Pokémon Shiny Pearl and Brilliant Diamond
RRP $ 60.00
"Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl play it safe and reinvent two classic DS games true to the original – sometimes with a mistake."
advantages
-
Great for kids
-
Grand Underground is an improvement
-
Strong endgame
-
Wonderful music
disadvantage
-
Formula adventure
-
Lack of challenge
-
New graphics are too faithful
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are exactly the games fans have been asking for – and they still won't be happy about them. The notoriously hard-to-please fan base has been begging for years for a remake of the Nintendo DS classics Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but immediately went into nitpick mode when they were actually announced. While the Switch remakes stay true to the originals, the internet discourse is undoubtedly fused with anger over missing features or "cut corners".
However, the entertainment related to the game will sound very different when you have kids. Budding coaches who are venturing into the Sinnoh region for the first time will not know or care whether a popular feature has been tweaked. You will be too busy capturing an army of monsters and battling your way to the Elite Four. The magic is still there as long as you leave decades of luggage at the door.
Nintendo plays it safe with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and serves two remakes that are almost flawless. A straightforward adventure makes them perfect for kids, but older players can get bored with a familiar structure and lack of challenge. Fortunately, the return to Sinnoh is worthwhile with a strong endgame and the cleverly redesigned Grand Underground.
For the kids
Although I played and enjoyed the original Diamond and Pearl when they first launched in 2006, I couldn't remember much about them going into the remakes. I immediately realized why: They were Pokémon for drawing by numbers.
In a matter of hours, I experience beats that I feel like I've played through a dozen times. In my first gym, I use water attacks to defeat Geodudes and Onixes. Inevitably, I have to fight a fisherman with a team of six Karpadores (Pokémon's favorite punch line). I later infiltrate the headquarters of a seedy company by stepping on teleportation pads. While every other mainline Pokémon game has a crucial characteristic (good or bad) that sets it apart, Diamond and Pearl were just consistent. They doubled what people loved about the original games and polished up the formula with the power of the Nintendo DS.
Maybe that's why people remember the classics so fondly, but it's a little too familiar in 2021. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are careful not to change too much in the originals, which will be a relief for those who just want a nostalgic trip that keeps their childhood in Amber. But as someone with no real attachment, I often played on autopilot. A cave full of zubats and geodods? Check. A safari-zone-like area where I can bait and catch monsters? Check. It's as if the ICLA developer is following a strict set of rules.
It doesn't help that the remakes are ridiculously simple. The first time I passed out was in the Elite Four. My Pokémon were consistently 10 to 15 levels above my opponent's monsters, and I was able to take out most of them with one shot. That was without grinding. Anytime it looked like I might be in danger, the game's friendship mechanics saved me like a deus ex machina. Pokémon can dodge inevitable attacks, heal their own status ailments, or hold out with a point of health if their friendship is high enough. I couldn't lose most of the game if I wanted to.
The remakes are the best choice for kids who like Pokémon as cute cartoon to actually play the games.
It is clear who the target group is here: children. Any change in quality of life removes any friction a young player might have – and I don't think that's a bad decision. The remakes are the best choice for kids who like Pokémon as cute cartoon to actually play the games. The straightforward story and the lack of challenges serve as the perfect introduction to the series without completely dumbing down the mechanics as in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Those longing for a more competitive adult experience may need to face the facts: the Mainline series won't grow up with them.
Big changes
While the core structure of the remakes is largely untouched, there are some important changes to the side activities. The biggest difference here is a completely reinterpreted version of the underground called the Grand Underground. In the original games, this was a place where players could dig for treasure and build secret bases in an adorable touchscreen mini-game. That's all mostly intact here (missing some collectibles ruffling some feathers) and as addicting as ever, even without a pen.
ICLA has made impactful changes where they matter most, especially in the Grand Underground.
More importantly, players can now trap creatures in the Great Underground. It has essentially been turned into a giant dungeon crawler full of type rooms and roaming Pokémon. Once I had access to the area, I could come down and add non-Sinnoh monsters like Absol to my team. Most of my last party came from hours spent exploring the underground, which makes up for the fact that Sinnoh's normal Pokémon list is pretty weak. You didn't start with Chimchar? Ponyta would be your only other fire option if it weren't for the Grand Underground.
This updated feature is just one of many that give Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl an impressive endgame beyond the main story. I really enjoyed looking for fossils and statues (which can be used to decorate secret bases) as a different type of post-game collection. There are even more legends to catch after the Elite Four thanks to the new Ramanas Park area. Stickers are also cute collectibles that players can use to create small effects when freeing a creature from their Poké Ball.
Not every feature has been upgraded here. Super Pokémon Competitions are a weak point as they have been reduced to a boring one-button rhythm game. Other DS-centric functions don't translate very well here either. Pokétch returns, offering players a handful of cute apps like a clock, but they'll feel out of place without the DS's second screen. Players can also choose partner Pokémon to follow, but it's a low-cost implementation compared to the Pokémon Let's Go games, which include more playful interactions and a better sense of monster size.
There are likely a few other nuances missing that die-hard fans will complain about. Not every aspect of the original games got the same luster here. Even so, the ICLA has made impactful changes where they matter most, especially in the Grand Underground. There are many reasons for players to come back after the credits and I can't tell for a lot of the final installments.
True to a mistake
The remake's most polarizing design decision is its aesthetic approach. Instead of giving Diamond and Pearl the full sword and shield treatment, ICLA chose a "Chibi" art style here. The cute and colorful graphics won't be for everyone, but the choice makes sense. It modernizes the game graphics on the DS, but stays true to its top-down sprite work. It looks essentially the way fans envisioned it in 2006 – and that's exactly what makes a good remake.
But that is a blessing and a curse. The graphics maintain a sense of nostalgia and help avoid some of the “cornering” discourses that plagued the launch of Sword and Shield, but they have a few drawbacks. The world itself suffers particularly as it feels indebted to the original visuals. It feels like every place has been put together with a Super Mario Maker-like asset tool that allows developers to put trees and buildings on a grid. This makes the entire visual experience feel a little flat and devoid of personality.
The music does better, which is proof of how great the original soundtracks are. Classic themes are remixed with surprising rhythmic ticks that undermine my expectations far more than the gameplay. I imagine that this time the music will stay with me more than the cities or the gyms.
It feels like every place has been put together with a Super Mario Maker-like asset tool that allows developers to put trees and buildings on a grid.
It's so true to the original that I wondered if it had to exist at all. Couldn't Nintendo have simply ported the Nintendo DS games to Switch and sold them in the eShop for $ 20? In this particular case the answer is no. The DS's two-screen experience puts many classic games in an odd position. We'll likely never see the concept mirrored again unless Nintendo starts integrating smartphone controller support into its consoles. So the remakes are a necessity in a way.
Perhaps that is why Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are playing it safe. They're trying not to disturb the original template too much as they are essentially replacing it. This publication also serves as a conservation project, regardless of whether this is intended or not. I'd love to play a remake that completely reinvents Sinnoh and turns the formula upside down, but that wouldn't be Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. These games are more like my experience with these games in 2006, and that comes with all its ups and downs.
Our opinion
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are absolutely adorable remakes, even if they aren't the most memorable adventures. Smart tweaks to the Grand Underground help fix some of the bugs of the original games, though other features like Super Pokémon Competitions have been overly simplified. A lack of difficulty and a cute but polarizing art style suggest these remakes are geared more towards kids than adults, which doesn't go down well with some already irritable fans. But if you want to bring the magic of Pokémon to your kids, this is an easy entry point like any other.
Is there a better alternative?
Pokémon Sword and Shield take more creative turns on the formula, even if they don't always land.
How long it will take?
The main game can be completed in 20 to 30 hours thanks to quality of life changes, but there is a lot to do here. Above all, the Grand Underground will offer some playtime.
Should you buy it?
Yes, but keep an eye on your expectations. This is a cute, simple Pokémon game best for kids, not adults who want tough, competitive play.
Editor's recommendations