5th Gen BW or BW2 Help me decide!

Ok, so as a little background I am an old school pokemon lover. I played red, blue and even the Japanese Green version with a translation guide. I played through gen2 but never finished gen 3 R/S/E. So I got myself a 3DS recently and have decided to fill in the blanks I was missing for so long. I have since had a chance to play through HeartGold and Platinum, having finished the latter only last night to my satisfaction. So far I am loving it!

Here is my conundrum, Which of the gen5 games should I actually play first? For example, I played Platinum over Diamond or Pearl because it is the same 'game' with enhancements and tweaked mechanics sort of like how Crystal was for gen2 or Yellow for gen1. Up till now, I was under the impression that BW2 were essentially tweaked up versions of BW so I assumed I would just be skipping BW and go right to BW2. After poking around the internet a bit it seems I may have been too hasty in my assumption there. This is not a request to detail the differences here because that has been done to death but more a call for some opinions, with reasons to back them up, as to why I should or should not skip BW and go right to BW2. Just bear in mind, if I do play BW, I WILL be playing BW2 right after since I already have one ready to go so I don't actually HAVE to play only one game out of gen5.

1. Is the story from BW really necessary for me as I go and play through BW2?
2. Is the lack of older pokemon really that bad in BW?
3. is there a benefit to playing both BW and BW2 in order, adding another whole game to my playlist?
4. If I absolutely HAD to pick one, am I missing anything super awesome should I choose either BW or BW2?
5. If I have BW2 and then go back to BW, would reversing the order be a mistake?
6. If I did decide to play both BW and BW2, if I have a Black2 cart, should I also choose a Black cart or would a White cart be better for me?

Frankly, I am just stalled at Platinum looking at a copy of B2 wondering if it would be worth my time to get Black or White and play it first. I can get a copy of it literally right now if I really wanted to but I am just torn as to if what both sets offer is worth playing both or not.

Thanks for any and all opinions you guys might have in advance. I am looking forward to the discussion this will bring.

Definitely start with BW. These games aren't like DP-P or SUMO-USUM, different versions of the same basic story. They're sequels and characters in them have aged.

And I think it feels really fresh to have completely new pokémon playing through Black now c:

Is the story from BW really necessary for me as I go and play through BW2?

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It's not absolutely necessary I would say, but I think you would benefit a lot from playing BW first, as BW2 is a continuation of that story. Plus it's really fun to see how places and people change between the games. You won't get that same feeling if you go right in to BW2, plus some story elements may leave you confused. If you don't care about that though, then I would say just go right in. But if you want something more cohesive, and if you want to be able to appreciate BW2 as a sequel to BW, then play them in order.

Is the lack of older pokemon really that bad in BW?

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Not particularly, I find. There are a lot of great gen V Pokemon that are well designed, strong, and fun to use. I think this generation, for whatever reason, gets a lot of flack for this, and I mean? To that I say -- can you replay RBY and/or FRLG? Is the lack of nothing but Kanto Pokemon that bothersome? And I mean, if you haven't used any gen V Pokemon at all, it's a great way to learn about them and experience them. Besides, if it does become an issue for you, BW2 has a larger regional dex that includes non-Unova Pokemon.

is there a benefit to playing both BW and BW2 in order, adding another whole game to my playlist?

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I think I answered this in my first point, whoops. lol

If I absolutely HAD to pick one, am I missing anything super awesome should I choose either BW or BW2?

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If you do not care about story, I think BW2 might be more worthwhile if you just want a game to play. Larger regional dex, a larger post-game (with access to even more Pokemon, as well as a ton of legendaries from other regions), and a harder story mode (at least, I think so). As I said before, you miss those little moments of noticing development between the games, but again, if you don't care about that, then I wouldn't worry over it.

If I have BW2 and then go back to BW, would reversing the order be a mistake?

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Not really. You would just be having a reverse of the "oh i remember that/them" and instead you would be saying, "so that's what this looked like before" or "so that's why this happened in BW2." Akin to if you played any other series in the wrong order, really.

If I did decide to play both BW and BW2, if I have a Black2 cart, should I also choose a Black cart or would a White cart be better for me?

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Ideally, you want to do Black and Black 2 or White and White 2, as the second version is a direct sequel to the same color. Plus, and I don't think I'm spoiling anything here, the Pokemon on the cover of Black is what you get in Black, and you'll get the other in Black 2, so if you were looking to complete the Pokedex or something, then there you go. But ultimately, it's not really a massive difference if you go White and then Black 2, or vice versa.

Hope this was helpful and not too rambly. lol

Frankly, this just exactly answered in very good detail what I wanted to know. I have made the decision to go with playing BW and then BW2, maybe not in a row though. I am very much so considering playing the ruby and sapphire remakes on the 3DS immediately after playing BW and then jumping back to BW2 before tackling X/Y.

Also, I tend to be super rambly with my OPs and replies so I for one actually appreciate the extra thought and detail put in here and I thank you wholeheartedly for it.

Turns out the availability on Black was simply not there. So I decided to switch out for a copy of White2 and get a copy of White to go with. I started White just about dinner time, it's almost midnight as I type this, and so far I simply LOVE the super detailed animations. I think that is what blew me away the most so far. Now I am only kicking myself for having waited so darn long to play these games! :shaking-head-no:

I mean, the last time I tried to play a pokemon game was Sapphire in 2004 and I maybe got 6 hours into it, being the only Pokemon game I left unfinished after starting it. It just didn't click with me like Gen 1 and 2 did so I sort of lost interest and decided that I must have gotten too old for them, I was 20 at the time. Now as a 34-year-old man, married, with a 5-year-old son, I find I am enjoying these things more than I probably did back in the 90s. Funny how stuff like that works out. :laugh-squinted:

Anyways, thanks again for the insight, I am sure I will be enjoying these even more over the next few weeks as I slowly hunt my way through them.

Have fun and Happy Gaming!

While knowing the story of the former game isn't necessary, it's definitely a nice thing, looking at the slight changes in the region and other details. The lack of older Pokémon is not really that bad - unless you'd like to play through the game using Pokémon you already know and love.

There is a benefit in playing Black & White first - you'll follow the thread of the events better, and some things change like I already mentioned. Also, you won't really lose anything - though, if you'd like to hear my personal opinion, BW is a better overall game than B2W2. It has a better story, introduces great mechanics (besides the Exp. balancing, which turns out to be a tedious way of training your Pokémon more...).

Also, there's nothing wrong with reversing the order - I'd say that you'll meet with an increase of quality in the story and a smaller roster. Also, regarding choosing Black 2 and then either Black or White - if you want to go for the more "direct" sequel, do it, but other than the Pokémon in the cover there are no other major changes.

I hope this helps.
EDIT: Oh, darn! I hadn't noticed that you'd already done a reply. Excuse me for my random blabbering, haha.

Lol, no worries friend. I still appreciate it. :D

My short opinion after all these lengthy ones is that B/W has a very good story line, and it's very enjoyable, and IMO you definitely shouldn't skip it. Back in the day it's story had quite a bit of impact on the fandom, more so than some other games. So unless you play mostly for the battles and game completion, it's worth it. I personally wouldn't recommend skipping to BW2, you won't know what's going on, really.