengths.
It is later revealed that Neo Team Plasma stole a Purrloin that the player's rival planned to give to his sister, making the rival angry at the group. After learning about the Legendary Pokémon Kyurem, which arrived at the Giant Chasm years ago, players discover that Neo Team Plasma plans to use Kyurem's power to freeze parts of Unova, including Opelucid City. Players track Neo Team Plasma to Humilau City, home of the final new Gym led by Marlon, who helps the player battle the group to stop them from controlling Kyurem. Marlon also helps the rival retrieve his Purrloin, which has evolved into a Liepard used in battle.
The final battle takes place in the Giant Chasm, where players learn that Colress is working with Neo Team Plasma to study Pokémon's abilities. Ghetsis, the leader of Neo Team Plasma, plans to use Kyurem, a Pokémon formed from the leftover energy of Zekrom and Reshiram, to achieve his goal of ruling the world. After battling the Shadow Triad with help from the rival, who retrieves his Liepard, players confront Kyurem and Ghetsis in the Giant Chasm. N, who has either Zekrom or Reshiram, tries to stop his father, Ghetsis, but his Pokémon is defeated and fused with Kyurem, transforming it into Black Kyurem or White Kyurem. Players must battle the transformed Kyurem, then defeat Ghetsis. After the battle, N thanks the player for helping defeat Neo Team Plasma. Players then complete the game by battling the Elite Four and the Unova League Champion, Iris.
After finishing the main story, players can challenge N, who now lives in his former castle. When N's Pokémon is defeated, it becomes an object that N gives to the player. Players can later bring the object to another part of Unova, where it transforms back into the Pokémon and can be captured. Players can also battle former champions, Gym Leaders, and complete challenges in Black City or White Forest. Using a feature called "Memory Link," players can access new content related to the original Black and White games, such as references to their name, flashback scenes, capturing Pokémon that once belonged to N, and battling Cheren and Bianca who remember the protagonist from the previous game. Players can also participate in the Pokémon World Tournament.
Development
During the development of Black and White 2, Takao Unno introduced the theme of "resonance," which inspired the idea of allowing 100 players to connect and play together using the Entralink feature. To help both new and returning players enjoy the game more easily, a Pokémon Center was added to the first city in the region. This was a new feature in Pokémon games at that time and helped players learn about the game world more quickly. Takao Unno wanted players of Black and White to see the region of Unova in Black and White 2 from a different viewpoint. Junichi Masuda, the executive director, believed that starting the game in a new city would make the game world feel fresh to players returning from previous games. He also explained that he tries to experience the games as a new player would and works to make the games easy to understand for those who are new to the series.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 were released at the same time as the movie Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice. In some theaters in Japan, players who watched the movie could receive a special in-game Pokémon for Black and White or Black and White 2.
The background music in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 includes songs from Pokémon Black and White, adds new tracks, and uses the same arrangements of most tracks from Pokémon Black and White. The official soundtrack, titled Nintendo DS Pokémon Black 2 · White 2 Super Music Complete, was released in Japan on July 25, 2012. Disc 4 of the soundtrack also includes music from Pokémon Black and White, Pokémon Emerald, and Pokémon Platinum, which had not previously had their own official soundtrack releases.
Reception
The games received "generally favorable reviews" from critics and have an average score of 80 according to Metacritic. Famitsu magazine gave Black 2 and White 2 a score of 36 out of 40, which is slightly lower than the perfect scores of their earlier versions. IGN's Audrey Drake gave the games a 9.6 out of 10, saying the changes from the original games were positive. Kyle Hilliard from Game Informer praised the new features, stating they "work well with the Pokémon formula," but noted there were not enough new ideas. Nintendo Life gave the games a 9 out of 10, calling them "the best in the series to date" and "fresh and easy to play." GamesRadar+ gave the games a 4 out of 5, saying they relied too much on Black and White but appreciated the expanded storyline and new areas in the game.
Within the first two days of release, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 sold over 1.6 million copies. Sales reached over 2 million copies within the first two weeks. In January 2013, the games had combined worldwide sales of 7.81 million copies. By 2020, worldwide sales had reached 8.52 million copies.