Tesco instore: £24.70 until Monday. Trade in deals also available:
Currys instore: £24.74:
Toys R Us instore: £25.89 with free accessory kit:
HMV instore: £29.99 with free zip case that fits DS Lite’s and DSi’s
Trade in deal at HMV:
Online deals
Currys: £24.69:
Black:
White:
Toys R Us: £25.89 with free accessory kit:
Black:
White:
Thanks to Shadzter for the heads up!
Pokémon, I love you -- but you're bringing me down.
Don't let either half of that opening assertion cheapen the significance of the other. More than any previous installment in the franchise, Pokémon Black and White taps into the visceral core of what makes the series so exceptional. The compulsion for all-catching is as strong as ever, the new roster is the best generational addition to the universal Pokécatalog, and the capacity for building, customizing and perfecting your team is the deepest its ever been.
However, for all its iterative improvements, Pokémon Black and White still feel like this year's model. The framework the game is built around, while sturdy, is the very same skeleton which propped up literally every other generation that came before it. After five generations, this duplication has lost its nostalgic charm -- now it just seems like the series' creators possess a frankly befuddling hostility towards change.
Pre-Order Deals
Amazon
Pokemon Black - $10 credit with purchase
Pokemon White - $10 credit with purchase
Target
Purchase a reservation card for Pokemon Black or White for $1 and get a $5 Gift Card when you pick your copy up (in-store only).
Toys R Us
Free Reshiram or Zekrom wall cling when you reserve Pokemon Black or Pokemon White in-store.
Free shipping [...]
This is the kind of backwards compatibility we want to see. Now you don’t have to worry about losing an compatibility if you’re planning on trading in your DS for a 3DS.
You should probably clear your schedule on the afternoon of Saturday, March 5 -- unless, of course, you want to miss out on the coolest* party of the year. On the eve of the launch of Pokémon Black and White, Nintendo's hosting a launch shindig at its Nintendo World Store in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Attendees can check out original Pokémon artwork, and can collect stamps on a "passport," which they can exchange for a limited edition Poké-T-shirt. We're guessing the passport allows you to travel to cooltown**.
Attendees can also go to a special download station to grab a Liberty Pass, a key item which lets players catch the new legendary Pokémon Victini -- which you'll also be able to do from home over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Entralink System
- use Entralink to wirelessly connect with a friend who has Pokémon Black & White
- walk around the Unova region together
- access Entralink through your C-Gear
- team up with friends for some missions, while others are competitive
- complete missions to get Pass Orbs which enable you to use Pass Powers
- Pass Powers spread useful [...]
Even with the 3DS launching in March, Nintendo is offering some incentive to buy a regular DSi instead (or additionally, of course): Pokémon pictures! The company announced limited-edition Pokémon Black and White DSi bundles, coming to North America on March 6.
The bundle includes either a black or white DSi with an etched image of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram and Zekrom, a matching copy of the new game, and an exclusive DSi case. It'll cost $179.99, about $5 less than buying the game and a DSi separately. A small relief, we're sure, to the Pokémon superfans and/or DS collectors who feel compelled to buy both.
#nintendo
Forget for a moment that the 3DS is hitting U.S. retailers in late March. In early March, black and white Pokémon DSi units are coming to the States, each priced at US$179.99. The bundles were released in Japan last year. More »
- Battle Subway replaces the Battle Tower from Diamond & Pearl
- fight consecutive battles through eight lines before taking on the Subway bosses Emmet and Ingo
- each line has a different battle
- these range from simple and difficult 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 battles
- also includes Multi-battle (you and a friend play in a Double battle) or [...]
Jeez, between all the different Pokémon promotional events held over the past few months, it seems plausible that we could "catch em' all" before Pokémon Black and White even hits store shelves. Here's another one for the pile: From February 21 through March 6, owners of one of the existing DS Pokémon games can stop by their local Gamestop and download Celebi, the time-traveling Pokémon for (eventual) use in Black or White. The little guy will even come with a bonus move that's not accessible through normal training in the game. Also? He's adorable.
There's extra incentive for you to grab Celebi from Gamestop while you can: transferring him over to your save file in Pokémon Black or White is the only way that you can access the new, shape-shifting Pokémon Zorua. You don't want to be the only kid on your block that doesn't have a Zorua, do you? Just think of all the smug looks you'd get from your neighbors.
The problem with trading card games is that you have to have friends around to play team -- and, a lot of times, that means you actually have to leave the house. In a video game, roaming the world in search of Pokémon may be relatively safe, but out in the real world, there are certain dangers that need to be taken into consideration. Bears, diseases and cosplayers are all real threats.
That's why we're excited about the Pokémon Trainer Challenge, a new Flash version of the TCG coming to the internet near you this April. Using three pre-constructed decks, you'll be able to face off against 12 virtual trainers across three leagues in the online game, hopefully learning enough to keep you from embarrassing yourself at the next Saffron City Social.
Pokémon Trainer Challenge will require a free Pokémon Trainer Club account to play. You can find more details on Pokemon.com.
Aw shit, only preconstructed decks and no online. This seemed cool for a minute.
We finally have a confirmation on the rumored Pokémon Black/White enhancements when played on the 3DS. Director Junichi Masuda said there’s nothing like that available.
“Other than just being able to play the game normally, there’s nothing special if you use a 3DS.”
I guess the DS game itself will have to be enough for Pokemon [...]
The following information comes from Junichi Masuda, Game Freak’s director of Game development…
“This new region was inspired by New York. I visited New York when Diamond and Pearl launched and I had the chance to wander around the town. When I walked through the streets, I saw a lot of different people having festival [...]
Given its focus on cute, cuddly animals, it seems odd to describe the Pokémon series as hardcore, yet generation after generation of games have created an elite group of dedicated players who have "caught 'em all." They know every stat, every attribute and every breeding strategy needed to edge out competitors. As the divide between hardcore and casual Pokémon players grew, it seemed Nintendo had reason enough to press the reset button.
"A new player is starting on the same footing as a Pokémon expert," a Nintendo representative told me while pitching the latest games in the series, Black & White. At first glance, it's just another Pokémon game: you go around the 2D world collecting monsters to use in RPG-styled battles. This time, however, you won't encounter the Pokémon you've come to know, grow and love. There's an all-new set of 150+ critters to collect, meaning everyone will have to learn a brand new Pokedex to stay competitive.
"That's a good idea," I retort. "But if there aren't any new elemental types, then won't people just apply the same strategies as before?" Yes, the Nintendo representative had encountered a wild Pokemon nerd, ready for battle.
