Well, let’s just say I’m sold. This little gem has taken every issue I had with Black and White and stomped them flat.
Firstly, despite having twice as many “friends” as in the previous generation, this bunch aren’t half as irritating as Bianca and Cheren manage to be individually. They speak in bubbles which hover over their head, rather than luring you into a full-blown conversation, which allows you to get on with the business of actually enjoying launch day.
Where Black and White lacked the occurrence of ANY pokemon from previous generations bar some Pikachu topiary, despite thus far only having travelled to Santalune City, I have already encountered pokemon from all previous generations. Though why the representative of Gen IV had to be Bidoof, I can’t be sure. There’s a face I’d happily not see again.
The new game mechanics will take me a little while to get used to (XP from capturing pokemon?!) but the overall look of the game is very pleasant. Gone are Black and White’s irritatingly long transitions through the door of the Pokemon Centre, and the game feels on the whole smoother. Or maybe I’m just too excited.
In any case, I’m going to carry on exploring. There are so many wild pokemon to catch in this version, and while an annoyingly large chunk of them appear to be bug type, there’s still a Pikachu waiting in the forest for anyone who cares to look.
P.S. Also enjoying the return of Youngster Joey, though saddened by the loss of his top-percentage Rattata.
Kanto to Unova (and beyond) 