Play Pokemon - Black (j) Online

Pokemon Black came out for the Nintendo DS in 2010, developed by Game Freak. It was part of that generation where the DS was everywhere, and this entry felt like a deliberate step forward for the series. The Unova region was entirely new, with no familiar Pokemon from past games appearing until after you finished the main story, which made the whole experience feel fresh and unknown.

You control a young trainer starting their journey, moving from town to town on a grid based map. Your main goal is to collect eight gym badges and challenge the Pokemon League, but the story quickly becomes more involved, dealing with Team Plasma and their philosophy on Pokemon liberation. Two big mechanics were the introduction of triple battles and rotation battles, which changed up the strategic options in fights. The seasons also changed each month, altering the appearance of routes and sometimes opening up new areas. The pacing is brisk, with frequent story events pushing you along, and the difficulty feels a bit sharper than in some earlier titles, especially with the rival battles. Playing it feels like exploring a world that is actively trying to challenge your assumptions about being a Pokemon trainer.