"What? I think he looks cool"
I finally popped in Pokemon White and the reason I chose Pokemon White is because I thought the black Pokemon on the cover looked cool. I start the game, the new professor briefs me in on the world of Pokemon like every other professor in every other Pokemon game. She releases one Pokemon to show off and I'm already impressed seeing it move and jump around. With gaming the way it is today, animated sprites isn't something new of ground breaking but after seeing hundreds upon hundreds of static Pokemon sprites. Fully rendered backgrounds is also a very refreshing addition to the game, it gives a great amount for depth that I've never felt even in Heart Gold. This is proof that Pokemon Black and White will be a different and very positive experience. It may sound shallow but it is something you have to see for yourself.
"The starter Pokemon, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott"
Before you even get a chance to walk around, I was already hit disappointment. It may not be anything game breaking but it was enough to remove the smile I had from seeing an animated Pokemon. You cannot name your rivals. You can obviously name yourself and choose what gender your character will be but the two rivals they give you have fixed names. If you remember my post about Naming Characters in Pokemon, you would know how many kick you could get with the ability to name your rival. That form of control is not present in this game but I hope it will be in future Pokemon titles.
From the get go you're already given the choice of which of the three starting Pokemon you can choose from. No more having to go to the professor's lab or talk to mom or whatever, your two best friends, which will obviously be your rivals throughout the game, come over to your room to open a package that the professor has sent over holding the three starting Pokemon. I went with the fire pig Tepig because I usually go with fire first and since I'm not exactly the image of "physically fit", the pig matches me perfectly. And yet another wall appears, not being able to nickname your Pokemon when you get them. Apparently there is a name rater in another city but its sad that I can't give my new Pokemon a nickname. I already had one ready for him too. I'm not sure if the same applies to newly caught Pokemon but since I couldn't nickname my initial Pokemon, it's probably the case with the newly caught too.
"The 3D backgrounds and new camera angles work great"
Now these naming limitations is only a slight nitpick. Seeing the Pokemon move about in battle is very refreshing and is more entertaining than the static sprites with animated intros. I'll try to get more time into playing Pokemon White and from the looks of it, it seems I will enjoy the game.
[Update]
I went to the professor's house and before she gave me my Pokedex, she asked if I wanted to give my Tepig. Thank god I didn't have to go a great distance before reaching a name changer. You can also rename a Pokemon right after catching it.
If you've played the first Pokemon Black/White then you'd recognize some of the characters in this trailer. From the looks of this it really does seem like a direct sequel.
