Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl – remakes of, you guessed it, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl – were released in 2021 as suped-up versions of the 2006 Nintendo DS originals for the Nintendo Switch. The original games ushered in the Nintendo DS era of Pokémon, and were the starting adventures for a whole new generation of fans.
Known as the fourth generation of Pokémon, Diamond and Pearl took us to the Sinnoh region and introduced many hugely popular Pokémon such as Lucario, Garchomp, Luxray, and Bidoof. The games also introduced two new Eevee evolutions, Glaceon and Leafeon, which have remained fan favourites ever since. Of course, the games also featured iconic starters, new evolutions for older Pokémon, and more legendary and mythical Pokémon than you could shake a stick at. However, it’s not just about the monsters. The Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes brought a new art style to the story of Sinnoh.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release date
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl was released on Friday, November 19, 2021, on Nintendo Switch.
With the Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ release date only a few months later, this meant you had just a short time to catch up with your old favorites in the Gen 4 remakes.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl gameplay
You can watch the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl trailer here:
This gave us a glimpse at what we could expect from the remakes; an adorable look back to Pokémon’s past, and a look at the new game’s unique art style. If you’re new to these entries, you’ll get a relatively spoiler-free look.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl art style
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl boasted a cute, chibi art style, which proved divisive in the Pokémon community as it was quite a significant departure, even from the modern entries.
However, battles and Pokémon sprites had a more traditional 3D style than the characters and overworld. While some may have lamented the removal of classic 2D sprites from the Diamond and Pearl remakes, Pokémon brought the iconic games to a new generation, a new console, and the present day, so it would be remiss not to have updated the visuals too.
Is Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl faithful to the original?
Prior to release, the Pokémon Company claimed that the Diamond and Pearl remakes “faithfully reproduced” the original games, and it’s largely true. The biggest departure was for sure its art style. With that said, however, its faithfulness to the originals was also a criticism after release, with some of the improvements made to the original games, such as to TMs in Pokémon Platinum, not having been implemented here. So, while faithful, some of its old annoyances also showed their head again.