Difficulty levels available: Normal, Assist (Easy) or Challenge (Hard)

[Zeb]

Taken from BNN:

After clearing the game, the player receives a key that allows the player to switch between Normal, Assist, and Challenge modes.

Normal Mode is the regular game, Assist features trainers with weaker Pokemon, and Challenge features trainers with stronger Pokemon.

So, it finally happened. It's not yet confirmed whether replaying again at a different difficulty will overrite your save file, but I presume it would. And we obviously don't have all the information about the feature yet.

But current thoughts on this?

 

[Mitchman]

Re: Difficulty levels available after beating the game

Only thing I can say is that if they don't have the key for the difficulty level as a trade item for other games early on, its stupid. After league difficulty level changing is frustrating, as its something that we want from the start, not from the beginning! Unless of course that's why Volcarona is underlevelled, then I'm okay with cheating to get legendary Pokemon.

 

[Joshawott]

Re: Difficulty levels available after beating the game

Didn't Junichi Masuda say in Iwata Asks that it involved two games? So maybe if you complete say Black 2, you can link it to a White 2 and make it harder?

 

[H-con]

Re: Difficulty levels available after beating the game

Volcarona being underlevelled might just be so that actually having a Volcarona before the league is feasible. The evolution level is just completely fucked up, and with the E4 in BW, raising a Larvesta from level 1 to evolution before the league is just bullshit.


About varying difficulties, about damn time. Wonder how it'll work, would it need both games? Or just reseting?

 

[Zeb]

Re: Difficulty levels available after beating the game

You can play through from the start on a different difficulty (hence why I mentioned the overriting of save files) from what I can tell. I'll rename the title, since it might be confusing.

 

[TeddiUrsa]

I never restart my game because I don't want to lose the Pokémon that I used in-game I don't know if I should like this new feature...
I am all for a more difficult game, but not at the cost of my original run...

 

[BioOrganism]

Interesting...
Then there might be something a little more challenging for the older players.

 

[Mitchman]

Ah good then, the feature just got redeemed. Now to find someone with a copy by October to get hard mode unlocked for the game from the beginning. Seriously gonna rock with a harder difficulty, hopefully its a 10 level jump.

 

[H-con]

A pure level jump would be disappointing though, it would pretty much just mean more grinding, nor much more challenge. Change of teams, movesets and increased levels (though reasonable for the progression of the game) would be cool.

 

[The Outrage]

A pure level jump would be disappointing though, it would pretty much just mean more grinding, nor much more challenge. Change of teams, movesets and increased levels (though reasonable for the progression of the game) would be cool.

I doubt Game Freak's that smart. I mean, they decide to implement difficulty levels and we basically need to communicate between two games to do it.

 

[Ampharos King]

I actually like this new feature. I played the original BW games and it didn't take me long to complete the main story because of the relatively low difficulty level. After beating the main story, there really wasn't much to do afterwards.

Even if the change in difficulty mode overrides the established save file, I really wouldn't mind replaying the games again just for the challenge aspect. I still highly doubt this is the case, though. Masuda mentioned in that interview that this feature was supposed to link two separate games, and that the Assist difficulty level was made so that someone who couldn't beat the normal difficulty can be assisted by someone who did. What good would it be for a person who is already playing the game on the normal difficulty to have his or her current save file automatically deleted just to play the entire game again on a lower difficulty?

 

[Silktree]

Here's a translation of the relevant manual page courtesy of @bluesun:

Key System
By using Key, the option "Key Settings" is unlocked, and options such as the game difficulty level can be changed at any time.
Key can be obtained when clearing the game, and can be transferred to friends. Until that time, you can only recieve a friend's Key to unlock it.

Key Transfer
Using Pokemon Black2, White2, and IR, Key can be sent and recieved. Obey the directions listed onscreen, bringing the two DS cards close to and facing each other.
* Transmits the Key you possess. Even if you transmit it, it will not be lost.
* If you recieve a Key from a friend, you do not possess it, and can only use it to unlock.

Key Settings
Change Mode: Changes the game's difficulty mode. "Normal Mode" is Normal. "Assist Mode" lowers the levels of Pokemon owned by Trainers, and "Challenge Mode" raises their levels.
Change Town: Changes the town which can be visited after clearing the game, "White Forest" / "Black City".
Mysterious Door: Changes the place connected to the in-game "Undersea Ruins".
* If you are saved in "White Forest" or "Black City", "Change Town" will not be usable.

Two different versions are needed, and Wi-Fi can't be used for the interaction.

 

[Zeb]

Well that's just ridiculous.

 

[bluesun]

Note that "Black2, White2" is just my quirk of handling the Japanese ブラック２・ホワイト２, which can refer to either or both in the Japanese.

Also... following the link which got put into the translation, I realise that it's not actually "Undersea Ruins" -- one character is different, so it's actually a different area, "Underground Ruins". o.o;

 

[Mitchman]

Fans:
Gamefreak gives difficulty levels!

GF:
You guys have to have another game to unlock them though!

Fans:
...................................

 

[H-con]

Wow, Trollfreak takes trolling the fanbase to completely new levels with this one.

 

[Pidgeot]

So, Game Freak make us all excited over finally having a difficult Pokemon game, but it turns out you need both games to do it. Thanks.

Well, at least my brother will be getting White 2, and as I'm getting Black 2, I should be able to unlock the difficulty settings.

 

[Ivysaur]

Given that it's just increased levels, not new or expanded teams, I'm not too disappointed we have to go through this convoluted method to get the difficulty changed. The levels near the end of the game actually seem pretty decent, anyway.

At least it's a step, albeit a small one, in the right direction.

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

I will stay in Normal mode, as whenever a game has a hard mode, I always DIE a lot

 

[Purellian]

Rrg, so I guess you can't use the key on your own game and start from the beginning? I'm getting Black 2 and my fiance is getting White 2, but I always play way faster than he does, so he'll get to benefit from this before I will! T-T I'll have to make him play faster this time, lol!