Chip Off The Old Block

Pokemon brilliant diamond and shining pearl

- Kenneth Ang

A GLANCE

DEVELOPER

ILCA Inc.

PUBLISHER

Nintendo, The Pokemon Company

GENRE

RPG

PLATFORM

Nintendo Switch

PLAYERS

SINGLE, MULTI

For many Pokemon fans, picking up Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BD/SP) isn’t just “another Pokemon game”. It’s like coming home after a long odyssey, one which has taken us through four regions already - Unova, Kalos, Alola and Galar.

Aesthetically, the Sinnoh region looks and sounds just like we remember, from the tranquil flower fields of Floaroma Town, to the bustling Veilstone City and the swirling peaks of Mount Coronet. Granted, the chibi-style graphics might take a little getting used to especially if you’re making the jump over from Sword and Shield, but I’ll admit it really takes me back to my Platinum days.

In most Pokemon titles, the narrative takes great care to flesh out the purposes and motivations of the antagonist, but Team Galactic in BD/ SP simply lacks that emotional connection players usually get to forge. For most of the journey, your interactions with them, especially their boss Cyrus, feel basic and uninspired it’s kind of like reading off a PowerPoint slide.

As for gameplay, I’m aware that the game has received a decent amount of flak from the veterans for a number of reasons, but we shouldn’t forget that we aren’t the only market out there for such games. Let’s just talk about two of the changes that I found compelling, and one that I’m a little concerned about.