Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 (DS, June in JP, Fall in EU/NA/AU) - Updated May 12th

[Codraroll]

Here's hoping for a Battle Subway that actually goes somewhere. Not just to an anonymous station in the middle of nowhere.

If they added some places to STAY post-game, it would have been nice too. Currently, I spend half my time EV-ing, and half the time in Nimbasa doing the stadiums for levelling (until the Pokémon are ready for the E4). Gen. III had really engaging Pokémon Contests requiring you to travel the land to complete, or a kickass battle frontier depending on your version. And it had secret bases, AKA the best feature ever to be removed from a Pokémon game. Gen. IV had an okay battle frontier, the Top Trainer Café, and daily events you didn't always want to miss. B/W post-game is just too anonymous for me.

The player character in the Pokémon games is meant to have as little back story as possible. You're meant to picture yourself in his/her place. Nintendo wouldn't want to change that.

Either way, I'm excited. I already know I'll dislike some aspects of the games, I know there will be mass whining, probably a ban or lifting of such (with all the whining that comes with it), but I also know we'll look back at these games with fond memories in 15 years.

 

[Lickitungyourmom]

I highly doubt you play as N. Part of the classic Pokemon gamplay is playing as an average kid who just wants to be a good trainer. Giving you a set character with a set personality goes against so many precedents. I wouldn't even put that in the realm of possibility.

Yeah and all we really know about N is that he loves pokemon. I wouldn't completely write off playing as N, but I do agree it is pretty farfetched.
N could just be a nickname or default letter for 'unnamed character'.
I could honestly picture myself as N running round on my DS screen a lot easier than some dorky kid in a baseball cap.
They let you change your player avatar for the union room, how about taking it one step further and letting you change your appearance in-game once you've beaten the E4.

 

[Codraroll]

Yeah and all we really know about N is that he loves pokemon (...) N could just be a nickname or default letter for 'unnamed character'.

"His full name was revealed to be Natural Harmonia Gropius"
- Bulbapedia
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/N

He also has quite some backstory.

 

[religiousjedi]

Wait, I haven't heard anyone else say that it was specifically in Hoenn that he was spotted in, and even on Bulbapedia, which I'm hoping is right, it doesn't specify the region either. We shouldn't be saying for sure that he's in Hoenn, who knows, he may have gone to Sinnoh or Johto or whatever.

INB4 ORRE REGION FOR B2W2 ok not really

From Bulbapedia:

Looker: "Thank you a lot! Eh, <player>... On a topic I must speak to you. Having received such a report, of someone far from here, who has seen a person like N and...a dragon Pokémon. I am on my way to verify the veracity of this information. We will meet again one day!"

That's what Looker tells you after you find all the sages. No mention of Hoenn AT ALL.

 

[Knarglefigit]

INB4 ORRE REGION FOR B2W2 ok not really

Actually, since Orre might be Arizona, it would be closer to Unova than the other, Japan-based regions.

It might be a pain to translate Orre into 2D, but hey-- N could have gone there because of all the gang violence and Pokemon abuse.

 

[Lickitungyourmom]

"His full name was revealed to be Natural Harmonia Gropius"
- Bulbapedia
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/N

He also has quite some backstory.

And this is confirmed in-game? Natural Harmonia Gropius sounds like a nickname or some team Plasma name. I always thought N was Ghetsis' son, but I could be wrong.
Is his backstory more extensive than some kid in kanto that catches monsters in 'magic' balls and wins the pokemon league? I wouldn't find it any harder to imagine myself having being kidnapped by Ghetsis at a young age and manipulated than imagining myself in the standard pokemon storyline - which is getting old.

 

[TEA_DEMON]

fuck i actually really like kyureshiram. it just looks so nice. kyuzekrom is also pretty boss with those great hulking arms but it looks like it's taking a crap.

oh well at least now i'll be getting black 2 instead of white again.

 

[Lickitungyourmom]

I read the bulbapedia 'backstory' and it's just a narration of what you learn of N in-game. I didn't learn anything new. You don't know how young or old N was when Ghetsis kidnapped him - he is basically the same age as the trainer you play as, so his knowledge of pokemon could have been very little even as much as 6 months before the story line in B/W.
I wouldn't completely write off playing as N. I hope they suprise us with these games, but I know they'll probably end up sticking to the same old winning formulae.

 

[Iceydude168]

I think Fire/Ice and Ice/Electric would be great offensive STABs. Although both are weak to fighting, they both have a neutrality to Steel so they won't be TOO bad.

So what are the confirmed typings? Fire/Ice and Ice/Electric? Both Ice/Dragon? Fire/Dragon and Ice/Dragon? Dragon/Dragon? (DOUBLE STAB DRACO METEOR)

 

[DetroitLolcat]

Since Ghetsis escaped and N left, what if Ghetsis tries to rebuild Team Plasma and steal N's Dragon and you and N try to defeat Ghetsis again (possibly in the Hoenn region). I think there is a high possibility that you will visit Hoenn in BW2 because the signs just kind of point to it. Let's see the evidence:

1. Ruby red/Sapphire blue backgrounds for BW2.
2. N goes to "faraway land"
3. They get rid of HMs to a large extent and just happen to bring back Dive. I doubt that's a coincedence.


I think that Dive just happening to return as an HM should raise a red flag. There was no point in putting it into BW unless they wanted to have it for future games as it had no point in BW really. Dive was only used in Hoenn so that's a strong signal right there.

I doubt N will be playable, but he'll almost definitely be in the game. Probably as an ally to get revenge at Ghetsis. I could see you Double Battling with N as a partner, but in general Pokemon games don't have more than one playable character.

 

[nintyplayer]

Here's hoping for more backstory on Alder.

 

[Agonist]

I'm just hoping that they have useful tutors, and a more interesting post-game than bw1.

 

[jas61292]

1. Ruby red/Sapphire blue backgrounds for BW2.

As I said before, I would think this is much more about imagery than about the games themselves. I highly doubt that they would hide a Hoenn game from us. I feel like when and if the remakes come, it will be obvious. However, this is one good hint that they may be coming in the future.

2. N goes to "faraway land"

I have a hard time believing that this is good evidence for anything. Unova is far away from everywhere. I think Hoenn is no more likely than anywhere else, and is also no more likely than "faraway land" just being a generic term with no specifics intended.

However:

3. They get rid of HMs to a large extent and just happen to bring back Dive. I doubt that's a coincedence.

This is a fantastic point you bring up here. Dive was next to useless in BW and had no reason to become an HM again. While I am much more apt to put this as another hint toward future RS remakes than something for BW2, it is definitely something good to keep in mind.

 

[Agonist]

Although there is the possibility that they're going to expand on the underwater ruins in the new games.

 

[jamashawalker]

I agree about the first part but what do you mean by influence?

Kind of a chain of influences. Alder's first pokemon died which influenced him to travel the world and gain a different perspective on pokemon. His ideology was spread to Cherin which raised the constant question in the game "What does it mean to be strong?" It would be really nice to know what his pokemon that died was and where he travelled after.

 

[Misdreavus]

I hadn't thought of Hoenn being in these games, but it's a very interesting theory (especially given what DetroitLolcat said). I loved R/S/E so I'd love to see Hoenn return.

Since they're going with the titles of "Pokémon Black Version 2" and "Pokémon White Version 2" (and they've obviously never done this before), I fully expect these games to be a continuation story-wise (a true "sequel"). The new Kyurem formes also definitely make sense out of Freeze Shock and Ice Burn.

What site will be the best place to import this game from? How much can I expect it to cost, and how soon after the release date can I expect it to arrive?

 

[Stellar]

I would probably wait to place an import order until we have a US release date. The games were announced in English on the same day as in Japan which is unprecedented main-game wise. It's possible that the release date for the US will be very close to, if not the same as, the Japanese release date.

 

[SolCalibre]

That would blow my mind if they would release the new sequels within close proximity of each other.

 

[Misdreavus]

Thanks. That's very true; the English site even says "coming soon," which wouldn't really be appropriate if the English version wouldn't be out until around December (going by the past pattern of the English release being about 6 months after the Japanese release).

The main reason I was thinking of importing it, however, was so I could get the inevitable Japanese-exclusive Wi-Fi events.

 

[Christopher]

1. Ruby red/Sapphire blue backgrounds for BW2.
2. N goes to "faraway land"
3. They get rid of HMs to a large extent and just happen to bring back Dive. I doubt that's a coincedence.

Not to mention they had currents on route 17 just like they did in RS

 

[Exploits]

I highly doubt you play as N. Part of the classic Pokemon gamplay is playing as an average kid who just wants to be a good trainer. Giving you a set character with a set personality goes against so many precedents. I wouldn't even put that in the realm of possibility.

Like letting you choose between a boy or girl.

 

[Heroes Fall]

I think the return of dive is probably going to be used to search the underwater ruins, if they decide to expand or change them.

 

[Honus]

Kind of a chain of influences. Alder's first pokemon died which influenced him to travel the world and gain a different perspective on pokemon. His ideology was spread to Cherin which raised the constant question in the game "What does it mean to be strong?" It would be really nice to know what his pokemon that died was and where he travelled after.

I was thinking the same thing, actually, I never felt like Volcarona was reminiscent of a Champion's signature Pokemon and I've always wondered what his Pokemon that died was; I'd really like to find out in BW2, and I have a feeling that we just might.

 

[Doron]

I don't know if this has already been said, but Kyurem did NOT come from the dragon that Zekrom and Reshiram came from. Kyurem is a mysterious pokemon, which, if you're willing to make some assumptions, crash landed in Unova on the north-eastern side near Lacunosa town. Kyurem then proceeded to eat the residents on Lacunosa town until they became afraid to leave their houses at night.

Kyurem is only currently connected to Zekrom and Reshiram as of B/W1 in that it is a Unova legendary Dragon type with an elemental STAB typing.

Given that Kyurem has been eating people, it's possible that he tried to eat Zekrom / Reshiram and ended up like... That.

 

[MLaRF]

I don't know if this has already been said, but Kyurem did NOT come from the dragon that Zekrom and Reshiram came from. Kyurem is a mysterious pokemon, which, if you're willing to make some assumptions, crash landed in Unova on the north-eastern side near Lacunosa town.

That's all we know since Kyurem crash-landed, but there could be a huge-ass relation to zekrom and reshiram before he went into space.