Nintendo of America announced the official North American release date for the games today, promising more than 150 new Pokemon (Pokemen?) and a new region to explore.
"Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version represent a generational leap forward for the renowned series, delivering an unprecedented number of new Pokemon to catch, battle and trade," said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America's PR director. "Whether you have played the Pokemon video games before or are just getting interested in them, you won't want to miss Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version."
Originally released in Japan on September 18, the two new Pokemon DS games have sold well over 4 million copies to date in the island nation. The titles feature different areas for the first time in the series, with the game world of Pokemon Black set in a metropolitan area called Black City, and a lush, green area named White Forest only found in Pokemon White.
Pokemon Black and Pokemon White also mark the first time in a Pokemon video game that the seasons will change in the game world. Certain Pokemon appear more frequently during different seasons, and players can only access some areas during a specific season.
Sharkey says: Somehow, I've managed to never play Pokemon, but thanks to a friend recently introducing me to Magic: The Gathering, I now know what all the strategy-card-game fuss is about. Yes, I've taken my nerdom to the next level and am now an official MTG convert, obsessed with building the perfect deck. And I suck at it. But once I figure out how to properly use all these funky Artifact cards (I know the Throne of Geth is supposed to be great, but I don't know WTF to do with it), I should be good. Or at least mediocre. Also: I will henceforth deny and disavow all knowledge of MTG, and this message will self destruct in five seconds. 
