5th Gen Are Black and White a reboot?

[Tropical Sunlight]

Of course they are. Older hero/heroine, no Pokemon from previous regions until you beat the E4, the first Gym isn't Rock XD and things like that.
I thought that it was officially confirmed that they're reboots.

 

[blue]

Yes, I remember them saying it's a whole new step, or something along those lines in the ONM

 

[Superjub]

Of course they are. Older hero/heroine, no Pokemon from previous regions until you beat the E4, the first Gym isn't Rock XD and things like that.
I thought that it was officially confirmed that they're reboots.

Sure, there aren't any Pokemon from previous regions, but there are characters. Caitlin, Looker and Cynthia to be exact. While i like all of these characters, it's kinda disappointing they're in it, simple because if this generation is meant to be a "reboot", and they've gone through all the effort to not include old Pokemon before compelting the game, then why include old characters? :\

 

[Kendosis]

It seems like it's going to be a good series though :)

 

[mzmingle]

I think so too. though they do have some other characters (Caitlin, Cynthia, Looker, TR Grunt)
So yeah :P

 

[The Red Chain]

The intention was for them to be a reboot, and in my opinion, they did a great job of that! No past gen Pokemon in sight, all the regional pests have been fully paralleled ; even down to looking crazy similar [Mamanbou/Alomomola to Luvdisc]. Some of them are even outdoing their look-alike partners in stats and moves.

The way you start out on Route 1, no connections to the past gens until way later, how they changed so many systems [like how TMs are reusable now/seasons/ect], and how Unova is so far from the other regions like they don't exist yet ; all of it leads up to a nice reboot of the Pokemon series. Even the anime has followed this lead now! Really, when was the last time you saw Ash turning his hat before throwing a Pokeball to catch something?

All and all, I am completely satisfied. It cannot be easy to replicate the beginning of a popular series so closely, so for that, they get two internets!
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[Zelda]

I think so too. though they do have some other characters (Caitlin, Cynthia, Looker, TR Grunt)
So yeah :P

Yeah, I think it's fine that there are still some connections between characters and whatnot from other regions. I like it this way actually. :)

I definitely consider Black and White a reboot though. It gives us a chance to run into the new Pokémon without finding a Machop or a Zubat along the way. Seeing as they've brought back "Who's that Pokémon?" in the anime, Nintendo is obviously taking us down a new road for this generation, so we can get to know the Pokémon and everything. If anything, I'm liking the whole reboot for the way things are going anyway.

 

[fenyx4]

Sure, there aren't any Pokemon from previous regions, but there are characters. Caitlin, Looker and Cynthia to be exact. While i like all of these characters, it's kinda disappointing they're in it, simple because if this generation is meant to be a "reboot", and they've gone through all the effort to not include old Pokemon before compelting the game, then why include old characters? :\

Exactly. It's even worse that all 3 characters are from the last generation (from the newest non-remake games, to boot), so it makes it seem like Generation 5 does seem like just another Generation. In Ruby/Sapphire, the only "returning" characters were the Kanto and Johto Pokemon. However, if you had no prior knowledge of the original 151 from RBY, GSC, or the anime, Pokemon like Tentacool and Geodude could pass for Hoenn-native Pokemon, and you'd never know they were from another Gen. Furthermore, what kind of region has an influx of ~eighty Pokemon just because you beat a certain Trainer? The only ones RS introduced post-game were 3-4 legendaries (Rayquaza, Lati@s, Jirachi?, and Deoxys).
Requiring whole other games to get more Pokemon seems more like a reboot, IMO.

The connectivity thing is another issue. Generation 3 was supposed to be "just another Gen" from the looks of it, but the GSC incompatibility issue essentially made it a restart. Generation 5 didn't have compatibility issues, and yet it was marketed as a rebirth. Due to connectivity maintained with the past Gen, Generation 5 becomes "just another Gen" and a "reboot" at the same time, but fails a bit in both aspects. If BW is going to be a reboot, cut off most, if not all, ties with past Generations. Save cameos for either RS remakes or "Gray Version". Aside from Kanto/Johto Pokemon and game traditions/mechanics, very minor mentions to the past two regions are made in RS (Slateport Oceanic Museum, guy next to Lilycove Pokemon center, and that mention that says Brendan/May is from Johto).

The BW anime is doing a great job of rebooting (aside from emulating Pokemon: Road to the Indigo League; it's very reminiscent of Pokemon: Advanced, actually, which could have served as a reboot as well); it's the games I have an Isshu with. They retain features and mechanics from past Generations (even building upon/enhancing them at times) stuff from past Generations, while screwing with so much other stuff from past Gens that at times it almost seems like it could alienate a player familiar with the past 4 Gens. The main things that help BW seem reboot-ish are the route reset, Unova PokeDex restriction until postgame, the game names, and...that's pretty much it. Everything else (especially the maintained connectivity) just makes BW feel like "just another Gen". If there was ever a time for a reboot, it was Generation 3. Every time I see BW tamper with something that didn't need tinkering with, it feels less and less like a reboot...

 

[bwburke94]

First of all, Jirachi was not catchable in R/S. Second, the anime has nothing to do with whether the games are a reboot.

I see them as a reboot, if only because the "new mons only" thing reminds me of Red and Blue. Back when R/B were first out, there were no old Pokémon unless you imported R/G/B from Japan, in which case there were no new ones. B/W are similar, though I believe you can trade for old mons after 1 badge or use an Action Replay if you really want a Pikachu.

 

[fenyx4]

First of all, Jirachi was not catchable in R/S. Second, the anime has nothing to do with whether the games are a reboot.

I know Jirachi isn't available in the wild; you need the Colosseum bonus disc to transfer it to your game. I'm unsure whether the game limits such a transfer until after you beat the Elite 4 and Champion/gain the National Dex, or whether it can be done anytime. Either way, it was/is still classified as a Hoenn Pokemon in RSE...

As for the anime, it doesn't necessarily determine the games' "reboot" status. However, since they kind of go hand in hand with each other and the new anime is trying to emulate the old one, the anime helps to maintains the sense of everything being rebooted for the Pokemon franchise.

 

[Gilgαmesh]

I feel that B/W are a complete reboot and I'd also like to say that they're completely separated from previous generations. To me, there are so many things that distinct B/W from it's predecessors(and so many original features at that), that I honesty would be hard pressed to say that the games aren't "starting over" in a sense.

Besides, I personally like starting a whole fresh, new, experience.