Pokémon Black and White News
November2020
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 7th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
It's been another busy week with plenty of new data from Nintendo revealing that the Switch has now outsold the NES, that Super Mario 3D All-Stars sold over 5 million copies in just 12 days, and even an updated list of
September2020
Anniversary Pokémon Black And White Are Now 10 Years Old
We're ready to return to Unova
This week marks the 10 year anniversary of Pokémon Black and White on the Nintendo DS (aka the fifth generation of Pokémon games). Both titles were originally released on 18th September 2010 in Japan - with the western launch following in March 2011. These entries were some of the top-selling games on the DS,...
Talking Point Are Shiny Pokémon Too Common These Days?
One Corviknight in shining armor too many?
Shiny Pokémon are a staple of the Pokémon franchise, but as time has progressed, things have shifted and the ways to get them have become more plentiful. Here, we’re taking a look at Shiny Pokémon, their history, how things have changed and asking the question: are they too common now? What are Shiny...
February2020
Feature Best Pokémon Starters From All Gens, As Voted By You
You voted, we counted
At the end of last year we asked you to pick your favourite Fire-, Grass- and Water-type starter Pokémon from across the Pokémon series to discover y
November2019
Poll Which Starter Pokémon Is The Best? Choose Your Favourite Water-Type Starter
Pick from this pool
And we come to the final stop on our journey to find out the best multi-generational mix of starter Pokémon before we ultimately reveal your dream team of starters. We've previously asked your opinion for the best Fire- and Grass-type starter Pokémon from the eight generations that comprise the mainline
Poll Which Starter Pokémon Is The Best? Choose Your Favourite Grass-Type Starter
Best in grass
A wild PokéPoll appeared! Continuing our quest to find the ultimate cross-generational triumvirate of starter Pokémon, here we present the 8 Grass-type starters from every generation for your consideration. The Rock-Paper-Scissors choice of Fire-Grass-Water-types to kick off your adventure is a series tradition, but we're eager to...
Poll Which Starter Pokémon Is The Best? Choose Your Favourite Fire-Type Starter
Trouble starters, punkin' instigators
We're going to go out on a limb and guess that you've probably heard about the new Pokémon game coming out very soon. Yes, we're on the cusp of Gen VIII with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield and very soon you'll be able to choose between Grookey, Scorbunny and Sobble before embarking on a journey...
January2017
News Pokémon Bank Update Adds Support for Pokémon Sun & Moon
Praise Helix!
An update is now available for Pokémon Bank that will enable the service to be compatible with the most recent series entries, Pokémon Sun and Moon. This update can be accessed through the Nintendo eShop, where players can then proceed to transfer Pokémon they have captured in Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X and Y over to the new...
January2016
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 5 - 2010 To 2013
A short gen
As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in February 2016 and look hotly ahead towards brand new things, we're continuing our journey through each generation of Pokémon, this month we cover the generation that's the most recent to be fully completed. If you need to catch up before reading ahead, be sure to check out our...
June2015
News Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions Tour Announces Show Dates For Australia
"The must-see video game concert of the year"
If classic tunes from the long-running Pokémon video game series bring back fond memories of your earlier years and you happen to live in Australia, then the Pokémon Symphonic Evolutions Tour may worth checking out. Provided you live in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth or Sydney – The Pokémon Company...
December2014
Poll Which is the Best Pokémon Game?
Choose the most Super Effective of the main series
With the festive reveal of our staff and reader awards results, we realised that the release line-up of 2014 had given us an opportunity to re-assess some of Nintendo's biggest franchises and determine current-day favourites. In our first poll Mario Kart 8 boosted away with over 50% of the v
Weirdness The Pokémon Timeline Seems as Crazy as The Legend of Zelda's Equivalent
Three dimensional
Timelines can be rather controversial in any franchise, but when they're applied to one of Nintendo's more storied franchises they can lead to some feisty disagreements. The Legend of Zelda is the famous example, dividing fans to this day despite an official version being available in Hyrule Historia; when you take into account...
July2014
News Mario Kart 8 Sales Increase By Nearly a Third in UK, Moves Back Up the Charts
Pokémon Black and White make surprise return
With the Summer well underway — and with the UK currently enduring a heat wave — it's been a quieter week of game sales in the country, with a drop of 14% in revenue for game sales last week. Nintendo has bucked the trend however, with Mario Kart 8 and discounted DS games enjoying terrific weeks in...
May2014
News Here's a Handy Guide to Pokémon Services That'll Stop With Nintendo's Wi-Fi Shutdown
Sad times
As switched on DS and Wii owners likely already know, a number of Wi-Fi services will be shut down on 20th May, with high profile examples being the loss of online play in Mario Kart entries on both systems and other examples such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For Pokémon fans, meanwhile, the impact on those last-gen games could be...
April2014
News Pokémon Black and White Soundtrack Now Available on iTunes
Remastered music collection joins iTunes' growing Pokémon library
A few short weeks after the release of the Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection on iTunes, today we get the Pokémon Black & Pokémon White: Super Music Collection, which you can preview and purchase here for $9.99 / £7.99 / €8.99. This digitally...
February2014
Video Time to Learn Some Facts That Link Pokémon and Science
Knowledge is Super Effective!
While we may have an instinctive understanding of games the more we play, learning about mechanics and how the nuts and bolts of experiences work, it can be up to interpretation when looking for the additional meanings or influences within a given game. Download titles in particular sometimes have underlying messages or...
News Pokémon Bank Goes Live in North America
Now everyone's happy
After its European release delighted fans earlier this week and left gamers in North America looking on enviously, the good news is that Pokémon Bank is now live in the region. That means the Pokémon X & Y online storage service is now available — through the 3DS eShop — in all major territories around the world...
Hands On Storing Pocket Monsters in Pokémon Bank
And going last-gen with Poké Transporter
Pokémon Bank, the online store app just recently released in Europe to accompany Pokémon X & Y, is a simple utility; at first glance you essentially take in its entirety. It's a storage box for all of your Pokémon. As such, you know what you're going to get; in Pokémon Bank, you will find 100 boxes...
News Pokémon Bank Goes Live in Europe and Australia
Huzzah!
Update 2: Nintendo of America hasn't, at the time of writing, issued any update regarding the arrival of Pokémon Bank in the region. The Pokémon Company, however, has posted the following tweet that vaguely promises the service for the region "soon". [tweet Update: The Pokémon Bank has also gone live in Australia, so this appears to...
January2014
News Pokémon Composer Leaves Game Freak for Independent Quest
Possibilities for the Poké-future still open
Shota Kageyama, a composer for recent Pokémon titles including X &Y and Black & White, has announced via Twitter that he has left developer Game Freak to pursue independent music. Kageyama's tweet has been translated and reported by
December2013
Video This New Pokémon Bank Trailer Shows The Upcoming App in Action
As well as the Poké Transporter, both arrive on 27th December
If you that plan to devote some time to Pokémon X & Y during the upcoming festive season, it's worth remembering that the Pokémon Bank and accompanying Poké Transporter will arrive on 27th December, just in time to shake up the experience when you have all that free gaming time...
November2013
News Pokémon X & Y Enjoyed the Strongest Ever Nintendo Game Launch in Australia and New Zealand
Stock shortages to be resolved soon
Just recently we reported on the US NPD results for October, in which it was announced that the 3DS and 2DS systems had achieved monthly sales of 452,000 units, an impressive figure. Pokémon X & Y, unsurprisingly, played a major role in that success — between them the two titles passed 1.7 million sales in...
Weirdness CollegeHumor Updates The Pokérap With All 718 Pokémon
"Your dream of a new PokéRap is now a nine minute nightmare"
The Pokérap is probably something that older, veteran Pokémon fans cherish, a musical treat that lasted through the first three generations of the franchise. Of course, as the generations have passed and a lot more 'mon have been added, the practicalities have made it a thing of the...
October2013
Video Nintendo Releases a Pokémon Series Showcase For You to Enjoy
The presenter says "Pokémon" roughly one billion times
While Nintendo's marketing for Pokémon X & Y has featured the usual excitable adverts and footage, with the games now released the company has taken a step back to present a Pokémon Series Showcase. For those new to Pokémon or perhaps too young to have been around since the earliest...
Weirdness If Pokémon Battles Were in First-Person, It'd Be a Lot Less Cute
Ouch
Pokémon fever has been in force for many weeks and months now, culminating in the recent release of Pokémon X & Y. Like many of the most successful and best-loved franchises on Nintendo systems, it's also a rather peculiar premise that's been going strong for many years. As we suggested in our weekend article, playing Pokémon games can...
September2013
News Poké Transporter Confirmed for X & Y
Bring across all 'mon from Black & White as well as Black & White 2
As part of today's Pokémon Direct broadcast, we learned all about the Pokémon Bank Service, which will include a yearly fee to store up to 3000 'mon in the cloud. That has obvious benefits for Pokémon X & Y, but will also likely be used
July2013
News Retailers Preparing Multi-Region Shiny Legendary Pokémon Distribution Events
They're rare, too
With Pokémon X & Y creeping ever closer, The Pokémon Company continues to have the clever idea of promoting the new 3DS game with the previous DS games, thus successfully hyping three (or six) titles at once. As a result there's another distribution event coming to various retailers in the coming weeks, so it's time to dig...
News Global Link For Pokémon Black And White Titles Will Cease On 14th January 2014
Black and White 1 & 2 will lose use of the service
According to a special notice on the Pokémon Global Link website, the service is set to completely shut down for Pokémon Black and White and Pokémon Black and White 2 on 14th January 2014. Certain features will begin to switch off this October over a three month period, starting with the Dream...
June2013
News Pokémon US National Championships Set To Commence Next Week
All attendees will receive a special Metagross
Back in January, thousands of Pokémon trainers flocked to several different US cities with their copies of Pokémon Black and White 2 to compete in the Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships. Each region had three different age divisions to compete in and the winners are now preparing for...
News The Pokémon Company Lays Down The Law On Cheaters
Users of "illegal Pokémon" will be banned
Considering how fun and addictive Pokémon battles with friends are, it's no surprise tournaments have cropped up all over the world for trainers to show off their 'mon's skills. However, one blight that has been attached to the competitions is the use of modified Pokémon. Essentially, people can use...
May2013
News There's Still Plenty Of Interest In Older Pokémon Games
People are still buying the previous titles
This year Nintendo announced it would be bringing a brand new Pokémon title to the 3DS in the form of Pokémon X & Y. This new iteration breaks the mould set by previous games and incorporates full 3D environments instead of the conventional top-down view we're all used to. Of course, Pokémon Black...
February2013
News Mythical Pokémon Meloetta Available at GameStop in March
Music to our ears
Pokémon fans in North America are to receive a special treat in March, as the mythical Meloetta will become available to download onto your Pokémon Black and White or Pokémon Black and White 2 cartridges at GameStop. Meloetta is a Normal Pokémon that can double up to become either a Psychic or a Fighting type during an actual...
News Legendary Pokémon Meloetta Distribution Date Announced
This one's a real fighter
Good news Pokémon fans! Starting 4th March, the mythical Pokémon Meloetta will be distributed by participating GameStop stores across North America for Pokémon Black & White and Pokémon Black & White 2, for a limited time only. Meloetta is the very first Pokémon able to change its Forme and type during a...
January2013
News Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships Begin This Sunday
A special Cloyster up for grabs
This Sunday thousands of dedicated Pokémon trainers will flock to several host cites with their copies of Pokémon Black and White Version 2 to attend the Pokémon Video Game Winter Regional Championships. The tournament will see competitors from three different age divisions battle it out for the title of Pokémon...
August2012
News Pokémon Hits North American Cyber League Summer Showdown
Over $5,000 in prize money up for grabs
Pokémon Black and White has been added to the roster of games at this year's North American Cyber League Summer Showdown, due to take place on Saturday September 8th at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The tournament has a $10 admission fee (to cover the cost of hiring the venue), with an...
News Pick Up Keldeo For Free in Pokémon Giveaway
Off to the shops with you
Pokémon Black and White 2 is getting ever closer, and we can expect the hype machine to continue kicking into gear. One tactic seems to be to remind you that you should really still be playing the original Pokémon Black and White, and one way to get you back into the action is to run a legendary 'mon giveaway. Between...
July2012
News Catch a Special Porygon in Pokémon Black and White
You know you want to
Recently we told you all about the updates and improvements to Pokémon Global Link, such as a new Global Trade Station or the Icy Cave area, for just two examples. Now, courtesy of our friends at Eurogamer.net, you can get yourself a special version of one of the original 'mon. The special creature that you can claim is...
June2012
News What? The Pokémon Global Link Website is Evolving!
Hum the music
Popular Pokémon destination Pokémon Global Link has just received a new lick of paint and brand new features, ahead of the release of Pokémon Black & White 2 later this year. The site now includes a Global Trade Station for observing Pokémon trades and new statistics for you to pore over, such as which country is home to the...
March2012
News This is Meloetta, Pokémon Number 648
Nice to meet you
Say hello to Pokémon #648: Meloetta. The new 'mon was leaked recently on a movie poster but here's your first good look at official artwork of the musical-themed character. Meloetta has two Formes: Aria is a Normal/Psychic type, while Pirouette Forme is Normal/Fighting, which should result in some interesting strategies...
February2012
News Catch a Shiny Pokémon at the National Championships
Everyone's a winner
For some of you, the tease from Pokémon director Junichi Masuda will be enough to get your juices flowing. In the world of Pokémon, however, there is very often even more to get you excited. The Pokémon Company International has today released a press statement offering the opportunity for competitors at the 2012 Pokémon...
January2012
News Mewtwo to Psyche Out Pokémon Black and White
Put the spoons away
Legendary psychic Pokémon Mewtwo is joining the ranks of Pokémon Black & White from next month. Starting 12th February, DS owners can download Mewtwo via a wireless broadband connection, adding its fearsome psychic powers to their line-up. Full details are below. POWERFUL MEWTWO MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN FOR A SPECIAL...
December2011
Competition European Pokémon Championships Dated and Detailed
You could go to Hawaii
If you want to be the very best — and live in Europe — here's how to get there. The Pokémon Company International just announced European dates and details for the upcoming Pokémon Video Game National Championships, starting next year. From 3rd March to 1st April 2012, Pokémon Black & White players can step up to...
November2011
News Victini Returns to Pokémon Black and White This Weekend
HP restored
Super-rare Pokémon Victini saw a limited release when Pokémon Black and White earlier this year, and now the little monster is rested and ready to make another appearance this weekend. From Saturday, Victini will be distributed via Nintendo WiFi Connection, complete with a pretty powerful move set: Fusion Bolt, Fusion Flare, V-Create...
September2011
News Pokémon Black Nominated for Inaugural GameCity Prize
The what prize?
GameCity, Europe’s biggest videogame culture festival, has today announced the shortlist for it's inaugural GameCity Prize. The Prize has been created to discuss, explore and celebrate the very best in interactive entertainment, aiming to be the video game equivalent to the Mercury Music Prize or the Man Booker Prize for...
News Get a Venusaur C-Gear Skin with Exclusive Code
Give your gear a makeover
Pokémon Black & White has plenty to keep you going, so if you're still playing the game then Nintendo wants to reward you with some new looks for your all-important C-Gear. By using the special code below and the Pokémon Global Link website, you'll be able to add an exclusive Venusaur theme to the C-Gear. It doesn't end there though: Nintendo will release new skins..
August2011
News These Pokémon World Champions Are the Very Best
Like no one was before
Last weekend saw the Pokémon trading card game and video world championships in San Diego, and now the winners have been crowned it's time to shower them in golden Internet glory. Each game was split into three age categories: Junior, Senior and Master, with the Pokémon video game master crowned as American Ray Rizzo. His...
July2011
News Nintendo Returns to Comic-Con with Multiple Playable Games
18 titles spread across Wii, 3DS and DS
Nintendo is set for its return to Comic-Con in San Diego this year and among other activities, the special Nintendo Gaming Lounge will be set up so that attendees can stop by and try out some of the latest releases. As well as Nintendo's booth (#5135) at Comic-Con, the Nintendo Gaming Lounge situated in the...
May2011
News New Video Explains the Differences in Pokemon Black and White
A little late, we know
Pokémon Black and White: still haven't made up your mind which version to go for? Let Nintendo's helpful new video explain a few of the differences between the two games. Each version features an exclusive area and unique monsters to nab, as well as a few other quirks that are best discovered yourself. Find out more by...
April2011
News Pokemon and 3DS Helped Nintendo to a Record-Breaking March
2.4m critters sold
Pokémon Black & White were monster sales successes in March, shifting nearly 2.5m units across North America and raking in the dough for Nintendo. The new games, combined with the 3DS launch, resulted in Nintendo's best March ever for portable gaming. In four days on sale the 3DS sold just under 400,000 units, not far behind the DS family's month-long sales of 460,000..
News Masuda: Playing Pokémon is All About Being Heroic and Fair
Gaining membership at Team Rocket just got tougher
As fun as it might sometimes be to play as the antagonist, Pokémon is one franchise where that prospect seems unlikely according to the series director. Official Nintendo Magazine caught up with Junichi Masuda recently and asked whether there would ever be a game where players could take on the role of Team Rocket, the infamous organisation that..
