Pokemon Black and White Did Something Better Than Almost Any Other Games in the Series

Fifteen years after their initial release, fans continue to praise Pokemon Black and White and its eventual sequels for featuring a breadth and variety of side content that's virtually unmatched by any other title in the series. Although the Gen 5 games infamously received plenty of backlash from fans around the early 2010's, largely due to their divergence from previous games in several major ways, Pokemon Black and White are fondly viewed by the community today, with no small number of fans regarding Gen 5 as the peak of the franchise.

Although Pokemon Black and White are nostalgic titles for many fans, it's easy to see why they're still held in such esteem more than a decade later. Memorable characters and Pokemon, a particularly gripping story, and a unique visual aesthetic — largely achieved through "2.5D" graphics and animated Pokemon sprites that came from a time before Pokemon titles received the full 3D treatment — are among the more popular reasons why Black and White are often heralded as some of the best games in the series. Beyond that, though, the Gen 5 games still outperform any other core-series titles in terms of side and post-game content, an aspect that many fans wish to see more of in more modern Pokemon games.

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Pokemon Black and White, along with their sequels, Black and White 2, pack a huge variety of optional mini-games, features, and locations that give players plenty to do outside of pursuing the main story. One fan of the Gen 5 games known as 7akyr recently stirred up some discussion around the topic with a post that lists all such side content from the Gen 5 Pokemon games, including PokeStar studios, the Battle Subway, the Pokemon World Tournament, Join Avenue, Pokemon Musical, Medal Rally, the Dream World, and Black Tower or White Forest, depending on the version. On top of all this, the Gen 5 games also featured optional locations like the Abyssal Ruins to explore, and even saved Alder - the Unova Champion in Pokemon Black and White - as a post-game opponent boasting a level 75 team.

Future Pokemon Games Should Have A Bigger Focus On Side Content

While some of Gen 5's side content presented equivalents to existing features like the Battle Tower, features like PokeStar Studios and Join Avenue presented creative new ways to explore and interact with the Pokemon world. The Pokemon World Tournament was also a particularly popular part of the game, as it allowed players to face off against all kinds of familiar characters from previous games and regions in intense battles.

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A significant criticism of more recent Pokemon titles is the general lack of substantial post-game content, with the Gen 8 and Gen 9 games feeling particularly dry to many players after they clear the main story content, and most major side content being DLC-exclusive. While the post-game content of newer generations may not compare to that seen in Black and White in terms of depth, modern games in the series have included some of their own creative approaches to side content, and future games should build upon improving these optional and post-game features.