Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the long-awaited remakes of the 4th Generation Pokemon games, Diamond and Pearl. Pokemon fans have been waiting for the official announcement after several years of rumors that the games would receive remake treatments. The much-anticipated remakes were finally revealed in February 2021, with the confirmation that ILCA, developer of the Pokemon Home app, would be leading the project. Based on the footage shown, the remakes look like they’re going to be faithful to the original games. There are certain aspects, however, that could be improved upon for the new versions of the 4th Generation titles.
The original Diamond and Pearl games were considered by many to be breakthrough games for the Pokemon series. These titles were the first of the franchise released on the Nintendo DS handheld console and introduced widely-praised Wi-Fi features. The core gameplay wasn’t updated significantly, but the games still went on to be more financially successful than their predecessors, Ruby and Sapphire. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl appear as though they will be faithful to the original games, but the developer, ILCA, has an opportunity to improve in some key areas.
The original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl titles are widely considered to be slow-moving. Exploring the overworld in the 2006 originals is a time-consuming process and infuriating for some Pokemon fans. The Pokemon battles can slow the pace down even further, with some fights moving at a snail’s pace. While no singular reason has been denoted by Game Freak for this, it has been speculated by some fans it’s related to the visual improvements over its predecessors. Battlefield effects such as rain and fog are somewhat commonplace in the games and could have caused some slowdown, but again, that’s just speculation. This was addressed in the third game of the 4th Generation, Pokemon Platinum, where the gameplay was sped up considerably. With speculation that the remakes will include Platinum content, some fans are hoping this will include the brisker pace found in the Platinum version.
A former tradition of the Pokemon series was HM techniques, also known as Hidden Machine techniques. These were moves a Pokemon could learn to help players traverse the world and progress through the story. The Pokemon Sun and Moon games didn’t include HMs, and Pokemon Sword and Shield didn’t reintroduce them either. Many Pokemon fans didn’t like HMs simply because they took up space in a Pokemon’s already-limited move pool, and while the maneuvers could be used in battle, not many of them were considered to be very effective. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl should continue down this route and elect not to use HMs.
The necessity of HMs is considered frustrating by some Pokemon fans and it would be a good move for ILCA to disregard them in the upcoming remakes. There might be some difficulty, however, in adjusting the game to be played without HMs. As with all earlier generation Pokemon games, HMs played an important role in navigating the world and there would need to be significant re-development needed in some areas of the remakes. A natural way to overcome this difficulty would be to incorporate Poke Ride, as introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon, where players can use certain monsters to overcome obstacles. Another route to take would be to simply replace HMs with key items that could be held in a player’s inventory.
The Underground in the Sinnoh-set games is a much-loved feature of the original titles. The vast subterranean area provides players with opportunities to farm items, which could help in make-or-break fights. The Underground features Pokemon fossils as well, meaning that players had a chance at acquiring rare Pokemon. The Underground looks like it’s coming back, based on the trailer for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which is great news for fans of the 4th Generation titles. ILCA has a chance to improve this feature by looking to Sword and Shield’s Wild Area.
The Wild Area of Sword and Shield is a hub of sorts, featuring a wide variety of Pokemon and allows for player-to-player interaction. To build upon the usual trappings of the beloved Underground, ILCA could add some features inspired by the Wild Area. The Wild Area’s always online state could be beneficial for Sinnoh Underground and allow for some meaningful interactions between players. The addition of some extra-powerful Pokemon could also add another layer of challenge for gamers exploring the subterranean labyrinth and provide an opportunity to expand creature collections.
The original Diamond and Pearl games introduced a lot of new Pokemon, but the Pokedex for the Sinnoh region is often considered by fans to be somewhat unbalanced. For instance, if a player chooses another starter besides Chimchar, there is a lack of capturable fire-type monsters until much later in the game. With the new remakes, the developer has an opportunity to rebalance the Pokemon featured in the game. A more even mix of types could prove to be welcoming for newcomers to the Sinnoh-based games while remaining an enjoyable experience for veterans. The Pokemon Sword and Shield approach of eschewing a National Pokedex could work but might prove to be divisive with some fans.
After a long period of speculation about Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes, they were finally announced and Pokemon fans have a lot to look forward to. The new games will be coming in late 2021, so gamers will have to endure a wait until they’re launched. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl look as though they will be faithful remakes of the original games, but there are a few positive changes that ILCA can make to improve upon the original experience. The new remakes stand every chance of living up to the high fan expectations.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are currently in development and will launch on Nintendo Switch in late 2021.
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