Big Games of 2011: Nintendo Unleashes Pokémon Black and White Versions Nationwide
New Nintendo DS games had launch event in New York City’s Rockefeller Center
Two of the big games of 2011 are now available nationwide. The vast, wildly imaginative world of Pokémon just got bigger and more immersive than ever before. The new Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Versionn video games for the Nintendo DSfamily of systems are now available in stores across the United States, inviting players of any age or experience level to discover more than 150 new Pokémon to catch, train and battle, as well as new battle systems, new wireless features and a new world to explore. For longtime Pokémon fans, the games offer a rich and expansive new chapter in the popular series. For newcomers, they provide a fresh and exciting entry point to one of the best-selling video game series of all time.
Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version transport players to the never-before-seen Unova region, a place unlike any other. Until the main story of the game is complete, every Pokémon that players encounter – more than 150 in total – will have never been seen before in previous Pokémon video games.
For the first time in the series, in-game environments will change with the four seasons, during which select Pokémon will show up more or less frequently. The games also debut Triple Battles and Rotation Battles, giving players even more choices when battling with their customized team of Pokémon. Other new features include enhanced communication tools via a local wireless connection or Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required) and infrared communication features that allow players to set up battles and trades and exchange Friend Codes with friends faster than ever before.
“Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version update the key elements that have made the series so popular for more than a decade, resulting in a game experience that is exciting and fresh,” said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. “Featuring more than 150 never-before-seen Pokémon, the games allow all players to experience the thrill of discovering and catching new Pokémon for the very first time.”
For players with a broadband Internet connection, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version will provide access to the Pokémon Global Link website. Set to launch this spring, this new online service will offer three main components that enhance the Pokémon video game experience. The Pokémon Dream World features new ways to interact with Pokémon in a customizable Web-only setting, featuring minigames that enable Pokémon and items to be transferred back into the Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video game. The Global Battle Union allows players to keep track of their battle record against other players around the world and assigns players a Worldwide Rating. In some countries, it also provides an opportunity to compete in live events. Pokémon Global Link will also house the Pokémon Global Trade Station, giving players the ability to track Pokémon trades all over the world.
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About the Author
John Gaudiosi
Editor-in-Chief
John Gaudiosi has been covering videogames for the past 20 years for outlets like The Washington Post, CNET, Wired Magazine and CBS.com. He has focused on the convergence of entertainment and videogames for outlets like Video Business, Home Media Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Gamerlive.TV and is also a freelance game columnist for Reuters and writes for outlets like Forbes.com, NVISION, Official PlayStation Magazine, EGM Now, Geek Monthly, PrimaGames.com, and Yahoo! Games. John also serves as the video game expert for NBC in Washington D.C. and has produced videogame documentaries for The History Channel and Starz Entertainment. John was named one of the Top 50 Game Journalists in the world by Next-Gen.biz in 2007. He is the co-author of Scholastic Books' How to Get into Videogames, Prima Publishing's Madden: Twenty Years of Videogame Football and Electronic Arts: The Official History.
