5th Gen New beginning or just a restart?

[Ho-Oh]

Going to start all over again...!

Compare...

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...and the list goes on.
please do not actually compare these Pokemon - they are there as examples only

In these games you'll notice that many Pokemon stat wise, pokedex wise and design wise all pretty much match up with Pokemon of past generations. It has been reinstated or rather mostly implied by the actual games themselves that this is a "new beginning". This can be somewhat seen by the fact that Unova has only its own native Pokemon initially and seems to not have that many ties with other regions other than it being the homeland of trainers you may have seen in past generations.

However! Copying past generation Pokemon doesn't necessarily prove that this is a new beginning - in fact, doesn't that really seem like a restart rather than a brand new beginning?

So now you ponder...
Besides Pokemon, are there any other things you may have noticed in-game that you think are reflective of the notion that Black and White are only re-branding the past games rather than starting over anew?

Do you feel that by having similar Pokemon it makes it easier for older players to associate with the games better or do you feel that this makes it easier for criticism to be thrown at the Unova Pokemon by not living up to the standards of the past Pokemon?

Which Unova Pokemon do you think are most similar to the past generation Pokemon and why? Would you like to see evolution links between them somehow someday?

And now the big question: Do you think the games are a new beginning for Pokemon, or a restart of what we already had?

 

[Charicific]

Seems like a restart. I did notice all the similarities before, Unova Looks like an exact replica of Kanto. Not only the PkMns look alike, but also (in the anime) the pace and progression just matches. Ash Captures more than 6 PkMns, he gets all the starters, New Co. Its like PkMn rubbed what was b4 and started a totally new version.

 

[Yoshikko]

I think they might have meant it as a new beginning; a Pokédex of only Unova Pokémon, an entirely different map/location, but it's very hard to make/create something original. It's because, once an idea exists, it's hard to not use it in an idea or creation of your own. It's because that option exists, and it becomes a source of inspiration. That's why the first Pokémon game was so good imo, it was original, and the ones following became less and less original, because they were inspired by the previous games (and this doesn't only go for Pokémon, but also movies, like Shrek). It is extremely hard to think of something entirely original because of this, I think they made an okay attempt. Your ideas will always be inspired by something you read or saw, and even if you can't recall it, it will be in your subconscious.

 

[Sirius Black]

I would have to say that this is a restart beacause if you notice pokemon used to be based of animals, creatures, and Programs in porygons case now it looks as if they are just copying what they did back in 1998 - 2000 and trying to make them look better i guess Anybody else got some ideas?

 

[Mew~]

Bleh. From what I see, we probably have all these similar Pokémon because it's far off. Or probably the other way round. If these Pokémon were native in previous generations, then they would just seem pointless, I mean they're practically the same Pokémon with different designs. Game Freak were probably running out of ideas. xDDD;

I wouldn't exactly call it a restart. I just don't think that fits. But I can't really explain much more, I'm not that good with wording, it'll look confusing. I just guess every new games gotta have something different and new, so it doesn't seem so repetitive. idk. Ignore that last bit.

 

[Simmy93]

A restart.. Just look at all those who need to be traded.. They evolve at 25 then trade.. Pidove is pidgey etc.. I think B&W was meant to be a new generation FOR a new generation of players.

 

[Zelda]

So now you ponder...
|: Besides Pokemon, are there any other things you may have noticed in-game that you think are reflective of the notion that Black and White are only re-branding the past games rather than starting over anew?

Spoiler:

I guess if you count the Pikachu hedges from Striaton City's garden and the Pikachu tent in Nimbasa, those are two things that I've noticed reflect off of the other games. Then again I may be wrong, since Pikachu is the mascot and they may have just added those things in because of that. I haven't really noticed anything else that relates to past games and whatnot, or at least at this minute I can't remember any.

Edit: Oh! I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but they've remixed some of the soundtracks from previous games (take a look at the Elite Four music for example. Part of RSE's E4 track has been remixed in it) for Black and White. That also removes another part of Black and White being so new and different from other generations.

|: Do you feel that by having similar Pokemon it makes it easier for older players to associate with the games better or do you feel that this makes it easier for criticism to be thrown at the Unova Pokemon by not living up to the standards of the past Pokemon?

Honestly there are always going to be the ones that will compare and critique the Pokémon that resemble past ones or are based off of them, and there will be the ones that don't really care and judge off of whatever they really have a weakness in (ie - design, stats, movepool). The Pokémon in this generation really had it bad I guess so it's pretty easier in both cases.

|: Which Unova Pokemon do you think are most similar to the past generation Pokemon and why? Would you like to see evolution links between them somehow someday?

The only Pokémon I could see having an evolution link with is Alomomola and Luvdisc. Otherwise Bouffalant looks pretty similar to Tauros although they are two different species. It's really only the designs that bring similarity to the other Pokémon. Stat-wise, I never really payed attention to in similarity.

And now the big question: Do you think the games are a new beginning for Pokemon, or a restart of what we already had?

A entirely brand new beginning? No, not really. There are many things similar to the past games with this region and it doesn't give off that brand new feeling with it. However there are minor differences that give off a new start for generations, like the fact that there are no previous Pokémon obtainable until after you've beaten the Elite Four the first time around.

 

[Simmy93]

I -hated- that they included the pikachu bushes and pikachu balloon thing.. It was meant to be a whole new region, there is a pikachu replacement that could have been used. Blergh!

 

[Kevin]

Not a entirely new beginning, nah.

It was more like a restart... And I'd say Bouffalant and Tauros look the most alike.

They should've had Emolga tents and stuff instead of Pikachu.

 

[Faolan]

Well, when you think about it, I guess it does match.

 

[PlatinumDude]

I'd say that B/W is more of a restart because of how the older Pokemon can be obtained/battled with after you get the National Dex.

 

[GlitchCity]

To me it's more of a reboot, like how Kling is the new Magnemite. I think it's nice, especially for the kids who are just starting off on pokemon like my little sister for example.

 

[Hikamaru]

I agree with PlatinumDude, Black & White is basically a restart and revamp of the entire series.

 

[Satoshi Ookami]

Pretty much agree with everything mentioned here =)
BW generation is practically generation 1 in new colors =)
And must I add that 1st and 5th gen anime are very similar? :D

 

[shengar]

I called it like fresh start, or re-start of the series.
It may be bring us something fresh after all with the new Pokemon or something, but there is one downside with this fresh start: there are huge holes left with previous generation that always bothering me.

• Incomplete line of Kangaskhan and Chansey. We don't have a baby and male version of Kangaskhan and this is very disturbing. We also doesn't have male of version of Chansey

• Not all part of Japan are covered in the game. All regions before Unnova are based on perfecture of Japan, but there's still some area not yet covered. This makes me confused how to called the collective regions of 1,2,3,and 4

Will all those things I stated above solved after fresh start of the series upon next generation? I doubt it. Kangaskhan will never have it baby form nor it male form.

 

[Oryx]

I think that Gamefreak was trying to appeal to both groups of people here - the young kids who have never played Red/Blue, so to them, this is brand new, and the people that have, so to them, this is nostalgic. That's why there are direct parallels but they're not exactly the same, because the younger kids won't notice the parallels but the older kids will love them. Or that's my assumption as to their mindset.

Of course this isn't entirely new. You start in a small town that just happens to be at the "beginning" of the region, get a starter, travel through various towns including an oceanside town and a busy town, to get to the Elite Four. All of that hasn't changed, the basic formula.

 

[Perriechu]

To be honest I think the games were a restart. Most of the Pokemon compare to the Gen I Pokemon.

These games feel like complete revamps of Red/Blue/Yellow and that's good, to be honest since it could attract nostalgia freaks. The anime for Black and White is also very similar to the anime of that of the 1st generation.

 

[Pokemon Trainer Touko]

I think it's probably because Game freak ran out of ideas? xD;

Oh and :: Cynthia from Undella town and the Team rocket person in Castelia city (or was it Raimon city?), Caitlin from DPPt and the Pikachu balloon in the Raimon city.

 

[vaporeon7]

I think it's probably because Game freak ran out of ideas? xD;

Oh and :: Cynthia from Undella town and the Team rocket person in Castelia city (or was it Raimon city?), Caitlin from DPPt and the Pikachu balloon in the Raimon city.

Yep they have run out of ideas.

They are obviously using this idea of not having previous new Pokemon as an excuse to copy the ideas of previously successful Pokemon. I wouldn't have minded as much if Audino was the male version of Chansey, Alomomola was the evolution of Luvdisc, etc. But they're not and they are just easy clones.

 

[Chary]

I think that Gamefreak was trying to appeal to both groups of people here - the young kids who have never played Red/Blue, so to them, this is brand new, and the people that have, so to them, this is nostalgic. That's why there are direct parallels but they're not exactly the same, because the younger kids won't notice the parallels but the older kids will love them. Or that's my assumption as to their mindset.

Of course this isn't entirely new. You start in a small town that just happens to be at the "beginning" of the region, get a starter, travel through various towns including an oceanside town and a busy town, to get to the Elite Four. All of that hasn't changed, the basic formula.

Yes, exactly. The older players can see the similarities, and look back on it, but they can also enjoy a new experience. And for the new players, they get to have a modern twist on R/B/G/Y, even if they didn't play the first games