Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Reviews

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
TheGamer
Top Critic
Nov 17, 2021

Its new features may not be truly revolutionary, and it may still have its fair share of repetitive and time-consuming moments, but it’s a faithful take on a well-loved game, and should certainly keep players busy until Pokémon Legends: Arceus arrives in January.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2022

There’s plenty of little life improvements but to me, and I realize this is extremely biased, is where PokéMon peaked and to remake PokéMon Diamond and Pearl this well is quite something. I think it’s hard to find complaints with Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl outside of simply not liking the formula of PokéMon. There’s so much to discover and do that it comes very close to feeling like living in the world of PokéMon and I suppose that’s all I ever wanted. Let me compete with friends on whose PokéMon is the cutest, see who is the toughest, and then let us hang out in the dingy underground digging up fancy gems together. Maybe when we’re done I’ll save the world from some evil group and catch some legendary PokéMon too. It brings me back not just to my teens, but to the feeling I had when I borrowed my friend’s copy of PokéMon Red and for a game to continue this long and still hook me after all this time is more praise than I can necessarily articulate.

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Dec 15, 2021

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl struggle on both these counts, meaning they can only really be recommended to die-hard fans of the originals. Luckily for any newer fans of the series, there are plenty of other, much better, Pokémon games to dig into.

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Dec 8, 2021

The remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl gives us the perfect mix of old and new. A light-hearted story with dark tendencies spiced with all the improving elements from later games in the series. The variety is huge and at its best even addictive. However, we can't shake off that the character design itself feels a little out of place.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

GameMAG
Top Critic
6 / 10
Dec 3, 2021

With Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl the fourth generation of pocket monsters received the most boring and uninspired remake in the history of Pokémon franchise. And this is a big shame given the cult status of Sinnoh region.

Review in Russian | Read full review

Nov 18, 2021

These titles will definitely please old fans who will adore the updated visuals, the Hideaway and tweaks to gameplay, that all make for an improved experience.

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72 / 100
Nov 17, 2021

Brilliant Pearl feels well-crafted yet confused, like they pursued several disparate visions at once. If you can see past these strange decisions, you’ll find a set of pretty respectable Pokemon games.

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8.8 / 10.0
Nov 17, 2021

From a certain point of view, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is a remake that doesn't like to take too many risks, improving on the original experience without making any major changes. Yet this is also its greatest strength, especially for those who never played the original chapters on DS. The result is an authentic recreation of a historical title, polished and cleaned up from outdated game design elements.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Will Greenwald
Top Critic
Dec 7, 2021

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake the original Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo Switch. They're still lengthy, fun Pokemon adventures, but not much has been added, and even the remade graphics are showing their age.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 26, 2021

In short, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful remakes of one the franchise's best generations, despite some shortcomings. Your enjoyment of the game will heavily depend on your nostalgia or overall love of the franchise, so don't go in expecting a perfect remake. However, my time with these remakes was a fun one, and I'm excited to continue to explore the Grand Underground in search of a shiny Pokémon.

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3.5 / 5.0
Nov 26, 2021

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their flaws and are not particularly ambitious remakes, but they’re somehow still fun. I don’t regret the 25 hours I spent with the main story of Brilliant Diamond, and there is enough post-game content to keep me interested for a while longer.

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70 / 100
Nov 25, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes that stick a lot to the original works, which turns out to be their worst mistake.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.6 / 10.0
Nov 19, 2021

Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl are one-of-a-kind remakes, which in the morbid attachment to the past find all their strengths and weaknesses.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Nov 18, 2021

For anyone new or returning to the Pokémon series, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl is a perfect starting point that bridges the gap between classic and modern Pokémon games. The quality-of-life additions make the game more accessible without making it feel bloated, the art style is simplistic and cute, and the gameplay mechanics will keep players moving through the adventure with ease. For veterans of the series, these versions are an easy recommendation and an excellent recreation of a fan favorite. With only a few exclusive Pokémon between Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, either one is an excellent choice for any player.

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86 / 100
Nov 17, 2021

Loving remake of an RPG classic with a timelessly motivating gameplay, but which lacks significant innovations.

Review in German | Read full review

GameXplain
GameXplain
Top Critic
Liked-a-lot
Nov 17, 2021
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - REVIEW (Switch) video thumbnail
Nov 17, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl play it safe, faithfully remaking two classic DS games -- at times to a fault.

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6 / 10
Nov 17, 2021

While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4. They're also very clearly in the shadow of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the upcoming open-world-like Pokemon game that has fans hoping it can take the series in exciting new directions beyond 20-year-old mechanics. If the remit of these remakes was to remain faithful to the original Gen 4 pair, we wish they'd also stuck to the pixel-art aesthetic. Aside from The Grand Underground – and the connectivity with the current games in the series – there's very little reason to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl over your original DS copies.

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8 / 10
Nov 18, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are faithful recreations of the classic DS titles, updated with plenty of small, ease-of-life changes. While some fans might feel alienated by the features that have been added to make the game easier, the changes are a net positive that make the game a smoother experience all-round. The upgraded Underground is more involved and offers more things to do, and the remade music tracks sound beautiful. Although a lot more could have been done to make these remakes truly special, what’s here will make Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl a worthwhile experience for returning fans and new ones alike.

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Dec 6, 2021

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are exactly what you think of what a remake to a Pokémon game. Story unchanged, newer assets and more quality of life upgrades that make it fit in the modern era of gaming. It is still very much Pokémon.

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