Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are finally getting remakes. First released on Nintendo DS in 2007, these games introduced millions of players to the series and were the next in line for remakes after Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. While we've had to wait seven years for these remakes, they've finally arrived and have recreated Sinnoh in all of its former glory!
During February 26's Pokémon Presents showcase, The Pokémon Company Chief Operating Officer Takato Utsunomiya unveiled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl for Nintendo Switch. This is everything that we know about these Generation 4 Pokémon remakes following their reveal.
When is the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl release date?
During the presentation, The Pokémon Company stated that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021. These are the main Pokémon games for this year, with the exciting and innovative Pokémon Legends: Arceus on the horizon for 2022.
While no date was shared, every mainline Pokémon game since 2014 has been released in mid-November. Hopefully, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl keep up that pace.
Is there a Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl trailer?
Yes, there is! Check it out below:
The trailer was the first major reveal of the February 26 Pokémon Presents event. The trailer begins by showing the original Diamond and Pearl games booting up and being played on the DS before transitioning to the updated but accurate Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes.
We see brief glimpses of Twinleaf Town, Jubilife City, Floaroma Town, Lake Verity, the Valley Windworks, Oreburgh City, Snowpoint City, several routes, multiplayer, and some normal Pokémon battles. You should get a nice feel for how these remakes compare to the original.
What are the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl legendary Pokémon?
For those that aren't familiar with the original game, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl both have god-like legendaries that were confirmed to reappear by The Pokémon Company. Brilliant Diamond's Legendary Pokémon is Dialga, a Steel and Dragon-Type Pokémon that also has the power to control time.
Meanwhile, Shining Pearl players will encounter Palkia, a Water and Dragon-Type Pokémon with the ability to distort space. Both Pokémon have the ability Pressure, which makes the opposing Pokémon use twice as much PP.
Players will encounter both as they are going on a journey through the Sinnoh region with their rival Barry and ultimately fighting the evil organization Team Galactic, which is led by a philosophical man named Cyrus.
How faithful to the original are Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl?
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are beloved games thanks to excellent gameplay and region design. That said, those games did have some rough edges, like their extremely slow pace and odd Pokémon distribution that left some of the coolest new Pokémon to the post-game.
Many of these issues were fixed in 2009's Pokémon Platinum, so fans are hoping they'll carry over to the remakes. Ultimately, the reality of these remakes seems to be somewhere in the middle. The press release announcing the game boasts that the remakes are "faithfully reproduced" and will include the same story and features as Diamond and Pearl.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl faithfully recreate the top-down look of the Nintendo DS originals outside of battle.The Pokémon Company
On one hand, it's exciting that we'll be able to explore the Sinnoh region and fight Team Galactic once again in a game that's extremely accurate. On the other hand, the games might possibly retain some of the more negative aspects of the originals. We won't know for sure until we go hands-on with the game.
On the bright side, the press release also promises that "these games are updated with the easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences introduced in recent Pokémon core series video games." Hopefully, at least the pace of battles and movement in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is improved compared to the original, even if some other things that should've been changed aren't.
Who is developing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl?
Game Freak is the company that usually handles every single new mainline Pokémon game, but that actually isn't the case with Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. As Game Freak is working on Pokémon Legends: Arceus, this project was handed off to Ilca Inc., an obscure Japanese developer that worked on Pokémon Home and as a support studio on games like Code Vein.
These games have two directors: Ilca's Yuichi Ueda and The Pokémon Company's Junichi Masuda. While it's somewhat disappointing that these remakes were outsourced, it will at least give Game Freak more time to dedicate to Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released for Nintendo Switch in late 2021.
