A New Kind of Sequel

 

So...there is going to be a sequel to a Pokémon handheld game. I thought I'd never see the day.

As many are now aware, the internet is exploding at the new information presented in the form of Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2. As I found out about these new games due to hit Japan this Summer, many thoughts were racing through my mind. I was excited for a new Pokémon game as I always am, but my feelings weren't entirely one-sided.

Let me lay out my clear thoughts on these new games, but before I say them, let me emphasize that I'm not here to say "Oh God these are going to be awesome!" or "Oh God these are going to suck!". The games were just announced, so you know about as much as I do (i.e. NOTHING). Anyway...

The Good 

 

1. They are trying something new. Like I previously stated before, Pokémon has had a hard time getting away from their main story arc in their handheld games. There have been countless spin-off games, and some have even been enjoyable for sure, but their main franchise is becoming dry and stagnant. Having an actual sequel to a previous title implies that there are possibilities for advancing the environment and story in time. What happens after Team Plasma is defeated at the end of the game? I do remember there being a lot of controversy among NPCs about the "ownership of Pokémon". I'd be interested in seeing that.
   
2. Having this be the "deluxe edition" of Pokémon is not necessarily a bad thing. Everybody knows that after a duo of colorized Pokémon games come out, there's usually an "in-between" version that gives the story a twist and has the third of the generation's legendary triangle on the cover (barring a few early examples with Pikachu and Suicune). According to the information we've been given, the Dragon/Ice type Kyurem will be the focus, but somehow it will involve the other two legendaries Reshiram and Zekrom as well in giving Kyurem new forms, as seen above. That's very interesting to say the least, and I'm starving for more information.
   
3. Having the game be a "sequel" means several things beyond what we think. I suppose this could go along with #1, but there's more to it than that. Riddle me this: How many games do you know where the sequel (i.e. it had a '2' in the title), and the experience was mostly the same as the previous game aside from a handful of new features and minor tweaks? Usually, Pokémon goes along with the "in-between" name, like Emerald or Platinum, but because of the choice to not only make this a sequel, but to have two versions as if they were a new generation of games? There are bound to be differences and changes of some sort, and that is why I am intrigued as to how big of an impact the number '2' will have.

The Bad 

1. If this is the way they are choosing to finally innovate, it better not be a fluke. Making a new Pokémon game is one thing, but if they're choosing to make a sequel of sorts, it better not be more of the same. I'm not saying that continuing the tradition of "minor tweaks and altered story" is bad and I'm not saying I won't still buy one of them if that happens, but if that's the case, then pardon me if I were to stand up here for a moment and say that is partially bullshit. Calling the game a sequel when it is merely just another take of the story that Black and White told us is NOT a sequel. It is a "best of both worlds" if you will of the first two games with a few bonus features thrown in. It means they are literally making two games out of what could have been one just to monetize their brand. I'm hoping with all my soul that this won't happen, because I have far too much fun with Pokémon to bring myself to hate it.
    
2. Why was the name change made now, at this specific point in time? I guess this is a little nitpicky, but surely the folks over at The Pokémon Company would have noticed far before now that the series was getting a little stale. Why was the decision made now during the fifth generation of games to go with a new name? It makes no sense right now, but perhaps we will understand what the inclusion of the '2' means as we get more information.
   
3. The cover stars are a little...different. While I guess this isn't a bad thing inherently, just looking at them does reveal some drastic changes when compared to legendary Pokémon and cover stars of past games. Supposedly the two Pokémon above are both new forms of Kyurem, the Dragon/Ice type found in both previous games at level 70, making it the usual third legendary in the Black/White triangle with Reshiram and Zekrom. While new legendary forms are nothing new (see Giratina and Deoxys), the forms seem almost fusion-like with the other two legendaries, straight down to their names, "Black Kyurem" and "White Kyurem". Combining these names, the fusion-like cover forms, and #1 from this list, it could give the more cynical of us out there that they're running out of ideas or being lazy, which puts us in an even more uneasy state. We don't really know anything for sure though yet, so it's all speculation of course. 

Conclusion

So what can we conclude from all of this? Realistically, nothing. The games were just announced yesterday and the cover stars and names are all we know. Still, already the fans and all of the gaming world are going nuts with speculation, praise, and criticism. If there's anything we can take from this, it's that the handheld Pokémon games have made a game-changing decision just by having a supposed sequel to their most recent games, and whether or not that will prove to be a great choice or a terrible one still lies in the future.

For me, long as I get my Snivy to start with, I'm happy. :P