Pokémon’s Unova Region: United Through Diversity

This is the fourth of a four-part series analyzing my favourite Pokemon regions - Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova!
Johto analysis: • Pokémon’s Johto Region...
Hoenn analysis: • Pokémon’s Hoenn Region...
Sinnoh analysis: • The Greatest Triumph o...
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Twitter: / aleczandxr
Twitch: / aleczandxr
MyAnimeList: myanimelist.net...
Patreon: / aleczandxr
Side channel: / ajgdude
In case you'd like to make a donation into my tip jar: www.paypal.me/a...
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I usually list all the music used in the video, but this one was too long for that. If you'd like to know the name of a song used in the video, just ask in the comments!
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SOURCES:
Link to chuggaaconroy’s channel: / chuggaaconroy
Footage used: • Pokémon Black & White ...
Link to Bulbapedia: bulbapedia.bul...
VIllage Bridge Song arrangement taken from here: • Pokemon Black/White Mu...
Thumbnail made by Oceaniz: / oceaniz96

[@Aleczandxr]

This is the fourth of a four-part series analyzing my favourite Pokemon regions - Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova! Johto analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIXThGlog7eHd5o Hoenn analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIqtiaGCYtl3j7c Sinnoh analysis: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGTIqJSNabikhtU With regards to this specific video - the first few minutes consists of the first time I recorded using my new mic. There are already multiple videos from the past couple of months that have been recorded using it, but the beginning of this video was my first time using it. As a result, along with my being slightly sick when recording, you may feel like the commentary sounds a bit different. That will correct itself after the first bit of the video, however, as I got more comfortable with the mic as I went on. Additionally, I meant to say “climatic” at 8:07, not “climactic.” Also, last thing is that you’re gonna have to forgive me for any mistakes I made for the pronunciation of some of the towns - Generation 5 has always been a bit tough for me in that regard and I double-checked the ones I was least sure about but I’m pretty sure I still made some mistakes, haha. Hope you enjoy regardless!

[@pox9127]

Have you played the yakuza games?

[@justmyopinion79]

@@pox9127 He hasn't

[@LukeSkywalker-zv3xy]

Bro I thought it was only a 3 parter but I ain’t complaining

[@mat7409]

Not watching this video cus pokemon bores me, but nice thumbnail 👍

[@limb.dondototohasstartedso7288]

Your the best you tuber.

[@doomstaff8506]

Gen 5 is a clear cut example on how pixel art and 2D sprite animations are still great and can hold up fine no matter how modern things are.

[@alter6243]

I don't want to sound like one of those 3D pokemon haters but I think pokemon looked so much better in pixel. The colors especially in the later gens were amazing. The 3D models feel so drowned out in my opinion. I remember watching my brother player emerald when it came out and being so amazed by the moving sprite at the start of a battle. Black and White, especially on the DSi, look so amazing. The pokemon feel so alive. They mastered pixel art to just never use it again... it's such a shame. I'd kill for a new pixel pokemon game.

[@user-iy3ig4zr7d]

@@alter6243 you're not wrong to feel that way. the colors for the 3d games do feel off and lackluster. and the Pokémon themselves aren't very animated either

[@gabrielfreitas3033]

@@user-iy3ig4zr7d Your entire sentence is incorrect, but go off I guess

[@Sacred_Sword]

@@gabrielfreitas3033 What the hell do you mean that entire sentence is incorrect? That sentence is 100% correct. The 3D models in the 3D Pokemon games look like garbage. It's why I think X&Y are the worst games in the series. Not only did the models look bad but it ruins what the Gen 5 games mastered. That being sprite art.

[@justanotherweirdo11]

@@gabrielfreitas3033 No I agree. The 3d models colors were more muted till gen 8. And I get not really liking the idle animations. Not much going on. Less dynamic then the pixel art was.

[@art3me]

I've always viewed Black City as a more corrupt version of Castelia - a large city, instead of being based on love and harmony, is based on greed. It's an interesting take, especially since it's such a futuristic city. I imagine that the people there became so enveloped in advancing, they simply forgot the values of the rest of the region. A darker version of Opelucid and Castelia. As for White Forest, it's the exact opposite. It's incredibly similar to both the Abundant Shrine, and Opelucid - living with nature, the people here value the past and remember their roots. Both of these ideas are covered in other cities, but I feel like Black City and White Forest tie the ideas presented throughout the region together in different ways, which is nice.

[@treesaregreen]

(1:04:50) coz im late i'm gonna add my response to yours @_@ there's an answer in 1:20:57 "I will seperate Pokemon and people, and black and white will be clearly distinct!" White forest represents the world that N envisioned, where pokemon are set free / Return to Nature. Black City represents the world that N was 'fighting against', as Ghetsis taught/ingrained the idea that humans are all selfish and *greedy* into young N's head.(radicalizing him) (1:03:31) This is the black and white world view that N was given; that pokemon are good and humanity is evil.(extremism) This ties into the global theme of nature vs technology of which sometimes man is on the side of nature, or technology, or inbetween. in this case, man is depicted on the side of technology, using mechanical contraptions(pokeballs) to enslave a different species. thus, evil=technology=humanity. good=nature=pokemon. by interacting with the main char. N learns to percieve the depth of the world (that not all people are evil. and accepting different ideas), moving on from his black and white world view. then entrusting the main char. to find the middle ground between people and pokemon. in a sense, we are to look at the last city in each of the games and judge for ourselves; in which direction would we prefer humanity and all the animals on the earth to go towards? the better answer, provided by N/the plot, is to look at the pros and cons of either side, and to take note of their emotions ...to collect all the different truths and ideals and merge them into a balanced future.(the same way reshiram and zekrom were part of the same origin) so in terms of those 2 city's and the games themes; a future that preserves aspects of nature & technology responcibly. I think the authors observed New York & the rest of the US very carefully, thus reaching prophetic levels of accuracy when it comes to an important message for america today. with the amount of political radicalization taking place on both sides of the spectrum, it's becoming more and more common for people to hold a black and white world view like N did. "I need power... Power enough to make anyone agree with me" - N (course, ideological radicalization happens all around the world, it's just seems to be specifically distinct in america.) i didn't consciously notice or understand the thematic depth when i played this as a kid. great vid bby alez

[@emmanuelibarra6111]

Black city; wallstreet. White forest; central park.

[@pinkraven7043]

Part of me thinks that if the reception to Unova wasn’t so initially split, then GameFreak would’ve been more willing to take the same risks in the later Gens. B/W didn’t just try to have a good story and new gimmicks, it tried to improve Pokémon as a whole. People complained about the restricted “Unova Only until Post-Game” PokeDex but I LOVED that idea and it’s something I wished they still did. I think it may help make production easier if they can just focus on new Pokémon and only keep the more popular older ones for Post Game. Though, I also know that’s just my wishful thinking and there’s no good “satisfy everyone” solution to fix the overwhelming PokeDex issue for future Gens. Still is kinda funny that it took years after B&W and B&W2 for many fans to be more accepting of to. Or maybe it’s cause people’s vitriol shifted to X/Y and then they realized “oh snap maybe Gen 5 wasn’t that bad after all.”

[@nahte123456]

In fairness Gen 5 does have problems, notably it can get to dense at times to the point of annoyance, it's just that general direction is what a lot of fans do want just not in the same way.

[@Fabiocean2000]

Due to it being so different, many felt a whiplash when playing it, but after 2 or 3 more of these kinds of Pokémon games, people would have grown to love it, as well as Gamefreak refining the new formula. It would be better than the half-assed games we got recently at the very least.

[@nahte123456]

@@michaelyu6250 I didn't mean it like that so I'll explain my point of view. During the middle and latter half's of the main story you fall into this patter of Rival, walk 3 steps, other rival, walk, Plasma, gym. There's not a lot of breathing room to just catch and train mons, which for other RPG's is fine as they would be story and character driven with rather set ways of leveling up, but in Pokémon it throws the entire pace off. I'm using ma mono-bug team so I need to grind for an hour to beat a specific trainer as the game tries to funnel me into another 'important' battle, it throws the entire pace off. If you look at fans talking about the game this isn't a rare critiscim either, I remember Summoning Salt did a video about the story in all the main games and they had a similar complaint that in Gen's 5 and 6 there so many important characters it doesn't feel like you can do anything on your own. Of course everyone is open to there own takes on it, I know some people like the more story focused feel.

[@darknessknows1235]

@@nahte123456 tbf though, S/M and Sw/Sh also have a pretty good amount of stops, it's just by Gen 8 you have the Wild Area to add to the lack of cutscenes between routes so after the initial town it feels like there's less interruptions.

[@nahte123456]

@@darknessknows1235 Sure I can agree with that but just because something is done a lot doesn't make it good. Honestly I think, as cliché as it may feel, R/B/Y have the best story in the main series for not having lots of plot or 'gods' to bog everything down where it doesn't belong(With Gen 3 coming next although having literal gods kind of puts a downer on things, trying to breed a good Wailord to fight the Elite 4 with because you can't stop me doesn't feel right when the world is ending). You can get away with that in something like Mystery Dungeon(by God I love Mystery Dungeon Explorers Of Sky), but in the main series where catching and raising your mons is literally the entire marketing campaign less is more.

[@madambutterfly1997]

The yin and yang dynamic of this gen was intriguing to me.

[@Graysett]

When this came out when I was a teen I thought the idea of "Truth" VS "Ideals" was a really boring one, but I just didn't get it at the time. Now that I'm closer to my 30's than my 20's I have a much bigger appreciation for it, and it's only made my love of Gen 5 grow even further. The moment I "got it" was when I saw it explained as "How things are" (truth/action) VS "How things could('ve) be(en)" (ideals/intent).

[@michaelromano611]

@@Graysett its kinda like The Archer vs Shirou Of The Pokemon World. Archer is The Realist While Shirou is The Idealist Archer is Reshiram While Shirou is Zekrom

[@ryannixon4138]

I say it once, I'll say it again: Gen 5 was the PEAK of everything gen 1-4 was leading up to

[@justmyopinion79]

Soul Silver was the best

[@Saku_607]

I remember when black and white used to be the most hated Gen but now the people who grew up playing the black and white games are older and all of a sudden the popular opinion is that Gen 5 is the best lol

[@remuj6457]

@@Saku_607 that exactly what seems to be happening lmao.

[@Jdudec367]

Eh...considering how different it was from prior games, they weren't all leading up to gen 5.

[@Jdudec367]

@@Saku_607 They were still mostly pretty loved.

[@zigludosama]

I never thought I'd see the day. BW are such special games to me, and especially their sequels. Thanks for this!

[@Aleczandxr]

You’re welcome!

[@yushaare]

Same

[@kristofgriffin384]

Back around 2010 or 2011, my love for Pokemon started to dwindle because I thought Generation 4 will the end of the series. Mostly because half of the Pokemon introduced were evolutions and pre-evolutions of older Pokemon, making it feel like a finale end to the series. Not to mention I've grown tired of seeing Generation 4 stuff for so many years. As a result, I dropped it and didn't hadn't payed any attention to Pokemon for a year. That's when I accidentally discovered the existence of Generation 5, the 156 new Pokemon, the Unova region, the Gym Leaders, the games, and anime, and I was blown away by it! After years of seeing Generation 4 related stuff made the series grow stale in my eyes, Generation 5 reinvigorated my love and interest for the franchise. Every new Pokemon felt like a breath of fresh air, and way more unique than the ones previous four Generations. I loved them so much that I bought a spiral, Math notebook and for the entirety of my Summer Vacation I drew every single Unova Pokemon, from Victini to Genesect on each and every page. Years later, I was finally able to play the Generation 5 games, with my first choice being Black. To this day, Black version and its sequel remains my favorite games in the entire franchise.

[@OshawottLuke]

I love your story!

[@SpectreBagels]

Do you consider White 2 the sequel to Black?

[@itsjustme6334]

This is such a heartwarming story! Thank you for sharing. My Pokemon burnout matched up to yours and, for me, Pokemon White got me hyped for the franchise again, I really cherish Unova for that.

[@moosesues8887]

Nitro man

[@tylersoto7465]

I love Unova region and it's techno culture if I could live in the Unova region and settle down after defeating elite four I would live Nimbasa city it's vibrant, upbeat, techno and alive , I would build a electric power plant using my Zekrom making good money selling all that electricity to the whole region and with all that Energy Unova would have development and business going up causing a thriving economy and society etc lol 😎🌆🎶⚡🎸

[@thebeavpercabethftw9604]

Top 4 Regions being Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. "Ah, I see you are a man of culture as well."

[@easschung9442]

No other choice really, maybe Alola

[@mcfuckinanotheraccount808]

@@easschung9442 Heeeeell nooooo, dafuq

[@easschung9442]

@@mcfuckinanotheraccount808 ?

[@houndnobleman876]

@@easschung9442 Alola is great, but the game holds your hand way too much.

[@easschung9442]

@@houndnobleman876 I agree, that's why it isn't quite as good as the others despite the culture and lore being cool. It just isn't very fun to traverse.

[@rjthepoet500]

The music is consistently energetic and BOPPING - that has me weak because it’s true 😂

[@keylime275]

I may be reading way too much into this, but I can't help but notice how N's sprite animation at the beginning of his battles is him going from crossed arms to open arms, similar to how he changes in his character arc- from refusing to understand others' opinions, to becoming more open minded and seeing both sides of the situation.

[@stevenpeeckford5999]

It works! Def valid

[@lillith7257]

I dont think that's reading into it too much Very likely to be intentional There's a ton of subtle shifts elsewhere

[@joshuab3918]

I'm really happy to see someone putting the spotlight on the Unova region. Each town has a distinct theme and purpose, and feels like each place is somewhere people could work and live

[@thomasthetankengine5412]

Gen 5 was my introduction to the Pokémon Series my mom and dad took me to the game stop at the mall and told me I could pick a game, Pokémon X and Y was out but I didn’t have a 3DS so I picked White. I still remember vividly picking Oshawatt as my starter. My nostalgia might make me biased but in my opinion this is the best generation in the series with the richest story and best characters

[@mcfuckinanotheraccount808]

My favorite is Emerald and it's the one I started but I agree Gen 5 is the best

[@Drakenwild]

Yeah, it is. Gen 5 is Pokemon at it's most refined, at the peak, then it all went downhill.

[@sharkythegw7843]

You heard it here first! Thomas the Tank Engine approves of Gen 5!

[@insertnamehere658]

I disagree. I'd say gen 4 is the best. Platinum and HGSS are top 3. BW2 are in top 3 too. Also, I don't like the oshawott line. I like dewott's design and oshawott's cute (but I personally think it's annoying because of the anime). Samurott is just bad. Both in design and in the games themselves. I don't like to factor in the pokemon's actual viability but samurott is just... underwhelming. It got completely overshadowed by haxorus and sand rush excadrill.

[@a.x.x8184]

@@insertnamehere658 Gen 4 is literally trash. The dex itself has ugly mfrs & objects ranging from Bells, Mirriors, Tongue, Mustache with a nose, Balloons, Cherries, Cascoon line, Fat & literal ugly cats, Butt faced skunks, Pile of vines, a bigger magnet ect. Also the Water starter Empoleon is trash from everything, and it’s design of wearing a Tuxedo with a fork on its face is disgusting makes it to humanoid. As for the story Gen 4 again was trash. Cyrus and team galactic are the dumbest mfrs out there. Imagine a team helping a Hurt man try & make a world without human spirit for only there boss, like that’s the dumbest climax I ever seen. The Sinnoh region is a literal Ugly Mud Triangle with Ugly mud and snowy cities that make the region look dull & lifeless (aside from a FEW towns like Florama). The music was mediocre & legit Gen 2 but remixed especially the Trainer and wild battles they’re so identical. The anime has a literal Rip off Silver (being Paul) The Characters aside from Dawn, Cynthia, Rowan, Team galactic and Cyrus are not memorable at all worst cast. Shall I go on? Stop acting like Gen 4 is the best when it’s literally the worst. Nothing about it was unique or original just A add on to Johto & Kanto. Wack.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

I started my Pokémon journey with Black & White.

[@juliapimentel4208]

Same! :)

[@Maartun]

I started with pokemon red in 1999

[@dandyman2182]

Even though it may be a late start to the series its an amazing game to start with honestly gen 5 is my favorite and I started with gen 1 but it is what it is people can hate on trubbish and vanilite but gen 5 was the shit

[@alter6243]

@@dandyman2182 I showed Trubbish and Vanillite to my girlfriend who never really played pokemon growing up and she actually thought they were cute lol. I think is one of those things where people are looking for things to complain about where there isn't. Gen 3 was my introduction with Ruby and then pokemon mystery dungeon. Gen 5 was amazing and out of all the games its probably the only one I actually still pay attention to on replays. Music was great, game looked amazing, pokemon looked the best and most alive they ever have, good story, and especially B2W2 had great post game.

[@dandyman2182]

@@alter6243 i actually love the vanilite evo line most people complain its just an ice cream pokemon but in the lore of pokemon they based iscream off vanilite and yeah people act like there weren't any bad pokemon in gen one cx like who tf uses goldean over any other water type cx or tangela before tangrowth

[@midsummerdream2957]

I thought I was ready to leave Pokemon behind until Black/White. I was emotionally invested in this high stakes story, and I loved the Unova region high energy, vibrancy, and diversity.

[@kurovisuals4272]

I literally finished my replay through of black yesterday and the farewell scene of n is so emotional him saying he couldn’t understand either Pokémon or human and how we’ve influenced him is touching

[@lazarlemajic4926]

Favorite gen for me. So much love for the cast in both parts and their stories. Visuals are the best in the series and soundtrack is just out of this world. N's development and views on certain points in pokemon world made games more interesting in a more complex way which would really be explored in real world which is even more of a reason to play it over and over again and never get bored of it.

[@Hufflepuff528]

I’ve wanted to see a high quality video of someone breaking down the regions in both story and geography for so long, thank you for doing it ❤️

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed them! It was a delight to make them as well.

[@maazhaque7758]

These two games are my favorite games of all time, and it is not even close. By introducing a great new cast of Pokemon, a region outside of Japan with so much depth, a very solid evil organization, a masterfully executed story, and so much more, there is no reason Gen 5 became the greatest generation.

[@WhispererRubyLP]

The meaning of Unovas Japanese name just made me realize why the region is called „Einall“ here in Germany. Because it’s the german words for „one“ and „all“ Never thought about that before. how cool

[@bigeoof1804]

Man I love these comprehensive looks at the Pokémon regions. It’s so nice to find the words that I wish I had when I played them as a kid and see new ideas which I hadn’t thought of.

[@vengarlof7033]

Black and white 2 are my second favourite entries behind heart gold/soul silver. Just so much to do and the return at a later time period means you get to meet some people after their character growth

[@t0mmi576]

Same

[@houndnobleman876]

This was a pleasant surprise. Black/White 2 are the best in the series (in terms of options, difficulty and playtime, in my opinion) and Black/White are quite memorable. With the PWT, the White Tree, the subway and so many legendaries, I have never restarted Black 2. I honestly think they're the peak of the series.

[@raro991]

I love these video essays that describes the region in great details. As a kid, I really enjoy the different atmosphere each town depicts in Black & White, besides the completely new 151 Pokemon. You describes my feeling regarding Lacunosa Town and Undella Town perfectly

[@dandytv1510]

156 New Pokemon actually. 5 more than Kanto.

[@jkn2448]

Literally found my DS at the bottom of a drawer the other day and restarted a Pokémon black game, what timing

[@mikann9441]

NO WAY- An hour and a half video by one of the best youtubers about my Favourite Pokemon Generation???!!!! Christmas came early!!

[@convergeman7825]

Maybe Black City and White Forest openly challenge the player's ability to accept the NPCs' one-sided viewpoints, that might be opposed to their own? I guess it just so happens that a lot of players, including myself, are more likely to be opposed to the viewpoints of pure ambition and greed (or just the desire for a fast-paced lifestyle) presented in Black City, but I can still respect the people that may be drawn to these themes and view them positively.

[@tylersoto7465]

I prefer black city just love the cyberpunk aesthetic black stone look to it and it's another Cosmopolis city for me to explore and enjoy 😎, I love Unova region and it's techno culture if I could live in the Unova region and settle down after defeating elite four I would live Nimbasa city it's vibrant, upbeat, techno and alive , I would build a electric power plant using my Zekrom making good money selling all that electricity to the whole region and with all that Energy Unova would have development and business going up causing a thriving economy and society etc lol 😎🌆🎶⚡🎸

[@lillith7257]

Well it's a neat idea story wise it works very rt well However gameplay wise it kinda ruins it White forest gets exclusive pokemon That's going to draw players more than a few items would

[@gbadspcps2]

Someone should hire you as a tour guide, you bring out the best in everything.

[@Aleczandxr]

LOL thank you

[@papaya6095]

Pokémon Black and White, the Pokémon game that asks you why you catch Pokémon

[@liaminator4950]

This has such pleasant vibes, definitely warrants several rewatches! Thank you for this

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy it again upon rewatch.

[@gonzalodiaz9326]

23:20 One of the coziest places in gaming history.

[@swaghaha3546]

One could say “Unova-cation”

[@ZoroarkPrinceEbony]

I didnt expect this to be a four parter, but really glad to see your views on Unova Region itself. Really fond of the Gen 5 games since this was the time it brought me back to Pokemon. Truly was a beautiful experience.

[@soccerstuff8071]

It isn't a four parter about Unova. This is the last part of the Pokemon region video series, with this video the four parter is done

[@ZoroarkPrinceEbony]

@@soccerstuff8071 What I meant to say he originally was only going to cover only 3 of his favorite Pokemon Region. So didnt know he doing the 4th Region since I thought Johto was the last one

[@Christoph8]

This could pass as a college or university paper, it’s so good!

[@MrMisfortune]

I usually play videos in the background while I do other things, but I love Gen 5 so much that I couldn't get my eyes off of this video. Gen 5 took what the previous generations did and decided to discard it and do its own thing, it's beautifully experimental and its payoff I still think is the moment Pokemon peaked as a franchise. The standoff between both the player and N, both having Legendary Dragons, ready to have the duel of the millennia, with my favorite music track in the history of Pokemon. I can't say a single thing wrong with BW's final chapter and it floors me with emotion everytime. Thanks for making this video, your passion for this franchise gleams through every retrospective of the generations.

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure, thanks so much for checking out these Pokemon videos. They were really a joy to make.

[@P0rk_Sinigang]

Remember that one guy who posted a video about how much he loved Reshiram? What a time to be alive.

[@ultima1033]

Huh, guess the lyrics to the BW anime theme were pretty spot on. "It's not always black and white"

[@rook7792]

This video made me fall in love with the unova region all over again. Thank you so much!

[@Aleczandxr]

You're very welcome, thanks for checking it out!

[@yokoverse]

big ups to chuggaa for all of the in-game footage!

[@KenjuStorm]

wow, thanks for this. I've never played like 98% of pokemon games but your talk of differences and acceptance really hit me. I had been pondering a long time about that sort of thing. "Even though it would be the noble thing to accept the thoughts of other, doesn't that just minimizes the views and values of your own if you accept EVERYTHING? If everything is equal, then doesn't that mean that there is no meaning to anything at all? Grey and neutrality just seem so useless," That's how I thought, but your video kinda gave me kind of an awakening in that they all may have their own unique meaningfulness

[@andrewharris1344]

Gen 5 was my first and favorite generation currently. I love how in depth this region is and how much you can see through the design and story and even some of the Pokémon the origins looking like they’re should be in different regions but live happily together. Also what an aspect I like about gen 5 and onwards stories is even though they are bombastic the character face pretty down to earth issues and trying to give positive morals in life, along with the villains “trying” to add some depth I hope in gen 9 we get a story on par or better because even being aimed at kids that should no hinder quality as Pokémon is for All ages.

[@GynxShinx]

Beautiful. My favorite game ever made, my favorite story ever written, and now my favorite movie is this video on youtube.

[@Victini0510]

I wish I could properly express how much I love these videos. They are audio-visual ambrosia. I've watched the whole playlist so many times, on sunny days out in the mountains and lonely nights, depressed in bed. Thank you for these.

[@Aleczandxr]

It’s my pleasure, hope you continue to enjoy :)

[@XYZCruncher]

Really hyped for this, your commentaries really helped influence my own reviews of the pokemon games

[@Aleczandxr]

Hope you enjoyed!

[@XYZCruncher]

@@Aleczandxr I did! Your delivery and writing is always on point, I hope I can reach your level of quality one day :D

[@braydenharalson2838]

Thank you for doing my first game, and favorite Pokémon game justice. I love the way you realize each tasteful area of the region and the story it conveys.

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure! Very glad you enjoyed it.

[@celrokproduction]

Best gen by far. The ost, the plot and the gameplay too! Like the presentation of the fight with the sounds used like the glass breaking when you fight legendary pokemon, sounds when the ability notification pop-up when you fight, pokemon screams, ect... Excellent presentation. Character dev at its peak with real rivals. Best gen for sure followed by Silver/Gold et Sun/Moon

[@F.H.B.]

Unova was always my favorite region, the way they decided to do something diffrent from the set formula which was a trided and true method. They always put in a bunch of lovely gold nuggets, like the amazing amount of mythicals or limiting the pokedex to only Unova. The winter opening up new areas was always so cool imo when I was a kid.

[@cayder7485]

IVE AWAITED THIS MOMENT FOR SO LONG

[@horsebox5138]

Man your videos are always so good

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you!

[@cxremepuff]

seeing someone talk so in depth about games that are so dear to my heart brought me to actual tears. thank you for all your hard work :)

[@Aleczandxr]

You’re very welcome!

[@bextone4002]

I’ve been rewatching all of your Pokémon videos over the last two days and now this drops. A little drop of synchronicity.

[@RatedY2J92v3]

This video spoke to me a lot. Because when this game originally came out, I enjoyed it for what it was but it was also my least favorite region for a long time. It wasn’t until years later where I really started to appreciate everything about it. Great work with this video.

[@lobsterofdoom6]

I have been blessed.i mean,a 1 hour 22 minute aleczandxr video that not only talks about pokemon,but about gen 5?!I'm having a fucking heart attack.ill watch this video with great pleasure.thank you alexzandxr you just made my day,my week,my month,my year,my decade.now bye I gotta watch this big boi.

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure! Hope you enjoy it!

[@RyeBreadFF]

I was waiting for this one and I already know I won’t be disappointed lol

[@johnpaulcross424]

OH BABY LET’S GO, BEST REGION FINALLY GOT ITS DESERVED VIDEO ESSAY

[@Tommaay]

This is such an neat suprise! Thank you for making a video about my favorite region!

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure!

[@MistyShnekin]

this analysis makes me so unbelievably happy you have no idea

[@damonplay8185]

Sinnoh was my first generation and deals with subject matter that still strongly interests me now years later. But in contrast to Black and White and their sequels I don't feel like I was "too young" to experience it back then. Maybe because the story is more fantastical and bombastic and less philosophical and intimate as it is in Black and White but I feel like replaying Black and White now that I'm much older would provide me with a very different experience compared to my first playthrough years ago. Personal sentiments aside this was a great video. I always enjoy these extensive explorations of Pokemon regions. Truly a joy!

[@Aleczandxr]

Glad you enjoyed, thanks for checking it out!

[@lilily7781]

Unova has a very special place in my heart, when I started working I bought a DS and Pokemon White, I picked Pokemon White cause I knew that N would get the opposite so for me, personally, thought it fitted N more the "truth" and the player the "ideal". This video really brought memories from when I played it, I had to get used to the new Pokemon but eventually got used to the designs, it had been a while I got very invested in the story and by the end, when Ghetsis reveals his real plan, I really wanted to beat him up not only for being a scum but for what he did to N, I recall the battle was quite difficult but managed to beat him. And that bit of N and the player walking got me, I felt very sorry for N and I didn't want him to go but at the same time it felt fitting for him to leave and see things with his own eyes now knowing the other "truth". What I wanted though, was a reencounter between the player and N in the post-game or in the second game.

[@jujusberry]

gen 5’s so underrated that it hurts, the anime butchered it so hard but i can’t really blame them; trying to fit hours and hours of game story in a few minutes per episode is REALLY tough but god. i highly recommend playing the game if you really wanna get into the story

[@Rain87166]

everyone just reviewing the best pokemon game in the series years later love it

[@NixFaerie]

shocked how little you touched ont he environmental storytelling done through the POKEMON themselves. It's not as big and important, but even N's last pokemon teams in BW and BW2 is very thematic where he possesses pokemon who don't really have any place int he world (fossil pokemon, manmade pokemon, pokemon who can only survive in certain seasons and disappear most of the year/when their habitat is destroyed) and the pokemon you can find in routes almost all carry important implications for the route their in compared to past and future games where there's usually only one or two pokemon highlighted on specific routes. Even the pokemon you can catch in the region all have heavy storytelling tied to them there aren't really any "filler" pokemon.

[@Aleczandxr]

I didn't mention that because I don't personally buy into that reasoning as substantial enough to mention as a point of thematic weight. Him capturing and releasing local Pokemon was mentioned because there's clear and obvious intent behind that writing decision, in contrast (IMO). It's an interesting observation that you mention for sure, but I've never seen enough of a connection there to merit mentioning in Black and White. And like I stated, this video was only about Black and White, not BW2, so naturally I wouldn't mention anything from those sequel games.

[@dandytv1510]

My favorite games in the series are the first B/W. As a veteran fan it felt like a breath of fresh air.

[@vehicledestroyer]

Gonna love listening to this at work tomorrow. Great work as always my dude

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks!

[@jimmyichigo7410]

I want to vacation in Unova.

[@zuluthesecond]

When you thought AJ was done making Pokémon vids and then hits you with an hour long video 🙃😂

[@ShadowCD624]

I've played Pokemon since its very inception and this generation stands above all of them easily. Every one after it has yet to fill the enormous shoes it left behind. I've always loved how it forced you to learn the advantages and disadvantages of all the new Pokemon, putting even veterans of the series at nearly square one. It felt like exactly what the single-player needed at the time. Its graphics were such an improvement over the last generation too, despite it being on the same hardware. I feel like a lot of people still think it shares an art style with DPP when there's a huge emphasis on both verticality in terms of map design and bright pastels in terms of color design when compared to gen 4.

[@FizzyGoldTing]

Black and white 2 was my first and favorite Pokémon everything about it I loved, the music, the pokemon designs, the story and more I love it so much

[@kimi9844]

This was such a beautiful video, thanks for taking the time to make this

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure! Thanks for checking it out.

[@rashrasha921]

Gen 5 is the game that made me a pokemon fanatic. I’m glad people finally see why the games were so fantastic

[@Clovercakez]

When trying to come up with an explanation for Black City and White Forest I came up with a bit of a far fetched one. “Truth” is Black City, as the world is greedy. “Ideals” is White Forest, as we wish the world wasn’t so self oriented.

[@francis7336]

"i already loved gen 5 back in the days" squad where u at

[@SMAnthonyW]

I love these analyses so much

[@Boyd2342]

You said you weren't going to make another region analysis yet here we are!

[@Aleczandxr]

I’m more surprised than anyone!

[@Skyehoppers]

This is such a cool and thoughtful essay on the games where (imo) the Pokemon series peaked. I'm not one of those sword/shield haters it just feels like Black and White were the first and last time the series was so ambitious and earnest in its storytelling. Going through Unova bit by bit to show how a region often accused of being disjointed is actually cohesive when considering the games' themes was really satisfying, and I'm really glad this video exists :)

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you! So happy that you enjoyed it.

[@Myers_Johan]

Always a pleasure to see your content brother, cheers 🙌🏼❤

[@Aleczandxr]

Much appreciated!

[@teo2805]

I never noticed but you really nailed it when you mention how the cities and environments look very disconnected from one another and the surrounding routes!

[@sewnmind1786]

Best gen, needs no remake. It was and still is that good.

[@clodmaww8250]

I think one of the coolest details in the game is the enforcement of the idea of yin and yang and making opposites stronger through contrast and acceptance through reshiram and zekroms signature moves, fusion flare and fusion bolt, where the moves become stronger if the other move was used directly beforehand

[@Blue-fe4by]

this is such a good video I'm glad unova is getting the recognition it deserves! This and Alola are my favorite regions...the worldbuilding and lore in these regions are so good yet so underrated

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Ironwill3004]

Criminally underrated channel. I really like the small-channel video essay vibe.

[@seemonuzumaki723]

249,000 subscribers is a small channel?!? Bruh

[@simongalka6453]

This video is a blessing

[@TheSdzfr]

I loved these series of yours. Thanks 😊😊

[@Aleczandxr]

My pleasure!

[@Adam-sh8vf]

It's implied that route 4 is a desert because the Volcarona the ancient civilization honored, and harbored, even as it's heat sufficated the land.

[@fauxyeahjandy]

This game does not get enough praise! It is beautifully made and amazing. My favorite Gen!

[@feartheoldblood7222]

Spemt the night outside ganestop when this came out. No midnight release, my buddies and i just brought sleeping bags, gameboys, and snacks and waited until the opened. Still got my copy of white today. :)

[@pircachupi4771]

I've always seen Black City and White Forest as being the representation of what happens when you take that game's theme to its farthest logical conclusion, stretching it as far as possible without any attempt at balancing it out. Let me explain. The theme of Black and White, to me, is about balance, and this strikes through with every aspect of the games. The main conflicts of the game are all about fighting to take one side of an issue as far as possible while pushing away any attempts at balance, and it's the protagonist's job to restore this balance. You talk a lot about this in the video, so I won't dwell too much on it, but it's important as a baseline of what Black City and White Forest mean. You talked about the version differences we see through the games in the cities themselves, such as the greenhouses versus open land, or the large difference in Opelucid city. These are the evidence that we see through the game of each individual version's theme - Pokemon White is about the past, nature, and tradition, while Pokemon Black is about the future, technology, and progress. This is exemplified really well in Opelucid City already - in White, the residents cling desperately onto the past while refusing to change or adapt to modern times and advancements, only to wish they had the conveniences that they so vehemently denied, while in Black, the residents rush blindly towards the future while refusing to remember where they came from and learn from their history, only to yearn for the simplicity and calmness that they threw away. This is meant to strengthen the game's themes of balance as a whole - we see what happens when we don't try to balance our lives, and see the sadness of the people who wish they'd done better. But Black City and White Forest take this theme of *imbalance* as far as it can go. In White, we find an open sprawling forest, teeming with wildlife, but with nowhere to live. No modern conveniences, people wandering about aimlessly, all in a trance believing that they've found perfection while doing nothing to improve their lives. In Black, we find an intensely urbanized city with no trace of wildlife, but everyone inside is corrupt. People live and die by money and power, and always want more and more, never satisfied and yet believing that this is the best life they could have. It's meant to show us what happens when we go beyond Opelucid's imbalance and push ourselves too far to go back. Too focused on the past and we find ourselves lost without any goals or ambitions. Too focused on the future and we find ourselves bogged down by responsibilities and constriction. And the saddest part is that there's not really any hope of change, and the protagonist can't do anything about it. Opelucid shows a hope for a better world as people still want to look forward/back, but just don't know how. Black City and White Forest is too far gone to change. What few people remain who are able to break free from the ideas they're surrounded by can't change the world around them. At best, the protagonist of another game can save them from the world that they hate and place them into one that suffers from the exact opposite problem, only for them to get swept up in the glory and perfection that they think they've found. It's scary, and it's meant to be a warning to us of what happens when we ignore those warnings that we saw before and press blindly on to a perfection that's worse than where we already are. Or at least, that's my take on what a version exclusive game mechanic meant to serve the entralink mechanic means for the greater story and themes of the games it's in. Who knows, it could just be a mechanic that's not meant to be anything, but I like digging deeper. Which is why I'm here watching your videos, after all.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you for sharing, I appreciate it! I suppose I feel a disconnect with this theme of differences between versions and progression/stagnation because in comparison to how the rest of the game (and the other Pokemon games) tackles its themes, this feels a bit less substantial and a tad underbaked. To me it feels primarily aesthetic and gimmicky aside from a small handful of NPCs that comment upon the difference - primarily the Opelucid ones. But I really appreciate this take and balance is undoubtedly a primary idea of the game so I do definitely see where you’re coming from. My issue was mostly that these thematic threads just feel like an add-on for some variation, but if their end point is BC and WF then it’s easy to see what the intent was. I suppose my main question for this interpretation would be the following - you mention that Black City and White Forest are meant to be a warning when those ideas are taken to unsavory extremes. I guess my only hang up with that is that I personally don’t see how the game criticizes anything about White Forest at all or implies that it is even all that negative. One can argue that Black City being so gross and greedy is an inherent criticism itself, but White Forest just comes off as a peaceful little burg to me, I don’t see any of that negative complexion you refer to in it. I don’t need my hand held by the story (hopefully that’s clear from the way I approach these videos) but I guess I’m looking for some sort of reference to that intent in the game, however minor. Otherwise I feel like I’d be leaning too much on vague subtext to buy into that interpretation. Do you have any ideas when it comes to that? (If you already mentioned some and I missed it, my apologies!) Either way, thanks again for sharing and elaborating. This is the exact sort of comment I was hoping for when I asked about this in that section of the video.

[@pircachupi4771]

​@@Aleczandxr Thanks for the response! I really enjoyed your analysis on these games, as well as the rest of the games, and wanted to share my interpretation of them. I definitely agree that BC and WF feel less substantial than a lot else, likely due to being a small additional part of the postgame rather than having relevance to the main game like Opelucid City does. It doesn't have nearly the amount of content or exploration of themes as it has the potential to, and it mostly serves the mechanical purpose of letting players get rarer items or pokemon and encouraging multiplayer and connections. Larger differences like an entire town being completely different functionally is the kind of thing that I'd love to see in Pokemon games as version differences rather than the tiny tweaks that typically happen, and I love that they tried it here, but it does fall a bit flat. Thinking on it, I don't have any examples of the game criticizing White Forest as far as I can remember, though my last time playing the normal Black and White games was before B2W2 even came out, so I'm a bit out of touch with exactly what NPCs might have said. It definitely feels to me like Black City at least is meant to be a criticism of pure greed and industrialism, but it shows all of its citizens (aside from the ones encountered in the Entralink) as being happy with the way things are, as far as I can remember. When I think about White Forest, I apply that same overall feeling that Black City seems to be trying to impart, even though the people inside are happy with the way things are, just like in Black City. And based on the themes of balance that Opelucid seems to be trying to show, I feel like BC and WF are trying to show that same theme as well, but it just isn't fleshed out enough to really state a message. Of course, it could just be trying to say that industrialism and capitalism aren't very good with Black City while saying nothing bad about White Forest, as Pokemon as a series seems to have a large focus on tradition, community, and the past, but I feel like there's an intention behind it to continue the themes of balance, it just doesn't reach its full potential. The closest thing that I can think of beyond it just being an empty natural place with little to no civilization would be the Entralink, where the player in Black can enter the world of White, go to White Forest, and find people dissatisfied with their life there and who want something more substantial, inviting them back to Black City. But that's more of a game mechanic, and you can always do the opposite as well, inviting people from Black City to White Forest. I don't really have any hard evidence to go off of here, it's mostly just an interpretation to fill in some gaps left by the developers, probably due to focusing on the main game's content and some of the post game being left behind a bit.

[@Aleczandxr]

Gotcha, thanks for explaining. I was just curious and appreciate the elaboration. Glad you enjoy the videos!

[@jamiemccreath3959]

There's one seemingly small change the Pokemon Special/Adventures manga makes to N that makes him a much better character in my eyes: while he's still against humans controlling Pokemon, he's actually completely in favor of Pokemon battling each other, believing it's a natural behavior they enjoy. It lets BW's story move away from being a petty strawman of people who say Pokemon is animal cruelty and it makes N less of an obvious hypocrite. It's not just given as a minor detail either - one of the most tragic scenes in any Pokemon media, and one that forces a protagonist to actually grapple with the questions N asks about humans and Pokemon, is entirely based around the idea that N *wants* a Pokemon to fight.

[@johanneshansen852]

For sure didn't expect this, becauce og your previous statements, but loved it all the same. Your pokemon videos are some of the most thought provoking you have made. More is always appriciated.

[@Aleczandxr]

Glad you enjoy them!

[@catwizardmusic]

it’s videos like this that help me remember why i loved gen 5 so much and remind me that pokémon games can have secrets and exploration and locations that aren’t necessarily relevant to the plot because a region is a big place and doesn’t have to be a straight sequence of cutscene backdrops.. cough cough

[@muhammadnour283]

1 hour of Aleczandxr? Count me in I have a night to spare

[@Zistheone2]

I always knew that the characters, story, & pokémon of Unova reflected the themes of diversity creating harmony, but your previous videos helped me realize how the locations implement this theme. Your Hoenn video especially helped me realize this since Unova is basically the antithesis to how it achieves harmony (one with the land and people coexisting together, and one with a variety of stark differences naturally blending together),

[@Aleczandxr]

I’m glad the videos were valuable! Cheers.

[@Matrix-tx5ff]

I always saw Opelucid City as a challenge to the player. Nature represents Truth- Nature imposes itself on us as it is, and changes by its own whim only. Mankind can’t change nature, we can only try to understand it, and conform ourselves to it if we are to survive. Technology represents Ideals- it can be whatever we want it to be, changes as we will it to change, and can adapt it to do what we want, conforming it to us. I always thought they were a challenge to the player- Black’s Opelucid brings Reshiram’s hero of truth into a city shaped by ideals focused on the future, and White’s Opelucid brings Zekrom’s hero of ideals into a city shaped by nature and the recollection of history. I suppose the same could be said about Black City and White Forest too.

[@treecko3453]

Nice to see all the love for BW

[@Sam20309]

I know I’m biased and have nostalgia but black and white 2 are my favourite pokemon games. They are the games that introduced me to the Pokemon series and I wouldn’t have wanted any other games to start me off. I love the designs of gen 5, especially the bug types, they really hit the nail on the head with them. Obviously I don’t like every design, I hate Audino and the garbodor line. But the pacing and challenge of the games are great, black and white 2 in my opinion are some of the hardest in the series, looking and Cheren, clay and iris. Also the soundtrack is amazing, best in the series. The final N battle, N bridge, Elite four theme, Iris theme, Reshiram/zekrom fight, legendary battle and of course the route 10 theme. And the pixel art is so beautiful, by gen 5 they really mastered the pixel are design and the colours pop out and are so beautiful, much more colourful than the 3d at least. Overall, gen 5 is amazing

[@NiyiDaNinja]

31:09 I've had this song stuck in my head for a while but I forgot which Pokémon song it was until I looked up the Driftveil City music after you brought up how good it was lol

[@madambutterfly1997]

Gen 1, 2, 4, and 5 are my core favs. 4 and 5 are the most plot based for sure. Gen 2 always had lore and mythology that left me wanting more, Gen 1 was my gateway into the franchise

[@theroyalwraith791]

I love Gen 5. While I think Gen 4 is my favorite for purely nostalgic reasons, I think Gen 5 might be the best objectively, especially when it comes to the story. I feel that it struck the perfect balance of having well-written, fleshed out characters and a good plot without becoming too obtrusive to your journey like Gen 7 was. Also, perhaps I’m reading too deeply into it, but am I the only one who feels like the conflict with Team Plasma may have been based on the argument over gun rights? Of course, they are undoubtedly based on animal rights activists as well, but considering Unova is based on the US where that argument is most prominent, I think it’s at the very least possible. Pokémon in-universe are essentially necessary for protecting oneself when traversing the world, since anyone who ventures into the tall grass can be attacked by wild Pokémon. Team Plasma want to essentially disarm people. N represents the more noble side of that argument, as his goals are simply out of a desire to keep others from being harmed, but on the other hand you have someone like Ghetsis who merely wants to consolidate power for himself.

[@stevenpeeckford5999]

What do you mean by saying that Gen 7's plot was "too obtrusive to your journey"?

[@theroyalwraith791]

@@stevenpeeckford5999 What I mean is that Gen 7’s story is mainly told through cutscenes, which a lot of the time were long and couldn’t be skipped. I don’t hate Gen 7, it’s just a flaw I see in the game because these sort of events happened with much more frequency in that game specifically. I would say it’s only a major problem on the first island when you are stopped practically every two seconds.

[@emotion_deluxe]

Gen 6 could have capitalized off of gen 5 so easily had X & Y not been rushed for a universal release date. Poor kalos.

[@somepenguin508]

Didnt even get a sequel or remake either Gen 6 had a great anime but dang the games felt robbed.

[@auntjemima2000]

Babe wake up new Aleczandxr video