Pokemon Black and White: It's All in the Details
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- čas přidán 30. 10. 2021
- Another year, another round of seasons. My favorite season is autumn and I've always attached it to the Pokemon Black and White Versions because of the dynamic seasonal cycle in them. However, my love and appreciation for these titles extends beyond the seasons and into all of the small details that culminate into the most well-crafted Pokemon title out there. Get cozy for a fall-time analysis of my favorite Pokemon titles!
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Credits:
Opelucid City Arrangements (Zame)
/ zamejack
Fall Leaves Green Screen (Magic Studio)
• Video
Leaves Green Screen (Amazing Animation VFX)
• Video
Extra Footage (Mixeli)
/ @mixeli
Erhu Footage (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
• Fiddle (erhu), China, ...
Keytar Footage (MPTVUK)
• Classic/Cheesy '80s Ke...
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#pokemon #blackandwhite #analysis - Hry
Black and White has one of those soundtracks that I couldn't imagine being remade. It's honestly perfect as it is.
Yeah, I absolutely adore this soundtrack. I think Zame has done the best job that anyone can do with remastering/remixes these songs, which is what I used for the Opelucid section.
Honestly I don't want a remake I want a switch compatible version with online play
I can say the same for Platinum!
BW does have a great OST
Honestly what I would do is probably just use more high-quality instruments.
Fun fact: I believe N starts off battling with pokemon from the nearest area, so it would make sense if the season affects his team.
You can challenge N to a rematch once every season in B2/W2 however and he has actual Weather teams for each one of them.
Edit: he actually mentioned it in the video, so nevermind my comment
What you believe isn't a fact 😂
@@IcarusFallzno N actually does battle with Pokémon from the area. You can also catch the Pokémon N battled you with in Pokémon Black 2.
Yup, this made him the only rival in the whole series, even now, to be a genuine part of the world. it also went along with his character and made the battles a lot more interesting.
@@lil_whippetthen why does it say
'fun fact: I believe'
Everything after can be true but the inclusion of 'i believe' causes a loss of it being a fact proper.
If you stand on the Driftveil Drawbridge for long enough, you can hear Charizard's cry distantly. This is in reference to the Driftveil drawbridge being more commonly referred to by Unovans as the Charizard bridge.
I didn’t know about this, thank you
@Pathos glad I could bring more attention to the tiny details I love about the gen five games. The dev team truly gave these games their all, and I love to highlight the finely tuned features that make these 2 pairs of games so great
Is it possible to catch charizard there or near there?
@@EdikafrfxNope.
God I love the limited 3D in this game its so charming
God I love the limited 3D graphics in this game, its so charming
God I love the limited 3D graphics in this game, its so charming
God I love the limited 3d in this game its so charming
God I love the limited 3D in this game its so charming
It is like a PS1 game. Limited but charming
These are the reasons gen 5 is my favorite generation of Pokemon.
Not to mention it had the best low HP music in the series.
The stressful low HP music and the Gym Leader final Pokemon theme are great additions!
tbh i hate it, the fact that it overwrites music like the last gym pokemon and the champion theme is terrible, still probably the only nitpick i have with these games' ost, they're superb in every other regard.
The presentation in gen 5 is probably the best in the series. The beautiful sprites, animations, story, and all the little details you mention in this video make the generation stand out as one of the best in the franchise. Hopefully one day The Pokemon Company and Gamefreak will create a new generation of Pokemon that can top it.
PS: It's funny that you mentioned Over the Garden Wall since I made it a tradition to watch it every Halloween and I watched this video right after I got done watching it.
I completely agree with that. I honestly wouldn't want a remake of these titles unless they really figured something out or returned back to pixel art.
Over the Garden Wall is so great and I really enjoy rewatching it around this time of the year too.
Imo the pokemon themselves are amazing. People complain about the dex bc theyre more monster/beastly looking than the same small cute adorable pokemons gens prior and after have. There's a reason gen 8 has Unova mons in there games as the last/ace/boss partner.
This was my first Pokemon game and is my absolute 2nd favorite (I like the sequels better because they are perfect sequels.) It's kind of weird, but the Unova region feels like a second home to me. The reason I think it's peak Pokemon is because they made sure the game always had something new to discover with very little in the way of flaws. ILCA better step up their game for this remake in 5 years.
@@KayJulers I remember someone suggested an Octopath Traveler's style aesthetic for Gen 5 remakes, capturing the same 2D on 3D while adding in more modern music, graphical effects, and whatever else.
...There aren't going to do it but it would be cool if they did.
La he to t tuy tb
Seeing Furret walk again makes me very nostalgic
That was a really wholesome trend that I can’t believe was a couple years ago.
Reshiram and Zekrom's types are also both plasmas. This shows that while immeasurably different, they share common roots. Meanwhile, Kyurem's the polar opposite
Dang, it took me till this comment to realize _that's_ why we have Team Plasma. Cool fact tho.
Heh, _polar_ opposite.
That exact type dynamic is why I disliked the Regis in gen 8! Regieleki is 100% fine, but Regidrago(?) should have been a Fire-type. The original three golems were solids, Gigas was the progenitor, and the gen 8 Regis would've been perfect as Plasmas, but they dropped the ball _right_ at the end :(
@@amberhernandez the regis represent different ages, eleki's light/modern and drago's dark ages
@@Simply_resharkable doesn't make it any less unpleasant that they could fit into both themes if it weren't for drago
@@Depressed_Dandelion But they don't have to fit into both themes.
Can't wait for Regipsych when humanity finally starts collectively transcending the limits of our consciousness.
I agree... I agree with it all.
Oh wow, it's a pleasure to see you here, dude. Thanks for watching, Ron! Glad you enjoyed!
me too
E
I agree 100%
If Gen 10 doesn't have seasons (and otherwise be an amazing game) I'm going to just never buy it
I never really felt like the Pokemon selection felt restrictive of me. Even back when gen 5 was still new, I felt worn out from seeing the same Pokemon over and over (even moreso now). Black and White absolutely astounded me as a kid. Every single Pokemon was fresh and new. Every step I took was a brand new experience. Even ones that were still obviously meant to parallel an older design were still unique in their own way. A bit of old in the new, perhaps as part of the themes of the game? It was a game full of possibilities, and is my favorite game to Nuzlocke as a result.
I was hoping the next gen games would be a whole new dex like BW did, I think its a good reset and we need it now more than ever in the series. Unfortunately that dream was already crushed with the trailers, although gen 9 looks very interesting there were older gen mons in the region.
I totally agree, I wish every gen was like that.
I remember playing BW practically 24/7 after getting it for Christmas as a kid. I coul never put into words how immersed I was and how much I loved the game. Looking back on it, I harbor heavy nostalgia and respect for BW despite what others may say about it. You put into words what I could not. Keep up the excellent work Kay
It surprises me that Gen 5 still gets a bad rap among a good portion of the fanbase, but I also did look at it overly critically all those years ago so I don't have room to say much lol. I appreciate hearing that and thank you!
I enjoyed Gen 5 so much
the 2D moving animations and battle styles were so fresh UI super Clean
Route 10 music towards victory road simply 👌 amazing gr8t vid.
For sure. I love the sprite work and the music on Route 10 is just phenomenal.
Did you finish pokemon black 2??
@@videosuploads1892 no...
I finished white 2 though
As someone who considers himself to have grown out of Pokémon after moving on to other, more interesting jRPG franchises, BW1 still remains the one game in the series I have a soft spot for (other than Emerald - gen III has a really nice gameplay flow). The restrictive dex, the more involving story that puts the gym challenge in the background, the seasons, the linear map design that still encourages exploration without ever forcing you to use HMs and all of the smaller details - BW1 wasn't scared of saying 'I want to try out my own thing' and I believe that's why it still feels so fresh to this day (less so BW2, which, in spite of its attempting to continue BW1's ideas, I feel tried too hard to appease to the critics of the first game).
I still really love Pokemon for being kind of simple as well as the designs and music, but a lot of my recent passion for the series has been due to the competitive side. BW were the last titles I played before I got really absorbed into that side of things and I still love revisiting them. I like to cite Gen 5 as GameFreak at its peak and that's why it shows in the small details or design choices that you mentioned.
@CP D2191 It'd leave one heck of a legacy, but still be quite sad. We wouldn't have PSMD, megas, Gen 7. I don't believe Pokémon got bad immediately after Gen 5, but there certainly have been growing pains.
@S92 Wait, why are you bringing the Mandalorian into this? 😆
@S92 Well, I understood the pun at least! 👍🏻
I agree, especially about the hm part. I just finished BW1 yesterday, and i realized that i only use Fly and Surf. And in my bag i only had 3 hms, cut fly and surf. I have never used other hms, and i love that. The story is also really good as well as BW2. These games are one of my favorite pokemon games.
I... think I shed a tear watching this.
I knew something kept bringing me back to Black and White (and to a lesser extent the sequels) back then, but I could never tell exactly why. Parts of my childhood were spent going around natural places despite my clear affiliation with technology, so the dichotomy being present in those games, alongside the extra immersion from the beautifully-implemented seasons and the musical interactions, are probably what kept drawing me in (exactly three times over at least) after the first time before I tried to move on (and decided to still come back afterwards just because the next installments didn't feel the same, something I would only find out in broad strokes afterwards as having to do with presentation).
I could never find the words to describe it and even now I feel like this whole paragraph isn't enough, so all I can say is... thank you.
For making this video analysis that near-exactly captures what I felt back then... Thank you.
I appreciate the extremely kind words and I'm glad I was able to help you recapture some nostalgia! It's very nice to hear that. Thank you for watching the video!
god this just encapsulates everything I love about Black and White
I started with White version and I'm gonna boot it up as soon as I'm done watching this video
also, I had NO IDEA that the instrument was an ERHU, I thought it was a FLUTE bc of how I saw the sprite XD
Yeah, the sprite definitely looks like it's playing some sort of woodwind instrument, but apparently not. Hopefully you enjoy the replay!
23:20 Also, another interesting thing about Iris and Drayden is their race. Drayden is white, and while Iris is pretty racially ambiguous I think it’s safe to say she is indigenous. Indigenous people were in Unova (America) first, Truth, while white Europeans immigrants came here with hopes of a better future, Ideals. This also plays into the town design, but I’m rambling now
Just kind of weird to me how the opposite ideology respective of the version you are playing is represented in Opelucid City and Black City/White Forest.
@@CEO_Cat I'm sure some small correlations can be made between Unova and Greece, but Junichi Masuda has stated that Unova is based on New York City.
Definetly, My Favorite Pokemon Games Of All The Franchise.
Great Video
Thank you! Yeah, the more exposure I have to them, the more I love them.
I haven’t played Gen 5 yet, but I really do want to give it a try. As a Xenoblade stan, I can admire how much ambition they had with these games, in terms of the story, characterizations, atmosphere, soundtrack, and so much more. They really felt like games that can touch the sensibilities of many people because of the themes of it, even mine knowing myself. And I’m glad they have the respect they deserve, especially on times where newer modern Pokémon games don’t even try to share the same ambition as before in many aspects. I really hope Legends Arceus be a new magical and fresh experience for the franchise, cause I do believe the franchise can go beyond limits.
This was a beautiful video Kay, and the BW music made it even better!
Gen 5 really feels like GameFreak mastered the craft of 2D Pokémon and was all about polishing the experience with small details and actual interest in the world. I would love nothing more than to see the series hit this level again.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching, PSI!
I'm very confident that Gen 5 would please a lot of hardcore JRPG fans who haven't really played any Pokémon games. They might feel underwhelmed with most other generations.
Have you played it? How was it?
Wonderful video, definitely gave me some new things to appreciate about my favorite Pokemon generation. I feel that Gen 5 was the one time Game Freak had fully mastered the hardware they were developing games for, which was why the overall presentation was so good, and why they were able to redesign every single Pokemon with fully animated sprites, no National Dex nerf required. The decision to only make brand new Pokemon available for the Unova main campaign also made the game feel remarkably fresh, despite it being so mechanically similar to past games. And the increased focus on story worked extremely well, both because Team Plasma was such interesting and unique evil team that challenged the very idea behind the Pokemon games, and because characters like N and Ghetsis were so memorable. The story also didn't overwhelm the core Pokemon formula, so compared to Sword/Shield the story in Black 1/White 1 was both much more interesting, and much less intrusive.
Thank you! Very well said, and I fully agree with the first point. This generation really felt like Game Freak in top form. I think the narrative in this game when added to BW2's continuation of the tale really tells a complete, fun story.
God, bw2 did almost everything right and the best for me, from the music to the gameplay and postgame. I mean, castelia city route 19, and marine tube are some of my favorite video game tracks ever. Gen 5 and the ds era in general manage to be my favorites because of the balance they struck between all of the elements that make pokemon what it is. They all have their flaws, but platinum, hgss, bw, and especially bw2 sit as my favorite pokemon games because of this. Great video!
That really was the golden era of the series.
I'd throw the GBA era in there, too. RSE and FRLG are absolutely amazing.
The only issue i Have with B/W 2 is that they put in all of the Gen 1 through 4 Pokemon, or variety from each of those gens... Gen 5 didnt need those, it has a decent amount of good pokemon to choose from... truly. "My Opinion"
@@TheAbsol7448I'd say good, but not as good as the ds games
@@leonardomatheus1888 I mean, they're better than Diamond and Pearl, so I'd group them in there.
I think Pokemon B/W is the Pokemon game that has a lot of details which are too detailed that the players failed to notice until like a whole decade later a video like this pointed that out
Even i found out about how good the music/themes of this PKMN Gen from videos like "Gen 5 Music Hits different" and stuff.
Man the edits in this vid were really fun, the furret bit especially. I remember I didn't enjoy B/W all that much when I was a kid and I never played their sequels. I ended up revisiting White and playing White 2 for the first time in high school. I ended loving up both games, hell I think White 2 is my favorite Pokemon game, and seeing someone go into some of the little details that make these games special makes me smile.
Thank you! I appreciate that! I think it's awesome hearing other people having a similar experience and finding a love for something as they get older.
If the DP remakes are the standard we can expect for Pokémon remakes going forward, then I absolutely DREAD the inevitable Black & White remakes in a few years.
And if an equally phoned-in remake of Explorers Of Sky should happen, I just might turn into a homicidal maniac.
Well the remake of Red and Blue rescue team was quite good - So I'd hope Explorers of Sky would be as good or even better.
Yeah I'm scared too, chibi black and white would actually kill me inside
Then I'll have to call the police in advance, because we all know the probability of those remakes being good.
Well considering it took them 5 years to get to the Sinnoh remakes from ORAS, I think we have a good while till then (not saying they'll get any better but at least we have time before Game Freak hurts us again). Even if they suck as much as BDSP, we've still got the good ones to play.
@@kalesmart1 Black and White ARE chibi anyway.
Honestly, a beautiful video about my very favorite entry in my very favorite series. There's so much love and care put into this generation, and I'm thrilled to see anyone celebrating it.
I adore when developers add small details that keep to the theme and also adore when people notice those things even if they go over my head. This is such a fantastic video, thank you so much for making it.
Yo, this video is PHENOMENAL. Sometimes I can have a little trouble putting how unique Unova is into words. But you most certainly can. Mad respect.
It's important to consider that Zekrom and Reshiram are two parts of the Tao Trio, being the Yin and the Yang. Yin and Yang are meant to have a little of each other in them. This is done subtly in their designs, with Zekrom having eyes red like Reshiram's fire, and Reshiram's blue like Zekrom's lightning, rather than the less subtle addition of black or white on them. Opelucid and Black City/White Forest are meant to also invoke this, I think. The new cities having an older gym leader and more experienced Pokemon, while the old towns have a younger gym leader and low level Pokemon. Old with new, new with old, black with white, white with black, truth with ideals and ideals with truth.
And Kyurem is Wuji, the border (or perhaps the *boundary,* as its Pokedex entry calls it) around them
I felt emotional while watching this
Gen 5 is my favorite
If they don't make the remakes as awesome as these
I'll be very sad
Also i want to see the actual dragon
Kyurem + Zekrom + reshiram
I started with gen1 while my nephew who is 10 years younger than me started with this one. Gen5 was actually the gen where life became hectic for me so I didn't immediately get it when it came out and instead played it years later. Got into it with gen 6 again which was around the time when I also got all the Gen5 games.
Definitely a special generation of Pokèmon even if it has it's flaws like all of them. I like the soundtrack a lot.
I was just looking for another video essay to procrastinate, and you've reached my heart instead, with this little masterpiece of love and melancholy.
I will replay the game as soon as I can.
Thank you.
So accurate to how i felt. At the beginning i remember all the boys had R4 cards and u could get the japenese only version before the pokemon black and white came out in europe. And from day 1 i thought Gen 5 was the weakest because i was against the changes to the graphics and no old gen pokemon being in the game. At the time id say the OG pokemon games were better and Gen 5 is too different. But looking at the game now makes me feel some sort of way like when i think of pokemon black and white i get flashbacks, especially because of the soundtracks in it. Just can't believe Its been 12 years since then. I was 10 years old :(.
10:21 This is my favourite track of the OST. Soooo relaxing. And because I only played in autumn, winter and spring I didn't knew about the summer version XD
22:49 I always thought merging the past and the future was the goal of Opelucid city, and even more when I heard of the (very plausible) theory that Reshiram and Zekrom reprensent the Yin and the Yang.
Holy crap, I get so emotional when I find incredibly heartfelt videos like this, and even more when people are talking about the amazing things that this masterpiece of a collection of video games does. My heart warms and I get teary-eyed with the appreciation of my favourite Pokémon games of all time from all these different creators, so thank you truly for this absolute legendary video 🙏
You did an amazing job highlighting so many reasons on what makes these games special and I’m glad that you gave them more chances to become your favourite ☺️
Unova Goat 🤙
I never realized this detail, but right when you mentioned the older brother and younger brother with truth vs ideals, it just reminded me of my older brother and I, where he got black and I got white, I just felt that was super fitting for us as well even with the idea of truth and ideals fitting w us really well too.
I'm surprised how similar our taste in games is. Same for ost's btw :D.
The whole game is so wonderful! I’m glad I finally got the chance to discuss it.
@@KayJulers Pokemon Black was the first videogame that I completed. It is also pretty huge for me and I have many fond memories connected to it. I still remember beeing jealous of my cousin having victini and me not knowing about events at the time :D.
Nodoby ever talks about how perfect the graphics are and how well the music blends in. The color theory in the textures is beyond mastered and the overall game/map design is simply brilliant. This game feels calming on its own, which made me and still makes me spend countless hours simply wandering around the towns and routes and discovering a new thing during each session.
I feel like one of the most forgotten version differences is that of Reversal Mountain from the sequels. I know you didn't go over them much but given it's a gen 5 video I feel like it's worth bringing up. I feel like this area is a perfect example of how music can represent its environment and the stark contrast between the versions.
In Black 2, It's a dormant volcano filled with water and has a calm soothing theme to it representing how long it's been since the last eruption.
In White 2, It's an active volcano with lava seeping out and a very energetic theme showing how alive (and potentially dangerous) the place is.
Both have such different themes yet still follow the same beat. It's amazing how such different feelings can be conveyed from the same area.
More games should take notes of how good the audio is in this game.
Great vid!
Thank you!
Wait holy cow I never knew that Opelucid city was different between versions?? Ive only had the White series and only heard of White Forest/Black Tower being different. I still learn so much about my first and favorite pokemon games
Bro this was simply beautiful, I'm gonna go cry tears of joy now.
Wherever i have a bad day, there's always Pokemon Black and White.
Man Gen 5 was the peak of Pokemon for me such fantastic games
This was an extremely well made, detailed and researched video on gen 5. It is very different from the typical videos that go over gen 5 being the peak of Pokemon for various reasons, and although I do very much enjoy those videos as well, this one really feels unique and makes you appreciate these games to an entirely different level, which I thought wasn't possible at this point for me as I already absolutely love this gen. Great video!
Gen 5 makes me cry. You've done a wonderful job covering its soundtrack and aesthetic.
this video honestly made me so emotional
i hold SO many memories with gen 5, and seeing this absolute love letter of a video to it made me tear up at times. i remember wanting the game so bad i'd have dreams about it, or playing pretend that it was christmas and i had found it under the tree. so thanks, Kay- thank you for this video that reminded me of how much i loved this generation :-)
I can think of another reason why iris would be the gym leader in white but not in black, even if it doesn't tie in nearly as well as yours.
in pokemon white iris would be more accepting of her role as a successor to drayden. she fully accepts tradition and her successor role. where as in black she would reject taking up the title of gym leader and journey out seeking out a new method to understand her pokemon, leaving drayden to continue acting as gym leader
That's an interesting and pretty cool assessment of it!
I loved Black and white so much. The Slower version of Undella Town has a special place in my heart and I would spend hours walking around the beach pretending to have my feet in the sand looking at the beautiful water. Its been years since i heard that song and was moved to tears 10 secs in.
Thankyou for making this Video, I appreciate it and you so much.
Gen 5 is my favorite gen and pokemon B2 is probably my favorite game in the entire franchise, the ost is top notch.
My introduction to Pokemon and still my favourite generation to date.
That was such a beautiful video, B&W and B&W2 are my fav pokemon games with autumn being my fav season and the ending almost made me cry
Tysm for this
This video reminds me of how much I miss playing gen 5. I wish I still had my old ds and game cartridge.
My save file of Pokémon Black that I had from all the way back at launch to about 2015 actually got deleted by my brother's friend one time cause they wanted to "start over". At that point as a tween I was just like "welp, guess I'll just trade it in I guess." I wish I kept mine too
I really loved how BW went ahead and had the climax of the story at the end of the game, and not somewhere between 7th and 8th gym. The music was immensely atmospheric and I nearly cried a few times when I played it the second time.
This video is amazing and deserves hundreds of thousands of views. You managed to put into words exactly what makes the soundtrack of Pokemon Black and White so magical. When a video game designer puts tiny details into their project that most people would never take the time to appreciate... that's how you know they REALLY cared about making their game the best it could possibly be.
I will always remember the very calm non-Summer Undella Town theme. I vividly remember the day I finally beat Cynthia. I celebrated. After 15 or so tries, I had finally done it. I had conquered the greatest challenge in the game.
Then, I walked outside. I was hit with this calm, melancholic tune. I walked to the Undella shoreline and slowly realized that... I was done. There was really nothing else left to do in this game. I had spent the past several months going on a journey with my Pokemon, and now... I had saved the world, become the Unova champion, and defeated the champion of Sinnoh. It was over. I was done. I did everything I needed to.
I sat there for a very long time, listening to this song as I remembered everything I had gone through. All the frustrations and losses, and all the excitement and wins. All of my Pokemon were also named after my friends, which helped me get more connected to them than I normally did, so I can safely say that all that reminiscing was the most bittersweet feeling I had ever experienced from playing a video game.
That is what a truly magical game soundtrack can do.
I had a pretty similar experience with you. I was also a freshman in high school when it came out but NONE of my friends had bought it. So I didn't get the full multi-player experience. I was really lonely and kinda questioning if i fit in with my friend group. Wasn't helping was that this was the first year I was in ever in a large school and wasn't used to the way the teachers taught things. So I had to spend extra time studying to get caught up, I had the game but I honestly think I was rushing through it due to my busy schedule. I clicked through all the many dialouge boxes after a while and just went straight to my destination when I was told and ended up not thinking it was good. But hearing you talk about it with such passion and love makes me want to try it again and since I know how the story unfolds, I feel like I won't be rushing through it so much. So All in all, thank you for making me realize that I didn't give this game a fair chance.
love when people talk about how much they love the beat game ever made
Wow, I’m not the type to normally comment on videos but I think you really managed to put into words what makes the gen V games some of the best of the series. The attention to detail, even in the most minor aspects of the world really show why some of the later games in the series don’t seem to capture the same magic that the older games do for me. Amazing video.
this exact stuff is why I'm praying desperately for Gen 5 remakes to NOT be announced in February. The games are so beautiful and I've always believed them to be the last true love letter from Game Freak to the fans. The way there's so much love and passion poured into these games is something I haven't seen since Gen 5. Gen 7 comes close.
Pokémon Black was not my first Pokémon game, but it was the first video game I ever completed. I was about 8 years old and I'd been playing Pokémon for about a year at that point. These games hold such a special place in my heart. My copy of Pokémon Black 2 is my most prized possession. It was my first time completing the National Dex and I will always remember my first gen 5 starter: a Tepig--later Emboar I named TEPPY (I didn't realize there was a lowercase keyboard haha).
I did my first ever GTS trade in Gen 5 and I remember my mom being worried that some stranger across the world would know my name and where I lived.
Black and White's soundtrack is one of 2 soundtracks I've ever purchased (the other being Undertale). I've clocked over 1500 hours in Gen 5, my most recent (and most precious) Black 2 save file is maxed out at 999:59 hours.
Basically I love these games and I'll take any opportunity to gush about them and tell stories.
I'm so emotional typing this comment, hearing all the Unova music in the background of the video. I honestly feel like I might cry right now.
"Welp it's October!"
wow this video came out just in time
I spent the last few days grinding to make sure I got this out in time for that LOL
I need to crack this game out, I barely remember it and didn't realise all the effort that went in to it. Personal story behind this too, I was depressed, physically ill, busy and very exhausted around the time I bought black. Pokemon games always meant a lot to me but this time, I couldn't bring myself to focus on anything.
This hits really hard after seeing the... current state of the franchise.
When GameFreak wanted to do something different people hated it, maybe we would have had more mature and better made games if black and white had more support from the fans.
youre right and you should say it. my pokemon game playing sequence was a bit backwards so i played a lot of the later games first, then the earlier games, so gen 5 was the last one i played. and it is by far my absolute favorite. it hits so different from the other games and has all these minute details and as someone who LOVES tiny details, especially in musical themes, this game just. is incredible. all the music is amazing, the variant scoring between seasons and the npcs you can talk to that add to the music are incredible, but village bridge in particular always hits super hard for me. just wandering around and finding all these people to bring together a full piece of music made up of parts that you dont even realize are missing at first, and the way all the instruments fit together is just. mwah. i could stand there for hours. and smaller details that i never noticed!!! ive been running the same save file for several months now working on completing the pokedex, and even now i never noticed how the change in seasons can give you access to new areas. (i spent so long wondering how to get up on that cliff in icirrus. somehow ive never been in that area during the winter). and sure i can futz with the system time, but something about waiting and taking it slow and letting the seasons pass in order to get certain pokemon (and trying to track down the forces of nature!!! and checking the screens to see where the swarms are!! theres so much!!) it makes the game feel so lively and dynamic and theres just so much of it.
i did not mean to leave this big paragraph in the comments of a video from almost a year ago but i have many thoughts and feelings on this game ok thank you. the fact that this gen is so widely beloved makes me so happy because its what it deserves
YES, the Undella town music is amazing!
Black and White are very special games to me. The first pokemon game I played was SoulSilver and I liked it which made me excited for Black and White when they were announced. I looked at so much Unova advertising and was super hyped. At a convention my family went to, I got pins with Zekrom and Reshiram on them which made me even more excited for the games. I got White on release while my older brother got Black. I was only 6 and that was a special moment for me. I remember going to Toys R Us with my dad and brother because Toys R Us gave out Black and White themed DS accessories, some of which I still have today. When I got home, I played that game every minute I could. From right when I got back from school to right before I fell asleep hiding my DS under my pillow so my mom wouldn't see it. I loved the game and it far exceeded the hype. I loved the music and the visuals that seemed so cool for a DS. The gameplay was amazing. I remember struggling to defeat the first gym leader so I asked my brother for help (which was a common occurrence because I was a stupid kid who skipped all the dialogue). So my brother told me about the monkey you can get in the dreamyard. That dumb, simple way to teach players about type machups was magical to me. Then my brother told me about the elemental stone you can get in Castelia to evolve it which I excitedly did right away. That experience made me love those monkeys that everyone seems to hate. But the monkeys weren't the only thing about the games that there was hate for. I saw all the hates the games got online, from the pokemon designs, to the region map, to the anime, to even the story. It even created an entire subsect of pokemon fans that thought every game after gen 1 was terrible, that's how you know the hate was bad. I was so annoyed that it seemed the whole internet hated what I held so close. That what makes me love all the appreciation the games get now. People are finally seeing what I saw all those years ago.
I feel like Pokémon Black and White are a kind of my version of those gardens behind the manor. I went back to White years later and replayed it while reappreciating everything about it. Seeing all the places again, actually reading the story instead of skipping everything, and the music. . . the music hit differently. I obviously was still jamming to songs like Accumula Town, Nimbasa City, and Castelia City, but I had a newfound love for some of the more somber tracks like Unwavering Emotions, Farewell, and Undella Town (Spring, Autumn, Winter). The songs became the purest form of nostalgia I have.
This guy like gen 5 and xenoblade!? To which ever lady gets this man remember to treat him right.
LOLOL
This has to be the best video essay (videssay?) I've seen on the games, period. White version was my first Pokemon game, and come to think of it, my first real video game, and the music at the end of the game managed to make my seven-year-old self cry, not even understanding why at the time.
To add to your Opelucid City points: The gym leaders seem to me to be a point of juxtaposition in each game; Iris is the youth springing forth from tradition in White version, and Drayden is that same tradition that still remains in the Black version. The fact that anyone still talks about these games and that they left such an impression on us all shows that Pokemon Black, White, and BW2 are probably the best games that ever came out on the NDS!
14:30 not to mention, in black and white 2 in the second gym, if you beat the musicians, their music instruments are cut out until the singing of the gymleader remains.
this video is fantastic. the analysis of the themes and the notice of details really hit me. i can’t explain how much these games mean to me. thank you for this.
I will DIE in the hill that recognizes that Black/ White & Black2/ White 2 is PEAKKKKK Pokémon. Period. No questions asked.
It’s really incredible so many people make videos like this on this game and provide so many new perspectives/things I missed. These games a whole are my favorite piece(s) of media so your perspective was really cool to see and opened my mind in a way that this game is trying to achieve. Thank you :)
Also the victory road music is amazing, it adds a new instruments as you check each badge, creating a sense of accomplishment. My favorite theme of the series.
i grew up playing black, heard white opelucid and it made me cry years later
I doubt anyone would read this but when you connected with the manor at autumn and black and white music, it's the same for me with summer and Pokemon Platinum. I used to play it during my summer holidays after a successful high school finals exam. I'm 24 now and every time I return, the path to my home on summer mornings would just chime route 209 giving such a blissful feeling which makes me feel like I'm actually home. I can relate so much with you and cannot describe the magic which can be realized only by experiencing.
Fire being wisdom passed down
Electricity being technical advancement
The scarlet and violet connection are wild. I used to dislike black and white /2 but I’m going to replay it now with this video in mind. ❤️
The ending part of the video where you got philosophical hit me hard right in the feels had shed a few tears I never thought about the game like this good job
That little Furret running around Unove to the Accumula theme was everything to me.
Feels like a presentation from the heart man. Love the undertone of deep nostalgia in these games. I also have fond memories with them
I have watched Pokémon videos for years but the presentation in this one was incredible. Finally a video doing the generation justice!
I dont know why but your story at the end brought tears to my eyes. Great video overall, I love your passion.
So thankful I found this video because you describe my love for fall in ways i could not previously
This appreciation of music and details made me happy. Good job.
For me the 5th Gen is the peak of pokemon everything that made the series good was refined while adding new ideas that I only appreciated later. Unfortunately it was also the last good pokemon game you can feel the passion the developers put into the game and that passion is absent in future titles.
But in this game I can feel the passion of the developer's the work they put into every animation and every thought of "how can we make this good". Indeed I think I can feel this games "soul".
It is simply criminal that a video, as well put together as this one, doesn’t have at least 100,000 views! This was excellent, and voiced thoughts that I couldn’t particularly put into words myself. That isn’t even considering the amazing presentation, with every seamless transition between the seasons getting me a bit giddy each time.
The Village Theme is unbelievably good. Some of the only singing based themes when you add in the NPC’s.
Amazing video, thank you for talking so much about the music, it's one of my favorite video game soundtracks
Thank you for watching! I've been waiting too long to gush about this soundtrack in a video lol.
Beautiful video! I had no idea about the tambourine while walking either, that’s such a neat detail
Accumula Town's theme song is on my top 5 Pokemon songs precisely for the reasons you pointed out. It's amazing once the drummer and the pianist start rocking! It may not be the "best" song in the series, technically, but that feeling of being rewarded for exploring leaves a huge smile on my face and made me think "This game is amazing". Yes, it ranks so high for being the first to make me feel that way so early on in the game.
And just talking about music in general, they REALLY nailed it in BW/BW2. Not only did it have the best soundtrack, the way they used it in these games is nothing but masterful.
I had noticed the visual and auditory details before (I wrote an essay on VGM in a class in my highschool called "music in perspective"), but the thematic details of the legendaries' types, and the versus of/merging of truth and ideals weren't things I had given too much thought to before. Great video!
Hey perfect video bro. The personal story at the end with N's emotional music was a really great touch and also boosted by the fact you use your own personal pictures and footage. The icing on the cake was the mega Man X4 credit theme, that was something else. I love that song too
Unova and Hoenn have two of my favorite soundtracks, and are among the best soundtracks of any Nintendo game, but they're far from the best, which just speaks volumes for the actual best ones.
I can Not believe i missed this absolute gem of a Video for a year. I loved every single second of it, Great work!!
Gen 5 will have a Special place in my heart forever:)
Amazing Kay, this has to be my favorite Pokémon related video ever
Wonderful video. Black and Black 2 were both games that I spent a lot of time with during high school and the non-exclusive dichotomy of the themes regarding truth and ideals really impacted me. It's definitely time for a replay
I’ve only ever had Pokémon Black, so I had no idea how many differences between black and white there were, aside from the two legendary Pokémon and the thinking behind both of sides. These two games hold spiritual value to me in my heart. As a kid, I remember crying after reading what N had to say after I beat him. There hasn’t been a game that has captured my heart as much as these two games have. I think I’ll definitely play through Pokémon white now after seeing this video so I can immerse myself in the truth ideals. Loved this video sm! Thank you for taking the time to edit and post this video and for giving these two games more credit for what they stand for. I wish and hope we get games like Pokémon black and white again. Cus these two games were honestly very groundbreaking for the series. A lot of the things these two games brought to the Pokémon series are still being used now.
I can't belive who a such wonderful video about my favorite Pokémon game was launch in my birthday, best gift ever.
Beautiful video Kay, gave me a much greater appreciation for you and generation 5. I should visit it, definitely pulled some heart strings as it did in some locations of sinnoh and the end of Kalos
Opelucid theme in white is very emotional. I absolutely love it. It gives some sort of old or nostalgic vibe.
Great video! Reminded me of why I loved these games. Also had no idea there was so much I didn't know about these games; had completely missed the snare that comes in when you move on the routes.
This was a genuinely beautiful video. Amazing work mate
W video. Beautiful and the music added so much to this ty!
Up to this day it's still my favorite game of all time
And obviously still my favorite pokemon Gen
Gen 5 was an instant favorite for me personally. (although I have yet to play B2W2)
I always just assumed it clicked better with me than most, but... Funnily enough, after playing gen 4, I took about a 3-4 year break from pokemon. I got pokemon white as a christmas gift from my brother the year it came out, though! And I was excited to play it!
I wonder if that "break", that time away, gave me the ability to go into gen 5 with no pre-existing expectations, something I potentially couldn't have done had I played gen 4 more recently. I think that would explain why so many people liked/loved gen 5 on their second playthrough, when they didn't the first time around; because it went against expectations.
And wow. It's been close to a decade since I played gen 5...
Aside from my ramblings, though, I really enjoyed this video! Thanks!
You somehow made me love these games even more!!!! I love Black and White so much and part of that reason is because of the nostalgia it holds too. White was my first Pokemon game and I am so happy it was. I might’ve been 7 or so when I got it. I had no idea what I was doing and I remember being stuck at Cold Storage with my Emboar and then my ds running out of charge in the Relic Castle during the Plasma story and being so upset that I hadn't saved and had to redo my progress. I lost that game, never finishing the story and was never able to play it again until a few years ago when I brought a new copy with my own money and was able to finish the main story, but I didn't fully beat the game... until I picked up the game five months ago and played everything and did everything I could do in it and well and truly fell in love with the game, its characters, plot, pokemon, etc. I loved it so much and its the first game I went out of my way to do everything I possibly could do, never disconnected my earphones so I could hear everything and went on to listen to the whole soundtrack after beating the game. One reason I love the game is that it gives me the closest experience I could have with Gen 1. I never played the original games, I don't have any of the consoles to play them on either, but Gen 5 provides more polish than Gen 1 ever had, including a great new batch of exclusive Pokemon all of which have some use to adding them to your team. While Gen 5 does have flaws such as not showing off all the Pokemon in the game (for White you never see Vullaby or Mandibuzz in regular gameplay), the pros far outlay the cons to where it is just an unfortunate oversight. I hope to one day be able to play the games again and completing the Pokedex because I love these gems so much!!!
Fantastic video, it brought so many emotions to me!