Pokémon Schwarze Edition 2 is basically the DS-era Pokémon experience dialed up—better sprites, smoother animations, and way more post-game stuff than the first Black/White games. You start in a new corner of Unova with a fresh rival (who’s actually kind of a jerk at first), and the gym leaders actually remember you from the last game, which is a nice touch.

Wild Pokémon appear in shaking grass now, so you’re not just running into the same Patrat every five steps. And the soundtrack? Still slaps—especially the gym battle theme. If you’ve played the first one, the story ties up some loose ends, but honestly, it’s just fun to build a team from all the new and returning ‘mons. I spent way too long hunting for a decent Riolu early on.

Also, the Pokéstar Studios minigame is weirdly addictive once you figure out how it works.