Pokemon Black and White gets matchmaking, triple battles and IR carts
Shades of grey
Nintendo has announced some new details about its upcoming, monochromatic, critter-battling RPG, Pokemon Black and White.
First up, the game introduces online multiplayer matchmaking, called “Wi-Fi Random Matchup”. Like Mario Kart DS, this automatically finds an online opponent for you to battle with if your buddies are offline or otherwise absent. You won’t even need to fiddle with friend codes to play.
Offline, the new “triple battles” fighting system allows for three-way bouts, where three teams of three Pokemon face off against each other in a complicated battle to the death (or KO). The key to success is careful placement of your Pokefriends, as they can only attack certain monsters based on their position in the line-up.
“For example, a Pokémon in the center of a player's lineup can attack any of its three opponents" explains Nintendo. "However, a Pokémon positioned on the left or right of the formation can only attack the Pokémon in the middle of the opposing lineup, or directly in front of it”.
Finally, the game will come on a special cartridge, sporting an IR-communication sensor so you can link-up with a nearby DS for fights and trades “faster than ever before”. As CVG astutely puts it, “what's wrong with the DS's wireless features, Nintendo?”
Pokemon Black and White will be available on Nintendo DS in the UK on March 4th.
