Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare the next installments in the long-runningPokemonseries. The games will reintroduce the Sinnoh region to veterans for the first time in over a decade, and expose the setting to newcomers in the process.
AlthoughPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare far from being the franchise’s first remakes, they have developed an identity that makes them stand out from other mainlinePokemongames and preceding remakes.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare different because of the context of their creation, as well as how they were developed. Early copies of the Sinnoh remakes have been leaked, making it easier to point out how distinctPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare.
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Why Generation 4 Remakes Happened
Video games have a tendency to age more poorly than books, films, or television shows. Not only are they a younger medium, technology has evolved quickly in the past four decades, allowing gaming to progress radically. The originalPokemon RedandBluewere rendered technologically obsolete just a few years after their release whenGoldandSilvercame out, and the evolution ofPokemon’s mechanics and engines hasn’t stopped since.
Generation 4 was a turning point in the franchise.DiamondandPearlwere the first entries to not be made for a Game Boy system. Being DS games, they were the first in the series to incorporate touch controls and rely on wireless connections for multiplayer. Additionally, the games introduced a physical-special split that changed how battling worked forever. Combined with returning features fromRuby, Sapphire,andEmerald, such ascontests - which are being revampedin the remakes, Gen 4 had plenty of potential.
Unfortunately,DiamondandPearlhad issues such as a slow engine and strange design choices, such as giving Gym Leaders and Elite Four members a typing that the games’ regional Pokedex cannot fully represent. As a result, the improvementsPlatinumbrought in stood out compared to whatCrystalandEmeralddid. It is such a polished third game that requests to includePlatinum’s unique featuresinPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwere inevitable.
Despite the slow engine, Pokemon’s fourth generation is not outdated compared to the franchise’s earliest years. AfterFireRedandLeafGreenandHeartGoldandSoulSilver,Pokemonfans came to expect a remake every generation or two. Game Freak alsodeliveredOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphirewhen requests for Hoenn remakes were at their peak.DiamondandPearlare now the oldest mainline games to have never been remade, though the existence of these remakes is not necessarily because the originals were outdated.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlprimarily seem to be the product of fanservice in an era that panders heavily to older nostalgic fans.
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Differences Between BDSP and Previous Remakes
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill be part of Generation 8, following up the first Switch titlesPokemon SwordandShield. AsPokemonhas been a staple of Nintendo handhelds for 25 years,SwordandShieldmark the mainline games’ transition from portable to home consoles. Sinnoh will be the second region from the pre-Switch era brought into this console generation after Kanto was brought back forLet’s Go, Pikachu!andEevee!. This sets them apart fromFireRedandLeafGreen,HeatGoldandSoulSilver, andOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire, which were released on handhelds like their original counterparts. That being said, these remakes aim to remind players of the originals' games characteristics while having modern sensibilities, such as moreaccessible HMsthat are reminiscent of how they used to work while less of a burden.
Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare also far more straightforward remakes than any preceding them.FireRedandLeadGreenadded the Sevii Islands as a major component of the main and postgame.HeartGoldandSoulSilverbrought back elements fromCrystaland added more side content in Kanto.Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphirehad the Delta episode that acts as a replacement forEmeraldcontent. However, its seems like these next games are trying to emulate the originalDiamondandPearlas much as possible.Puzzles unique toDiamondandPearlwill be in the remakes, and according to leaks there are no signs of the Distortion World being in the game. Even though it only introduced inPlatinum, this area is iconic enough that it became integral to the Sinnoh region. Unlike predecessors,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill take their titles much more literally.
Even with this similarity,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlseem to carry on more infamous decisions introduced later in the series, such as having theExperience Share far more accessiblethan it was in the original games. Overall, these games seem to be in a league of their own. They are largely insular and have elements of the older generations, while also keeping controversialSwordandShieldelements.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlrelease for the Nintendo Switch on July 01, 2025.
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