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. SnRise
    Dec 7, 2021
    10
    They buffed Cynthia which was desperately needed.
    10/10, would love to get roflstomped again.
  2. 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
  3. Gamesgames0734
    Jan 16, 2022
    0
    This has to be the only Pokémon game I say I absolutely hate. I hate the game and I hate the character movement
  4. 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
  5. 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 $60. The only main thing added was the Grand Underground and Ramanas park. That's it. And the fact they would throw off the game's balance by giving players two mythical pokemon at the start of the game baffles me. If there were one thing Ilca could have done better with these games, it would have been to improve and differentiate the experience from the original Diamond & Pearl.… Expand
  6. Jameswessimpson
    Feb 2, 2022
    4
    So many bugs. Weird graphics. Lack of any real improvements. Honestly not worth it.
  7. Canela4ever
    Feb 3, 2022
    0
    Just awful compared to others remakes.
    Doesn't use the same style as sword and shield, the devs should have adapted the old games to the new world structure instead of just polish the ds version.
  8. GiantOtter100
    Feb 4, 2022
    0
    This is definitely the WORST Pokemon game i have ever played in my life. the chibi textures are HORRENDOUS and the gameplay feels incredibly CHEAP.
    This trash is not worth 60$ at all, please, save your money.
  9. Takumi0971
    Feb 6, 2022
    0
    worst pokemon game i've ever played: no new features (or pokemon) no mega evolution and the npc opponents were up to cynthia too easy she was in contrast to all the others too strong
  10. LSWSjr
    Feb 8, 2022
    1
    From the makers of Pokémon Ransomware… sorry, I mean Pokémon Home… comes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, 2021 Switch remakes of 2006 DS games that they’re ultimately inferior to.

    Let’s start with the fact that these remakes require a Day One Patch almost as big as the game itself, which bodes well for future retro gamers who jump in after Nintendo finally shuts down the    From the makers of Pokémon Ransomware… sorry, I mean Pokémon Home… comes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, 2021 Switch remakes of 2006 DS games that they’re ultimately inferior to.

    Let’s start with the fact that these remakes require a Day One Patch almost as big as the game itself, which bodes well for future retro gamers who jump in after Nintendo finally shuts down the Switch store. A problem all three original releases lacked.

    Even with the patch or let’s be honest, the other half of the game’s data which even combined is only 2/3 that of Sword and Shield’s upon release, these remakes are filled with numerous bugs, incomplete animations and brand new ways to both hard and soft lock your progress.

    There are also a number of issues related to the change to a 3D perspective, with some content unintentionally obscured by buildings and other terrain, pathing being restricted/exploitable and awkward looking NPC movement, just to name a few.

    Then we have the numerous features that have been changed for the worst. With Pokémon contests being stripped down to a single button rhythm game instead of a full side activity; the Grand Underground losing both its Hidden Base customisation, which has been replaced with a room of capture rate increasing statues, and its Capture the Flag mode; and finally, the rest of its online functionality is well… still unfinished as of the time of this review, three months after release… and like all mainline Switch Pokémon titles, most of the interactions are restricted to the version duo alone.

    Beyond that is the strange mix of old and new mechanics, most notably the now standard party wide Auto-EXP Share feature, which removes a lot of the grinding but then sees your team over levelled for the majority of the game’s runtime provided you battle all the NPC trainers along the way… until we get to the Elite Four and Champion, who’ve been bolstered by perfect stats, along with competitive level tactics and move/item uses. It’s actually quite jarring of a difficulty spike and many have commented on it being too much for children and adults alike to handle.

    As for the good additions, there’s the modern updates and rebalancing to the Pokémon and their move pools, as standard; the unwieldy 8 HMs of the originals have been replaced with interactions tied to gym badges; and most all of the trainer battle animations are very lively and unique.

    Ultimately however, these remakes just pale in comparison, not only to the originals, but to previous remakes like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Heart Gold and Soul Silver and yes, even Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee in several respects. All of these previous remakes felt like they’d improved, innovated and updated enough over the originals to justify their existences, in my opinion.

    Pokémon Diamond and Pearl had already received a definite rerelease in Pokémon Platinum some two years following, whilst the only serious innovation from these remakes is being able to play it on the TV, with a mix of new and reused 3D graphics and animations.

    Short of a significant overhaul and/or DLC, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will remain the inferior versions out of the five.    … Expand
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. rdantasb
    Nov 3, 2022
    0
    Um remake de péssimo gosto. Nunca vi a Pokémon Company ser capaz de desenvolver algo de tamanha baixa qualidade.
  16. twichyy
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    This is more of a pokemon game than scarlet and violet are. They should just go back to this format of game.
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. Valaquenta
    Dec 1, 2021
    0
    a very boring game with much less content than what I expected. not worth of a $60 game, save your money for legends Arceus instead.
  20. DerOstfriese
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    In my opinion i think the games are good and ilca did a good job with the games
  21. AntiAntiVaxxer
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    This is the bottom of the barrel for not just Pokemon, not just Nintendo, but gaming. This game is a terrible, unfinished Money Grab by the Pokémon Company. They did not even bother to get Game Freak involved, instead they just got an IOS developer do the job as terrible as possible. Literally no content, terrible graphics and animations, no innovation, only the old Pokémon mechanics. LessThis is the bottom of the barrel for not just Pokemon, not just Nintendo, but gaming. This game is a terrible, unfinished Money Grab by the Pokémon Company. They did not even bother to get Game Freak involved, instead they just got an IOS developer do the job as terrible as possible. Literally no content, terrible graphics and animations, no innovation, only the old Pokémon mechanics. Less content than the older games. Technically bad, randomly crashes, sometimes doesn't recognize controller input despite the controller working and many more issues. These remasters, uhh, i mean remakes, are so faithful to the originals they kept all the bugs. Not to mention there are soft-locks. Content needs to be downloaded via update. And all of that for 60 bucks, or 120 if you want all the Pokemon because trading was ruined in this game too.… Expand
  22. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    Unlike ORAZ, this remake has a more reliable and conservative approach.
    Which is not all bad, in fact, it makes the game more nostalgic.
  23. Frank1992
    Dec 7, 2021
    0
    This is the most worst game. I can feel Gf is no heart to make the game and that’s the reason why this game look no soul inside.
  24. RevUBrah
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    One job. They had one job. Copy and paste Platinum while sprinkling in bonus content like new Mega Evolutions. And they couldn't do it, so we're stuck with a $60 game with less content than one released 13 years ago.
  25. 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
  26. helohe
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    The laziest pokemon game one can imagine. Did they just reuse all assets from animal crossing? The overworld looks so boring and generic. The pokemon encountered are very repetitive, there is not much new here. The puzzles are too easy. (I know this is a remake, so I did factor in that there should be some familiarity). The next totally new pokemon that is schedulled for 2022 is hopefullyThe laziest pokemon game one can imagine. Did they just reuse all assets from animal crossing? The overworld looks so boring and generic. The pokemon encountered are very repetitive, there is not much new here. The puzzles are too easy. (I know this is a remake, so I did factor in that there should be some familiarity). The next totally new pokemon that is schedulled for 2022 is hopefully better, although I am not very optimistic after they stated that it is not going to be open world after all.… Expand
  27. 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!
  28. 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
  29. hosekisho
    Nov 22, 2021
    0
    Yet another cash grab remake worse than the original. Seems to be the industry trend. If you like bad localization, lazy graphics, imbalanced arbitrary gameplay changes, and bugs, by all means get this game. If not, consider playing the original again or for the first time; you'll have a better experience.
  30. NTG07
    Nov 22, 2021
    0
    What the **** happend Pokémon this game has no distortion world no battle frontier no platinum gym rooms and a really easy difficulty like why this game should’ve been called Pokémon Shiite diamond and **** pearl because of the chibi forms Oh My ****ing God I hate those chibi forms they’re disgusting to look at in Pokémon history I’d give this game a 0/10 Pokémon sword and shield wereWhat the **** happend Pokémon this game has no distortion world no battle frontier no platinum gym rooms and a really easy difficulty like why this game should’ve been called Pokémon Shiite diamond and **** pearl because of the chibi forms Oh My ****ing God I hate those chibi forms they’re disgusting to look at in Pokémon history I’d give this game a 0/10 Pokémon sword and shield were better then this absolute joke of a threat to Pokémon no ****… 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.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Mar 7, 2022
    65
    I honestly think ILCA's decision to play it safe was the biggest thing that hurt Brilliant Diamond. Maybe if it had included a few more of the story beats and improvements that were introduced in Platinum, I'd be giving it a higher grade. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 66]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 18, 2022
    60
    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is a decent remaster transferring the fourth generation from Nintendo DS to Switch. The authors handled well the absence of the second screen, but in the case of game mechanics they could go a bit further.
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