Pokemon Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl – Game Review

Reviews

Pokémon is one of the frontrunners when it comes to anime and video games. One of its popular video games is Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which was initially released in 2006. It led to a new generation of Pokémon games in Nintendo DS, which was the hottest handheld gaming system back then. It has themes of evolution and creation that you can find throughout the story. Aside from that, there are new designs upgraded and updated throughout the Sinnoh region. These games became an iconic step in the franchise.

The new Pokémon developer, ILCA, is dead-set in recreating these classics. And so far, they have proved their worth upon remaking the essential foundations of Pokémon. So, for the most part, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are like faithful remakes of the namesakes of the original DS games.

You can find the skeleton of the game in the remakes, such as the town, routes, trainers, Pokedex, and the adventure. Released on November 19, 2021, this refurbished game provides tons of excitement to starry-eyed trainers. So if you want to learn more, read on about our review and basic overview of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl here.

Begin Your Journey As A Pokémon Trainer

Like any new Pokémon trainer, you’ll start from humble beginnings in Twinleaf Town where you will meet Professor Rowan and get a Pokedex from him. At the same time, you also get your choice of starter Pokémon. From there on, you get to meet your new friends and rivals, who are Dawn and Barry. After that, you set off to conquer gyms and become the champion of the region.

Nothing in the story is amiss or surprising because the developers changed nothing from the main storyline. So, for those who miss Sinnoh, this is the perfect game that you can play on your Nintendo Switch. Also, ILCA chose to recreate the characters in 3D. So, it’s a breath of fresh air to some remakes that modernized their graphical style and settings.

 

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond screenshot
Image Source: ZackScottGames

 

Even though it’s faithful to the original Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the feature sets still look great. For example, there are graphical enhancements to the lighting, shadows, and water. There’s an abundance of reflections on surfaces, which look even better and are visually appealing during battles.

Perfect for Pokémon Fans of All Ages

One of the most appealing facts about Pokémon is that it appeals to people of all ages, both kids and adults. That includes the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl games, which can be a child’s perfect introduction to role-playing games. It has cute creatures and designs, all with simple fighting mechanics. But seasoned gamers will also love it because of its ability to focus more on complex attacks and EV training.

One of the core features of the game is its gorgeous 3D battle arenas. However, unlike other games, which have non-existent battle areas that are also bland and tasteless, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl made sure to deviate from these common boring features. It pretty much has fantastic attention to detail, such as changes in the background according to the time of the day. Hence, the fighting sequence feels more developed and alive than before.

The Grand Underground Expansion

Players also have the chance to admire and explore the Grand Underground expansion, where they could dig for goodies and create bases. These areas serve as Sword and Shield Area, where wild Pokémons can walk around in the overworld and engage in battles.

Plus, the kind of Pokémons that spawn here depend on the Hideaway or the biome the player is in. Some Pokémons don’t spawn all the time so it’s best to visit regularly. Overall, the Grand Underground map is expansive and there’s plenty of things to do here.

Conclusion

To conclude, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl aren’t groundbreaking, but it’s a nod to the original games that make it refreshing and nostalgic. So, if you’re a big fan of Pokémon and want to experience some of the first games that The Pokémon Company released, these two are excellent foundations that you need to check out.