Five ways Pokemon Black & White refreshed the series

Pokemon Black and White acted like a soft reboot for the franchise, centring the initial playthrough on a new Unova Pokédex. The generation added 156 new Pokémon, bringing the series total to 649, and paired that expanded roster with a more built-out story and a self-contained regional feel.

Rather than a traditional definitive bonus version, this era introduced the first direct sequels in the series. Black 2 and White 2 return to Unova years later and build on the originals’ themes, extending the narrative in a way the series hadn’t before. Throughout much of the games, classic Pokémon are notably absent, so players must assemble teams from entirely new Unova species.

Meeting N and Team Plasma also pushed the story into deeper territory, putting competing beliefs about the Pokémon world at the centre of the narrative. These titles were the last Pokémon generation to use 2D sprites, yet they delivered some of the most striking in-game artwork and brought Pokémon to life with battle animation.

pokemon black, pokemon white, unova, new pokemon, black 2, white 2, team plasma, character n, 2d sprites, battle animation