A lot has changed in the 15 years since the original release of the gen 4 Pokemon games, yet the series itself remains as popular as ever. Each new installment continues to shift millions of copies in its opening few weeks on sale; something that Game Freak and Nintendo will be hoping is also true of the recently released gen 4 remakes, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond& Shining Pearl.
Though these two new titles remain very true to the original titles, like other Pokemon remakes before them, there are also plenty of changes and quality of life updates as well. Those who are still in two minds as to whether or not the games are worth replaying may therefore be interested to know what exactly has changed. With that in mind, these are the biggest differences in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Updated Visuals
Given that they released more than fifteen years on from the original games, it should come as little surprise that Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl look a lot more visually impressive than their DS counterparts. Granted, some people are not particularly fond of the games' new chibi art style, but, from a technical standpoint, at least, the vastly superior graphics should be clear enough for all to see.
Follow Pokemon
Though it was technically possible to have one of 11 specially chosen Pokemon follow the playable character in the original games, this was only possible in Hearthome City's Amnity Square. In the remakes, however, players can have any Pokemon they like follow them around and they're no longer restricted to only Amnity Square either. At launch, players can even use their Follow Pokemon to find invisible items, though this is seemingly a bug rather than an intended feature.
The Grand Underground
Much like Follow Pokemon, the Grand Underground isn't a brand new idea, more an expansion on an existing one. Many of the things found there, including base building and digging were also present in the Underground area of Diamond & Pearl. There are one or two notable additions in the remakes though. Perhaps the most significant of these is the ability to encounter non-Sinnoh Pokemon while exploring, though the improved online connectivity is also very much appreciated.
Ramanas Park
Though much smaller in scale than the Grand Underground, Ramanas Park is still a welcome addition to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and allows players to get their hands on a plethora of highly desirable Legendary Pokemon. Unfortunately, however, players won't be able to get there until after beating the Elite Four and completing the Sinnoh Pokedex, meaning that many may never experience it. Those who do might be a little put off by how grindy it is, with the current method for unlocking Pokemon there incredibly time-consuming.
Origin Forme Giratina
Fans were incredibly disappointed to learn that the majority of the Platinum exclusive content would not be featuring in the 2021 remakes, particularly as Omega Ruby & AlphaSapphire had incorporated much of Emerald's some seven years prior. One piece of Platinum that did make it into the games, however, is the Griseous Orb, which is found deep into the games' post-game content and can be used to transform Platinum's mascot Pokemon, Giratina, into its Origin Forme. Admittedly it isn't much, but it's definitely better than nothing.
