Summary
Pokemon Platinumfirst hit shelves in Japan on September 13th, 2008. As the follow-up version to the fourth-generation main seriesgamesPokemon Diamond and Pearlcelebrates its 15th anniversary, it’s important to note that time only shines more favorably upon the game as the best example of a sequel version doing everything a sequel version should do.
In the first half of the life cycle ofPokemongames, there was a familiar release structure that involved a generation launching with two main versions likeRed and BlueorRuby and Sapphire, and following those a year or two later would be a sequel version likeYelloworEmerald. These sequel versions would often be much more refined ways to experience the generation in question with added features, bug fixes, and even new story content. Some of the sequel versions handled these things better than others, though, and many fans holdPokemon Platinumas the undisputed king of this format and one of the greatest main seriesPokemongames to this day.
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Pokemon Platinum: What a Sequel Version Needs
Pokemon Platinumincludes a number of major improvements overDiamond and Pearlthat largely upgrade what are already solid entries to the main series titles. An increased regional Pokedex, sped-up animations, the Battle Frontier, extraLegendary Pokemon available to catch around Sinnoh, and the inclusion of the famous Reverse World that remains one of the best dungeons in thePokemonseries to this day.
The overwhelminglypositive reception toPokemon Platinumthat remains tied to its legacy should serve as a beacon for newerPokemongames to look toward. It showcases the primary thingsPokemonfans wanted and still want to see to this day in their games to make them great: solid Pokemon diversity, quality battles, and a plethora of content both within the story and after it’s finished. These are things that many criticize the modern main entry titles as lacking that can’t be fixed by distracting additions like an open-world layout or flashy battle gimmicks like Dynamaxing/Terastillizing.
The Case For Sequels to Return in Pokemon
After the fourth generation, sequels took a different direction with games like the fifth generation’sPokemonBlack 2 and White 2alongsideUltra Sun and Ultra Moonbeing the final sequel games in the seventh generation. The transition from handheld main seriesPokemongames to the Nintendo Switch has foregone that format in favor of DLC additions likeSword and Shield’s Isle of Armor/Crown Tundra and the upcomingTeal Mask/Indigo Disk inPokemon Scarlet and Violet. These serve similar functions as the sequel versions in the past with added story content and new features. The question is whether these are satisfactory supplements for the sequel versions of the past, or if the old format should make a return sometime in the future.
There are pros and cons to both, but ultimately, it seems as though sequel versions have rightfully become a thing of the past in thePokemoncanon. Adding similar content via DLC cuts the cost since players only need to spend the $30-$35 for just the new content rather than the full price for an entirely new game. The content coming in a DLC also allows the player to jump right into what they haven’t experienced before, whereas inPokemon Platinum, if the playerhad already experiencedPokemonDiamondorPearl, they would need to go back through the entire story again to reach most of the additional content.
The format that allowed the classic that isPokemon Platinumto come into existence is likely effectively dead, but the idea behind what went into the making of that game still very much exists in the franchise to this day. These new content additions to the latestPokemongenerations can usePokemon Platinumas a blueprint for what fans truly want to see added into a main series game, and its legacy can continue to influence new generations through that.
