Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Reviews
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.
I've had an absolute blast with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and I know there's plenty more for me to see thanks to their sheer size. With changes that lean mostly toward quality of life improvements, this is a firm reminder that Pokémon games can be extraordinary and one of the most enjoyable remakes I've played in a long time.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond is like a warm hug, offering nothing but smiles and enjoyment throughout. Long term fans will find the quality of life changes make it even easier, but nonetheless, it's an otherwise faithful remake and a joy from start to finish.
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.
It's been a long time since players have gotten to revisit Sinnoh, and all things considered this may be the definitive way to enjoy it.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearle are a remake of the DS games from 2006. The game has had a major visual upgrade and feels like new. The controls are still simple and self-explanatory. It is also wonderfully nostalgic for the old fan and it will also know how to entertain the newcomers. There is certainly no lack of fun. Diamond & Pearle only differ in a few exclusively findable Pokémon and does exactly what you can expect from a Pokémon game.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
With the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl releasing in Japan in 2006, the 10th anniversary of the series, the journey to the Sinnoh region is back! Well over a decade later, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have been released as remakes on the trusty Nintendo Switch. This news was much to the excitement and nostalgia of longtime fans, the Sinnoh region a fond favourite of many.
Pokémon is back with two fantastic remakes that are sure to act as comfort food for newer and older fans alike.
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
Loving remake of an RPG classic with a timelessly motivating gameplay, but which lacks significant innovations.
Review in German | Read full review
Pokemon fun for younger and older fans. A remake that gives the old game a fresh feel for veterans and a great way to jump into the world for younger fans.
Catching, training, and trading Pokémon remains a blast, and Sinnoh is a great region to explore
While it feels like Game Freak have been trying to find their footing with Pokémon over the last few years, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a confident showing by ILCA that proves the series is far from dead. The classic formula is unchanged here, and still holds up, which will no doubt please long-time fans and newcomers alike. Smart new additions that feel like natural additions to the base game, coupled with a visual overhaul that captures the feel of the originals make for an experience that's as nostalgic and comforting, as it is fresh and reinvigorating for the franchise.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful recreations of the 2008 DS title. While leaving most content untouched the Quality of Life upgrades and enhanced features make this the best way to experience Sinnoh.
I'm certainly not in a hurry to leave it any time soon; that's for sure. However, with Pokémon Legends on the horizon, this one-two punch of Pokémon titles could be a winning way to close out one year and welcome in another, with a blast from the past followed by something we haven't really seen before. That's a Jigglepuff double-slap I can get behind.
Well-polished remakes of games from a different time in the Pokemon franchise. + Faithful recreation of the originals that draws out their best aspects + Incredibly satisfying difficulty throughout, especially for the Elite 4 - Some bizarre decisions to bring back previously removed features
Like the themes of its story, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are solid and enduring – leaning on the past, with all of its triumphs and tripwires.
Pokemon Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond, despite ignoring some of the original's issues, is a great remake that runs remarkably well and sports excellent visuals.
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.
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