Pokemon Brilliant Diamond

 Switch
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 917 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 322 out of 917
  2. Mixed: 214 out of 917
  3. Negative: 381 out of 917
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  1. BrachiasB
    Nov 24, 2021
    2
    I thought this one may have oras or let's go level of new, but NO, it doesn't even have the bare minimum of freshness. for those saying why you wouldn't like this game if you have played original, that's precisely because you don't have anything new compare to that sensation you had 15 years ago. if you're going to remaster a 15 year old pokemon game in 2021, you better have SOMETHING toI thought this one may have oras or let's go level of new, but NO, it doesn't even have the bare minimum of freshness. for those saying why you wouldn't like this game if you have played original, that's precisely because you don't have anything new compare to that sensation you had 15 years ago. if you're going to remaster a 15 year old pokemon game in 2021, you better have SOMETHING to make it up in terms of content if new pokemon or region wouldn't be a thing. let's make a comparison: what did oras gave us for its remake? new megas, new legendary forms, additional story, and a new online meta. what did this gave us? none, story barely changed or added, nothing new. not even a new legendary form which I hoped for when I saw the statue of fused form of dialga palkia. oh I'm sorry, remaster and remake is 2 separate thing so comparing this to oras is unfair? I. DON'T. CARE. if you have the audacity to put a remaster on a full price, then you must have a reason for that because all non nintendo remasters are never on a full price. even xenoblade chronicle on switch had good amount of features or update from the original and made the price little more convincing. this though? no dex from unova to galar, no competitive online, no battle frontier with little to no new features.

    don't get me started on battle. why is the game trending on giving exp to all party member? even when all trainers have vgc level of ai, moveset, item, natures and even evs, they're nothing if you know how typing works. we had something like this on sun moon, and they were tough because you got bunch of unfamiliar pokemon with completely new gimmick. admittedly the trainers weren't that big of a hassle, but the totem pokemon made up the difficulty even with the current exp share. and just as I said, if the ante up is only coming from a trainer, they're the least amount of trouble you should worry about, and that's the only thing for this game. needless to say, the original dpp and bw were challenging because the exp share wasn't the way it is.

    oh and poketch. yeah that one is a real clunky one to use now that there's only 1 screen, dowsing and counter is unusable. then again, who cares about those, right?

    if you're going to talk about underground, that's the only thing I can praise about. even with that though, this is practically the bare minimum of content or new feature you should have like the hideaway.

    contest, why do I care. I never liked spending time on this during dpp or rse because it doesn't reward you anything (unless if you had feebas but lets be real you never had one at the time). if the prize is like the 3 starters (instead of making them appear on hideaway), then you have some incentive to win it. only some stickers and ribbons though? no, not all of us are collectors and thus this is one of the weaker content to bring up.

    I can complain thing or two about graphics and bugs, but honestly that doesn't apply to everyone so I only mentioned the bigger picture that everyone would encounter.    … Expand
  2. Thankedbloom
    Nov 22, 2021
    2
    Why do they keep making these games more and more for toddlers and babies? This company spits on their fans and churns out garbage remakes. Very disappointed with this remake that I can't return , I pre ordered the digital version having high hopes for this game. They made it stupid easy to play to the point where the game play is just mind numbing and super repetitive. Shame on youWhy do they keep making these games more and more for toddlers and babies? This company spits on their fans and churns out garbage remakes. Very disappointed with this remake that I can't return , I pre ordered the digital version having high hopes for this game. They made it stupid easy to play to the point where the game play is just mind numbing and super repetitive. Shame on you pokemon developers.… Expand
  3. HerrWinstein
    Nov 20, 2021
    4
    These remakes do the bare minimum and charge $60 for it. Before you buy this game, know what you're getting into:

    - Poor presentation. It has a poor chibi art style, horribly converted music, and ill-fitting font. - TMs are single-use again. The game adds in multiple QoL features, yet takes away the most QoL-friendly feature over the past decade. Some trainers give multiple TMs, but    These remakes do the bare minimum and charge $60 for it. Before you buy this game, know what you're getting into:

    - Poor presentation. It has a poor chibi art style, horribly converted music, and ill-fitting font.

    - TMs are single-use again. The game adds in multiple QoL features, yet takes away the most QoL-friendly feature over the past decade. Some trainers give multiple TMs, but prepare for a slog if you want to get more in the post-game.

    - Like Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, it omits additions from Platinum, such as the superior trainer rosters, a fleshed-out Distortion World, and Battle Frontier. It doesn't even include the back button for the Poketch.

    - No extra regions (like FireRed/LeafGreen's Sevii Islands) or new post-game story (like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire).

    - Removes or simplifies certain features, like Super Contests or the Underground Secret Bases

    - The games have a barely functional online multiplayer system at launch and don't have the ability to transfer older Pokemon at launch.

    - Like Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, catching older legendaries in the post-game is a tedious, luck-based process involving the Grand Underground.

    - The games barely improve on the maligned Honey Tree mechanic, and the post-game grind for competitive items and TMs is still a slog.

    - Like Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, it lacks a proper random online battling system, so be prepared to face random teams full of Dialga and Palkia.

    - Only includes the first 493 Pokemon (similar to how Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee only included 153 Pokemon).

    - Inconsistent addition of newer features; it adds in moves and consumable items from later generations, yet removes most of the recent held items (like Assault Vest).

    - First Pokemon games since Crystal (2000/2001) not to include new Pokemon species, forms, or moves.

    - The Platinum outfits are locked to early-order bonuses instead of being available normally.

    (I won't mention the mandatory Exp. Share, since all of the Pokemon games are easy. I will say that the series is long overdue for multiple difficulty levels, though.)

    if you can look past that long list of negatives, there is some fun to be had. Walking Pokemon and trainer customizations are welcome additions from other games, and the post-game rematches have well-designed teams. Being able to catch a variety of Pokemon in the Grand Underground and participate in Super Contests online are also solid additions. Finally, the base games still hold up, even with all of the questionable changes.

    Overall, there's a reason these are the lowest rated paired Pokemon games to date. Decades of laziness has finally taken its toll on the franchise.    … Expand
  4. Turndown4hwut
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    This game, and it's sister game Shining Pearl, are some of the most superfluous games I have ever played. I mean, yeah, if you play a remake of a game you already own, it will feel pointless, but while Diamond and Pearl were obviously made in 2006, they were great for the DS, while the remakes still feel like they're stuck in 2006. Even just considering Pokémon remakes, those still had aThis game, and it's sister game Shining Pearl, are some of the most superfluous games I have ever played. I mean, yeah, if you play a remake of a game you already own, it will feel pointless, but while Diamond and Pearl were obviously made in 2006, they were great for the DS, while the remakes still feel like they're stuck in 2006. Even just considering Pokémon remakes, those still had a reason for you to pick them up.
    FireRed and LeafGreen had the Sevii Islands, so you could get Johto Pokémon in Generation 3, without having to get a Gamecube, Colosseum, or eventually XD.
    HeartGold and SoulSilver added so much content they could basically be considered new games. The Safari Zone, new routes in Johto, and Kanto dungeons that were cut from the original Gold & Silver came back, better than ever before.
    Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, as much as they ignored the good stuff added in Emerald, *cough* Battle Frontier *cough*, Mega Evolutions were still there, in fact, they actually introduced more of them, plus two Primal Reversions for Groudon and Kyogre. And also, incredibly minor, mind you but it's still worth mentioning, Mauville City was changed, for the worse, but there was still more stuff to do than in the original GBA games.
    Even Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee allowed you to get Meltan and Melmetal in Pokémon GO, at least until you could get them just by transferring stuff into Pokémon HOME.
    Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on the other hand, offer nothing to convince you to play them over the original Diamond and Pearl if you own them, and if you own Platinum, then apart from the Platinum Outfit available to early adopters, Rotom Forms and Origin Forme Giratina, there is no Platinum Content. No Battle Frontier (again), no Charon, No villa, and no Distortion World.
    On top of that, there's the forced Gen 6 EXP Share, which basically means if you want some sort of challenge, you need to catch 5 random EXP sponges so your starter doesn't get too overleveled, forced Amie bonuses, which basically add up to Pokemon curing themselves of statuses, boosted Critical Hit chances, and for the Pokemon to survive an attack that would otherwise faint it. At least with the Amie bonuses, you can reduce friendship with herbs, but I want my Pokemon to be friendly with me, without basically getting cheats. Also there are no regional forms and cross generational evolutions, meaning you can't use Sylveon or Sirfetch'd. Even Let's Go at least had the regional forms.
    TL;DR: If you own Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum, do yourself a favor and not only avoid these games, but to hold onto them for dear life. Especially if it's Platinum. If you don't own them, or you decide to buy them anyway, then you'll be in for a horribly easy time, unless you intentionally do some things to make the game a bit more bearable.    … Expand
  5. Latios___
    Nov 25, 2021
    0
    Bugs from able to clone Pokémon to softlocks. So many glitches, bugs to being able to skip all trainers, walking around ending up in different spots unintended and even berry planting crashing game bugs. That's too much. It's a broken game at release. Also not a fan of chibi stylistically, weird to see the enhanced version Platinum ignored, don't understand some choices like permanent expBugs from able to clone Pokémon to softlocks. So many glitches, bugs to being able to skip all trainers, walking around ending up in different spots unintended and even berry planting crashing game bugs. That's too much. It's a broken game at release. Also not a fan of chibi stylistically, weird to see the enhanced version Platinum ignored, don't understand some choices like permanent exp share obligation and single use TM. When everything is so faithful intended, why not have exp mechanism faithful (turned off) as option too? Was a great fan of the original Diamond and Pearl, but seeing this as the upgrade in over 15 years just feels too lackluster for me. It's not really worth the $60,-. Especially compared with changes in ORAS and HGSS, this just isn't up to par.… Expand
  6. Zaregoto
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    I loved the original games when they first came out on the DS, and this doesn't do them justice at all.
    Pitiful overworld art style, screwed up balance because of gen7 movesets and forced exp share, while at the same time providing almost no new content or any platinum content for that matter. They consciously decided against it too. Not just that, Gamefreak looked at gen 4 and was like    I loved the original games when they first came out on the DS, and this doesn't do them justice at all.
    Pitiful overworld art style, screwed up balance because of gen7 movesets and forced exp share, while at the same time providing almost no new content or any platinum content for that matter. They consciously decided against it too. Not just that, Gamefreak looked at gen 4 and was like "this isn't worth our time" and made some random mobile game company create the game for them. It looks like a joke in comparison to Alpha Saphire which released 7 years ago. Please do not support this. Show Gamefreak that you don't just gobble up anything they shove down your throat.    … Expand
  7. Sinco
    Nov 20, 2021
    3
    I have played every main-series Pokemon game since Red and Blue. These are by far the worst. I have never left an online review for anything, but this game made me break that streak. I read the critic reviews before buying it and they were all clear that this is just a copy-paste of the original Diamond and Pearl. That definitely turned me off, but I had some old gift cards lying around soI have played every main-series Pokemon game since Red and Blue. These are by far the worst. I have never left an online review for anything, but this game made me break that streak. I read the critic reviews before buying it and they were all clear that this is just a copy-paste of the original Diamond and Pearl. That definitely turned me off, but I had some old gift cards lying around so I still bought it. I have no problem giving games a fair shot despite low expectations, literally last week I reluctantly bought SMT5 despite SMT4 having a busted battle system (Tetrakarn/Makarakarn), and it actually turned out to be pretty shockingly well-balanced. Diamond and Pearl were never my absolute favorites but I played them a lot when they came out and liked them fine. I haven't replayed them in probably ten years so I thought it'd still be fun to do so. I was incredibly wrong.

    If I had to summarize the game in one word, it is "boring." There is just nothing to do, nowhere interesting to explore, and absolutely no challenge. I did a no-item Nuzlocke which is how I prefer to play Pokemon now and it is much, much easier than every other Pokemon game I've played (until you get to the Elite 4). The game is completely unbalanced for a mandatory party-wide EXP share. Even if you don't play for a challenge, there is a complete lack of variety in Pokemon you are fighting that makes even a quick playthrough feel tedious and obligatory. There is just nothing fun, exciting, or interesting about this game, so what reason is there to play it? These games were fun 15 years ago because they were new! New region, new Pokemon: a pretty good formula for something fun. In 2021, the Pokemon are not new, the region is not new, and there is a complete lack of new content (except the skippable underground), and so it turned out that I had no real reason to keep going except pure completionism.
    (Notice that I haven't mentioned how they look. That's because I think they look fine! I have no problem with the art style or graphical quality.)

    I have never even remotely disliked a Pokemon game before. I even thought Let's Go was pretty fun. However, releasing essentially a carbon copy of a 15 year old game for double the original price with no effort or care towards making it fun or interesting for modern players feels like a pretty big slap in the face. ORAS felt like whole new games and are probably my favorite Pokemon games, and I was never an especially big fan of the originals. Going from those to whatever this is is a huge disappointment. Please don't spend $60 on this. Wait for Pokemon Legends, or just play ORAS, Sun/Moon, X/Y, Sword/Shield, literally any Pokemon game besides this.    … Expand
  8. Red_Meridian
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    Shin Megami Tensei 5 blows these games out of the water. Pokemon is the most profitable franchise of all time. They should be embarrassed by the lack of quality and content. As a lifelong Pokemon fan I myself am embarrassed by these lazy cash grabs,
  9. digiblader
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    Severely outdated and a sign Game Freak isn't giving a damn about Pokemon anymore.
    And considering this is the Switch - you'd think they'd do a better job graphically and updated the game mechanics.
    And forced EXP. Share basically ruins it - the series has already been dumbed down heavily since Sun & Moon, and this isn't going to help. Not to mention you have to download a patch to    Severely outdated and a sign Game Freak isn't giving a damn about Pokemon anymore.
    And considering this is the Switch - you'd think they'd do a better job graphically and updated the game mechanics.

    And forced EXP. Share basically ruins it - the series has already been dumbed down heavily since Sun & Moon, and this isn't going to help.

    Not to mention you have to download a patch to get the full game because it was rushed to market!

    You're better off playing the DS originals and skipping this overpriced remaster.    … Expand
  10. OriginalOne
    Nov 22, 2021
    0
    Due to my lack of better judgment, I ended up buying the game because I enjoyed Platnium. Comparing it to its contemporary though, the graphics are just hideous. Especially the close ups, a 3D-modelling university student would do better. Diamond and Pearl fans deserved better...
  11. PokeFanXD
    Nov 20, 2021
    1
    This is not a good remake.
    Why doesn't this remake have platinum content or any original content? When Heartgold Soulsilver had crystal content and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire had some Emerald content. No story changes, graphics looks like something came out the PS2 GameCube era. ILCA and Junichi Masuda should be a shamed of themselves! This not worth $60!!!
  12. prayformojo33
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    Vergüenza que una empresa tan popular apruebe 3 juegos super mediocres seguidos, me refiero al sword, lets go y este, adiós Pokémon
  13. Justshy
    Nov 20, 2021
    3
    Not a remake, just a remaster.
    The pokemon company didn't even tried to do something new like HGSS and ORAS those were great remakes adding new pokemon and mechanics to old games.
    This game made me appreciate the Let's go games style more.
  14. christopher857
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    Once again, the Pokémon Company shows that it doesn't know how to create games. The worst remake ever!
  15. shoutouttoVP
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    -The game that ships on the card is UNFINISHED. The Battle Area needs to be downloaded as an update, meaning the base game has less content than Diamond/Pearl, let alone Platinum.
    =The real contests from the original were replaced by a terrible rhythm minigame.
    -The graphics look like a low budget PS2 game. The presentation is also terrible without the patch, to the point where the title    -The game that ships on the card is UNFINISHED. The Battle Area needs to be downloaded as an update, meaning the base game has less content than Diamond/Pearl, let alone Platinum.
    =The real contests from the original were replaced by a terrible rhythm minigame.
    -The graphics look like a low budget PS2 game. The presentation is also terrible without the patch, to the point where the title screen and credits are placeholders.

    This is by far the LAZIEST Pokemon game ever made. It makes LGPE and SWSH look good by comparison. I can't believe we once complained about ORAS, that game actually had effort put into it, unlike this mess.    … Expand
  16. Gamerdingo
    Nov 20, 2021
    4
    Its a really disappointing remake. When people said they wanted gen 4 remakes, we meant platinum...

    Even despite the lack of obvious improvements, its a really clunky remake. It feels BAD to play.
  17. Solaurusu
    Nov 20, 2021
    3
    Completely trivialized and lazy performance here. Only reason I’m rating it a 3 is because the original Generation 4 games were iconic for their time but it seems as if this remake is deadset on sending the franchise back to the time for the worse.
  18. Jiimmb0
    Nov 21, 2021
    2
    Please don’t buy this! Simple cash grab with ZERO effort. Why they didn’t remake platinum is beyond me. Speaking of platinum, it’s still by far the best Sinnoh experience one can have. The god awful affection feature of LGP/LGE managed to sneak into this game, it sucks the little challenge there was out of the game. My score of 2 is to generous, but that’s nostalgia for you.
  19. kiwi_tea
    May 14, 2022
    1
    A remake that is simply worse than that originals due to intrusive newer mechanics like friendship and XP all, while lacking older features like the Battle Frontier. This remake is notably MUCH worse than Pokemon Platinum, which improved on the story and balance issues in the original Diamond and Pearl.

    The worse remake by a significant margin. I regret buying it very much, and will be    A remake that is simply worse than that originals due to intrusive newer mechanics like friendship and XP all, while lacking older features like the Battle Frontier. This remake is notably MUCH worse than Pokemon Platinum, which improved on the story and balance issues in the original Diamond and Pearl.

    The worse remake by a significant margin. I regret buying it very much, and will be unlikely to buy Pokemon remakes in the future if this becomes the new standard.    … Expand
  20. DolphinReviews
    Jul 20, 2022
    0
    When Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shinning Pearl was announced during a Pokémon Presents, I thought I was dreaming. The gameplay and animation looked so laughably bad I could not believe a billion dollar company would make this. Let alone sell it for $60! The lowest point of the Pokémon franchise by far. It looks as if a 5 year old was tasked with character design. Reviews have comparedWhen Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shinning Pearl was announced during a Pokémon Presents, I thought I was dreaming. The gameplay and animation looked so laughably bad I could not believe a billion dollar company would make this. Let alone sell it for $60! The lowest point of the Pokémon franchise by far. It looks as if a 5 year old was tasked with character design. Reviews have compared the graphics to a mobile game which is incorrect. Mobile games have far better graphics!… Expand
  21. asdfgrand
    Mar 6, 2022
    0
    The most terrible remake game project humanity ever encounter with horrible, glitch-filled launch. GameFreak should have no love on their creation anymore, so neglecting they outsourced the game development to ILCA, the horde of assistant programmers who have zero experience of development from scratch. Pokemon is dead.
  22. zycore718
    Oct 12, 2022
    0
    There is absolutely no reason to buy this if you still have a copy of Platinum. BDSP offers less than a 10-year-old game for more money. Every other remake added a wealth of new stuff to the base game - yes, even ORAS. BDSP on the other hand got a slightly better Underground and that's it. It can't seriously call itself a remake on the same level as HGSS or even FRLG, the most basic remakeThere is absolutely no reason to buy this if you still have a copy of Platinum. BDSP offers less than a 10-year-old game for more money. Every other remake added a wealth of new stuff to the base game - yes, even ORAS. BDSP on the other hand got a slightly better Underground and that's it. It can't seriously call itself a remake on the same level as HGSS or even FRLG, the most basic remake which STILL at the very least added a brand new area to explore.

    But then again that's what you get when the devs have literally only worked with 3D modelling before - you get essentially a port with pretty HD graphics but that is nearly identical in every way to Diamond and Pearl, which were screaming out for improvements.

    But because Masuda hates acknowledging that other directors made his base games better, everything that made Sinnoh actually good in Platinum - the superior graphics, the better wild encounter roster and Trainer teams, the Battle Frontier, the Distortion World, the extra story, even LOOKER who is a popular character and has had cameos in OTHER GAMES - gets the shaft.

    The sad legacy of BDSP will be a game that was given the middle finger by Game Freak, gutted by Masuda, sent out to die against the vastly superior Legends Arceus, and had to be completely modded by fans (thank you, Team Luminescent) to even get a somewhat decent final product.    … Expand
  23. Doog39
    May 7, 2022
    0
    Way to easy of a game until halfway through the elite four, then you can’t do anything. Do not recommend.
  24. Dandy_
    Jun 15, 2022
    4
    TLDR: Worse than the originals. Tons of missed potential. Overall worthless. Play Platinum.

    I'm a massive gen 4 fan, and these games are worthless. Pokemon Diamond is by far the most important game of my childhood and the one I've made the most memories with. To be fair, I would've preferred something in the ORAS style (granted I still dont like those games) so it might not be fair to    TLDR: Worse than the originals. Tons of missed potential. Overall worthless. Play Platinum.

    I'm a massive gen 4 fan, and these games are worthless. Pokemon Diamond is by far the most important game of my childhood and the one I've made the most memories with. To be fair, I would've preferred something in the ORAS style (granted I still dont like those games) so it might not be fair to compare them to actual remakes, but I still want to mention how pathetic these games are. So, I'll try to judge these games as "faithful remakes"

    So in trying to stay faithful:
    -They added the awful new friendship system which trivializes battles
    -Said system also slows down battles
    -HM system still way slower than should be (still useless text for Rock Smash, Cut, etc)
    -Following Pokemon are back and still lag behind and are generally buggy
    -Following Pokemon also make it hard to interact with ground items or HM blocks
    -Actually REMOVED content from the Battle Tower (yes, from Platinum, but there was no reason to at least bring that back things that made those games objectively better)
    -Subjective, but overall uglier than the originals. The translation to 3D using the chibi style from the originals did not land at all for me.
    And of course, the use of those 3D models again for the Pokemon. Seeing new sprites back then was always a treat. Nowadays, it would be a **** blessing, but I'm going off track here.
    -General lack of polish (which also slows down the game at times)

    The biggest complain your hear about DP was the speed, and even here they couldn't get that right. The speed was the ONE thing they needed fix.

    Reminder, these games are EASILY ACCESSIBLE through emulators. There is NO reason to play this over Platinum using literally any device you like through an emulator.
    So for me, the decision to make these faithful remakes instead of something at least interesting like ORAS is crazy and yes, even with PLA coming out almost at the same time. At the very least, they could've remade Platinum and fixed the above. Just tons of missed potential over all, even as a low-effort """faithful""" remake.

    The best thing about BDSP is that they provide a base for modders to build something actually worthwhile upon.    … Expand
  25. OpenSauce04
    Aug 16, 2022
    0
    The most disappointing game I've ever played. Not only did it not add content from platinum like everyone expected, but it also straight up *removed* or heavily downgraded other aspects of the game that were in the original DP. The existence of this game makes me feel robbed of a real DPPt remake
  26. mimikyuu
    Dec 6, 2022
    1
    Essentially removed everything from Platinum that made it good. Didn’t prefer the chibi graphics. Hard to stay interested in enough to fully play through. Probably good for people who haven’t played the original Diamond/Pearl/Platinum games, or for diehard gen 4 fans.
  27. Pyrrha51
    Dec 9, 2022
    1
    I like Pokemon and I like Sinnoh but this remake just wasn’t it. It was basically a carbon copy of the original Diamond with a weird hybrid of Pokémon’s modern artstyle and a chibi artstyle that... is a little odd. There’s nothing from Platinum in the game outside of a few minor things like the early purchase outfits, and given that Platinum was the definitive Sinnoh game... that justI like Pokemon and I like Sinnoh but this remake just wasn’t it. It was basically a carbon copy of the original Diamond with a weird hybrid of Pokémon’s modern artstyle and a chibi artstyle that... is a little odd. There’s nothing from Platinum in the game outside of a few minor things like the early purchase outfits, and given that Platinum was the definitive Sinnoh game... that just means it’s a downgrade of an existing game. Every other remake added to itself in some way - new Pokémon from the generations that had come out after the original set of games, new features, content from or homaging the third, enhanced version of the games... BDSP falls flat on its face on delivering new features. Just go buy Legends Arceus instead for the true Sinnoh remake.… Expand
  28. DeadSmack
    May 17, 2023
    2
    So, if you have played the originals, this is the same. It's not a remake, it's just a visual update. And to my taste, the chibi style is horrible. I wonder if 5-10 yrs old Pokemon fans are really the main audience for the franchise. Can't recommend it, you better get the originals and play them.
  29. Hazman
    Mar 9, 2022
    2
    Slow, Easy, And ultimately boring. If you haven't played Pokemon, get a better game, if you have, you've played a better game
  30. JusticeServed
    Jan 17, 2023
    0
    This game is a scam. It delivered nothing that could remotely qualifies as a remake game.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Sep 9, 2022
    70
    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS games. They probably lean too much on the safe side, not achieving an awful lot to improve on the originals other than a few quality-of-life improvements. The improved Underground sections are a welcome addition, but the missing features from Pokémon Platinum are a big let-down. All in all, though, the Sinnoh region offers just as brilliant of an adventure as it was 15 years ago and the formula that worked back then (and then some) is still as addictive to this day. If you are a fan of classic Pokémon titles, this is a no-brainer.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Mar 7, 2022
    65
    I honestly think ILCA's decision to play it safe was the biggest thing that hurt Brilliant Diamond. Maybe if it had included a few more of the story beats and improvements that were introduced in Platinum, I'd be giving it a higher grade. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 66]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 18, 2022
    60
    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is a decent remaster transferring the fourth generation from Nintendo DS to Switch. The authors handled well the absence of the second screen, but in the case of game mechanics they could go a bit further.
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