Pokemon Volt White 2 Redux

If you own White 2 rather than Black 2, Pokemon Volt White 2 Redux is the version of the Redux project made for you. It applies the exact same overhaul as Blaze Black 2 Redux — 649 catchable Pokemon, three difficulty modes, the Fairy type and a rebuilt post-game — on top of a clean White 2 ROM, so everything that already differs between the two base games stays as it was.

The project started in March 2020 as AphexCubed's personal rework of Drayano's original Volt White 2. According to the official FAQ, AphexCubed did around 80% of the work — scripting, balancing, new additions and technical fixes — while Drayano came on board once an early build was shown to him, rewriting most of the dialogue and offering second opinions. Koji designed the logos and some of the graphics. Version 1.0.0 went public in March 2022, and the final update so far, v1.4.1, arrived in June 2023.

What makes Volt White 2 Redux interesting is how much it changes the Pokemon you think you know. Stats and abilities follow Sword and Shield, but the Complete patch goes further with its own retypes: Charizard is Fire/Dragon, Emboar becomes Fire/Ground, Samurott becomes Water/Fighting, and the Gothitelle line turns Psychic/Dark. Ghost/Fairy Mismagius and Psychic/Fairy Musharna are just two of the many new Fairy-types.

Evolutions are also cleaned up. Trade evolutions use a Link Cable item, Onix and Scyther evolve with a Metal Coat, Feebas with a Prism Scale, and every Eevee evolution can be reached with a stone, including new Ice Stone and Sun/Moon Stone methods. Several slow evolvers now evolve sooner — Ponyta at 35, Cubone at 27 — and the level curve lets every Pokemon reach its final form before the Pokemon League.

• Same Redux overhaul as Blaze Black 2 Redux, patched onto White 2
• All 649 Pokemon obtainable without trading
• Easy, Normal and Challenge difficulty modes
• Complete patch with custom retypes (Fire/Dragon Charizard, Fire/Ground Emboar, Water/Fighting Samurott)
• Classic patch for players who prefer standard Gen 8 typings and abilities
• Fairy type added, with many Pokemon gaining it as a secondary type
• Link Cable item and evolution-stone style held items replace trading
• Starter choice NPCs, a random gift Egg and a special Corsola gift
• Hoenn Gym Leaders return in the overworld with revamped teams
• Expanded Unity Tower post-game with Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus

There is no separate Volt White 2 Redux project with its own balance — both names refer to one hack. The Redux changes are shared, and you simply patch the ROM you own: Black 2 for Blaze Black 2 Redux, White 2 for Volt White 2 Redux.

The differences you will notice come from the base games themselves. White 2 has White Forest instead of Black City in the post-game area, and Kyurem fuses with Reshiram rather than Zekrom. If you have no preference, pick the version whose legendary and post-game area you like more — the difficulty, trainers and Pokedex are the same.

Normal mode is pitched at roughly Renegade Platinum difficulty, which makes it approachable for anyone who has finished a couple of hacks. Easy keeps the same teams with lower levels and weaker AI, so it is a good choice for a relaxed run with the full Pokedex.

Challenge mode is the one Nuzlocke players talk about: six-Pokemon Gym Leaders from the first badge, important battles in doubles or triples, and trainers that scale with your badge count. The project wiki has a dedicated Nuzlocke page and full trainer documentation, which helps a lot when planning a run.

• Use a clean White 2 ROM. The patch fails on the old Volt White 2 hack.
• Play on an emulator if possible; the Fairy type can cause problems on original hardware.
• Check the new types before you build your team — a Fire/Ground Emboar handles Elesa very differently.
• Talk to the EV trainer and the leveling trainer, both brought back from Platinum.
• Clay Tunnel opens early, so you can explore it without beating the League.

The current build, v1.4.1 (June 2023), fixes several evolution bugs and smooths a few spikes: Spheal evolves at level 16, Eevee reaches Glaceon properly and Burgh's Masquerain is weaker on Normal.

One version earlier, v1.4.0 made the opening hours of Challenge easier while keeping the late game intact, nerfed several bosses and rewrote the Eevee family learnsets. No newer release has been announced.