#21: Pokemon Black/White (2011)
Last Year: 20
If there's one thing the Pokemon franchise gets criticised for, it's that it hasn't deviated from it's tried and true formula enough. Get your starter Pokemon, defeat the 8 Gym Leaders along the way, encounter Zubats in caves, defeat some sinister Pokemon gang, and then defeat the Elite Four (and the Champion) to become the Champion yourself. Red/Blue, Gold/Silver, Ruby/Sapphire, and Diamond/Pearl abided by this formula... and there were some grumblings. And while Pokemon Black/White doesn't deviate too much from the tried and true way of doing things (and honestly, when a formula such as Pokemon's works so well, you don't really need to change that much!), it does a lot to make the game a fresh experience. You'll never encounter an older Pokemon while playing through B/W's initial adventure, and that does so much to make the world of Unova an entirely new and exciting world to explore. Game Freak also added extra emphasis to the story, and how this time, it directly impacts the adventure you're on (to the point where the entire ending sequence was quite a surprise!). Add to this the always wonderfully addictive Pokemon gameplay and plethora of content (you still have half the world to explore when you "finish" the main quest), Pokemon Black/White becomes one of the best in the series. I can't wait to see where they go next.
