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. OctaneNitro
    Nov 25, 2021
    5
    Diamond & Pearl were the first Pokémon games I ever played, and yet these remakes sadly left me disappointed compared to both the originals, and the even better Pokémon Platinum.

    Before discussing the pros/cons of BDSP, let's compare them to previous remakes in the franchise: Firered/Leafgreen took graphically dated GB games and gave them an appealing GBA artstyle.    Diamond & Pearl were the first Pokémon games I ever played, and yet these remakes sadly left me disappointed compared to both the originals, and the even better Pokémon Platinum.

    Before discussing the pros/cons of BDSP, let's compare them to previous remakes in the franchise:

    Firered/Leafgreen took graphically dated GB games and gave them an appealing GBA artstyle. Heartgold/Soulsilver were also visual upgrades, fixing issues in the originals (such as fleshing out Kanto), and were arguably the most packed Pokémon games ever. Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire weren't AS content rich, but still gave their originals a brand new 3D perspective and reimagining.

    Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, in contrast, do none of the above, with an incredibly strict approach that harms the games overall.

    BDSP's graphics are a prime example of this. Technically, they do an ok job of translating the look of the originals to the Switch, yet still offer no significant utilisation of the platform's capabilities whatsoever. All hopes for a reimagined, fleshed out Sinnoh were immediately killed by the artstyle, with several fanmade mockups (e.g. Millenniumloops' on Youtube) showcasing this missed potential.

    Unfortunately, this general lack of ambition extends to the rest of these games.

    Pokémon Platinum, released twelve years ago, added an expanded post-game, a wider variety of Pokémon, and countless graphical details to Sinnoh. Meanwhile, BDSP leave out almost all of these objective enhancements in the name of "faithfulness". Diamond/Pearl are hardly the most gruelling, tricky games to remake today, yet ILCA couldn't even add back content from a decade old DS game.

    I'd be willing to forgive this approach, however, if BDSP were genuinely faithful remakes... but in line with Gamefreak's modern design philosophy (favouring simplicity), countless tweaks were made to the original games. BDSP, for example, work in Sword/Shield's EXP Share: an item you cannot turn off, despite being able to do so in the originals. Additionally, Sword/Shield's affection system is present, allowing Pokémon to cheat battles (e.g. by dodging attacks) if they have a high affection stat. Together, these features practically erase challenge.

    Even more bafflingly, many welcome quality of life changes WERE removed. Reusable TMs? Gone. The Underground and contests? Simplified. The Frontier Brain theme? Gone. ILCA were perfectly happy adding in unfaithful features to classic experiences, yet also cut modernisations that might've improved the games overall.

    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl simply don't live up to their originals, Platinum, or previous Pokémon remakes. Other than overworld Pokémon, recreating Gen 4's mythical events, and the rework of HMs, I struggle to find even the slightest hint of ambition in these games.

    BDSP aren't terrible games, but they ultimately deliver the bare minimum overall    … Expand
  2. EasyGamerBoi
    Dec 4, 2021
    5
    These games (& Platinum) were such MASSIVE parts of my childhood that I still love Pokémon to this day, but that’s not to say they don’t try EXTREMELY hard to shake that love out of me with nearly every release this decade. These aren’t trainwrecks like Sword & Shield or LGPE, they’re quite literally the same games we played almost 20 years ago with a new coat of paint which is fine.. ButThese games (& Platinum) were such MASSIVE parts of my childhood that I still love Pokémon to this day, but that’s not to say they don’t try EXTREMELY hard to shake that love out of me with nearly every release this decade. These aren’t trainwrecks like Sword & Shield or LGPE, they’re quite literally the same games we played almost 20 years ago with a new coat of paint which is fine.. But to call these games remakes is a borderline insult, REMASTER is much more fitting but even then they really didn’t deliver in the way TPC has with the previous remakes. This is such a disappointment guys, my favorite Gen feels so.. hollow & soulless. The sad part is we all saw it coming since that abysmal reveal trailer back in February followed by a suspiciously long amount of radio silence on the game, what’s sadder is by being Gen 4 remasters they’re kinda the best Pokémon games to come out since the end of Gen 5 by default, remnants of a bygone era when TPC cared about their games. I can try to find positives.. if you liked Sinnoh then nothing changed, you’re still gonna love the region & all the Pokémon in it even though you’ll see the same ones 10 million times in the campaign. Things in Sinnoh don’t fully open up until the Post Game which is still one of the best in the series. The new OST is mostly good, a lot of hit or miss tracks thanks to a lower budget but the remixes that they got right, they KNOCKED out of the park (ex. Cynthia, Giratina, etc). Speaking of Cynthia, she’s as brutal as ever! I never had issues with her as a kid somehow (had a lot of trouble with Lucian instead) but this time she was on my NECK, I was genuinely shaking & sweating for my Pokémon’s lives. I literally can’t remember the last time I lost against an in-game trainer, it was EXHILARATING. For as heavily Pokémon uses nostalgia as a crutch for their stupid design choices, keeping everything the same here had me remembering things from playing these games in 2007 somehow! I would remember a different way to proceed through a route or a hidden item laying somewhere, all just coming to me naturally while exploring the world, I thought that was really neat. The graphics being at a smaller scale also look a lot better than they did in the sometimes hideous Sword & Shield. But for negatives we have a lot to unpack here. Firstly, this game is BUGGY as hell. It was very obviously rushed, the day 1 patch was over half the game but the level of bugginess is INEXCUSABLE from a billion dollar franchise like Pokémon. I’m talking over half the time you try to start the game from the Switch menu, you’ll get a “something went wrong” error & restart the very long wait time to get to the title screen, should I mention how many times this game has just randomly crashed in gameplay too? Despite an auto-save system, it can be wonky & not save for long stretches for some reason, leading to lost progress & anger. The chibi art style is lame too, I don’t care if that’s how it was in the original games, it was left in the past for a reason. It’s a bad sign when Cyrus is trying to destroy the universe & your immersion is shattered as it shows his tiny chibi model, expected to take any of this semi-seriously is impossible. Yes the game is still fun to play & I’d rather play it over the originals, but the general consensus around this game is that it should’ve been a PLATINUM remake, or at least have the enhancements brought by the Platinum re-release. This game is horribly unbalanced & retains so many of the asinine gameplay decisions that were weird & stupid even in 2006-7. BDSP REEKS of a lack of effort & passion, which is a blow to the gut for people like me who just watched their favorite Gen get the “who cares it’ll print money anyway” treatment that is indicative of every modern Pokémon release of the last 10 years, & I’d still defend Sun & Moon most days of the week! At this point I can’t be convinced otherwise that Pokémon is headed for a major crash, they’ll sell well regardless, but it will be tossed in with the likes of Call of Duty & other milked to the max franchises that even the developers don’t care about anymore, being crunched beyond what should be legal to deliver passionless projects year after year, & looking at Legends Arceus coming in the dump month of January… I doubt that can save it unless it completely reinvents the franchise, which we know Nintendo & TPC will probably never do until their wallets start to hurt. It’s a shame, compared to every remake we got from Pokémon before excluding LGPE, these remakes COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE like ORAS was, & we shouldn’t feel bad demanding more from a franchise that is comfortable doing less than the bare minimum. This isn’t “ungrateful” behavior, these games are not gifts. They are products. We deserve better.… Expand
  3. MunhozMCM
    Jul 28, 2022
    5
    My Score:

    (5) - Average.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Pretty average, I personally would say it is pretty uninspired.
  4. m0th
    Nov 28, 2021
    5
    I'm not writing this to contribute to review bombing, but because the game feels rushed and lacks soul. Half these reviews are about how these games are horrible and irredeemable while the other half is mindlessly praising them for the bare minimum.

    No they aren't the worst games ever but they are unfinished. After FRLG, HGSS, and ORAS, the playerbase expected more content and can you    I'm not writing this to contribute to review bombing, but because the game feels rushed and lacks soul. Half these reviews are about how these games are horrible and irredeemable while the other half is mindlessly praising them for the bare minimum.

    No they aren't the worst games ever but they are unfinished. After FRLG, HGSS, and ORAS, the playerbase expected more content and can you blame them for that? Other than nostalgia what exactly makes these remakes anything more/less than average?

    The problem is The Pokemon Company no longer prioritizes the games. Being a multimedia franchise that earns the most profit from merchandise, the games are now pumped out every three years to match up with the anime. They're now side dishes to the main course rather than the other way around.
    Add in juggling so much work they decide upon outsourcing one of the most popular generations to a company that's only used to assisting game development, and this is what happens. I don't think devs are lazy. They're all working hard and clearly trying the best they can to salvage this. It's the higher ups who are to blame for the series decline in quality.

    If these games did not have "Pokemon" attached to them they most certainly would not be reviewed this high when other monster collecting games have surpassed the minuscule amount of content, and been scored lower.    … Expand
  5. Dej_9621
    Nov 27, 2021
    5
    Es un remake que no aporta nada nuevo o innovador desde los juegos originales, además que no agregan mecánicas, objetos u otras cosas que provienen de Pokémon Platinum y que facilmente pudieron haber agregado
  6. uhohreviewalert
    Nov 28, 2021
    5
    i love the fourth generation of pokemon. since i started with sapphire, diamond and pearl were the first new generation i was able to experience. despite the negativity within the community regarding brilliant diamond and shining pearl, i was still excited. i generally don’t care about graphics, but i thought it looked okay enough, and i would pay $100 dollars for diamond and pearl to bei love the fourth generation of pokemon. since i started with sapphire, diamond and pearl were the first new generation i was able to experience. despite the negativity within the community regarding brilliant diamond and shining pearl, i was still excited. i generally don’t care about graphics, but i thought it looked okay enough, and i would pay $100 dollars for diamond and pearl to be relevant again..

    ..but not like this.

    on some level (a really high one because always on exp share is back), i appreciate that ILCA changed basically nothing about the games. i can’t stand the terrible pokemon story and dialogue game freak always wants to shoehorn into the games, and the only thing that really bugs me about the originals (besides wasting a move slot on defog) is the slow performance, and they certainly are more optimized on switch. i’m not really sure if that’s a compliment or more like “well duh,” but beyond that not much is different. maybe even too much.

    for starters, the poketch is back and, while a little clunky to use, works well for the most part. however, it’s back down to one button for switching through apps. platinum added a back button so you didn’t have to flip through, like, thirty freaking apps just to get back to the one you accidentally skipped over. how could those drooling mobile developers nobody’s ever heard of not include such a simple and useful feature?

    the games struggle to decide between a grid based and full 360* control scheme, and they suffer a little for it. never before have i described a mainline pokemon game with the phrase “this controls bad,” but here we are. it really isn’t a big problem, but it may irk you from time to time, especially when using the bicycle.

    a few more quick positives! the updated soundtrack sounds quite nice. nothing is really re-imagined akin to what heartgold and soulsilver did for their base games, but diamond and pearl had great music to begin with and they’re done justice here. with Masuda in charge of the score, though, that isn’t really a surprise. the only track that’s seemingly missing is the wifi connection theme which, to me, is just tragic. also, the underground is pretty okay. it gets kinda old kinda fast, but it does allow you to capture pokemon outside of the sinnoh dex before you finish the game. now you can actually choose between more than, like, three fire types.

    a few quality of life improvements really help mitigate some old annoyances. HMs are, in modern pokemon fashion, no longer a problem. you can open the map and choose where to fly, talk to rocks and trees to remove them from your reality, and even defog need only be selected in the poketch. you can access your PC box from the menu, ball capsules and mystery gift are also both in the start menu, and battle screens display type effectiveness to assist new players. i realize these improvements are subjective, but they do help the games feel a bit more modern, i suppose.

    now for the big one. i can deal with all the other minor gripes, but the difficulty has been absolutely tanked. it’s that god. damn. exp share.

    game freak, and now ILCA, are hellbent on making you play the game the way they think is right. you can never disable it, so every pokemon in your party gains exp from every battle (unless they’re fainted). while this does mean you can switch up your party frequently without worrying about wasting too much exp, once you have your final team they will be overleveled so quickly you just press A to win for the rest of the game. and that’s the biggest shame, because the originals could be one of the tougher games in the series, even if you used strong pokemon.

    ultimately, the difficulty is where this game fails. this isn’t diamond and pearl anymore simply because you **** Cynthia without even looking at the screen. play platinum instead.    … Expand
  7. DeltaZ
    Feb 1, 2022
    5
    Story: Unverändert, keine Neuerungen.
    Grafik: Gut, oftmals zu unscharf und schlechter Auflösung, Artstyle ist in Ordnung.
    Soundtrack: Sehr gut. Gameplay: Naja, viel zu Einfach durch den OP Teiler. Features: Gut. besonders der Untergrund, leider keine Geheimbasen mehr. Following Pokemon hat schlechte Proportionen und technische/animierte fehler. Postgame: Sehr gut. Wieso haben die    Story: Unverändert, keine Neuerungen.
    Grafik: Gut, oftmals zu unscharf und schlechter Auflösung, Artstyle ist in Ordnung.
    Soundtrack: Sehr gut.
    Gameplay: Naja, viel zu Einfach durch den OP Teiler.
    Features: Gut. besonders der Untergrund, leider keine Geheimbasen mehr. Following Pokemon hat
    schlechte Proportionen und technische/animierte fehler.
    Postgame: Sehr gut. Wieso haben die alten Legis nicht ihr Battle theme?
    Sonstiges: 0% Platin Content, wieso nicht die Regi kammern übernommen? Ab der Mitte wird es
    langweilig, weil man Overlevelt ist. Steuerung ist sehr schwammig und ungenau. Viele
    Bugs. keine Langzeitmotivation.

    Story: Unchanged, no innovations.
    Graphics: Good, often too fuzzy and poor resolution, art style is okay.
    Soundtrack: Very good.
    Gameplay: Well, way too easy by the OP divider.
    Features: Good. especially the underground, unfortunately no more secret bases. Following
    Pokemon has bad proportions and technical/animated errors.
    Postgame: Very good. Why don't the old Legis have their Battle theme?
    Miscellaneous: 0% platinum content, why not take over the regis chambers? From the middle it will
    boring because you're overleveled. Control is very spongy and imprecise. Lots bugs
    no long-term motivation.    … Expand
  8. serphim7
    Jan 16, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't play the original but the game is really kind of **** Yeah, the usual Pokemon mechanics are ok but it's way too easy (except for Cynthia). Also, the rest of the game is lacklustre, garbage story (even worse than usual), crappy mechanics (HMs) and way too many Geodudes, like WTF!?

    Edit: Had an insane last battle with Cynthia. Staraptor pulled it out of the bag when all seemed lost. That is the magic of Pokemon. Game is still the works Pokemon game I ever played    … Expand
  9. BirdPs4
    Feb 4, 2023
    5
    This game was supposed to be amazing after we waited so many years for a remake...only to get this piece of **** that is just a money grab the devs copy pasted from the originals.
  10. ezo2002
    Feb 19, 2022
    5
    Everything is slow, they excluded tons of platinum pokemon to make the game "feel like diamond and pearl you love" yet quality of life stuff, fairy types and how they let you access absol, houndoom and rhydon fairly early as if it were a modern gen 8 game. It can't decide whether it's excruciatingly faithful to the originals, as they retain the slowness and limited dex of those games, orEverything is slow, they excluded tons of platinum pokemon to make the game "feel like diamond and pearl you love" yet quality of life stuff, fairy types and how they let you access absol, houndoom and rhydon fairly early as if it were a modern gen 8 game. It can't decide whether it's excruciatingly faithful to the originals, as they retain the slowness and limited dex of those games, or an adaptation into the gen 8 style, one already prone to serious flaws in its standard game design, what with glitches, broken leveling system (that you cannot deactivate), and bumps in the road through its graphics all as a backdrop to a roster that is limited yet offer some evolved and wickedly high-leveled pokemon early on, after maybe an HOUR in the underground. I didn't know a gen 8 game would have to choose between frustrating and easy, yet I suppose it is on-brand for it to fumble the bag hard and devolve into a mindless, structure-less husk. After I beat the game I somehow managed to feel contempt for the original Sinnoh games, sadly, because despite their slowness, their I always came back to the story, the gyms and the pokemon whenever I reflected on their positives, which were pretty damn strong positives at that. The details of each gym leader's team, the sight of pokemon like gliscor and mamoswine, empoleon, carnivine, croagunk, bronzong and many others for the first time all for the first time, both were unforgettable and brought a genuine smile to my face. Evolutions were fun to complete, the pokedex was reasonably long, Cyrus gave the villain motivation with only maybe just an ounce of more grit and realism, but it was just fun to read his dialogue, the villain team too. This game took all of that, took the charm, took the fun and melted it into a thin laminate then stretched it to the point where it would just about give out over a white, soulless, dense and brittle brick of cement labeled formula then cut it down, stuck some wires into it and marketed it as a remake. I recently revisited pokemon platinum on my DS during a playthrough of White 2 and looked up palmer's fight and found myself floored. It was exciting, it looked fun, the music was catchy and upbeat and Palmer's animation, even if it was a couple of frames, it was emotive and pumped me up as it moved with the music. There was so much character in it too, I felt like Palmer was this extreme, energetic guy that also happened to father Barry. It was entertaining to watch and when I would go through it and the battle factory myself, I had the exact same experience, but a whole lot more excited since I was actually the one playing the battle this time. Yet BDSP reduces that experience to a mere single strand of 21 slow trainer battles and a looped close-up of a chibi animation that would transition to a stagnant frame of palmer standing there, his team feeling basically lifeless. I just don't get it. I understand the limitations of a COVID-era-production process, but it is easy to look at how well Fire Red and Leaf Green and Heart Gold and Soul Silver fared. Both were faithful to their games, sure, but you look to Fire Red and Leaf Green, more pokemon are available, biking is easier, Charmander had metal claw for the first gym, all starters received larger move pools, event pokemon and Sevii islands were easy to note from the start of the game and provided just a touch more incentive to complete the game and play out the post-game, link trading required fewer cables, TMs changed, trainer pokemon updated to gen 3 standards and the rematch with Gary included Tyranitar and Heracross on the team. Later on, came Heart Gold and Soul Silver, which kept Swinub and Tangela and Yanma for Sinnoh evolutions, remixed every single theme in the game, made several Hoenn and Sinnoh pokemon available, albeit through access to evolution items or late-game areas, to keep johto pokemon at the core of its gen 4 stylings. They implemented gen 4's physical-special split and updated practically every single johto pokemon's move set and learn set to encourage variety and allowed you to teach gen 4 tms like shadow claw and steel wing to your teammates that could learn it. Pokemon sprites were better looking and ALSO had the same animation as gym leaders, league champions and important trainers. Suicune had more of a story, as did the Kanto section. Both saw developers takes on the task of modernizing and re-energizing their games for a new gen and more powerful console, yet kept the pokemon, gameplay, and plot progression the same, if not more interesting. Even ORAS got that part right, Gen 6's emphasis on ease dried up the gameplay on occasion. Gen 8 meanwhile kept this ease and quality-of-life changes, Pokedex should still be bigger, the graphics better, and low difficulty was hit or miss. Yet saves, exp, and the menu was ultimately all that came of it. Like its secret base system, this game still feels empty for what it adds and should remain deep underground.… Expand
  11. Daniel1516
    Oct 8, 2022
    5
    La verdad en cierta forma esta bien . .
  12. Moustique
    Dec 22, 2022
    5
    Not a special remake. There are way better remakes like HGSS or ORAS. You better play Platinum than these remakes. They literally added nothing to me.
  13. Mythycal6
    Jan 31, 2023
    5
    As someone who has not played a generation 4 game before, this experience was ok. nothing about it interested me. the experience for me was just another pokemon game, and certainly not an amazing one. just "meh."
  14. proJRgamer
    May 10, 2023
    5
    No me gusta darle esta nota, pero creo que es justo. Hay un buen trabajo por detrás, pero creo que si en vez de que hubiera sido ILCA el que lo hubiera hecho, hubiera sido 100% de GameFreak no tendremos este mismo resultado. Me lo pasé y lo abandoné. No como el original.
  15. Marioipod13
    May 25, 2023
    5
    It's... a very good start but it is lacking extra features that were the reasons why I liked past remakes. The graphics don't bother me whatsoever but the fact they kept the dex cut since Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, and didn't add Platinum's content to the postgame, and removed several moves that balanced the game (Pursuit, Hidden Power [except on Unown which you shouldn't use anyway],It's... a very good start but it is lacking extra features that were the reasons why I liked past remakes. The graphics don't bother me whatsoever but the fact they kept the dex cut since Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, and didn't add Platinum's content to the postgame, and removed several moves that balanced the game (Pursuit, Hidden Power [except on Unown which you shouldn't use anyway], etc).... Play Platinum instead honestly. It's less than half the price, it has better content and storyline, and isn't on an overpriced console.… Expand
  16. miguellopez99
    Jun 1, 2023
    5
    45/100 half-assed remake .
  17. 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.
  18. iSimeon
    Nov 23, 2021
    4
    "...Not so Brilliant or Shiny...not even close..."

    Warning: Physical copy of game is not full game because it's on patch 1.10 and with patch 1.1.1 comes everything else that was promised and showcased but it's not on cartridge. Anyway... Game will not put you in amazing Pokemon experience ... not even close. Visuals are not bad (as some say) if you can go past the chibi style.    "...Not so Brilliant or Shiny...not even close..."

    Warning: Physical copy of game is not full game because it's on patch 1.10 and with patch 1.1.1 comes everything else that was promised and showcased but it's not on cartridge.

    Anyway...
    Game will not put you in amazing Pokemon experience ... not even close.
    Visuals are not bad (as some say) if you can go past the chibi style. That's the decision that they choose and I'm ok with it.

    But! Game is lacking to provide you enjoyable experience. In fact it gets so boring after few hours that you are put on place where you have to force yourself just to play to complete the game that you bought. Quickly you come to realisation how much you are generally overpowered despite what choice you make. Which eliminates almost every possible challenge that this game could provide.
    After a short while you will start to avoid every unnecessary encounter just to continue breezing through game and even with that being done, you are still way to powerful compared to NPC trainers.

    Even more, if you add that there are literally not fighting animations, it get's even worse. Only reason why there are positive reviews is because it's Pokemon...

    Pros:
    - it's Pokemon

    Cons:
    - gameplay
    - cash grab

    Visuals: 7/10 (if you don't mind chibi style)
    Animations: 0/10 (there is none in fighting)
    Sound: 7/10 (since 1.1.1 patch)
    Controls: 6/10 (moving through options, running, riding bike with analog sticks is pain)
    Gameplay: 3/10 (gameplay is generally boring because there is no challenge at all)
    Value: 3/10 (this is not worth 60$, it's closer to 15$)
    Replayability: 2/10 (if you decide to take Elite 4 over and over again, otherwise 0)

    Conclusion:
    It's Pokemon game and if you are fan or like the genre feel free to try it out but be sure that you buy used physical copy (there are lots of them being sold right now for 30-40$) so that you can sell it afterwards. Why? Because you sure will want to. Even with that price you will feel ripped off.
    So get used physical copy, sell it after you see yourself and save some money to buy Arceus.    … Expand
  19. MoCBallyhoo
    Oct 10, 2022
    4
    Bruh peep this one! No really, peep this one!
    Nooo more Platinum-exclusive Pokemon!
    No more reusable tms!
    No more cross-compatibility between gen 8 games!
  20. Joko_96
    Dec 11, 2021
    4
    The game is avarage at best. Controls and menuing is really klunky. The TM/HM system was changed again from the perfect ORAS system. Whhhhyyy? You just fixed it. The game missed a lot of potential with not remastering platinum inside the versions. It's just really lacking a lot of great features that have been there in the past. As of this review there is no global trading system in game.The game is avarage at best. Controls and menuing is really klunky. The TM/HM system was changed again from the perfect ORAS system. Whhhhyyy? You just fixed it. The game missed a lot of potential with not remastering platinum inside the versions. It's just really lacking a lot of great features that have been there in the past. As of this review there is no global trading system in game. Also no wonder trade. That alone had me deducted 1 point. If its not in the game on release I won't bother for the feature. Period. Seriously games need to stop to come out with major features missing.… Expand
  21. Cancery1987
    Nov 27, 2021
    4
    Bad remake with lazy Graphic.
    Gold digger with no Platinum Remake.
    Disappointed
  22. PewPewMcP
    Dec 1, 2021
    4
    Remakes are supposed to take the best gameplay elements of the old games while brushing up on gameplay mechanics that didn't age well to deliver a fulfilling, up-to-date experience. However, Gamefreak once again demonstrates their utter inability to design decent videogames by selecting the least liked mechanics from old and new Pokemon games, stitching them together in to a misshapedRemakes are supposed to take the best gameplay elements of the old games while brushing up on gameplay mechanics that didn't age well to deliver a fulfilling, up-to-date experience. However, Gamefreak once again demonstrates their utter inability to design decent videogames by selecting the least liked mechanics from old and new Pokemon games, stitching them together in to a misshaped chimeric mess and bold-facedly masquerading it as a "faithful remake". Concepts such as 8 directional run are carelessly implemented to create a glitchy, softlock prone game that really makes you feel like you're playing Gen 1 again, while the chibi style is horribly leveraged to create some of the ugliest cutscenes in the series. TMs somehow are one-use again, while the unpopular mandatory EXP share makes a comeback, illustrating Gamefreak's tone deafness and general inability to sift good mechanics from bad ones. The long-requested feature of Pokemon following you makes a return, but the Pokemon scale awkwardly, follow you clumsily (often ending up just warping to your position due to their slow follow speed) and mesh poorly with the aforementioned ugly chibi character sprites. Affection and friendliness are now collapsed into one mechanic in a classic hallmark of Gamefreak laziness, and much like the EXP share, reduce your options to control how you play the game. The Poketch has been forced in without any consideration for how well it works in docked mode. And of course, your national dex is still stuck in a reduced capacity while battle animations remain as lazy and uninspiring as ever.

    If you are a child or parent of a child, this of course doesn't matter to you, you're still playing Pokemon because it's designed for kids. But if you consider yourself someone who enjoys well-implemented game mechanics, I advise you to turn away from this title. Gamefreak demonstrates yet again it has no idea what good game mechanics are and are instead throwing everything at the wall, not even caring whether anything sticks because they are in charge of the biggest videogame franchise in the world and they know it'll sell well no matter how little effort they actually put into it. As someone who has played every generation since Gen 1, I cannot in good faith recommend this Pokemon game.    … Expand
  23. Psychie
    Dec 8, 2021
    4
    A brilliant example of Pokémon devs pulling an Illumination and going for low budget, high return. The new stuff added is few, far between and mostly negligible (super Contests, woohoo). The foundation is inherently flawed. Did you want all the stuff Platinum added? Too bad. The art design, in trying to replicate the old games, regresses in a series that wasn't too great with graphics toA brilliant example of Pokémon devs pulling an Illumination and going for low budget, high return. The new stuff added is few, far between and mostly negligible (super Contests, woohoo). The foundation is inherently flawed. Did you want all the stuff Platinum added? Too bad. The art design, in trying to replicate the old games, regresses in a series that wasn't too great with graphics to begin with, and thanks to the EXP Share, the game is astonishingly easy. I was overleveled starting from the 1st Badge and ending at the Champion. The Competitive teams that the Elite Four and Champion carry only make an impact if you're going in blind, and I say all this with a self-added permadeath rule. No one died, how surprising.

    If you want to play through Sinnoh, just get Platinum.    … Expand
  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. Black_Mullet
    Dec 29, 2022
    4
    Feels like a cheap indie game, I regret getting it, worst part is that it could have been the best game of it's kind (top down rpg) but the pokemon company didn't care at all. The game is just made badly, movement is bad, chibis aren't even cute, following pokemon plainly suck. I'm very disappointed with the way they massacared that remake. Worst part is that the modding community hasFeels like a cheap indie game, I regret getting it, worst part is that it could have been the best game of it's kind (top down rpg) but the pokemon company didn't care at all. The game is just made badly, movement is bad, chibis aren't even cute, following pokemon plainly suck. I'm very disappointed with the way they massacared that remake. Worst part is that the modding community has actually made the game a 9/10 with mods. I suggest to anyone that may want to play this game, find a good pc and play it on an emulator with some mods and you aren't gonna regret it. Don't spend money on this like I did.… Expand
  26. 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
  27. huguiringo
    Nov 21, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. El juego no permite un dificultad para los jugadores experimentados, en el apartado gráfico hace ver al juego una casita de muñecas, el avatar al caminar es torpe y el repartir experiencia no se puede desactivar ademas reparte demasiada experiencia… Expand
  28. Uncle_Flipp
    Nov 21, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When it comes to keeping their word, Pokemon Company is top notch. both Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and very faithful remakes to the original games of Diamond and Pearl. They are so faithful that they severely harm the quality of the game.

    Diamond and Pearl were great games for their time. They had a fantastic story, great characters, and the strongest champion ever, but the games weren't without their problems. Even the Pokemon Company and Gamefreak recognized that Diamond and Pearl needed something else to truely be a well rounded game with re-playability. That is where Platinum came in. Platinum added so many amazing quality of life features, an alternate and in my opinion better story line, as well as more post game features. So why is it that BDSP does not include many of the features from Pokemon Platinum that even the Pokemon company recognized as necessary to make the game better? This decision was a huge folly and if they decide to implement an alternate story line later to make up for this mistake, it better be a free expansion and not cost money.

    Next, I would like to discuss the graphics. The graphics of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have easily been the most controversial decision that was made for these remakes. Ever since the announcement of the chibi design is has been the most argued about feature in these two games. I won’t lie; I was one of the people who were abhorrently against this decision because it felt like a choice made to be lazy during game design and also felt like the games were going backwards, instead of forwards. Even though I hated the decision at first, the chibi design actually grew on me to the point that I don't hate it, but I don't love it. It still feels like it was a choice made to save time and cut corners under the ruse of "staying faithful" to the originals. After so many hours of playing I have grown accustomed to the chibi design and think overall this was a good decision, but terribly executed. In 2021, if you are going to remake a beloved game in a chibi design even though previously released games weren't chibi, then the models must look great, you need to use angles that make the chibi models look alive, and the movements and controls of all the chibi models must be smooth. Everything I just mentioned was failed on. The chibi models were poor quality and looked lifeless. Slopily, adding bouncing movement to certain parts of the model like hair and arms doesn’t make the character look alive, it looks robotic and poorly programmed. Also, the faces have blank stares and don’t move further bringing attention to the robotic nature of the models. On top of that the game tries to use camera angles as a wow factor, but the camera angles end up zooming in on the ugly character models they developed. Not every character looked terrible but a majority of them did. Any time you aren’t zoomed in on a chibi model the chibis look fine. Then you have the slightly terrible background graphics. Why is the upper third of the screen blurry like you are playing a character that is near sighted? The blurriness of the screen actually hurts my eyes after a while. The mixture of fast camera movements with the blurriness has even given me an occasional migraine.
    Lastly, I would like to discuss the controls for the game. There are three major complaints I have with the controls. First is the terrible reaction time between controller and character. If you are already going left and try to go right, there is a 1 second delay before the character even turns around. If you needed an example of good controls for a chibi, then look at Animal Crossing New Horizons. In ACNH The chibi model has a great reaction time between chibi and controller. This delay in turning adds to my second complaint which is the ridiculous “Sticky Wall” feature as I’ve come to call it. For some reason if you accidently touch a wall when walking/running your character will slightly be stuck and there in another second delay before your character can turn away from the wall in another direction. This is extremely irritating when you consider that the running is so fast, yet the areas are so narrow with tons of obstructions.
    Overall, this game is riddled with problems. There are indie games made by a team of 6 people that have higher quality graphics and better controls than BDSP. Which is a sad statement considering that Pokemon is the single biggest game franchise in the world by a long shot. The only reason I didn’t give these games a lower rank is because of it very few redeeming factors like it’s fantastic soundtrack, the Grand Underground (which we will probably never see in a future game knowing Pokemon company), and the fact that they kept the champion Cynthia at a high difficulty level. Unfortunately, these redeeming factors aren’t enough to make this a good game.    … Expand
  29. NepTunes
    Nov 22, 2021
    4
    I’m not having fun. I’ve been playing for about 5 hours, just arrived to the third gym. I don’t know what it is, but I am genuinely not having fun with the game. It’s so bland and basic, nothing new that’s worth talking about. Pokémon Sword and Shield definitely have their problems but they introduced new mechanics and concepts to the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond andI’m not having fun. I’ve been playing for about 5 hours, just arrived to the third gym. I don’t know what it is, but I am genuinely not having fun with the game. It’s so bland and basic, nothing new that’s worth talking about. Pokémon Sword and Shield definitely have their problems but they introduced new mechanics and concepts to the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pear feel so out dated with just a graphical update. It doesn’t hold up to the modern Pokémon games, like a remake should.… Expand
  30. Doug22
    Nov 23, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yeah i had to restart the game because i got auto saved in the softlock ice section which sucks, also if you look at the character models when there not up close you can see there eyes are just crusty jpegs which doesent bother me a whole lot. And well its kinda to easy, it was so easy to the point i kinda just fell asleep on my chair while playing it since all i mostly did was just press the a and dpad button and mostly did one attack through out the whole game. The music was alright not the best but not the worse, except the battle theme for all the gym battles... that was bad. And theres not alot of new stuff for a "remake", mostly just the cynthia fight being a little harder but not much of a challenge. Also the game kinda crashed twice through out my playthrough but it happens to most of my games. So to me, the game sucked hard and felt more like a 3ds game and not a switch title which is sad. And the whole "artisticstyle" to the game looked terrible with unecessary close ups on the characters and very flat textures, giving the game a very unfinished state. And you cant really say its a artistic choice since links awakening remake did it all better with the chibi look, so that doesent excuse it. So ill give the game a 4/10, dont waste your time and money like i have, just emulate the old game on your phone.… Expand
  31. Rael15
    Nov 30, 2021
    4
    Actually I think this game is neither a remake nor a remaster.
    It's just fan mode games.
    Because this game has a lot of glitches.
    And, it hasn't change much to pokemon diamond pearl.
    Even, graphic is much worse than pokemon XY.
  32. notnoxi
    Dec 1, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. tl:dr Pokemon BD failed to give you a reason to play their remake instead of going back to your Nintendo DS. Every remake achieved this, but this time they failed to validate it. You aren't missing much.

    Excited at it's first reveal, I was optimistic about the team behind it and how they were taking it. However as the months went by, reality comes knocking my door. Outside Legends of Arceus, this will be the only time you will get to explore sinnoh again for a long time. Besides the questionable gameplay changes and other issues, the remake does the acceptable job of releasing Sinnoh to the Switch. But it's underwhelming for one of the longest and anticipated remakes, in comparison to how Pokemon Company handled their previous remakes. Traditionally, a pokemon remake is done with current technology in mind of it's recreation to show how hardware progressed and what it would've looked like if it were made at that time instead. You saw this with HeartGold / SoulSilver and FireRed/LeafGreen. BDSP misses that mark by not taking advantage of it's hardware and did not add much new additions to this remake. The soundtrack wasn't done much justice, did not take full advantage of Platinum improvements, and the legendary park is cool to a degree till you realize you could already do this in many of their previous games. Platinum DLC is off the table too as you can unlock the alt form in the game, it's also hard to call this a faithful remake when there's things they've forgotten, failed to capture the same atmosphere or color palette, or just changed something for no good reason.

    BD/SP works to introduce new players to the region of Sinnoh, but to people who played it when they were younger, they will be underwhelmed. Is it a terrible pokemon game? No, but it failed to meet expectations and it's not like they didn't know as they've been aware of how much people wanted this for a long time.    … Expand
  33. VaasCritic
    Dec 9, 2021
    4
    Un Remake bastante monótono y que no añade nada además de la tienda de ropa, un gameplay un poco mas rápido que el original además de tener un apartado grafico muy decepcionante incluso para los originales que estaban así por las limitantes de la época, pero ahora es injustificable. Sin dudas un Remake que debe estar en los tops de Remakes peor hechos
  34. wati
    Dec 13, 2021
    4
    Este juego viene definido por la corriente de mediocridad que se viene confirmando por parte de The Pokemon Company en los últimos años.

    El juego en si no es malo, ya que se basa en unos juegos muy notables, pero como remake es una absoluta broma. Carece por completo de nuevo contenido y rebosa mediocridad en todos los aspectos- unos juegos hechos sin mimo ni detalle, lo cual es una    Este juego viene definido por la corriente de mediocridad que se viene confirmando por parte de The Pokemon Company en los últimos años.

    El juego en si no es malo, ya que se basa en unos juegos muy notables, pero como remake es una absoluta broma. Carece por completo de nuevo contenido y rebosa mediocridad en todos los aspectos- unos juegos hechos sin mimo ni detalle, lo cual es una falta de respeto a los fans de la cuarta generación, pues han perdido la oportunidad de disfrutar de un remake que recupere la magia de los originales como sí hicieron con RF/VH o HG/SS. No solo son un calco de las entregas originales, si no que ni siquiera han arreglado los problemas que Pokémon Platino no tenía ¿Por qué basarse en unas entregas menos completas y pulidas? Simple, saben que con el mínimo esfuerzo van a seguir lucrándose igual. Una pena que tenga una fanbase tan poco exigente.    … Expand
  35. Dudewheremyname
    Dec 21, 2021
    4
    Yet another regression for Gamefreak, nothing new to offer and features in previous games/other remakes completely missing. You’re paying for a watered down, free to play mobile game quality version of gen 4 but at a full game price. This game only caters to the youngest and most casual of Pokémon fans, anyone that has played through any previous Pokémon game before this will be disappointed.
  36. Mookie6209
    Jan 23, 2022
    4
    While the graphical update is nice, that is the only positive about this game. This is by far the weakest re-make put out and is arguably the weakest Pokémon game put out in general. Quite literally a copy and paste. If you’ve played the original diamond and pearl, there are 0 reasons to play these remakes of them. However for someone first jumping into the franchise, these games can be aWhile the graphical update is nice, that is the only positive about this game. This is by far the weakest re-make put out and is arguably the weakest Pokémon game put out in general. Quite literally a copy and paste. If you’ve played the original diamond and pearl, there are 0 reasons to play these remakes of them. However for someone first jumping into the franchise, these games can be a good time. The 60 dollar price tag in general, is stretching it. 40 dollars would have been the sweet spot. The Pokémon game franchise and been in a great decline over the past few years, and that doesn’t end here.… Expand
  37. kiru64
    Jan 31, 2022
    4
    I enjoyed my nostalgia trip when playing Brilliant Diamond. Still, I was disappointed that features added in the Platinum version did not make it into the remakes. So they ended up selling the same game with barely anything new for $60. The only main thing added was the Grand Underground and Ramanas park. That's it. And the fact they would throw off the game's balance by giving players twoI enjoyed my nostalgia trip when playing Brilliant Diamond. Still, I was disappointed that features added in the Platinum version did not make it into the remakes. So they ended up selling the same game with barely anything new for $60. The only main thing added was the Grand Underground and Ramanas park. That's it. And the fact they would throw off the game's balance by giving players two mythical pokemon at the start of the game baffles me. If there were one thing Ilca could have done better with these games, it would have been to improve and differentiate the experience from the original Diamond & Pearl.… Expand
  38. Jameswessimpson
    Feb 2, 2022
    4
    So many bugs. Weird graphics. Lack of any real improvements. Honestly not worth it.
  39. Janitorjoe22
    Feb 14, 2022
    4
    Well, it's pokemon diamond, but without the charm. I really don't like the generic chibi art style in the overworld, pokemon contest are really bad now, not that it was my favorite feature. If this game was in a hd 2d style it would have been fire. The best part of the game is the music, great sound design.
  40. AprilLondon
    Feb 28, 2022
    4
    A deadly bore, all too faithful. Events present in the game and not even announced right away like Arceus or Darkrai. Absent the prodigious exchange and compatibility with HOME after whole months. Abandoned by The Pokemon Company… Unwatchable from the visual side and technical realization. Poorly made companion pokemon, much better let's go pikachu
    Hate: Excessive zoom in chibi characters    A deadly bore, all too faithful. Events present in the game and not even announced right away like Arceus or Darkrai. Absent the prodigious exchange and compatibility with HOME after whole months. Abandoned by The Pokemon Company… Unwatchable from the visual side and technical realization. Poorly made companion pokemon, much better let's go pikachu
    Hate: Excessive zoom in chibi characters in certain dialogues. Greetings point bar that drops quickly
    I hate the blur! unwatchable effect! My vision becomes blurry!    … Expand
  41. Cinept
    Mar 7, 2022
    4
    4/10. Another Pokemon game. As a remaster it didn't take anything good away but didn't really add anything great either.
  42. Eliqx
    Apr 6, 2022
    4
    The only thing about this remake that is saved is only the graphics. No noteworthy changes from the old games except the dungeons, just a homework that you have to pay 60 euros to get it.
  43. RandomNutmeg
    Apr 19, 2022
    4
    Honestly, mediocre at best. Tons of glitches and the following pokemon are a let down (especially compared to what Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee gave us.) I think overall it was a glow up for the original games, however it's a huge let down that there will be no Platinum version, and that the remake suffers from the problems that led to the original Diamond and Pearl getting a third version.Honestly, mediocre at best. Tons of glitches and the following pokemon are a let down (especially compared to what Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee gave us.) I think overall it was a glow up for the original games, however it's a huge let down that there will be no Platinum version, and that the remake suffers from the problems that led to the original Diamond and Pearl getting a third version. Though I didn't mind the chibi style graphics, I don't want to see them become standard moving on. I would be extremely disappointed to see a Black and White version remake with these graphics, as there would be a huge loss to the more serious tone and themes of those games.
    If you're looking for a Pokemon game to play that has some of the older pokemon left out in Sword and Shield, here you go. But I would recommend playing Sword and Shield or Let's Go much more than I'd recommend Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.    … Expand
  44. mgon
    May 17, 2022
    4
    I had so much hype for this game, but I'm so dissapointed. Nintendo actually sucks.
  45. Eyean
    Aug 5, 2023
    4
    This game barely qualifies as a remake. The new content is very hit or miss, and the omission of Platinum content makes this 2021 game feel outdated compared to its 2008 predecessor.
  46. Kejoko
    Aug 23, 2023
    4
    I loved Diamond back when it came out. I was so obsessed that I've printed the whole pokedex before I could play the game. It is still to this day my favorite pokemon game.

    Then the remakes finally got announced after waiting for so long. I saw the presentation and I was shocked. I felt like these games deserved a way better presentation and a more Sword and Shiel or Sun and Moon like    I loved Diamond back when it came out. I was so obsessed that I've printed the whole pokedex before I could play the game. It is still to this day my favorite pokemon game.

    Then the remakes finally got announced after waiting for so long. I saw the presentation and I was shocked. I felt like these games deserved a way better presentation and a more Sword and Shiel or Sun and Moon like artstyle. I get why did this, for the mechanics and HM stuff etc. But it feels like this series did not get the love it deserved. At least we got Legends Arceus to fill the Sinnoh gaps with some more adventureous stuff. But I feel like this is a big potential wasted and I pray they give Sinnoh another shot in a new generation. Don't do this with Black and White please.

    I feel like with Scarlot and Voilet, fans are getting robbed from a magical experience. Yes the games are still fun, but it feels like we miss that love of detail we got in previous games.

    I still played it, and still liked it for the nostalgic feels. But the framerate and overal artstyle made me enjoy it less than the actual original versions.    … Expand
  47. themangoose
    Dec 4, 2021
    3
    Awful dry gameplay with the save Pokemon over and over again in the overworld. Like the same ten Pokemon unless you go underground. The mechanics are slow, clumsy, and off-putting. They make your following Pokemon get in the way so much I put him back into the ball. Mons are ridiculously hard to catch. Trash game.
  48. Ughduty
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    This game is not worth the money they are asking for. It’s heavily outdated! The whole game mechanics feel ancient. The graphics are not everybody’s cup of tea. No GTS. No connection to Pokemon Home. 50 or 60 bucks for this? Sorry at best 25, more it’s not worth and this only for people who want a trip back memory lane! It’s a rip off! Shame on you Nintendo.
  49. Therake620
    Nov 24, 2021
    3
    As a big fan of the original game i did't expect to be so disappointed by a something that i've played for hundreds of hours, but here i am, this remake is an effortless 3d update that Nintendo sold at full price whitout anything that could possibly justify this waste of money. Unfortunately they also decreased the game's difficulty as they did for all the new chapters, i'm not a big fanAs a big fan of the original game i did't expect to be so disappointed by a something that i've played for hundreds of hours, but here i am, this remake is an effortless 3d update that Nintendo sold at full price whitout anything that could possibly justify this waste of money. Unfortunately they also decreased the game's difficulty as they did for all the new chapters, i'm not a big fan of jrpgs, but still i had an easy tour the force through the game whitout the minimal challenge, i also tried to keep my team at a lower level than the enemies but It did't work so much, the game was still too easy and i was even more annoyed by the fact that i had to try so hard to keep having fun. I also had an hard time to accept the decision they made by making all the characters look like f***g funko pops, so all the philosophical dialogues i had with Cyrus became weird due to the fact that i had to take It seriuosly to talk about that with a collectable toy, obviously this is a more personal side, but i think a lot of people would agree with this statement. The only thing that i appreciated about this game was the little upgrade they did to the underground, but still i had to stay away from it beacuse i did't want to level up my squad.… Expand
  50. Duckers_McQuack
    Dec 8, 2021
    3
    Sure, it looks great with the chibi remake of the game! but say you want the legendary mew and jirachi? Nope, pay up 140 bucks for lets go whatever or sword/shield ****
  51. AaronF
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    This game is a huge disappointment. While they made it clear they wouldn't add platinum content that also extended to features intended to fix the issues with the originals such as the poor dex and evolution items. The art style didn't grown on me and is honestly ugly imo. There's not much reason to buy this game unfortunately
  52. Tymunster
    Jan 14, 2022
    3
    This is the most disappointing game of all time. The only reason it's not a 1 or even 0 is because it's a ripoff of a better game so it's still fun. Lemme go over the issues rq:
    1. Small issue here, but the fact that the game levels up pokemon without EVOLVING THEM is a joke. Your RIVAL has a level 20+ starly at one point and it's seriously disappointing.
    2. There's no difficulty setting    This is the most disappointing game of all time. The only reason it's not a 1 or even 0 is because it's a ripoff of a better game so it's still fun. Lemme go over the issues rq:
    1. Small issue here, but the fact that the game levels up pokemon without EVOLVING THEM is a joke. Your RIVAL has a level 20+ starly at one point and it's seriously disappointing.
    2. There's no difficulty setting OR exp share toggle. That was the biggest mistake from SwSh and this game keeps it going. Also, it's painfully easy to overlevel because of the underground, BUT
    3. The underground wild areas. Oh God, they're terrible. I do like the IDEA of an underground wild area, I think it's a genius idea. However, I don't think it could have been handled worse. The pokemon found in the underground are Hilariously overleveled so you don't even wanna add them to your team, there's no unique pokemon in the underground except for Houndoom (wow another fire type!), and best of all, there no real scaling. First of all, the levels go up exponentially with every gym, making grinding hariously easy. For another, the new HMs don't add any new dimension to the areas in meaningful ways. You can surf now, access 1 or 2 new items. Cool. Now imagine a cave with a strength puzzle with a rare candy atthe end, or a cave with cut trees to let you access a majority of it. Maybe rock smash to find pokemon in the rocks, or flying through the underground. The underground is poorly handled and even worsely experienced. For a concept with so much potential, I found almost 0 enjoyment through the caves. I don't need to find level 40 shinx.    … Expand
  53. Ceyarove
    Nov 26, 2021
    3
    Mejoran los grafico. Pero para ser una copia al 99% de los originales y que no incluye las nuevas mecánica que se han agregado en las últimas generaciones ,siento que es un robo y el predio debió ser menor.
  54. OhNoItsSenpai
    Dec 6, 2021
    3
    Well they remade the worst pokemon game. It's actually odd to me that they would remake a pokemon game that's universally known as the worst in the franchise, but seeing as they gave it to someone else entirely to do it's a bit more understandable. It looks terrible. I know it's switch, so you have to cut it some slack but at the point of making this the originals can be bought for lessWell they remade the worst pokemon game. It's actually odd to me that they would remake a pokemon game that's universally known as the worst in the franchise, but seeing as they gave it to someone else entirely to do it's a bit more understandable. It looks terrible. I know it's switch, so you have to cut it some slack but at the point of making this the originals can be bought for less than the 60 dollar asking price so why pay so much more for something that already looks so dated? It's choppy and slow, and buggy. It takes a wild amount of time to start up. At least 4 times the amount of a sword and shield start up. there's all kinds of weird art decisions which can be nice at times and then down right WTF at others. A lot people have been exploiting all the bugs to give the game some sort of enjoyment out of the game. Which is fine, games have their bugs and exploiting them is also part of the fun at times, but whenever they patched these they broke other functions within the game that were actually declined to be achieved in the game after you had beaten it. So perhaps they just decided to punish new players and current ones who actually use their switch for anything other than cheating. Not worth the time. Certainly no where close to the price. You can find the better version of these games used on ebay. And they will work considerably better.… Expand
  55. ND-Bringer
    Dec 2, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My greatest fears have come true, the remake of my very first Pokemon game has not only let me down, but it's made me furious. This play through has been one of the most miserable experiences of my life. This remake fails hard to capture the premium experience in Sinnoh. I know that updates are being made to correct most of the game's problems...but trust me, it won't be enough. The game starts with...NOTHING. Just a black screen that says press A with the game's title hovering in the empty void. Seriously? I heard the newest update gives the game an opening cutscene that looks fine enough, but players have to wait about a week just to see it? The game begins with the standard tutorials that completely mirror the beginning of Diamond and Pearl. Now, for a remake trying to capture the feelings of the original is a daring feat, especially since this time Gamefreak has left the development of this game into ILCA's care this time. But their's a little TOO MUCH mirroring. This game is reflection of almost everything the originals had, including all the problems. Ponyta is now once again, the only obtainable fire type Pokemon to be found in the wild. Almost all of Sinnoh Ultimate Evolutions like Probopass, are now somewhat impossible to obtain. And the majority of trainers use the exact same Pokemon, hope you have fun fighting hundreds of Geodude with their Focus Sash style Study ability! This is horrible! Pokemon Platinum is often praised for enhancing the Sinnoh experience and fixing all the problems the originals had...but this game brought them all back! Because of this, the game feels like limbo. I'm fighting trainers that use Pokemon with no attack moves! Team Galactic are using high leveled Wumple and cocoon Pokemon, thinking its good idea! It's a real shame because the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four are actually formidable this time. Their teams have high EV stats, held items, and good move sets. I wish I could give them a fair fight, but that's impossible because my Pokemon team has become somewhat invincible thanks to the power of friendship. Ever since Pokemon X and Y, by playing activities in Pokemon Amie your Pokemon will become close to you and gain extra power during battle. They can dodge most attacks, shake off poison, and land powerful attacks with ease. It takes away the challenge from battle...but thankfully, these abilities only activate if you play the mini games, keeping the difficulty in tact. BUT IN THIS GAME, it activates no matter what. Now I to read this annoying, "I knew you could do it!" message every time I knockout a Pokemon during battle. It was repetitive enough that these trainers use the same god-damn monsters. I got to PRAISE my Pokemon every time it defeats a wimpy Magikarp! After reaching Eterna City and re-exploring the exterior of Eterna Forest because my game crashed for some reason, I gained the ability to explore the "Grand Underground". In the past the underground area was big part of the originals. You can mine for treasure, build your own secret base, and prank your friends with traps. But now, the Grand Underground acts as an extra dungeon to explore. While I'm disappointed that can only decorate my secret base with statues now, I don't mind this new addition. You can still mine for rare treasure and with a little luck, you can find a rare Pokemon to add to your team. It's not a ground breaking new mechanic, but it doesn't annoy me. I think the fact that some Pokemon are only obtainable as rare spawns is tedious, but I've seen worse spawning mechanics in Sword and Shield. Other updated features include the Pokemon Super Contests. But now all you do is the dancing mini game. Come on guys! I loved dressing up and performing with my Pokemon back in the day! I would prepare treats to upgrade my Pokemon's contest abilities, but I don't want to break my controller. You know, the original Diamond and Pearl games weren't master pieces by any means, but they inspired people. They inspired Spike Chunsoft to create the awesome lore of Mystery Dungeon Explorers. There's a ton of Pokemon fan fiction about how Dialga manipulates time. Generation 4 was the generation of inspiration. All sorts of great spin-off games were being made, the anime was improving by leaps and bounds, the Pokemon gods were born as well as the creator of the gods, and generation 2 was getting stellar new remakes. Oh HeartGold and SoulSilver...I haven't seen an incredible remake in years. Omega, Alpha, Let's Go, and DX were fine Remakes they just weren't fireworks. But these remakes set a new low for Pokemon. They barely offer anything new to the table and bring back problems that were already fixed in Platinum. Pokemon X and Y was generic and easy, but at least it was trying some new ideas. This is the most tedious Pokemon gaming experience of my life. Even if some updates fix the glitches, the design of the game itself is riddled with holes that should've been easy to fill. What a shame.… Expand
  56. GameBoyAdv4002
    Nov 21, 2021
    3
    I did not buy this game. If that spoils this review for you, stop reading, because this review is not about the quality of this game. This review is about Pokemon. The largest franchise in the world. And it puts out something like this. This game has nothing new to add, and everyone knows this. The negative reviews complain about the lack of new features, the positive ones enjoy the returnI did not buy this game. If that spoils this review for you, stop reading, because this review is not about the quality of this game. This review is about Pokemon. The largest franchise in the world. And it puts out something like this. This game has nothing new to add, and everyone knows this. The negative reviews complain about the lack of new features, the positive ones enjoy the return of the old stuff. But nothing new. This is a failure to innovate, from the franchise which should be out there making risks, because it is too big to fail. But instead they make a game that probably could run on the Gamecube with some optimisation, that does not expand upon the original in the ways the other remakes did, that doesn't even match the presentation effort of the originals despite the Pokemon franchise's indefinite growth. This isn't a review of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, because I am not buying this game. This is a review of the Pokemon Company, that has refused to live up the reputation of the biggest media franchise. Play the games that do live up to that label. Play the games that try and fail to live up to that label, because it is better to support a game like that, than support a game that is not trying at all.… Expand
  57. eefeef
    Aug 31, 2023
    3
    Nothing about the story or gameplay of this game is different from the original, so we'll comply. But what's the point of a remake that adds low-quality graphics and bugs?
  58. 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.
  59. Tsuchida
    Nov 22, 2021
    3
    Las innovaciones que tiene son a nivel gameplay y solo porque pertenece a la octava generación, en lo demás es una copia exacta de los originales y sin los agregados de su tercer versión. No existe la necesidad de gastar dinero en este juego existiendo Pokemon Platino.
  60. 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.
  61. 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
  62. DesmoRex
    Nov 21, 2021
    3
    DISSAPOINTMENT

    We wanted a remake... not a remaster
    Unfortunately this is copy and paste of the old games but with a brand new artstyle.
    I was expecting something like ORAS but we didn't get any mega evolutions gigantamaxing,no z moves... NOTHING
    The only redeeming qualities are the fact that it is diamond and pearl and it has remixed tracks.
  63. loneliiii
    Nov 22, 2021
    3
    As a fan of the old original games, I was just dissapointed with the remakes. The graphics are stunning, but that doesn't matter, when the game just doesn't feel good.
    The Controls are a mess, most notably the bike controls. You just can't ride or walk in cycles, like in Sword and Shield, its a mixture or Grid based and free roam.
    so the player just stop at certain points or running    As a fan of the old original games, I was just dissapointed with the remakes. The graphics are stunning, but that doesn't matter, when the game just doesn't feel good.
    The Controls are a mess, most notably the bike controls. You just can't ride or walk in cycles, like in Sword and Shield, its a mixture or Grid based and free roam.
    so the player just stop at certain points or running against a wall because its so imprecise. more negative points:
    -walking with a partner-npc and you try to walk trough it, he glitches trough you.
    -Even building up a team don't make much fun, because of the auto-XP-share. why battling with every teammate, when you can just play with one pokemon and everyone else get XP.
    -The Computer are accesable from everywhere.
    -the NPC still cant walk straight to the point, they need to turn on the point.
    -the poketch (itemradar) super annoying to use    … Expand
  64. D1ab0lical
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    This is a unappealing and lazy remaster of what was already one of the worst 2D Pokemon games. Almost none of the Platinum improvements made it through, which you usually expect from Pokemon remakes. And what's worse is that it costs more than the original games did. It has some nice QoL changes here and there and the music is good, as always, but this is just proof that Pokemon can getThis is a unappealing and lazy remaster of what was already one of the worst 2D Pokemon games. Almost none of the Platinum improvements made it through, which you usually expect from Pokemon remakes. And what's worse is that it costs more than the original games did. It has some nice QoL changes here and there and the music is good, as always, but this is just proof that Pokemon can get away with whatever it wants and still make bank all thanks to that wonderful nostalgia.

    I can only recommend this game if you've never played the original. And then I recommend you just play Platinum instead if you can find a cheap copy.    … Expand
  65. Eryoz
    Nov 28, 2021
    3
    Pros: TMs are gained in gym rematch battle
    Pkmn follow are back

    Cons:
    HM use animation (bidoof and staraptor)
    Leader and Elite’s team are based in DP
  66. Spruitjes
    Nov 25, 2021
    3
    Finished it in 12 hours, even nuzlocked it, the game is very lazy and even blatantly shortcut-able/skippable, it doesn't even compare to diamond on DS and shouldn't be seen as an 'entry point' in any way. 3/10 for me. (PS. The flying pokémon in this game (mid-battle) are idling at a height so stupidly high (see Alteria, u can't even see her face). It's shockingly bad quality control andFinished it in 12 hours, even nuzlocked it, the game is very lazy and even blatantly shortcut-able/skippable, it doesn't even compare to diamond on DS and shouldn't be seen as an 'entry point' in any way. 3/10 for me. (PS. The flying pokémon in this game (mid-battle) are idling at a height so stupidly high (see Alteria, u can't even see her face). It's shockingly bad quality control and shows once again that Pokémon company doesn't give love to this series of games like it used to, but shoves a 60 dollar price tag game with bad QC.. Bug testing wasn't done properly, found 18 repeatable bugs in my 12 hours run. Late game is boring cuz of the national park has all the legendaries and u just have to paste some stones in and catch them. Not worth doing. Disappointment across the board for me what should've been a staple cornerstone of the switch console. User reviewed by someone who has played all pokémon games to date.… Expand
  67. minatore_albino
    Nov 29, 2021
    3
    Not a Remake, just a soulless, lazy, copy and paste of games from 2006 with even less content. Not even redesigned to fit the newer Experience share system, actually not redisigned to fit anything new at all. It's sold to you for 60€ as a remake but you can't find anything re-made. There Is no Pokemon from old distributions like Darkrai or Shaymin, they didn't even bother to add them, theNot a Remake, just a soulless, lazy, copy and paste of games from 2006 with even less content. Not even redesigned to fit the newer Experience share system, actually not redisigned to fit anything new at all. It's sold to you for 60€ as a remake but you can't find anything re-made. There Is no Pokemon from old distributions like Darkrai or Shaymin, they didn't even bother to add them, the online is a mess, a lot of features are absent like taking pokemon from your old games, and the list goes on. Honestly what bothers me the most Is the overall lack of effort and quality, it'just a copy paste sold to you as a remake for 60€.… Expand
  68. Lil_Caucasian
    Jul 3, 2022
    3
    Extremely faithful remake, but being as the game came out in 2007, it really feels like a 14 year old game with a chibi skin. The enhancements from Platinum also aren't here, and the overhauled underground doesn't make up for it.
  69. TheOneDarkling
    Feb 2, 2022
    3
    It hurts me to give such a bad grade to my favorite generation. But the overleveling and the happiness system that makes the Pokémon invincible, it's just annoying...
  70. Hazzahawk
    Feb 11, 2022
    3
    Most boring games I've played in a long time and I played a lot of bad games before none of which I've ever described as boring.
    Avoid this game.
  71. Zalando
    Jun 5, 2022
    3
    I can’t believe i spend 55€ for this game. Worst remake ever.Only good if you want play the story from the old games without a DS or emulator.
  72. ZangBang
    Oct 24, 2022
    3
    37/100
    Brilliant Diamond is a surprisingly modest remake, compared to the two previous ones, as it doesn't add or change the plot of the original game in any way, which thus remains the same lackluster script that disappointed in 2006. As far as gameplay, the untouched level design of the original experience offers a rewarding exploration with a branching, layered map structure, but aside    37/100
    Brilliant Diamond is a surprisingly modest remake, compared to the two previous ones, as it doesn't add or change the plot of the original game in any way, which thus remains the same lackluster script that disappointed in 2006. As far as gameplay, the untouched level design of the original experience offers a rewarding exploration with a branching, layered map structure, but aside from that many changes have been made, which ultimately end up making Brilliant Diamond significantly worse than the original. The new Grand Underground areas are the only addition to the experience: they offer a surprisingly entertaining Dungeon Crawling side-activity with varied environments and treasures to find, but on the other hand the Super Contests and Underground Secret Bases have been dramatically simplified and dumbed down becoming shallow, hollow shells of their former selves. The challenge, one of the original game's strongest points, is completely shattered by enemies with levels that are increasingly inferior to the player's and a forced friendship mechanic that gratuitously gives the player an awkward unearned advantage, leaving only the overly simplistic, dull gameplay of the series. Only the postgame content offers a meaningful challenge, but even then it's extremely contained.    … Expand
  73. Derpcat
    Jun 26, 2023
    3
    My goodness. This game. I have a lot of problems with Brilliant Diamond. If you want my opinion, flat out, don't buy it. It's bad. But, I'll go into further detail, because the core Pokemon Diamond game is actually very good.

    So, the story is that you want to become a Pokemon master and catch em all or something. All of the Pokemon tropes are here, team led by a guy who wants to rule    My goodness. This game. I have a lot of problems with Brilliant Diamond. If you want my opinion, flat out, don't buy it. It's bad. But, I'll go into further detail, because the core Pokemon Diamond game is actually very good.

    So, the story is that you want to become a Pokemon master and catch em all or something. All of the Pokemon tropes are here, team led by a guy who wants to rule the world, it's all predictable. This is more of a problem now, because we've had 9 generations of this. But I never judge a game by plot.

    In Pokemon, you have to capture Pokemon to have in your team which you use in battles. Basically, if you have never played a Pokemon game before, it's an Rpg. In the last couple of Pokemon remakes, the core game is pretty similar, but there's Pokemon from future gens. This time though, in the main adventure, you only get up to gen 4. All of the cool changes made in future games, gone. Why? So it's "faithful"? The Super Mario 3D World remake added new moves so it was more in line with Odyssey. No one is angry about that. And the player character has full 360 degree movement, but in cutscenes the other characters are stuck on grids. TM's are broken, even though they were FIXED COMPLETELY in later games! Adding insult to injury, there's an underground minigame thing, where they added Pokemon FROM FUTURE GENERATIONS!! Not to mention these Pokemon aren't stuck in grass like everywhere else in the game. So why? Not to mention XP share is stuck on. This makes the early game way too easy, although the Elite 4 are at least bumped up in difficulty. Like, bumped up a lot. This is probably the only well-balanced thing in the game. And, if you've only played newer games, HMs are back. These are essential TMs you get from finishing off gym leaders. At least you don't have to put it on a Pokemon on your team. That's a good change. Gameplay is really bad. The game is probably a lost cause by this point, but we haven't gotten to the presentation.

    Let's start off with the good. The music is good. As good as subsequent Pokemon games. It sounds pleasing. And the sound effects are good as well. The in-battle sprites look pretty OK. Nothing amazing, but they look nice. Okay, no more beating around the bush, lets talk about the overworld. The characters adopt a gross Chibi style. It's hard to take the characters seriously when they're plotting to destroy the Pokemon world, but they have a compacted frown and their eyes are tiny. When it zooms in when a cutscene happens, they look dreadful, for lack of better word. Everything else in the world is just copy-and-pasted blocks. All of the trees look the same. And when something is supposed to appear cool, it never does. "Wow, this city has a giant electronic solar panel walkway!" Yeah, but it just looks like a standard sidewalk. The game has this style because the original on DS had to have this style. It was pixelated and the game would look bad without it. But it doesn't need this style anymore! This is just cheap.

    With content, not much to say here. The main adventure takes about 15 hours, but not much outside of that. You could shiny hunt, but it's incredibly cumbersome in this game. There's online trading and battling, and there's also a gauntlet with the Battle Tower that I haven't tried. The underground is a cool multiplayer collectible thing where you try to get treasures to decorate your secret base. So that's cool I guess. You can catch em all, but I've never really been into that. There's no Platinum content, which I don't understand. Why would you not include things from the superior version? They're losing nothing from including that. I guess some cool extra content is that you can glitch out of bounds? Yeah, it's not a super stable game, although it's not as bad as like Cyberpunk or S/V, but they are still there.

    Overall, I do not like this game. The whole game is a missed opportunity. If you want Pokemon, play Legends: Arceus. It's much more interesting, it looks much better, it has TONS of content, and it plays like a dream. Original Diamond and Pearl could be argued to be the better version!    … Expand
  74. LeGabrielUrbano
    Nov 21, 2022
    3
    To make such a bad remake, they better not have done anything, that is, it's not terrible, but, the graphics are an insult and the artistic style is almost always inferior to that of the original game whose synergy made it attractive, on the other hand, here it just misplaces.
  75. Reshiban
    Apr 29, 2023
    3
    This remake has no reasons to exist.

    It's exactly the same game as before, almost nothing new, and one of the poor news things is really stupid (legendary pokemon at Amity Square). Gameplay is weird, your character can be moved out of the case center in some case with NPC, feel like a fangame on Unity. Musics are not all bad, but many of them are weird and not adapted to the    This remake has no reasons to exist.

    It's exactly the same game as before, almost nothing new, and one of the poor news things is really stupid (legendary pokemon at Amity Square).

    Gameplay is weird, your character can be moved out of the case center in some case with NPC, feel like a fangame on Unity.

    Musics are not all bad, but many of them are weird and not adapted to the situation (orchestration sounds too weird when the game is poor like this).

    I appreciate the efforts put into the underground, and maybe the contest as well.

    Few poor things are out, but pokemon remakes always used the latest pokemon core to bring an old region with an other look (that's why people loved the previous remake, it had something new). Here, it's explicitly not new, but it sounds stupid to me. A remake like the original game ? Just put a DS emulator on Switch, it would be the same thing, or maybe better.    … Expand
  76. plumberlol
    Jun 23, 2023
    3
    Literally platinum with new graphics and a few extra features, not even mentioning how they butchered the new features and removed some from platinum too. All priced at $60 even to this day. The only silver lining is that its easy to mod. Maybe we can get a good romhack instead of a good game someday
  77. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    2
    avoid like the plague. they somehow managed to make sinnoh even worse, which is quite the achievement
  78. 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
  79. 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.
  80. AlexLogan2001
    Dec 27, 2021
    2
    The game doesn't do anything to fix the issues from the original, even spelling mistakes, and piles on several other issues such as a baby level difficulty due to exp share making your team level faster but the game not being balanced around this feature. This is just a cheap, rushed remake that falls short of platinum despite being on superior hardware and is not worth buying
  81. Poochingus
    Nov 26, 2021
    2
    Overall this was less than it should have been. Every remake up to this point has at least added something new and interesting. This one does not, and leaves out a fair amount of content too for some reason. While Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire were heavily criticized for leaving out battle frontier, it at least added tons of amazing new things, including a brand new post game story line. TheseOverall this was less than it should have been. Every remake up to this point has at least added something new and interesting. This one does not, and leaves out a fair amount of content too for some reason. While Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire were heavily criticized for leaving out battle frontier, it at least added tons of amazing new things, including a brand new post game story line. These games left out way too much. The art direction is also a massive letdown and looks worse than every 3DS title. It is very jarring going from this soft and sterile overworld to the fully realized art style in actual battles.

    What they did well was speeding things up, faster movement, health bars drain faster etc. The underground having a little bit of new content was nice, but its nothing that big.

    There is a lot I could say, but overall, I would suggest to anyone not interested in competitive pokemon skip this title, and even then it is a hard sell at $60 for a game with a value of $40 that doesn't live up to its own heritage.

    Overall, it will sell amazingly, so it doesn't matter, but just save your money and if you want competitive, find some other outlet. If you want a good pokemon game, look to titles from the 3DS and earlier. a 3DS is at the time of writing quite affordable still, and the 3DS games are still mostly not overpriced, so get it while you can.

    I wish these remakes had soul, but they simply do not. If we ever get a real pokemon game again I will be surprised, but for now, just play if you want to. Its just not something I think has good appeal or value. Maybe if they add in some real QoL that other Jrpgs have had for a decade at this point, and push for more content and restoring the ability to catch and own all the pokemon again, then we can start to talk about a 5/10 game at least.    … Expand
  82. xXFedericXx
    Nov 25, 2021
    2
    This is a classic pokemon game with new mechanics that makes it worse. If you skip every trainer in your path you will still be 10 levels over your opponents. Just smash your head on your pad and you'll complete the game easily. Just play pokemon emerald, more content post game, less easy, simply a better game!
  83. 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
  84. daldingo
    Jan 1, 2022
    2
    This is about as barebones as you can get for a remake. It is significantly worse, with less content than Platinum. It doesn't feel like a faithful remake on a current platform. It feels odd and overall ugly. It is like they took a step back from Let's Go and Sword/Shield. The ability to run diagonally breaks a lot of the puzzles, but NPCs still walk on a grid and it just looks so awful.This is about as barebones as you can get for a remake. It is significantly worse, with less content than Platinum. It doesn't feel like a faithful remake on a current platform. It feels odd and overall ugly. It is like they took a step back from Let's Go and Sword/Shield. The ability to run diagonally breaks a lot of the puzzles, but NPCs still walk on a grid and it just looks so awful. This is baseline pokemon experience. So obviously, if you like pokemon games, it will provide you with the basic level of fun that pokemon always provides. But I cannot stress enough how low effort this is. One of the most beloved sets of pokemon games remade on the 25th anniversary, an you can tell ILCA and Pokemon Company absolutely mailed it in and did not care when making this. We as fans deserve better.… Expand
  85. ElModafocka69
    Nov 22, 2021
    2
    Not worth the money. It's the remake of a beautiful game but it was butchered in a lot of ways, they could have done better
  86. 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
  87. 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.
  88. leo961
    Nov 22, 2021
    2
    Great soundtracks and textures. Great introduction in the undergrounds, but the game keeps on being repetitive, boring and doesn’t give you a good reason to chose this instead of the old Diamond/Pearl game.
  89. Resolutebun
    Nov 21, 2021
    2
    This is a disappointment on all fronts. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl should have been the definite way to play Sinnoh, but they don't even attempt to be by removing all of the Platinum features and improvement to the overworld. Not only that, but the graphics are among the worst on the Switch. Following Pokemon, one of the very few additions, are completely botched. Pokemon scalingThis is a disappointment on all fronts. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl should have been the definite way to play Sinnoh, but they don't even attempt to be by removing all of the Platinum features and improvement to the overworld. Not only that, but the graphics are among the worst on the Switch. Following Pokemon, one of the very few additions, are completely botched. Pokemon scaling from Lets Go didn't come back. No Battle Frontier. No Platinum Gym leader team and puzzles - the list goes on.
    One of the only positives I can think of is the soundtrack - while not incredible by any means, it's pretty faithful and doesn't trump on the original, with some tracks being better than others.
    PLEASE, if you can, do yourself a favour and buy Pokemon Platinum instead, it's just a better game.    … Expand
  90. wiba16
    Nov 23, 2021
    2
    Un remake decepcionante.
    Si has jugado al juego original no te recomiendo jugar el remake, el contenido extra es prácticamente inexistente y no tiene ninguna innovación en la jugabilidad.
    Gráficos: Si bien hay una mejora en los gráficos, la verdad es que no vale la pena pagar 60 euros por esta. Los diseños se sienten baratos e inexpresivos y los enfoques de cámara durante los diálogos    Un remake decepcionante.
    Si has jugado al juego original no te recomiendo jugar el remake, el contenido extra es prácticamente inexistente y no tiene ninguna innovación en la jugabilidad.
    Gráficos: Si bien hay una mejora en los gráficos, la verdad es que no vale la pena pagar 60 euros por esta. Los diseños se sienten baratos e inexpresivos y los enfoques de cámara durante los diálogos lo hacen aun más evidente.
    Por 60 euros hay mejores opciones.    … Expand
  91. M4B7
    Nov 26, 2021
    2
    Much money for bugs, bad design and old content.
    Without the old games, this game was crab.
    It’s only living, because the old games are grateful
  92. MasdeuVL
    Dec 1, 2021
    2
    I had been waiting for over 10 years for a 4th gen remake. I always told to myself ''when 4th gen remakes release, i will buy them, no doubt.''. You can't imagine the disappointment i felt when i first saw the trailer of these 2 new games, it was like wanting something so badly and getting it taken out from you when you could almost touch it. I obviously got the games, but that only madeI had been waiting for over 10 years for a 4th gen remake. I always told to myself ''when 4th gen remakes release, i will buy them, no doubt.''. You can't imagine the disappointment i felt when i first saw the trailer of these 2 new games, it was like wanting something so badly and getting it taken out from you when you could almost touch it. I obviously got the games, but that only made my disappointment even worse. I honestly expected a true remake, one in which they use all the new technology used on the most recent pokemon games (in this case Let's go P/E or Sw/Sh) to make an ''old'' game feel like a new ''actual'' experience and a true ''revisit'' of the region the games are settled in, like taking a new and modern perspective of those games.
    Sadly that didn't happen this time around, i just wanted to point out the lack of innovation in this games. It is sad that at this point I think that it is better to play platinum than this games, because it has way more content (we are talking about a 10+ year old game) since there is literally more diferences between platinum and the original diamond and pearl than BD/SP and the original diamond and pearl.

    Hope Arceus doesn't disappoint..    … Expand
  93. 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
  94. wemelchor
    Sep 2, 2023
    1
    I'm giving this a negative score because the game is so incredibly lazy. So much thought and care not put into this game. A small team of ONE PERSON, who isn't paid by Nintendo can make a Rom hack that looks way better than this game. I am also taking score off because this game is so poorly made, that you are forcing me to go look for a better pokemon game made by competent people. YouI'm giving this a negative score because the game is so incredibly lazy. So much thought and care not put into this game. A small team of ONE PERSON, who isn't paid by Nintendo can make a Rom hack that looks way better than this game. I am also taking score off because this game is so poorly made, that you are forcing me to go look for a better pokemon game made by competent people. You should be ashamed of yourself gamefreak. I want to play pokemon, I want to play pokemon for once in my life but I cannot touch anything you have put out since Generation 5 in 2012. Your programming and story writing is atrocious. Your level designs are forgettable, your content is shelf filler. AI can make a better game than you.… Expand
  95. Joseph28
    Nov 23, 2021
    1
    As a lifelong pokemon fan these games truly hurt to look at. The games have always had flaws here and there but these flaws just got enlarged by dexit. These are the first remakes with virtually NO upgrades over the originals. There are no new pokemon or areas to explore!
  96. rodrigobarg
    Dec 3, 2021
    1
    This is such a faithful remake but unfortunately, they also remade all the flaws of the originals. In 2006, it was acceptable because of the jump to the DS and all the other upgrades, but now after Sword and Shield, playing it feels like a chore.
  97. BrushedRed
    Dec 8, 2021
    1
    I cannot believe in 2021, people are willing to pay $60 for this. These games were $30 in 2006, and that was when this was top of the line for Pokémon. In 2021, these games are worth about $20. In the past, when Pokémon remade prior generations, they took that classic game and then they brought it into the current generation of Pokémon. New moves, new Pokémon, and new mechanics were putI cannot believe in 2021, people are willing to pay $60 for this. These games were $30 in 2006, and that was when this was top of the line for Pokémon. In 2021, these games are worth about $20. In the past, when Pokémon remade prior generations, they took that classic game and then they brought it into the current generation of Pokémon. New moves, new Pokémon, and new mechanics were put into them to make them fun, creative, and more thrilling. Take that idea and scrap it! BDSP has done nothing but take old DS graphics and up the resolution. That is it. There isn’t even inclusion of Platinum into this game, which is inexcusable, especially for that price tag. The UI menus look like they were made for a gameboy. The graphics look like gameboy graphics, and the online play looks like trash. I wouldn’t mind it if it were a $20 game but for a full retail title, it’s unsatisfactory. This is why you don’t take a beloved franchise and offload it to a developer that only makes mobile games, and then rush it. These cartridges shipped with nothing on them but a skeleton. 80% of the game/content were added day one. It’s a shame because Sinnoh is one of the Pokémon locations with a lot of variation in terrain and sights. This could’ve been the most open world and beautiful of Pokémon games, but it was lazily rushed and ultimately ended up like a flat, cardboard, lifeless diarama. I cannot believe people actually have bought this and now because it’s selling well, this is what Pokémon will probably look like in the future. Low effort, high profits. Quantity does not reflect quality. I hope this is not the future of one of my favorite franchises.… Expand
  98. Bnois
    Nov 21, 2021
    1
    Low effort demake without the soul the original game had. I guess Pokemon company just wanted to make some quick buck during christmas time.
  99. Rigbo
    Nov 20, 2021
    1
    This game is genuinely so boring. Platinum is just the better game, they’re using the limited diamond and pearl pokedex, trainer teams, story, rooms, which are all inferior, the game is also super ugly, the art style just doesn’t look good with constant low quality textures and weird animations, the music is also very mediocre. Yet another decline for the pokemon franchise
  100. ZoroGust
    Dec 7, 2021
    1
    It's so lazy, it looks like a remaster! Worst pokemon remake ever! Terrible! I'm dissatisfied and I don't recommend it!

    Justified the DEXIT to enhance the "graphics improvement", but tell me what this remake has graphically to bring only the pokemon of the original game? ORAS is visually superior and brought pokemon even from XY, that was of the current generation! The franchise has    It's so lazy, it looks like a remaster! Worst pokemon remake ever! Terrible! I'm dissatisfied and I don't recommend it!

    Justified the DEXIT to enhance the "graphics improvement", but tell me what this remake has graphically to bring only the pokemon of the original game? ORAS is visually superior and brought pokemon even from XY, that was of the current generation!

    The franchise has only been getting worse! Dexit (removed possibility to play with all Pokémon within current games), mandatory Nintendo subscription to play online, #gamefreaklied, incomplete games (compared to the previous) to sell DLC, remake with a remaster face...    … Expand
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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.
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  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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