Who says new versions, necessarily says new region. After Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, it's the continent of Unova's turn to welcome our budding Pokémon masters. Our hero – or heroine, it's your choice – is assigned by Professor Keteleeria, the mission to complete the Pokédex. To facilitate its task, three new scapegoats are thus available to future trainers, namely Vipélierre, Grukui or Moustillon, the starters of the fifth generation of Pokémon White and Black version. A new batch of Pocket Monsters, 150 to be more precise, all more original than each other and which prove that the game developers are far from running out of ideas. The only fly in the ointment: a French translation that's still just as silly and far from top notch. A shortcoming however quickly excused, the games aimed above all at a young audience, and above all providing a good number of functionalities. But before describing them, it is important to emphasize, for those who hoped to kick Pikachu's behind from the first hours of play, to move on. Indeed, the Pokémon of the first parts can only be caught or exchanged after having completed the single-player campaign of the game. on its laurels, through a bestiary certainly impressive but very heavy.
White as snow
While Game Freak had managed to amaze us with the Heart of Gold and Soul of Silver versions and their 2D environments, the two new versions manage to raise the series to a whole new level by tackling 3D. Thanks to some pretty amazing camera movements, the world of Unova gains a lot in depth; our entry into the huge city of Volucité is a perfect example of this. The different places visited by our hero also fit perfectly with the colorful universe of the series, like the different arenas taking the form of an amusement park or beehives. All in all, original arenas that will undoubtedly make young and old alike smile. A system of seasons, very well thought out, is also making its debut. It will therefore not be surprising to see the environments covered in snow or to see the dead leaves flying in Autumn. Seasons spread over four real months and which will influence the frequency of appearance of certain Pokémon, which patiently await the migratory periods to come out of their lairs. The fights are also gaining momentum since animations have been added to our dear critters literally taking life for the first time. So goodbye to the rigid Pokémon of previous parts and hello to the little creatures who move their butt to the rhythms of the game's music, reworked for the occasion for this purpose. The attacks remain as for it still as well carried out, the action gained also in energy thanks to a staging of the confrontations punctuated by some effects of zoom marking each attack launched. The only regret to underline is the possibility of using as many times as desired the Technical Capsules, like the Special Capsules (CS). CS which will allow, as usual, to interact with the scenery, from insignificant shrubs to large rocks which block the way. The interface has been completely redesigned and features a more mature design, contrasting with pleasure with the too childish side of the old opuses. A more intuitive shortcut system facilitates access to certain gadgets or objects, several items can be assigned.
Black is black!
But what would Pokémon be without its various and varied confrontations? These episodes are no exception to the rule and offer their share of places and online features to measure their skills as trainers. Thus, once the twenty hours necessary to overcome the Pokémon League and the few hikers, policemen and other schoolchildren who populate Unova, serious things can begin. As much to make clear, the combat system has not moved one iota. Always based on the weaknesses and advantages related to the different types of Pokémon already existing (Fire, Water, Specter, etc.) and statistics specific to each creature, the tactical aspect of the series is not neglected and gives rise to games still just as addictive. The traditional confrontations, solo and duo, locally, as well as online, have not been forgotten, in particular through several places in the game (Combat Metro, Pokémon Center, etc.). But the real novelty is the appearance of the C-Gear. A powerful community tool, the latter is tailored to make the most of the DS's wireless connectivity, with features unlocking as the adventure progresses. It is thus possible to fight, exchange or simply interact with other nearby players, in particular via the Heylink, a virtual play area. The dreams of our Pokémon can also be visited through mini-games to be unlocked by synchronizing its backup on the Global Link, a website dedicated to both versions. Of course, the Global Trade System (GTS), the trading platform, a model of simplicity, is still there and will help the most fanatical to recover the 649 Pokémon that the franchise now offers. The gameplay therefore turns out to be very rich in the end, despite the battles still being too heavy and long, which deserved more than just a graphic facelift.
