Pokemon Black & White: Hardest Pokemon Yet?

[EBHughsThe1st]

I just picked up my copy of Pokemon White and spent a good long time ignoring homework and leveling up my Pokemon. One thing I noticed though after plowing through the first two gyms is that the trainers have levels that are really close to mine. Sometimes the Gym Leaders are but a level away from me, which I found odd.

I've played Emerald, Diamond, HeartGold, and a little bit of FireRed and it seems like I usually have a 5 level advantage on every trainer, even If I carry multiple Pokemon. I can just power through Gyms once I know what type I need to counter, and I rarely use status changing moves. But it seems I have less of an advantage in Black & White, though some Bulbapedia research tells me that I'm already prepped for the next guy. Maybe it's just the first two Gyms, maybe it's just that the experience rate is less so. Maybe it's just because I suck, but I think this might be the hardest handheld pokemon game yet.

This doesn't make the game bad, by the way. It's still pretty good.

 

[Radeonx]

I don't know, when I was playing through it I didn't find it that difficult.
The only thing that I had trouble with was bits and pieces of the Elite 4, but once I had traded over some of my other Pokemon from my finished Black version, it became a lot easier.

 

[DJDarque]

I haven't even gotten to the first gym yet. I've been at work and unable to really play.

 

[Samechiel]

The difficulty of every handheld pokemon game has been exactly the same since the very first one came out:

1. Get Pokemon
2. Grind Pokemon
3. Steamroll Everything
4. Repeat as needed

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

I've been playing White version, its a hell of alot harder than any of the other games I've played.

 

[J-Do]

I find it much harder. It might be because I suck, or just dont grind enough, but the second gym is handing me my ass. Gonna grind all my pokemon to level 20 (any higher and they wont listen!) and try it.

Slightly off topic, was anyone else surprised when Oshawott didn't evolve at level 16? I thought that was the norm for starters? Or maybe I'm out of touch...

 

[EBHughsThe1st]

I find it much harder. It might be because I suck, or just dont grind enough, but the second gym is handing me my ass. Gonna grind all my pokemon to level 20 (any higher and they wont listen!) and try it.

Slightly off topic, was anyone else surprised when Oshawott didn't evolve at level 16? I thought that was the norm for starters? Or maybe I'm out of touch...

Actually, only traded pokemon don't listen unless you have the badge for it. Grind away (That sounds so wrong...)

 

[J-Do]

[/quote]Actually, only traded pokemon don't listen unless you have the badge for it. Grind away (That sounds so wrong...)[/quote]

Man do I ever feel stupid now... Well grind I shall and come back with 6 level 25 pokemon!
You hear me Lenora! You're going down!

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I've only played the first gym, waiting there to battle my manager tomorrow. So far, it seems normal, but their levels do seem higher than the others. The levels for wild pokemon seem a lot higher than normal. The first gym being your starter's weakness was a good idea, but then was still easy with the pokemon you were given to beat it.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

The difficulty of every handheld pokemon game has been exactly the same since the very first one came out:

1. Get Pokemon
2. Grind Pokemon
3. Steamroll Everything
4. Repeat as needed

Actually, for me it's:
1. Get Starter
2. Grind Starter and exclusively use him/her.
3. Steamroll everything.
Honestly, the Pokemon games are the easiest RPGs I've come across. A raise in difficulty would be a good thing. I'm hoping that is the case when I get it.

 

[Plurralbles]

wait... gym leaders a level away from you? I was usually 3 levels below htem, easy in all the other games.

 

[Lord Devius]

They kinda boost the levels of wild Pokemon right off the bat. I encountered level 9 Pokemon on Route 2. That's kinda nuts.

Also, when you first fight N, he's got a level 7 cat-thing-which-I-am-ignorant-to-the-name-of-in-English. If you beat your rivals the first time and beat down some innocent puppies and chipmunks on the way to the town where you meet him... well, you're fine. But still. A level 7 so early is odd.

 

[subtlefuge]

It's easily the hardest. It's actually increasingly harder the better you are at the game.

For example: in the old games, you could throw out a weak pokemon to die when you didn't want to waste a turn switching. In this one, if you throw out a weak pokemon, they'll stat build on you, forcing you to waste 2+ turns, and potentially doubling a stat.

If you go into a gym fight with equal or higher level Pokemon as the leader, you're playing it wrong.

 

[tlozoot]

It's the hardest Pokemon I've so far played (Only missed Gen 4). I'm currently at the second gym, with six Pokemon at around 16-17, and I can't seem to get the gym leader down. Perhaps because I refused to catch a fighting Pokemon to use against the leader...

 

[EBHughsThe1st]

It's easily the hardest. It's actually increasingly harder the better you are at the game.

For example: in the old games, you could throw out a weak pokemon to die when you didn't want to waste a turn switching. In this one, if you throw out a weak pokemon, they'll stat build on you, forcing you to waste 2+ turns, and potentially doubling a stat.

If you go into a gym fight with equal or higher level Pokemon as the leader, you're playing it wrong.

I have noticed the third gym leader is only two levels from the second. Maybe it's something that they just put in early on...

 

[maximusw00t]

gentlemen, its rock-paper-scissors with status effects and elements.

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

gentlemen, its rock-paper-scissors with status effects and elements.

And yet if you use rock on scissors now the other player punches you in the face. Sorry thats how this gen is feeling so far.

But now that I have Throh I can easily defeat Lenora!

 

[TeeBs]

I thought I was the only one who noticed this, this is the first pokemon game where I have ever grind for a reason other then competitive play.

 

[sacredguyver]

O RLY?

If B&W really is on a higher difficulty level than the previous games, all the more reason for me to get it. I fell out with Pokemon from how repetitively easy it felt through all the games (played every generation except for the HG/SS re-releases). Without doing any kind of grinding, I would find myself over-leveled against a Gym Leader most of the time.

Glad to hear this Generation may be different.