Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
Story:
In Twinleaf Town of the Sinnoh region, two youngsters are inspired to travel to the local lake to search for a Legendary Pokemon a documentary. At the lake, they encounter Professor Rowan and use his Pokemon to fend off an attack from wild Starlies. Rowan gives them each a Pokedex and tasks them with helping his study of Pokemon evolution. Along the way, they encounter Team Galactic, a gang of Pokemon trainers intent on shaping the universe in their image.
Gameplay
The Diamond and Pearl versions of Pokemon follow the formula that has made the series so successful. After choosing one of three different starting Pokemon, the player will travel through the region of Sinnoh while catching wild Pokemon, battling rival trainers and stopping the evil plot of Team Galactic. The games introduce 107 new Pokemon species, each with their own separate move lists, personalities and abilities that make each individual Pokemon unique. Along with battling trainers, Pokemon can also be entered into Pokemon Contests to win contest ribbons and bred for stronger abilities.
The two new versions also reintroduce times of day from the second generation, and make use of the second screen by way of the Poketch, a watch device that provides a number of display features including a calculator, region map and counter. The biggest addition to the Pokemon franchise does not come in the way of new gameplay, however, but comes in the form of online play, allowing players from anywhere in the world to battle and trade with each other.
Cons:
- Pokemon Designs: While not nearly as bizarre as Pokemon from the previous generation, the designs of the new Pokemon still do not match up aesthetically to the majority of Pokemon from the first and second generations.
- Event Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl introduces five new Event Pokemon, rare Pokemon that can only be captured by participating in a Nintendo live event. This is a particular annoyance to those who enjoy collecting the various species but do not have access to these events and do not want to hack or cheat to get them.
Pros:
- Online Play: The biggest addition to the franchise, the ability to play over Nintendo Wi-Fi works fine and opens up the world to people who do not necessarily have friends who play the games.
- Pal Park: The GBA slot in the DS allows the transfer of Pokemon from third generation GBA games to the DS gamepack, so fans do not need to lose the ability to use their favourites and start again with the new games.
- Updates: Play mechanics introduced in the third generation return with refinements and new variations. Some older Pokemon now have new evolutions. This may be considered a negative to those wishing for more new ways to play the game, but minor adjustments to a winning formula is not a bad thing.
- Pokemon Types: While the look can be hit or miss, many of the new Pokemon provide interesting new type combinations to be explored in Pokemon battles.
- Pokemon Availability: Each version includes access to over 400 types of Pokemon. This availability in one game is unprecedented and allows collectors the luxury of not needing to find every game from the previous generation to collect them all. Nintendo Wi-Fi also allows trades for missing Pokemon, so collectors need not be shy about jumping in.
- Replay Value: Even after beating the game, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl offer much extra to do. Collecting all Pokemon, winning contests, breeding strong Pokemon, building battling teams for online play, searching for rare Shiny Pokemon and exploring the Underground are just a few ways that Pokemon can be enjoyed after the storyline ends.
Summary:
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl do not provide much new in the gameplay department, but refine an already successful formula and branches out the multiplayer through Nintendo Wi-Fi. Between that and the hours that can be spent raising and breeding the incredible amount of available Pokemon, it is hard not to call the new versions great games.
Grade: A
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