[DS] Review Roundup - Pokémon Black and White

[DS] Review Roundup - Pokémon Black and White IGN - 9/10 - "Every time a new Pokemon game comes out people ask me, "Is this a good one to start with?" And while my answer is always yes, this time it's an emphatic one. Because this is the first time I don't add that they can start with any of them. If you have never played Pokemon, get off your ass and get Pokemon Black/White. Aside from a weaker lineup of monsters (largely an aesthetic complaint), this is the best Pokemon has to offer on every level, renewing my waning interest in monster battling. It proves that the Pokemon series is still rock solid after a decade and a half."

The Telegraph - 9/10 - "Pokémon Black is far from a series overhaul, then, and given how Pokémania has never really died out, it's perhaps understandable that it isn't. It is, however, a considerable improvement on the existing template, to the point where it's hard to see how the series can avoid a fairly notable change in approach. This could – and perhaps should – be the swansong to the Pokémon formula we're accustomed to, but if it is then it'll go out at the very peak of its existence: teetering on the edge of feeling too familiar, sustaining an incredible feat of balance, but nonetheless still standing tall at the very top of its game."

Eurogamer - 9/10 - "Of course there's a lot that's the same. Of course there is. But with a great many small and well-placed innovations, a vivacious, inventive new cast and the biggest cosmetic makeover the series has ever seen, Pokémon Black and White makes it all feel new again. It reminds you what there was to love about Pokémon in the first place – and perhaps we all needed reminding."

Joystiq - 4/5 - "Pokémon Black and White represent the very best that the franchise has to offer: An endearing cast of monsters and trainers, addictive collection mechanics, a 40-plus hour single-player campaign and a bevy of bolstered multiplayer functions. Ultimately, though, these are the new trappings of an old, old game -- one you may have already played three or four times before. And while that realization ultimately doesn't ruin what turned out to be a delightful and compelling handheld RPG, it does beg a necessary question: Why are Nintendo and Game Freak so terrified of letting this franchise evolve?"

GamesTM - 8/10 - "At the end of the day, Game Freak artfully treads a tightrope between several very different, very savvy audiences with Pokémon Black and White, and there’s more than enough here to please everybody. While die-hards might still prefer the more expert-friendly features of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the fresh approach and fiercely impressive visuals, draped over a tried and true frame of addictive, highly nuanced battle and customisation, make Pokémon Black/White the defacto catch-all solution to monster collecting on the venerable DS."

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