As confirmed by Japanese magazine CoroCoro, PokéPark 2: Beyond The World will be released in Japan this winter for Nintendo Wii consoles. For anyone who has never played the first PokéPark game, let me break it down: The game is set in a theme park, where the player must play through tedious mini-games to collect the fourteen shattered pieces of a Sky Prism. Fascinating stuff!

Chances are you’re a little disappointed with this announcement, possibly expecting a full-fledged Wii Pokémon game or possibly something better than Pokémon: Battle Revolution to fill the Pokémon Stadium void in your heart. But if you do care, PokéPark 2 will feature Pokémon from Unova and it will have a four-player multiplayer mode.

Metallic Pink is “an eye-catching shade of pink with a luminous modern sheen” says Nintendo. “For kids eager to head back to school in style or busy adults with an appetite for on-the-go entertainment, this new colour option rolls fun and fashion into one irresistible package,”

The new colour will be available September 18 at the regular retail price (around $170)

The game is set in a top-down perspective and pits you against other Pokemon in real-time battles, using toy Pokemon which your Mii winds up at the beginning of a match. Thanks to the latest additions of from Unova (Pokemon Black & White), there are over 600 Pokemon in the game that you catch as you defeat them.

The game of course supports multiplayer, focusing on two player wireless co-op and a StreetPass™ mode which lets your Pokemon battle with passers-by. The game will be a full retail game and will be available October 24th.

The player starts in a completely fresh new world, Unova. The region is roughly based on New York City, and its appearance varies between the White and Black versions. In Black, the cities and towns have a modern theme, whereas in White, the same places look a lot more rural. It’s a nice new feature which adds more variety to the twinned games. A random feature in Black is the amount of bridges there are; quite a few, and an especially long (and pointless) one that you have to cross. As well as the new province, there are a complete new set of Pokémon (158 to be exact, though no new types have been introduced).  Some of the newbies look great visually, and from a battle perspective. One of my favourites, Golurk, is a Ground/Ghost type who looks like an ancient robot. On the contrary, some of the Pokémon just look terrible, and include an ice cream cone, a garbage bag and a wax candle. Even I can design better Pokémon in my head. More effort could have been made in the naming of the new Zubat counterpart, Woobat as well. You just have to wonder whether the graphics artists were having a laugh when they created them.

The world, based on New York City, has many diverse areas.

The story at first glance is a bit same-old. You are a new trainer, apparently completely unaware of the world around you. You task is, just like every other game, to become a Master Trainer and “catch ‘em all”. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take long for the adventure to build into what can be described as the most detailed and insightful story of all the Pokémon games. Team Plasma, a villainous group of trainers, is travelling the world stealing Pokémon from their owners. Their aim is to free all Pokémon from humans. However, as you soon discover, the Team appears to be hiding its true ambitions. One thing in this game you will notice is that you do not have a ‘nemesis’ as such, like previous titles. Instead, you have two friends (or as I like to call them, annoying sidekicks) who start the journey with you, and meet up with on several occasions through the storyline, often working together to overcome Team Plasma.

The gameplay is very similar to other Pokémon games. Let’s be honest, it can’t be changed a great deal. The start is slow for experienced Pokémon gamers, but this is necessary for new players to learn the ropes. By the time I had reached the first town, I found myself engrossed in the game. Although I had played previous Pokémon games, something about this one felt new. The battles are generally the same, though in some places you can definitely tell they have been made more fluid, in others (especially the start) they are still incredibly slow. This makes it very annoying with random encounters, especially when you just want to flee from all Pokémon. It is at this point you realise just how useful ‘Repel’ actually is! In Black and White, the Pokémon Centre and PokéMart are now in the same building! Rejoice! This turns two trips into one, thus time saving. There are also new additions to the environment. On the routes you can now find deeper bushes where random encounters could leave you battling against two Pokémon in a duel battle. Previously this had only been seen in trainer battles. Occasionally you will also see bushes shake. This means that a rarer Pokémon will be found should you enter that patch. The game also introduces rotation battles. In these fights, three Pokémon are in the field, however, only one fights at a time. The player can switch between these Pokémon on their move and attack as well. It is a nice feature which adds complexity to the battles, especially when there are numerous types (for example, fire, water and grass), but one that I found is under-used throughout the game.

There are some funny gyms featured in the game. Like usual, you have to solve puzzles to get to each gym leader. In Pokémon Black, some of these puzzles are, well, original. One has you passing through elastic honey doors. Another has you flying through cannons. They all work really well. Like most of the past games, there are eight gyms which you visit in the game, each with different type specialties. Another new “improvement” regards TM’s (Technical Machines).  In past games these were singular use only, however now they have unlimited charges, like HM’s (Hidden Machines) always have. Many may see this as making the game to easy. I argue differently. It allows gamers, (especially those who have finished the game and want more out of it) to experiment more with their Pokémon, and put together moves they would otherwise not have risked. One fantastic new feature is the ‘C-Gear’. This is activated once you hit a certain stage in-game, and receive a specific item.  It acts as the wireless hub for the game, and is where you enter battles and trade with friends. This means that you no longer need to visit a Pokémon Centre (Cheer!) and can access these features from anywhere in the game. One downside I found was that when I was playing with C-Gear on, it drained my DS’s battery. I only even enable it when I know I am going to be using wireless.

The graphics of the game don’t exactly leave you breathless. It’s not that they are bad, it’s just there is not a lot new about them. In general, the world still looks good, and a new, flexible camera helps to add a 3D sense to the world. It’s in the Pokémon battles where the real issues can be seen. There are still some major resolution issues, and when blown up in size, the Pokémon still look really “blocky”. That said, there are some improvements. Battles are no longer static, in the sense that the Pokémon now move when not active, and the camera pans and zooms. This is especially useful when used in conjunction with some Pokémon moves, and the camera helps emphasise their movement. The actual Pokémon moves themselves look like they have done in previous games; there are some visually pretty ones, then there are some which are incredibly bland. The sound is a mixture of old and new. Fans will easily recognise the Pokémon Centre music, as well as some nice new tracks that can be found in various places around the world (especially when using items such as the bike). Pokémon sounds remain similar to what they always have done as well.

All in all, Pokémon Black is a very good game, and well worthy of being part of the Pokémon franchise. It is better than the past few games in the series, and in my opinion, is the best Pokémon title on the DS. However, don’t go into this game expecting a completely new adventure. At heart, it is what a Pokémon game always has been. If you didn’t like Pokémon before, you won’t start liking it now. However, if you are a Pokéfan like me, expect yourself to become completely immersed in this new world.

What I liked:

• The new world is inviting.
• C-Gear builds on the DS Wi-Fi capabilities.
• The PokéMart is in the Pokémon Centre!!

What I disliked:

• Some of the new Pokémon look incredibly ugly.
• No huge advance in the look of the game.

It should be noted that I have only played Pokémon Black. Though Pokémon White is very similar, there are notable differences which I didn’t discuss because I have never played them.

The only details known about the next title in the world of Pokemon is that it will definitely include a new city environment and what the new three starter Pokemon look like. Black and White is being set as a rebirth or a reboot if you will of the Pokemon franchise.

As with past Pokemon titles the box are will consist of the legendary Pokemon of that version, when new details emerge we’ll be sure to post them.

The Three New Starter Pokemon:

Black & White Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The game will ship spring 2011, Black & White is considered a reboot of the Pokemon franchise with the new title including a new city environment and newly designed starter Pokemon. Black & White will show off two new legendary Pokemon in the form of Reshiram (black) and Zekrom (white) both of which will grace the box art of their respected titles.

• There is a shop in the Pokémon Centre
• The 3D in this game is far more advance then previous games
• It appears that CoroCoro isn’t reveallig much information in this issue, but rather showing the graphical change between the generations

The most surprising thing about this new Pokémon is the format it will appear on, with the recent announcement of the 3DS it would be fair to assume Pokémon Black and White would appear on that format – but at this time we don’t know if that will even be compatible with DS games. However we don’t have to worry about that just yet as Black and White will appear on the DS.

I’ll be the first to admit it: after chugging obediently through several dozen hours of Pokémon Platinum, I felt satisfied in the knowledge that my time in the world of Pokémon RPGs was coming to an overdue end. There’s only so much “gotta catch ‘em all” one can take. It was also no secret that since Gold & Silver the series has steadily become more of a recurring echo. After playing through this darling of a series for more than a decade, I felt maybe it might be time to put the acclaimed series back into its poke-ball… for the last time.

But then, Nintendo and Game Freak did something not all that surprising – they announced yet another addition to the already teetering series. Only this time, the concern that rushed over me when playing through Platinum was gone – they had announced it as a Pokémon Gold & Silver remake. Hope had resurfaced.

One of my fondest moments of Pokemon Yellow was knowing you've always got a fuzzy friend in your wake.

On the surface, the past and present versions are virtually identical to each other when it comes to storytelling and layout. All the things that made the original praiseworthy have been brought over faithfully, while maintaining enough variation to warrant this ten year old game worth another purchase. Game Freak did more than give the experience a new coat of paint with the 3D engine from Diamond, Pearl and Platinum; the main new feature being the PokéWalker, a pedometer device that allows players to transfer a Pokémon to it and earn experience outside of the game. A good idea in theory, but it seemed too much work in practice. Despite being a fun little accessory, the chore of lengthy transfers for little reward becomes old quickly. Each step recorded on the pedometer is converted into “Watts.” These Watts can then be spent on minigames to find items or wild Pokémon. The most practical use I found was to train newly caught Pokémon which you are too ashamed to train manually, like Metapod. However, is it more embarrassing than openly wearing a PokéWalker to work everyday?

Visually there are a few changes, both minor and significant. The one you are likely to notice first is that your first-slot Pokémon follows your character around Johto, much like in Pokémon Yellow with Pikachu. It’s worth mentioning that players can switch any Pokémon to that slot and they’ll appear in the game, alongside Ash. While the world looks pretty much the same, there are a few differences. Long time fans will immediately notice that tall grass looks significantly different, actually looking like, well, tall grass. There is a bit more visual flair in the towns too, like the rotating lamppost sign outside of every Pokémart, or the wisp of leaves caught in the breeze.

If you’re familiar with the original Silver and Gold games (or, really, any of the Pokémon titles), then the backbone of the gameplay remains the same. As a budding young Pokémon trainer, your job is to traverse the Johto Region, collect Gym Badges, defeat Team Rocket and catch ‘em all in your bid to become the world’s greatest Pokémon master. Nothing you haven’t seen before – yet, it still feels fresh and full of innocent discovery, in the way that only a Pokémon game can.

This time you have 16 GYM badges to keep you occupied.

Everything else about the design, from the local trading to the online battling, remains completely intact. HeartGold and SoulSilver also boasts successful Wi-Fi connectivity. You are now fully equipped with the facilities to battle friends locally or go online. You now also have access a brand new area, the Wi-Fi Plaza. At the Plaza, players around the world can now safely and, above all, anonymously interact with each other, play a variety of touch-screen minigames, or power up something called “Tap Toy,” which is essentially an instrument that is played in the Plaza by tapping the touch screen. Again, this is totally ancillary and could be easily overlooked, if not entirely undiscovered. However, it’s yet another cute little touch that adds that extra layer of charm for returning fans, as well as younger children who are new to video games.

My main gripe with the game thus far is that they’ve taken away the Pokétech. For those who don’t remember, this was the little device that appeared on the bottom DS screen in Diamond/Pearl. It would do simple things such as tell the time, to more helpful things such as show the progress of your unhatched egg, which could be useful in game when introduced to breeding. HeartGold/SoulSilver also marks the return of the Cell-Phones, which can be used to call your Mom or have random trainers persistently call you to tell you they knocked out a Weedle which was, in all honesty, irritating!

For the long time Pokémon fans, Gold and Silver was a pretty revolutionary entry. It introduced a lot of new features that became staples of the series, and was a significant boost in both graphics and size. I’m not sure that HeartGold and SoulSilver will be able to mirror the impact that Gold & Silver brought to the table, and neither do I think that was the intention – Heart-Gold & Soul-Silver serves its purpose of taking Pokémon from the Gameboy-era and re-telling the tale of Johto in the next generation. In that sense, it seems they do more than justice.

The player characters’ English names were revealed. Hibiki is now known as Ethan and Kotone as Lyra.

Here is a full list of translation-name changes:

• Team Rocket
  

Apollo is now known as Archer.
Athena as Arianna.
Lance has been renamed Proton.
Lambda is now named Petrel.

• Pokéathlon
  

Pokéthlon has been renamed Pokéathlon (portmanteau of Pokémon and Triathlon).
Technique stat is now known as the Skill stat.
Founder named Kobushi is now named Magnus.

• Items
  

The Verdant Orb, the item used to encounter Rayquaza in the Hidden Tower is now called the Jade Orb.
The Tide Bell, which is used by the Kimono Girls to summon Lugia, is now called Tidal Bell.
The Unown Notebook is now known as the Unown Report .
GB Player as the GB Sound.
The Mysterious Crystal has been renamed Enigma Stone.
Itemfinder is now named Dowsing MCHN in Generation IV.
The Compe Ball, the Poké Ball in the Bug-Catching Contest, is now known as Sport Ball.
The Apricorn Case is now called Apricorn Box.
The Berry Planter is now called Berry Pots.

• Locations
  

Sinjoh Ruins is the new name for the Shinto Ruins (combination of Sinnoh and Johto).
An area inside the ruins formerly known as the Triad Stage now called the Mystri Stage.
The Hidden Tower, where Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza rest, is now known as the Embedded Tower.