Pokemon Shining Pearl

 Switch
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 430 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 177 out of 430
  2. Mixed: 88 out of 430
  3. Negative: 165 out of 430
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  1. Rikoyasha
    Jan 4, 2022
    4
    Long story short just play Platinum

    a "faithful" remake no one asked for Pros - Underground rooms - updated moves Cons - removed quality of life Platinum changes(consist of too many things to list) - no online multi battle - killed underground base decoration and traps for player interaction - bland team galactic - less emersion like less detailed and bland places fixed in    Long story short just play Platinum

    a "faithful" remake no one asked for
    Pros
    - Underground rooms
    - updated moves
    Cons
    - removed quality of life Platinum changes(consist of too many things to list)
    - no online multi battle
    - killed underground base decoration and traps for player interaction
    - bland team galactic
    - less emersion like less detailed and bland places fixed in platinum
    and many more problems    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. ZinniaWish
    Nov 25, 2021
    4
    Solo fue un port a Nintendo switch transformado a 3d , no hay grandes novedades , en estos juegos hubo un retroceso en vez de un avance en los juegos .

    No existe en frente batalla, no se maneja en el competitivo esta llena de buscar y en lo personal prefería jugar la versión platino de ds
  4. WunderK
    Nov 22, 2021
    4
    While this game's artstyle isn't inherently bad, it is a clear indication of lazy, rushed, and cheap development as a whole. You are better off playing the original Pokemon Platinum than this game, somehow. The game is clearly attempting to resemble the Link's Awakening Remake's artstyle, but fails miserably. Visually, its single saving grace is it's water/lighting, but those mean nothingWhile this game's artstyle isn't inherently bad, it is a clear indication of lazy, rushed, and cheap development as a whole. You are better off playing the original Pokemon Platinum than this game, somehow. The game is clearly attempting to resemble the Link's Awakening Remake's artstyle, but fails miserably. Visually, its single saving grace is it's water/lighting, but those mean nothing when the game is riddled with bugs, low resolution textures, minimal and crappy animation (if any), visual artifacting in all of it's menus, (which is baffling), bad animated textures, and abysmal handling of skirt censorship. (to elaborate, playing as the female avatar removes floor reflections during battles as a cheap means of censorship instead of utilizing the most basic level of proper skirt censors) This along with the game having basically no added content, even retaining many of the original games' issues, make the game a pathetic excuse for something licensed by the single largest media franchise in the known universe. Do not buy this, even if you want to try out Diamond and Pearl, and even if you have nostalgia for those games. There are better uses for your money.… Expand
  5. notnoxi
    Dec 1, 2021
    4
    tl:dr Pokemon SP 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    tl:dr Pokemon SP 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
  6. AlexMakesToast
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Shining Pearl = 4/10
    ......................................................
  7. ND-Bringer
    Dec 2, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fans have been pleading for Diamond and Pearl remakes ever since generation 7. But what we got was something quite abysmal. Calling this the definitive way to experience the Sinnoh region is like giving a kid too much sugar before bed. I wasn't expecting this game to be ground breaking like Heart Gold and Soul Silver, but this game just made my nightmares come true. I have been a die-hard fan of Pokemon for as long as I can remember. I understand that Pokemon games may not be as amazing as the used to be, but at least there was some form of effort made to inspire the next generation of players. But this game has let me down HARD. This game has unbalanced difficulty spikes, brings back old problems, creates new problems, and has a handful of glitches. The main game had left me so mentally exhausted that I felt broken after the credits rolled. Many people praise how great the new challenges are, but they're all pointless if you ask me. For one thing, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar are unavailable to obtain. It's nice that you to stick to a classic Pokemon selection theme, but you're not taking full advantage of it since only Pokemon from the original Sinnoh Pokedex are available. And the only way to obtain Pokemon from regions is by getting lucky with rare spawns or getting the National Dex in the post game allowing more Pokemon to appear in the Grand Underground. It feels unfair that I have build a team with these limited options. It's like how the monster Houndour is only available in the Kanto post game in the Johto region titles despite being a Johto Pokemon. One detail that makes Pokemon Platinum so great is that it's the first title to have Houndour available in the main game. Not only did the developers fixed the lack of fire type Pokemon in Sinnoh, but it made a lot of players smile. But nope! Someone thought it was a good idea to leave all the good stuff from Platinum out. So I can't build a decent team to fight the super version of Sinnoh's Elite Four. While they're a lot stronger thanks to their boosted EV stats, this is the only real challenge in the main game. Since everyone was a pushover I've been dead bored throughout most of the game. My rival somehow used a level 26 Starly, to win 4 gym badges!? I don't get it. I didn't have one drop of joy while facing the Pokemon League. I like a good challenge but this is a really high difficulty spike compared to the rest of the trainers I've fought. Their final teams in the post game are level 85, are equipped with good items, and have crazy high stats. Challenges like these are what Pokemon fans have been waiting for! But then why do they feel so empty? Look, we've fought Cynthia before in Sun and Moon. The difference there is that she uses Mega Evolution a new mechanic introduced in X and Y. X and Y was a generic game but the Mega Evolution mechanic it introduced has been fleshed over the years. Cynthia's final team is powerful, but since none of the new battle mechanics are available in this game, it has locked potential. The teams in this game are powerful, but it's nothing I haven't seen before. This whole game feels like a Pokemon mod, meaning anyone could have designed this game. Only tweaked mini games are introduced everything else just feels unoriginal. You have to go through hours of training, planning, and patience to be able to stand a chance against the difficulty spikes. And because the main game is so long and tedious your Pokemon skills will get worse before they get better. Even the main story feels lackluster, hell the original games did it better! The originals designs don't show the over world characters mouths, so you can imagine how they feel with the given dialogue and theme of the area. It's like how people us more imagination while reading. But thanks to the modern art style Pokemon characters can be more expressive. But even if I don't mind the Chibi art style it just looks wrong. Characters will rarely mouth animations making emotional scenes feel empty. And what's this? Ever since I got my coin toss app, my game will start to glitch out every time I turn on my Poketch! That's just PEACHY! There's not much enjoyment to be found because you have to wait to find it. Even the little things bother me immensely. The colors are slightly washed out, making the game even look unappealing. This game is a filthy reflection of the originals. Even if new content is added in to make the game better, the damage has been done. At least Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduced new abilities. At least Let's Go recreated the Kanto experience with elements of freedom. Hell, Pokemon X and Y at least didn't screw my progress with glitches and errors. If you want to experience the beauty of Sinnoh go play Pokemon Platinum. Generic Pokemon games usually just make my eyes roll, but I just hate this game. Now I know how Cyrus feels. This game was a waste of my time. I hope that Legends Arceus can save this franchise. All I feel now is rage.… Expand
  8. Lucaro
    Jul 9, 2022
    3
    What a sh*tshow.
    Pokemon Platinum was one of the first games I have ever played and is one of my favorite games of all time. With all the remakes that came out for the other Pokemon games, I knew that a remake to Platinum must come at some point. I have waited so long and then I got this: A game with ugly chibis, Pokemon Go graphics, the flaws of Diamond and Pearl that were already fixed    What a sh*tshow.
    Pokemon Platinum was one of the first games I have ever played and is one of my favorite games of all time. With all the remakes that came out for the other Pokemon games, I knew that a remake to Platinum must come at some point. I have waited so long and then I got this: A game with ugly chibis, Pokemon Go graphics, the flaws of Diamond and Pearl that were already fixed in Platinum and this friendship bullsh*t.
    Pokemon was always a cash cow but back then they actually gave a sh't. This was the last newly released Pokemon game I've played and I am very disappointed.    … Expand
  9. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    2
    avoid like the plague. they somehow managed to make sinnoh even worse, which is quite the achievement
  10. 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.
  11. Poochingus
    Jan 3, 2022
    2
    This was so much of a let down. This is the first time a pokemon main series remake has removed content and features instead of adding them. I don't know why they made this game if they were going to somehow make it worse. What was the point of this game? Multiplayer in this game is about on par with the technology from the gameboy days. Yes, it hasn't been this stripped down since goldThis was so much of a let down. This is the first time a pokemon main series remake has removed content and features instead of adding them. I don't know why they made this game if they were going to somehow make it worse. What was the point of this game? Multiplayer in this game is about on par with the technology from the gameboy days. Yes, it hasn't been this stripped down since gold and silver version. No more global trade. No more multiplayer union rooms either. Underground multiplayer was also gelded. A sad sad sad game. Everyone bashes the art direction, but to be honest, that is the least of my concerns. It is terrible gameplay that really ruins it. There are tons of bugs and glitches. Exp share has no toggle anymore either, which was the worst change added in the previous games and completely ruins the balance of this old game. They included no post game content, where omega ruby/alpha sapphire added amazing post game story and it was fun! These games added nothing, and removed more too. Platinum content simply consisted of just letting you catch giratina and get his origin form. Also they did not include the more fleshed out story for team galactic. Controls are also pretty weak. The originals had great menu layouts and touch controls, they removed the ability to touch menu items for some reason and the menu in combat is pretty weak too. In good form they did not have a fun or engaging post game challenge area. I'm really sick of the battle tower for the 5th or 6th game in a row now, its just the same old thing and it is more luck based than about trying to fight skillfully this time around more than ever. Gameplay is sluggish, despite speeding up movement and hp bars, it doesn't matter when you can't do what every good rpg has been doing for a decade now by having the ability to speed up the combat encounters, and I wish I could turn off the "friendship" emotes, just more wasted time. The little things add up to just annoy you to death and mash the A-button. Loading is also so slow that I thought I bricked the console when I first opened the game. Its amazing how these ugly looking very simple looking games make the console struggle this much.

    I have had more fun with indie games for less than half the price of these cheap imitations of the DS games.    … Expand
  12. 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!
  13. Kidwild
    Jan 15, 2022
    2
    For a so called "remake". It feels like a RE-BREAK to me! One-step forward. Only to go two steps backwards...pathetic. More like Broken Diamond, and Shattered Pearl.

    This Game had potential. But it was squandered, like the last game. Sword, and shield. The game is TOO EASY. (I get it. The newcomers need handholding. But the other folks, would like a challenge DANG IT!) Being faithful    For a so called "remake". It feels like a RE-BREAK to me! One-step forward. Only to go two steps backwards...pathetic. More like Broken Diamond, and Shattered Pearl.

    This Game had potential. But it was squandered, like the last game. Sword, and shield. The game is TOO EASY. (I get it. The newcomers need handholding. But the other folks, would like a challenge DANG IT!)

    Being faithful to the OG game. Is not the best of ideas. Especially, if it is going to be a Complete copycat of the DP game. Like c mon... If you are going to perform a remake. Then it needs to be a REMAKE! With new stuff to boot. Not little bit of new stuff. But a TON! Final Fantasy 7 remake managed to remake a lot of their old game. into something much, more bad ass!

    THIS!? LOL it's the same game, with a new coat of paint. If you're going for a remaster. Then at the least. make it, With a more quality improvement. to be an overall. Quite a lot better, than the OG game. Or just simply better.

    Now this game isn't all bad. There are some new stuff. underground. That is one of the few SAVING GRACES for this sorry excuse of a game. other saving graces as well. At least this game...BEATS Sword and shield. That is for sure.

    Not worth the 60$. Not even worth 40$! Only buy this game, If you lack the OG copy of DP. And try to get it for 20$ or less...Else avoid it. (At least this game, managed to be better than the GTA definite edition trilogy. And the Battlefield 2042. AKA COD copy. with worse everything.)

    Game-Freak and the other company. and T.P.C needs to Care less on profits. and care more on quality...More staffing members, More time. (not infinite time. So a needed deadline. but not a Crunch time, deadline...And listen to GOOD fan feedback and good suggestions. (Money is needed yes. But compassion is needed too. to keep the fans loyal. And the Reputation staying in the good/golden side. The reputation is right now...being gravely Tarnished.)

    As of now. This franchise is turning into a EA's version of a game. All milked to death for easy money... (even fan made games, did better than this.)    … Expand
  14. neko555
    Nov 20, 2022
    2
    It already made little sense to remake this game, but doing it the way they did should be a crime. It is not a remake, it contributes little or nothing, the only thing they have done is adapt it for children of 3-5 years.
    I don't understand the effort of this franchise to infantilize its games more and more, especially considering the age of its average player. But worst of all, it's how    It already made little sense to remake this game, but doing it the way they did should be a crime. It is not a remake, it contributes little or nothing, the only thing they have done is adapt it for children of 3-5 years.
    I don't understand the effort of this franchise to infantilize its games more and more, especially considering the age of its average player. But worst of all, it's how absurdly easy it is, something already imposed in all pokemon games. Simply press A without stopping to beat the game. Is it so difficult to put an option to deactivate sharing experience? I think that the ideal would be to distribute experience as in the original gold and silver, but they seem determined to ignore the fans.
    I have always used scene, but I have bought original games that I like like all pokemon, but for several generations I have not bought one, they do not deserve my money.    … Expand
  15. llamaboy
    Feb 3, 2022
    2
    This game is hilariously bad. They do not include the additions from platinum( which already greatly diminishes the quality of the game) there are slight new additions that add basically nothing to the game itself, and the graphics are sub-par at best (aside from the water which looks pretty good) if you want to play these games, just play Pokémon platinum.
  16. TheLinkgirl
    May 26, 2022
    2
    I've loved the Pokemon series my whole life, so this review comes from the heart: Pokemon BDSP are dreadfully low effort remakes. Most of the enjoyment in this game comes from the fact you're playing a Pokemon game. Beyond that, almost everything is just not as good as the original DP.
  17. CaptainCharisma
    Aug 5, 2022
    2
    Embarrasing lazy effort from gamefreak, nothing to see here. Just play Legends Arceus.
  18. soulsilverjk
    Nov 20, 2021
    2
    An extremely uninspired reskin of the old Diamond and Pearl games without any of the platinum improvements. They could have reskinned platinum and my review would have increased to a 7/10.
  19. Exocation
    Dec 1, 2021
    2
    The new style looks very ugly, but everyone can decide that for himself. The optics on the other hand are just bad, plain bad, just go to YouTube and look at a comparison between this game an Pokemon let's go, which was released 3 years ago! The are worlds between, this game just looks ugly. Plus, why on earth would you not include all the improvements the Platin edition already did?? PLUSThe new style looks very ugly, but everyone can decide that for himself. The optics on the other hand are just bad, plain bad, just go to YouTube and look at a comparison between this game an Pokemon let's go, which was released 3 years ago! The are worlds between, this game just looks ugly. Plus, why on earth would you not include all the improvements the Platin edition already did?? PLUS they actively made the game worse, for example by adding a global exp share that you CANT disable. All in all, the game is very ugly and you can feel how lazy the devs/Nintendo was to release this poorly made cash grab. This game and the Pokemon series deserve so much better.… Expand
  20. HeraticParadox
    Mar 13, 2022
    2
    This remake tries to be a faithful adaptation of the original, but they somehow managed to make it worse with the few quality of life additions they chose to include. The worst offender is the always on XP share. It took what was one of of the closest Pokémon games to being a traditional RPG experience and turned it into a mindless slog through the antiquated design of the games unchangedThis remake tries to be a faithful adaptation of the original, but they somehow managed to make it worse with the few quality of life additions they chose to include. The worst offender is the always on XP share. It took what was one of of the closest Pokémon games to being a traditional RPG experience and turned it into a mindless slog through the antiquated design of the games unchanged original map. The change to the HM system was nice. I no longer needed to keep a Bidoof with me at all times in the overworld, but, for some reason, they decided to revert back to TMs breaking. The graphics, while trying to be a chibi reproduction of the original, somehow managed to be worse. The pixel art of the original, while probably a bit behind the times for the DS, was still elegant. I really thought the graphics of the Let’s Go games was going to be Nintendo’s low point for the series, but they proved me wrong. Even the movement feels bad. How they took a grid based top down game and made the movement feel bad is mind blowing to me. The controls feel imprecise and I was constantly colliding with environmental objects. The whole game just feels cheap, and yet it costs more than the original did. It just feels like they cut every corner possible to get the game out quickly. A good old fashioned cash grab. Thankfully the game was at least mostly bug free, but that’s really the only praise I can give it. I regret buying this game, but not nearly as much as I regret the 24hrs I spent beating it.… Expand
  21. Darkred401
    Mar 27, 2022
    2
    If you want a diamond and pearl remake just get platinum

    Bdsp changes so little that it would be smarter to port the original. The game has nice lighting and water effects but the overall art style is ugly and loses the appeal of the original pixel art. The music is the one positive with great mixing though certain themes feel off or lose the original appeal. Ultimately it feels like    If you want a diamond and pearl remake just get platinum

    Bdsp changes so little that it would be smarter to port the original. The game has nice lighting and water effects but the overall art style is ugly and loses the appeal of the original pixel art. The music is the one positive with great mixing though certain themes feel off or lose the original appeal.

    Ultimately it feels like a rushed cash grab to have an annual release    … Expand
  22. 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.
  23. ZoroGust
    Dec 7, 2021
    1
    It's so lazy it looks like a remaster! 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?
  24. Lap1as
    Nov 26, 2021
    1
    Нет русского языка! Это просто стыдно, сейчас у многих малобюджетных инди игр(в которых иной раз текста больше чем в покемонах) есть локализация с русскими сабами, а у nintendo с game freak денег не хватило? Нинка позиционирует себя как друг семьи, но мой ребенок должен страдать играя на неродном языке.Нет русского языка! Это просто стыдно, сейчас у многих малобюджетных инди игр(в которых иной раз текста больше чем в покемонах) есть локализация с русскими сабами, а у nintendo с game freak денег не хватило? Нинка позиционирует себя как друг семьи, но мой ребенок должен страдать играя на неродном языке.
  25. TinCanStone
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pros: Some song remixes are pretty good (but even the worst Pokémon games tend to have decent music), some battle backgrounds look nice.

    Cons: -Awful chibi style in the overworld that makes some scenes that are supposed to be tense into jokes (Cyrus awkwardly waddling around the edges of the carpet before talking about putting an end to everything)
    -Little to no Platinum features (no Charon, Looker, or Villa for example)
    -Costs about 9-6 more dollars (assuming you bought DP/Pt when they released for $40) than the originals when accounting for inflation and not including a NSO subscription
    -Forced EXP Share, regardless of if you hated grinding or not
    -OP Amie buffs upon reaching 100% friendship
    -Scuffed following Pokémon mechanic with the same exact issue SwSh had with some Pokemon being incredibly slow even though they literally got it correct in LGPE
    -Overworld Pokémon scaling so bad it’s hilarious
    -Only the original 493, not even any regional forms which even LGPE had (the same game that also cut cross-gen evos)
    -Still has many issues that plague the Pokémon series (Clunky and slow battle system with text boxes for everything, bad in-battle scaling, static/boring idle and attacking animations, lack of difficulty options)
    -Instead of Secret Bases you have rooms that you place uninteresting statues inside of and nothing else
    -So faithful that it contains many of the problems that DP had that Pt actually fixed/improved, the only problem that was technically improved in BDSP is Pokemon distribution
    -Just generally lazy and an obvious cash-grab since TPC knows that they’ll still sell

    Basically, just play Platinum or some ROMHack if you want to play a Sinnoh game.    … Expand
  26. Mestear
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    This is not a remake. This is a simple reskin of an old game. Nothing have changed besides graphic. What was the point to release pokemon shining pearl? Ah yes, to get 60 $ from silly and nostalgic people. Gen 4 is one of my favourites, but I won't buy the game.
  27. cHughes
    Dec 7, 2022
    1
    Pokémon fans may have thought the series could not steep any lower following the release of the Let’s Go titles, however somehow GameFreak manages to top the lows of even those childish Kanto remakes. What’s worse, these were remakes of many fans’ favourite generation of Pokémon games, and favourite overall region, Sinnoh. The games took ‘faithful remake’ way too seriously, with absolutelyPokémon fans may have thought the series could not steep any lower following the release of the Let’s Go titles, however somehow GameFreak manages to top the lows of even those childish Kanto remakes. What’s worse, these were remakes of many fans’ favourite generation of Pokémon games, and favourite overall region, Sinnoh. The games took ‘faithful remake’ way too seriously, with absolutely no change to the original Diamond and a pearl formula. The games became boring after a few hours of play and could be categorised as the original games with a ‘lick of paint,. The one positive of these games is the ability to shiny hunt the mythic Pokémon, even that is being generous however. The games are utterly disappointing and upsetting as a Pokémon fan. Lazy, lazy instalments.… Expand
  28. OcellCanari
    May 15, 2023
    1
    Pokemon Shining Pearl falls short of capturing the magic of the original game, and it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Despite the nostalgia factor, this remake fails to deliver a satisfying experience. The visuals lack the charm and depth of the original, feeling uninspired and lacking in artistic creativity. The gameplay remains largely unchanged, with no significant improvementsPokemon Shining Pearl falls short of capturing the magic of the original game, and it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Despite the nostalgia factor, this remake fails to deliver a satisfying experience. The visuals lack the charm and depth of the original, feeling uninspired and lacking in artistic creativity. The gameplay remains largely unchanged, with no significant improvements or innovations. It feels like a missed opportunity to enhance the game for modern audiences. The lackluster soundtrack and repetitive sound effects only contribute to the overall disappointment. While the original Pokemon Pearl was a groundbreaking title, Shining Pearl feels like a lazy attempt to cash in on nostalgia without adding anything substantial. Die-hard fans may find some enjoyment in revisiting the Sinnoh region, but it's hard to shake the feeling that the original game was far superior in every aspect. Pokemon Shining Pearl ultimately fails to capture the essence and excitement of its predecessor, leaving fans longing for the original's greatness.… Expand
  29. AngryShark92
    Feb 8, 2022
    0
    ***Apparently there has just been a massive invasion of bots on Metacritic that are out trying to protect the review scores of certain titles, and thus these ratings and this site in general are now completely compromised. The only reviews that get removed are the negative ones, but the 10/10 bots stay up. Sort it out Metacritic. Look at the profiles of the 10/10s if you don't believe me.***Apparently there has just been a massive invasion of bots on Metacritic that are out trying to protect the review scores of certain titles, and thus these ratings and this site in general are now completely compromised. The only reviews that get removed are the negative ones, but the 10/10 bots stay up. Sort it out Metacritic. Look at the profiles of the 10/10s if you don't believe me.

    No other way to say it, this was a lazy attempt at a remake, not as good as Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and nowhere near as good as Heart Gold/Soul Silver. There really isn't much here for those that played or own the originals.

    I have 3 huge issues with these games. First, this mandatory EXP share is making the game way too easy, it was a big flaw in Let's Go, as well as Sword & Shield, and to include it in a game that did not have it in its original version is a terrible decision. Second, God. Where is Arceus? As of right now, there is no way to get him in these versions, only a transfer from Poke Home if you had him in a previous game. Third, this weird blur effect that exists, which I have seen mostly in Tunnels and Forests, looks awful and seems really unnecessary because it only exists in certain spots and the rest of the area looks crisp and focused so I am not quite sure what purpose this effect has, unless its a bug.

    On top of those 3, I have found the game to be slower and more unresponsive in some areas, particularly in battles and conversations, and there are some backgrounds within battles that look "questionable", to say the least. Also, where is all of the content from Platinum? Just remake the 3rd iteration of each game if you are going to be this lazy, I miss the distortion world.

    Other than those issues, I think most of the aesthetics are great, the music is still great, the animations and models within battles (not a fan of the chibis outside of battle) are well done, and the nostalgia factor still exists, barely. Its a definite lazy effort, and I would only recommend it to newer players who never played the original Gen IV games.

    + Player models & animations are solid
    + Pokemon models are good
    + Aesthetics of cities/towns & surrounding environment
    + Soundtrack has not been ruined
    + Underground content has been expanded for the better

    - EXP share is a fatal flaw that makes these newer games way too easy, GET RID OF IT
    - Unnecessary blur effect
    - Arceus is nowhere to be found
    - Some texture issues
    - Responsiveness and hangup issues
    - Platinum content missing
    - A lot of unobtainable Pokemon
    - Forgot to add positive modern changes (TM use), but managed to include negatives (EXP share)
    - Endgame content is lacklustre to say the least
    - Subtle changes from the originals like blocking Wayward cave with strength, and making Eterna's gym different
    - Incorrect Poké showing up when using HM move
    - Dowsing machine is terribly implemented for a non touch screen console

    Overall, it just feels like they got "just enough" done and thus I feel like a 5/10 is a justified rating. Gamefreak is obviously turning its attention to games that provide more revenue, and like many other franchises recently, it feels like its all becoming stale because of the lack of quality and effort being put into them. Unfortunate.    … Expand
  30. OnlyOneHere
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    This game is absolute garbage. The greedy developers are charging $60 for a 15 year old remake, and let me remind you that this is only half of the game for $60. They are charging a ridiculous price of $120 for the full game. It doesn't even have the AAA quality to justify the $60 price tag. The graphics are joke. The gameplay is so boring and repetitive. Character models look like trash.This game is absolute garbage. The greedy developers are charging $60 for a 15 year old remake, and let me remind you that this is only half of the game for $60. They are charging a ridiculous price of $120 for the full game. It doesn't even have the AAA quality to justify the $60 price tag. The graphics are joke. The gameplay is so boring and repetitive. Character models look like trash. They literally look like plastic toys with stickers on their faces.

    The physics are pathetic. The bicycle physics and animations are beyond horrible. This is a 2021 $60 game. There is no excuse for the physics and animations to be so awful. When my Pokemon attacks other Pokemons, I should be seeing the animals thrown around. The attention to detail should be just like the Pokemon anime. The developers are too cheap and lazy to make a combat system with depth and detail. I don't recommend this game at all.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 88 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  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
    60
    If you're a Switch owner looking to play a Pokémon game, this pair should be your third choice after the Let's Go games and Sword & Shield. [Issue #57 – January/February 2022, p. 67]
  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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