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Welcome to BBVW2 Redux

General Notes

About This Project

This project began life as a fan-made modernisation of Dray's Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 ROM hack, Blaze Black 2 and Volt White 2.

It has since blossomed into a full-on reimagining of the project, in collaboration with Drayano himself!

With Dray's original project nearing a decade in age (and indeed, the original titles!), Redux is naturally a significant jump in content from the original.

  • Redux is much closer to Renegade Platinum in terms of content than it is to the original Blaze Black 2 and Volt White 2.

Hardware Compatibility

The implementation of the Fairy type is known to have issues and can fail to run on original hardware - thus an emulator is recommended to play.

See the Known Bugs document for more information.

Patching Info

Quick Start

Patch a clean Pokémon Black 2 or White 2 ROM you've legally obtained.

Important Warning

Do NOT attempt to use this patch with the original Blaze Black 2 or Volt White 2, or else the process will fail!

For detailed patching instructions, see the Patching Guide.

Feature List

Pokémon & Battles

  • Catch all 649 Pokémon available in Generation V
  • Revamped trainer roster with multiple difficulty modes
  • Fairy Type implementation + Gen VI Steel-type changes
  • Modern stat distributions, abilities, and type combinations
  • Dream World abilities integrated into regular gameplay

Quality of Life

  • No trade evolutions - use the Link Cable item instead
  • Increased shiny rate: 1/512 (like Renegade Platinum)
  • Guaranteed fishing encounters (no more failures!)
  • Reduced HM requirements (no Cut trees or Flash caves)
  • Medal Guy moved to avoid accidental conversations

Story & Encounters

  • Brand new story additions and character encounters
  • Brycen storyline replaces mandatory Pokéstar Studios
  • Expanded legendary encounters:
    • Faraway Island for Mew
    • Morty hunting Suicune
    • Entralink for Celebi
  • 2-3 hours of postgame content featuring Unity Tower
  • New questline to catch Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus

Gameplay Changes

  • New level curve - fully evolve teams before Pokémon League
  • Modern moves from later generations (Power-Up Punch, Dual Wingbeat, Lunge)
  • Revamped learnsets including Egg moves and Event moves (up to Gen VIII)
  • Clay Tunnel opened early (no postgame requirement)
  • Hoenn Leaders return with updated teams

Item Distribution

  • Muscle Band available before first gym
  • All TMs obtainable by Pokémon League
  • Evolutionary Stones purchasable in Driftveil Market
  • EV-reducing berries available in Castelia City
  • Powerful items like Leftovers now harder to obtain

Training Features

  • Dedicated EV trainer and leveling trainer NPCs
  • Audino grinding available before first gym
  • Convenient nurse locations (Castelia Gardens, Victory Road)
  • Fossil revival moved to Desert Resort (earlier access)

Starter & Gift Overhaul

  • No more season-dependent starter gifts
  • New NPCs offer choice of starters
  • Mystery Egg with random contents
  • Elemental Monkey gift (like original B/W)
  • Special Corsola gift
  • Improved NPC trades with more useful Pokémon
  • Fossils available from NPCs and overworld

Difficulty Modes

Black and White 2 feature an inbuilt difficulty selection system. Redux has expanded upon this significantly.

Trainer Aesthetics Preserved

Across all difficulties, trainers retain their aesthetics from the original Black 2 and White 2, including their type focuses and signature Pokémon.

The Standard Drayano Experience

Equivalent in difficulty to Renegade Platinum or the original BB2/VW2.

Features:

  • Trainers stick to single battles (mostly)
  • Much greater challenge than vanilla B2/W2
  • Expect Pokémon to faint without proper strategy
  • Gym leaders start with fewer Pokémon, building to full teams of six

Recommended for: Players familiar with enhanced ROM hacks

A Casual, Laid-Back Experience

Perfect for experiencing the new changes to Unova without difficulty heartache.

Features:

  • Same trainer teams as Normal Mode
  • Reduced Pokémon levels
  • Lower AI difficulty
  • Explore content at your own pace

Recommended for: New players or casual playthroughs

For Series Veterans

In the era of Radical Red, many crave a challenging Pokémon experience with vanilla feel. Redux delivers on both accounts.

Battle Changes:

  • Gym leaders use full teams of six from the start
  • Important trainers use a mix of Single, Double, and Triple battles, for example:
    • Burgh → Double battle
    • Elesa → Triple battle
    • Each Elite Four member uses a different format
  • Exclusive encounters, for example:
    • Lance
    • Double battle with Lenora & Cheren

Difficulty Scaling:

  • Regular trainers have dynamically scaled levels (based on badges)
  • Scales up to +7 levels depending on area
  • Important trainers generally don't use items (prevents AI abuse)

Resource Management:

  • Far fewer items given to the player
  • Limited item farming opportunities
  • BP exchange cashiers vanish until postgame

Recommended for: Experienced players seeking maximum challenge

Complete vs Classic

Not everyone is a fan of Dark/Electric Luxray, Intimidate Fearow or 600BST Flygon.

The default version with custom buffs and changes to Pokémon abilities, movesets, and type combinations.

Examples include Serperior as Grass/Dragon, Luxray as Dark/Electric, Weavile with Technician, Butterfree with higher BST, and Flygon with 600 BST.

For players who prefer a more traditional experience, the Classic version strips these changes back.

Pokémon are only updated to match their Gen VIII appearances - think Fairy Type Togekiss and Drought Torkoal, etc.

Getting Started

Ready to begin your adventure? Check out these essential pages:

  • Patching Guide

    Learn how to patch your ROM and get started

    Patching Guide →

  • Known Bugs

    Important compatibility and bug information

    Known Bugs →

  • FAQ

    Frequently asked questions and answers

    FAQ →

  • Changelog

    See what's new in the latest version

    Changelog →