byPokémon Presents – Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Breakdown
This mornings Pokémon Presents event showcased another two Pokémon titles. These aren’t new entries into the series though, they are remakes of two of the more iconic titles from Pokémon’s past. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are titles based on the Diamond and Pearl titles released on the Nintendo DS system back in 2007.
Re-released titles are not uncommon in the Pokémon series, in fact its quite common for The Pokémon Company every few years to refresh an old title and make it relevant again, fix some issues from the original title and add some new features, this didn’t happen in the Sword and Shield versions because the Switch system allowed for the DLC’s Crown Tundra and Isle of Armour to extend the series without the requirement to rebuy a new title of the same game. However, this is the first time players have seen a previous generation on the Nintendo Switches life excluding the Pokémon Go tie in’s Let Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee that released nearly 4 years ago that was based on Pokémon Yellow that released on the Gameboy many years earlier.
Let get into a breakdown of what players can do in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Story
The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl games are set in the Sinnoh region.
Rich in nature, with Mount Coronet towering at its heart, Sinnoh is a land of many myths passed down through the ages.
The original story has been faithfully reproduced, and these remakes include easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences of the modern Pokémon series, plus up-close-and-personal Pokémon battle scenes.
The Protagonist
A famous professor in the field of Pokémon Evolution recruits you to travel across the Sinnoh region to complete an encyclopaedic record of Pokémon known as a Pokédex.
Choose your appearance at the beginning of your adventure.
The return of some favourite partner Pokémon
Before you set off on your journey, you’ll choose Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup to be your first partner Pokémon.
Become the Champion of the Sinnoh Region
As you travel across Sinnoh filling out your Pokédex, you’ll challenge the strongest Pokémon Trainers in each town: the Gym Leaders
Defeat Gym Leaders to receive Gym Badges as proof of your victories. Collect all eight Gym Badges to compete in the Pokémon League, where the highest-level Trainers—the Elite Four and the Champion—await.
Win your way through the Pokémon League to earn the title given to only the strongest Pokémon Trainer: Champion!
Characters you’ll encounter in the Sinnoh Region
Legendary Pokémon
During your adventure, you’ll also be able to encounter the Legendary Pokémon Dialga in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Palkia in Pokémon Shining Pearl
Differences between the game versions
While the story and game play between both titles is for the most part exactly the same in addition to the Legendary Pokémon, some wild Pokémon also differ between the two versions of the game.
Cranidos and Stunky are among the Pokémon exclusive to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond.
Shieldon and Glameow are among the Pokémon exclusive to Pokémon Shining Pearl.
The Sinnoh region offers players much more than Pokémon games of the past.
Have a blast in the Grand Underground
The Underground from Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl has been powered up for these games, and is now called the Grand Underground. The Grand Underground is a vast subterranean world that spreads out like a maze beneath the entire Sinnoh region.
Use the Explorer Kit you’ll receive during your adventure to visit the Grand Underground, where you can participate in activities such as digging up valuable treasures and Pokémon Fossils, or creating your own Secret Base. You can also visit places called Pokémon Hideaways, where you can find Pokémon that live in a variety of different environments.
Pokémon Hideaways come with a variety of different terrains ranging from still-water caverns to volcanic landscapes, with different Pokémon living in each type of environment. Among the Pokémon that inhabit the Sinnoh region, there are some Pokémon that can only be found in these Pokémon Hideaways.
Some of the walls in the Grand Underground can be dug into, using a sledgehammer and a pickaxe. By digging into them, you can find things like useful items for your adventure and valuable Pokémon Fossils, as well as new Pokémon statues that have been added to these games.
Build your very own Secret Base and decorate it with Pokémon statues!
You can use an item called the Digger Drill in the Grand Underground to build yourself a Secret Base within the walls. Pokémon statues that you can find while Fossil digging can be placed wherever you like inside your Secret Base, so you can customize your own space!
Adventure together with Trainers all over the world in the Grand Underground!
You can interact with Trainers all over the world through your Nintendo Switch system’s local communication or online communication. As well as adventuring together in the Grand Underground, you can also dig for Fossils together with other Trainers.
Work up the crowd to put on a successful Super Contest Show!
Super Contest Shows are popular performances in Sinnoh, each put on by four performers and their Pokémon, who work together to show off their performance skills. During the show, you can dress up in your favourite outfit, and your Pokémon will dance, making for an altogether different experience from their usual battles of strength.
Up to four people can participate together, so you can show off your best performance with your friends to really wow the crowd!
Super Contest Show Categories
Super Contest Shows are divided into five categories—Coolness, Cuteness, Beauty, Toughness, and Cleverness. Within each category, there are several ranks: Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master Rank.
Super Contest Shows Evaluations
Super Contest Shows are judged based on a Visual Evaluation, a Dance Evaluation, and a Move Evaluation. You can receive Hype Points based on your evaluations, and if the combined total of all four performers’ Hype Points reaches a target score, the show will be declared a success.
Visual Evaluation
This evaluation is based on Pokémon’s conditions, such as Coolness or Beauty, as well as the effects of their Capsule Decoration.
Use Capsule Decoration to create effects according to your taste!
Using Capsule Decoration, you can place Stickers to customize the effects that appear when your Pokémon comes out of its Poké Ball for battles or Super Contest Shows. With over 90 different Stickers, you can customize your Ball Capsules with effects like fluttering flower petals or raging flames.
You can buy Stickers in shops, but you can also get them in other ways, such as by defeating Gym Leaders or completing successful Super Contest Shows.
You can place up to 20 Stickers on a Ball Capsule, so it’s possible to customize the Ball Capsule with some really varied combinations.
Ball Capsules can be edited in the casual 2D style of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, or in 3D if you’d rather get really detailed with your customizations.
Walk around with your favourite Pokémon!
Once you’ve progressed in the game to a certain point, you can choose just one Pokémon that you’ve befriended at a time to walk along behind you. Any Pokémon that appears in these games can walk with you, so choose your favourite to travel with you through the Sinnoh region as you visit lots of places and make memories together.
Interact with Trainers all over the world in the Union Room!
The Union Room is a facility where you can enjoy battling and trading Pokémon with other Trainers through your Nintendo Switch system’s local communication or online communication.
Local Room
In the Local Room, nearby Trainers can gather using local communication to enjoy trades, battles, and other activities.
Global Room
Trainers around the world can use online communication to gather in a single room for Pokémon trades, battles, and other activities.
Adventure in style, wearing your favourite outfits!
You’ll be able to buy and change outfits at Metronome Style Shop in Veilstone City.
Connect with Pokémon HOME in 2022
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are scheduled to be connected with Pokémon HOME in 2022 so trainers can save their Pokémon outside of the game and bring in their old favourites to partake in all that Sinnoh has to offer.
Preorder
Available November 19, 2021
Preorder a RETAIL copy from your favourite online store or a DIGITAL version directly from Nintendo eShop.
Preorder Bonus Options
Nintendo Switch Lite Dialga & Palkia Edition
Available November 5, 2021
Take a look at the gameplay that was shown at the event this morning
Anth for One More Game
