I wrote some random text full of my thoughts on BW2 recently on dA, might as well paste it here :B
Introducing the concept of "sequels" alone was a very clever step on its own already (and hopefully one that replaces dull remakes next).
(love all the referenced to BW1, they seriously did a good job trying to complement the first games. There is also a feature called Memory link, which connects to your BW1 game, and adds even more references depending on your progress on those.)
However
Not just does the main game do enough justice to warrant calling these new games,
but, there is also plenty of goodness stuffed in the post-game (almost a dozen of past "not-epic-legendary" pokes to catch) and refreshing takes on solid features (in particular I'm currently in the White forest attraction (its a battle facility, however its not detached from your actual game, meaning you gain exp and no limitations regarding levels and pokemon, you decide the pace), not to mention the famous World Tournament (with every gym leader and champion from the past, including all of their music)), they evenput in a reason to fill your pokedex for once (you get items that increase chances for breeding and shiny encounters), not to mention a "hard mode" (which even adds a pokemon to gym leaders teams, additionally to held items, higher levels and smarter AI).
I thought adding old pokemon would make the whole thing really weird, but they handled this in such a smart way that it even makes sense for over-serious fans like me. In other words, the 150 old pokemon are all either:
-in new places (so of course you havent encountered them in BW)
-in places that were only available after credits in BW (obvious example, all of east Unova)
-in old places, but always being just one, and even then quite rare (examples are, Trapinch very rare in the desert, Aron in Mistaltron cave..)
And anyways, this was another ingenius move altogether, as now with all those classic favourites of everyone, and the likes of Lucario and Eevee, or Metagross, Heracross... even players who suffered the worst culture shocks from seeing no old pokemon in Unova, have no excuse to QQ about the pokemon you can use this time!
None of them seem out of place, however people might freak out when they see Zubats and Rattatas LMAO. They're there just to piss all of you off Good one. And its like they intentionally put Grimer and Koffing in, to shut up all the Trubbish and Vanillite haters
As we all might have guessed, tons of pokemon get their hidden abilities released, and thats achieved through another interesting "pokemon encounter method" (ala Headbutt, honeytrees, fishing, pokeradar..), which is secret burrows.
Sometimes there is a hard to notice bush in the trees at the edge of a route, which you can enter, finding within perhaps an interactable pokemon, who always has its hidden ability.
Another thing that matters to competitive players, move tutors. They got everything thats needed. Yes, Stealth Rock and Roost, do I have to go on.
I don't understand japanese, so I just read short summaries of whats going on in the plot, and just from that I think its great, with the whole 2 factions of Plasma, an N who has learned his lessons already, Kyurem the energyless "corpse" of the original dragon thirsty for energy, and the logical thing Ghetsis would research next.
The new places look (and sound!) great if not better than the best we've seen in BW1, the gyms have gotten proper makeovers.
So really, altho the basic game has not changed drastically since RBY, the quality shows, and the franchise has a long future ahead if the same passionate people stay behind it.
Wanted to write a few lines, turned into a proper review... xD
Seriously, there is... basically ONE SINGLE thing I dislike about these games and think should have been done differently.
Putting the Kami (and access to their new formes) exclusively into the gimmicky random 3DS e-shop Dream Radar thing. What the crap.
That is my only serious complaint so far. Except for this, its fawking epic, and the perfect conclusion to the fifth generation and the DS era.
Personal pokemon-fan joy moment of the game: Mareep running around in the Ranch <3 Q_Q *-*