Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the latest installments in the Pokemon series, yet they are the first of their kind in many ways. The games are the first examples of remakes of post-Game Boy Pokemon games. They are also the first Pokemon remakes to be made after Nintendo decided to integrate the best of what its home consoles and handhelds had to offer by making the Switch.
As a result, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the first Pokemon remakes to be made for a home console. Most importantly, they are the first games in the series to deviate from the visual norm established by the introductory games of their generation. Indeed, Sword and Shield differ from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in a fair number of ways, and the aesthetics are just one component of these differences.
The Different Visuals
Pokemon Sword and Shield carried the aesthetical legacy of the 3DS Pokemon games when it came to their arts style. The transition from the seventh generation to the eighth was a superficial one from an artistic perspective. Sword and Shield essentially took advantage of the Switch’s superior capabilities, as the semi-pixelated models found on the 3DS were now polished and clean, but the general art style remained the same. This is not just the case with the human characters, but also with the Pokemon themselves. The animations and poses remained generally the same, and it is especially obvious when comparing Sword and Shield with X and Y or Sun and Moon.
In the previous generations, Pokemon remakes brought an older set of games back to life using the current generation’s engine, mechanics, and graphics. While Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl definitely look like the typical modern Pokemon game, following Sword and Shield’s steps in the process, they have defining features of their own - the most notable being the chibi look the characters have in the overworld, which changes back to the usual style with regular proportions. In a way, it is a 3D interpretation of Pokemon battles prior to X and Y’s release.
These creative decisions are a product of the developers wanting to maintain the looks of the original Diamond and Pearl, which were sprite-based. Unlike Sword and Shield, which appears to be trying to push the series forward as far as visuals go, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl take advantage of their status as remakes. They try to not only remind Pokemon and its fans of the franchise’s roots, but also appeal to the nostalgia of adults that might have grown up with the original Gen 4 titles.
The Pokedex Problems
Pokemon Sword and Shield are associated with one of the most controversial design decisions in the history of the franchise. The lack of a National Pokedex led to outrage, with the phenomenon even given a name: “Dexit”. Not only were around half of the existing Pokemon unavailable in the main game, which is normal, but their data was nowhere to be found in the games’ files. This provided a dark blueprint for what was to come in future Pokemon games. The title of the series’ oldest days, “Gotta catch’em all”, was not just reduced to an artifact. It was rendered obsolete.
In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Pokedex issues continue to creep up, but in different ways.
As remakes, the Pokemon that can be caught in the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are essentially what makes up the Gen 4 National Pokedex. While that is not completely satisfactory, it makes sense to a certain extent. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl try to offer an experience that is simultaneously reminiscent of an era that is long gone and fresh for the franchise. Since it is implied, if not outright confirmed, that Pokemon games will have restricted Pokedexes until further notice, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl cleverly played around with said restrictions instead of reacting confusingly like Sword and Shield.
The Difficulty
It is safe to say that while Pokemon games were not explicitly difficult, they have gotten easier over the years, and not only due to quality-of-life improvements. Pokemon Sword and Shield never needed a handholding tutorial like Sun and Moon, but there was never much of a challenge during the main story. Grinding became less of a chore, but it also resulted into sweeps being easier than ever. The high levels of some of the late game Trainers are only superficially intimidating. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are not harder than Sword and Shield. In fact, they are even easier in certain aspects, such as the Exp. Share being impossible to turn off.
This lower difficulty is especially jarring when the original Gen 4 games could be reasonably challenging with their bosses, especially the Champion. What separates the remakes from Sword and Shield in this department is the postgame offerings. Bosses can be refought like in Platinum. In a way that can be seen as ambushing, they have ridiculously powerful teams with perfect EVs, IVs, and competitive strategies. Cynthia’s Garchomp became the strongest AI Pokemon in the mainline games’ history. These battles do not make the Gen 4 remakes any harder since they’re optional, but their presence shows the developers’ will to give fans the challenge they desire, which could be a good influence on future Pokemon games.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now on Nintendo Switch.
