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. eeyk
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    Why are people complaining about the graphics didn't you see the trailer? Actually i like it, it reminds me of the DS games, i hope they will make more pokemon games with this kind of graphics. It's way better then Pokemon Shield and sword.

    and if you complain about the graphics just don't play Nintendo switch i mean what do you expect exactly?
  2. kito78
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    It’s best nostalgic Pokémon experience since omega ruby. Many people is complaining that game is too easy, but remember that game is designed for 6+ yo kids. The game will not be challenging for old Pokémon fans, but it will deliver nostalgic and chill feeling. It’s relaxing.
    The graphics style this one have is perfect for me and I do love it
  3. Chopyhop
    Nov 20, 2021
    10
    Just glad they managed to find an art style that finally suits the pokemon series.
  4. Kratosine
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Un par de remakes mucho mejores que lo que fueron en su dia Let's Go Pikachu y Eevee.
    Aunque hubiera preferido mil veces un Sinnoh recreado bajo el estilo de Galar, este estilo chibi adorable y muy pequeño, en remembranza de los sprites originales, sinceramente no me molesta.
    Si bien el juego es mas fácil, no es restrictivo ni te obliga a pasar por el aro, puedes jugarlo de múltiples    Un par de remakes mucho mejores que lo que fueron en su dia Let's Go Pikachu y Eevee.
    Aunque hubiera preferido mil veces un Sinnoh recreado bajo el estilo de Galar, este estilo chibi adorable y muy pequeño, en remembranza de los sprites originales, sinceramente no me molesta.
    Si bien el juego es mas fácil, no es restrictivo ni te obliga a pasar por el aro, puedes jugarlo de múltiples maneras en busca de mayor dificultad.
    La música, los modelos y el enviroment esta muy bien rediseñado, y al jugarlo y al ser tan fiel en todo lo que se propone, produce una gran sensación de nostalgia.    … Expand
  5. 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.
  6. Ishrod24
    Nov 29, 2021
    10
    What an amazing remake! Beautiful art style. Please remake Gen 1-3 in the same art style ILCA!
  7. Daitya
    Nov 28, 2021
    10
    Un buen y pulido apartado gráfico, banda sonora mejorada, un remake fiel con mejoras, escenarios preciosos en las batallas, un aspecto visual en los combates mejorado(mejor que Espada/Escudo), más postgame que el original... No sé que más decir.

    Polished graphics, upgrade soundtrack, a faithful remake with improvements, beautiful backgrounds in battles, an improved visual aspect in    Un buen y pulido apartado gráfico, banda sonora mejorada, un remake fiel con mejoras, escenarios preciosos en las batallas, un aspecto visual en los combates mejorado(mejor que Espada/Escudo), más postgame que el original... No sé que más decir.

    Polished graphics, upgrade soundtrack, a faithful remake with improvements, beautiful backgrounds in battles, an improved visual aspect in battles (better than Sword / Shield), more postgame than the original...    … Expand
  8. sheep255174
    Dec 5, 2021
    10
    Good game, I generally love all the animations and remade models, and I think it lives up to the original game in every aspect.
  9. sheep455246
    Mar 6, 2022
    10
    If you haven’t played ds version. This is your best choice. (Unless you particularly like the watch function)
  10. onepiece255174
    Mar 6, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers. Llegué con una antorcha para quemarle la casa a IlCA estudios pero no. Este juego es entretenido, viciante. Sin darte cuenta tienes 20 horas jugando. Para ser un remake me gustó mucho, lo recomiendo. Collapse
  11. Buurto
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Game is a perfect review. Music is great. Graphics are perfect. It's a faithful remake to pearl with a few extras. Pearl remake is the best pokemon game we got after ruby remake.. the animation the weather the lightning its all great. It's a nostalgic remake without any **** mechanics Form gen 5-8 im so glad it's just gen 1-4 Pokemon.
  12. B3jn
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Best Pokemon game in years, a true return to form. Don't listen to other reviews, Pokemon fans always cry and are never satisfied with anything. This is a great game and well worth $60.
  13. KarimTheTraitor
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    The triumphant return of my favorite generation, with changes consistent with current generations and new mechanics that make the game more relaxing or enjoyable.
  14. DistantKingDumb
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Good game, I generally love all the animations and remade models, and I think it lives up to the original game in every aspect.
  15. Omega-xis97
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    this game could have been much more if they had included platinum, i really miss distortion world in the history, but is ok
  16. Swampert_Tube
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Great game, and such a faithful remake too. They kept the original tweaking glitches, which is awesome too. Really enjoyed it! On my 2nd playthrough right now too! Cynthia is still hard as well. Would play it again honestly.
  17. DramaticBox
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    Same thing I had to say about BD: Sword and Shield just can't compare to the amount of genuine passion put into this set. If you want a Pokemon game that feels like the people making it actually wanted to make a good video game, I highly recommend the DP remakes.
  18. DistantKingdom
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    I misjudged this cute title, at first I was reluctant to the idea that the characters were so chibi and poorly defined, but it's something that you learn to tolerate and love.
    The fighting is surprisingly fun and even difficult at some points, it's faster than its original games, and artistically, the reorchestrated music and NPC's models have been revamped in an excellent way.
    I must    I misjudged this cute title, at first I was reluctant to the idea that the characters were so chibi and poorly defined, but it's something that you learn to tolerate and love.
    The fighting is surprisingly fun and even difficult at some points, it's faster than its original games, and artistically, the reorchestrated music and NPC's models have been revamped in an excellent way.
    I must thank and congratulate ILCA and Game Freak for doing such a good job.    … Expand
  19. Kelv89
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    Brilliant game. Faithful remakes of the originals with updated graphics. What more could you want? Classic pokemon
  20. Minato-Arisato
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    El estado actual de Pokémon es mas que envidiable y estas entregas, tanto Diamond y Pearl, son un demostración mas, junto a anteriores juegos que también me encantaron como Sol y Luna, Espada y Escudo y ORAZ.
    Al principio el apartado técnico puede desagradar, pero cuando uno se acostumbra, interiorizas el aspecto chibi al instante y comprendes que es para dar la mayor sensación de    El estado actual de Pokémon es mas que envidiable y estas entregas, tanto Diamond y Pearl, son un demostración mas, junto a anteriores juegos que también me encantaron como Sol y Luna, Espada y Escudo y ORAZ.
    Al principio el apartado técnico puede desagradar, pero cuando uno se acostumbra, interiorizas el aspecto chibi al instante y comprendes que es para dar la mayor sensación de nostalgia posible.
    Los combates pokémon siempre son un deleite, y la historia de Sinnoh es de las mejores que haya creado el buen estudio que es Game Freak.
    ILCA ha sabido tomar la batuta mientras el nuevo titulo Leyendas Arceus esta por venir.
    Por el momento, casi todos los Pokémon de Switch me han sorprendido gratamente.    … Expand
  21. Klenki0404
    Nov 22, 2021
    10
    If you liked the older style of Pokemon games this is just great. It brings backs so many memories.
  22. Skwunjo
    Nov 23, 2021
    10
    This game gets a 10/10 for being a faithful remake with some of the best in-battle graphics Pokemon has to offer. It's very faithful to the original games with major quality of life improvements. Underground has been overhauled but my only complaint is secret bases have no furniture now. It is clear that ILCA put time and effort into this game, and it's impressive as it's their first bigThis game gets a 10/10 for being a faithful remake with some of the best in-battle graphics Pokemon has to offer. It's very faithful to the original games with major quality of life improvements. Underground has been overhauled but my only complaint is secret bases have no furniture now. It is clear that ILCA put time and effort into this game, and it's impressive as it's their first big game project as they've only helped with games on the side. The music is extremely good. If someone says the game is buggy, it's because they pirated the game and weren't able to get the update. Ignore the 0ratings for they're review bombing this game and have severe cases of autism. You'll see that they mostly have the two sinnoh remakes as the only game they're scoring sometimes next to Persona or SMTV getting a 10/10. This is due to an extreme case of mental illness and they've ruined the entire SMT franchise as a whole so just ignore them.… Expand
  23. rolegervari
    Nov 26, 2021
    10
    I haven't played Pokémon in 20 years and I'm having a blast. It feels like a classic and that's what I want from Pokémon, isometric cute chibby characters and fun music so I can play in front of my toddler.
  24. Fishcake1o
    Nov 29, 2021
    10
    Great game loads of fun def an improvement on the originals based on the speed alone Great fun definitely recommend
  25. rnd754
    Dec 4, 2021
    10
    Lovely remake! Really takes me back.
    Whenever i play this game it makes me smile.
  26. I_Trust_In_GF
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    Remake of the highest quality, it evokes nostalgia for a game that was part of my childhood on the NDS.
  27. Nintendist
    Jul 2, 2022
    10
    this game is so good and beautiful at the same time. so lovely i love it til the end
  28. CreeperMW
    Oct 30, 2022
    10
    I love every single little detail in Shining Pearl even love the chibi art style, it's reminds me of old days of Pokemon I wouldn't mind if they did this for HeartGold and SoulSilver if they decide to make a port for switch.
  29. Mando44646
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    Best Pokémon RPG on the console. Let's Go was a terrible gimmick-fest and Sword/Shield were....just okay.

    Good:
    Visuals
    Ganeplay
    Map
    Underground

    Bad:
    Nothing new and lacks Platinum content
    3D models can be a bit odd
  30. MrBardTimes
    Nov 26, 2021
    9
    This is a very well made remake, the aesthetics are on point, the gameplay is what you would expect from a pokemon game. ILCA did a great job with it.
    The only negative point is that for some reason someone thought it was a good idea to make TMs single use again... why? :'(
    I'm not a fan of how the pokech was implemented, as it is a bit annoying to use, but that's because it needed the    This is a very well made remake, the aesthetics are on point, the gameplay is what you would expect from a pokemon game. ILCA did a great job with it.
    The only negative point is that for some reason someone thought it was a good idea to make TMs single use again... why? :'(
    I'm not a fan of how the pokech was implemented, as it is a bit annoying to use, but that's because it needed the second screen the DS had to be use easily, and the switch doesn't have that. This isn't really ILCA's fault, but it would have been interesting if they managed to use the online phone app as the second screen.    … Expand
  31. LiirThropp
    Nov 30, 2021
    9
    Even when it's obvious they were heavily limited by Game Freak, ILCA handled these remakes very well. Let's not forget that the instruction was a 1:1 remake from the originals, so they didn't have a lot of space to innovate, but graphically it is WAY better than Sword and Shield.
    It also puts the level of complexity and exploration that we had 10+ years ago side to side with the barren    Even when it's obvious they were heavily limited by Game Freak, ILCA handled these remakes very well. Let's not forget that the instruction was a 1:1 remake from the originals, so they didn't have a lot of space to innovate, but graphically it is WAY better than Sword and Shield.
    It also puts the level of complexity and exploration that we had 10+ years ago side to side with the barren and boring gameplay of Sword and Shield.
    That said, it is a buggy mess. I happen to find this very entertaining, but it certainly won't sit well with a lot of people, especially since more than a week has gone by and no patch for the most game-breaking glitches is in sight.
    The only thing I have an issue with is the price. It is definitely not worth $60, if it was $40, it'd be perfect.
    Fire Game Freak already!    … Expand
  32. Askeel
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    It's my first time playing this game, and I'm enjoying my journey.

    Will be awesome to receive any future update/event
  33. Donkristo
    Nov 21, 2021
    9
    Отличная игра. Графика, бои, анимация все радует глаз. Всё те же покемоны, что и раньше. Найти в продаже 4 поколение для DS практически невозможно, так что это единственная возможность ознакомиться с данным поколением.
  34. CasualG1
    Nov 21, 2021
    9
    A nostalgic journey from start to finish, a game recommended only for those who have not played the 4th generation on DS, or want to remember them with adorable graphics
  35. FriendlyDM2
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    I’ve enjoyed this game a lot!

    Seeing Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in 3D like this was a lot of fun. At first, I didn’t enjoy the overworld style in the trailers all that much, but that feeling quickly faded away as I played the game. Small adjustments which have been made to the game to make some quality of life changes have been very welcome! The battle system is snappy and doesn’t waste    I’ve enjoyed this game a lot!

    Seeing Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in 3D like this was a lot of fun. At first, I didn’t enjoy the overworld style in the trailers all that much, but that feeling quickly faded away as I played the game. Small adjustments which have been made to the game to make some quality of life changes have been very welcome! The battle system is snappy and doesn’t waste any of your time!

    The Grand Underground is a lot of fun, has been made a bit more simple in comparison to the originals on the Nintendo DS and have been expanded at the same time, now including wild Pokémon to catch and train against!

    The inclusion of the Experience Share for every one of your party members shaves off a lot of time previously spent sending out your weakest Pokémon, switching to a stronger one and then finishing the battle, or being able to only train one Pokémon at a time with a single Experience Share Hold Item, which makes it a LOT easier to help evolve Pokémon for completing your Pokédex!

    All in all, I’ve been having a lot of fun with this game, though I personally see this as more of a €40,00 title, rather than a full-price one. I would have wanted to see even MORE from this remake than what we got. I can recommend this game for sure though!    … Expand
  36. Fazed
    Nov 23, 2021
    9
    The first pokemon game in a while I would actually want to play again, there are few negatives about the game main ones being the exp share always being on and the levels being lower than the originals. Other than those 2 points its very true the orginal and does a lot of things right. The changes to the underground are really fun and add a good amount of pokemon options without it beingThe first pokemon game in a while I would actually want to play again, there are few negatives about the game main ones being the exp share always being on and the levels being lower than the originals. Other than those 2 points its very true the orginal and does a lot of things right. The changes to the underground are really fun and add a good amount of pokemon options without it being too much. Also the HM system is really good for the first time, the fact you can fly using town map and also the quest log telling you what to do next is nice for not getting lost. The new move sets are great and shining hunting is varied.… Expand
  37. monarch250
    Nov 24, 2021
    9
    Nostalgia done right!

    This game is made to be very faithful to the original releases and ILCA does a wonderful job of that. Obviously many Pokémon fans would want all the original's wrinkles to be ironed out, but I don't think that was the goal here. The Art Style gets a lot of hate, but this game is gorgeous, the battle animations are great, the character models have ... well....    Nostalgia done right!

    This game is made to be very faithful to the original releases and ILCA does a wonderful job of that. Obviously many Pokémon fans would want all the original's wrinkles to be ironed out, but I don't think that was the goal here.

    The Art Style gets a lot of hate, but this game is gorgeous, the battle animations are great, the character models have ... well.... character and the shadow, reflection and water effects are the best in the series. BONUS: It also runs flawlessly on the switch!

    Long story short... this is a great game and you should buy it. Give ILCA a chance to do more, for their first kick at the Pokémon can, they did amazing.    … Expand
  38. PixelatedOdyssy
    Dec 7, 2021
    9
    I love this game, I grew up playing the original on the DS and this hits the nostalgia hard. Putting that aside, these are still good games.
    Are they perfect? no
    Are they fun and true to the original? yes the good: I feel like most of the people giving bad reviews expected as drastic of a change as we saw with sword and shield, which this game was never supposed to be. It has tons of    I love this game, I grew up playing the original on the DS and this hits the nostalgia hard. Putting that aside, these are still good games.
    Are they perfect? no
    Are they fun and true to the original? yes

    the good: I feel like most of the people giving bad reviews expected as drastic of a change as we saw with sword and shield, which this game was never supposed to be. It has tons of extra pre and post game content, quality of life changes, and everything you loved from the originals. This game was not marketed as or meant to be something more than a remake that's faithful to the original. There are new legendries, extra battles, easier shiny hunting, the new XP sharing system, and the game is more challenging than the originals at a lot of points. Basically if you like pokemon or liked the original games you will like this game.

    the bad: the price, $60 or $120 for both, is steep. I think $30 would be a much more fair price for one game. There were people who experienced soft locks and bugs, I was not one of those people. Since the 1.1.2 patch, all of those issues have been fixed. I know a lot of people wish they could turn off the new leveling system, I think that should be an option as well, but I also don't mind the XP sharing system. They added a penalty for time skips, so if you change your clock time manually then all timed events (trees, berries, timed pokemon, etc) will freeze for 24 hours. I hate this penalty, as they kept in the annoying timed events like trees taking six hour to find pokemon and berries taking hours of time to grow; they should've found a middle ground. They kept the original battle tower and shop, I think this is bad because the grind to level up pokemon post game takes a long time - I like how easy it was in sword to get XP or rare candies to level up and try new teams, this is a quality of life thing that should've been added. I also think they should've kept the sword and shield shiny hunting and IV hunting methods, the new additions are good, but not preferred imo.

    the mixed: some people complain that there are glitches you can exploit to duplicate pokemon and items, I personally think these are fun and since they only effect your offline play that they do not hinder the game or other people at all. There are also glitches that let you get timed event pokemon early, since this only effects offline play, I don't see it as an issue and it lets you play the game at your own pace. The post game grind feels like its too much, in order to get legendries you need to do a lot of tedious farming, this could've been optimized better.

    Overall. the games are what they were marketed to be, a new coat of paint with a few quality of life features added. This game is far better, especially after the patch, (although its annoying they didn't fix the issues beforehand) than the user score suggests. Its worth playing.    … Expand
  39. blisslovesotome
    Jan 4, 2022
    9
    I honestly didn't expect to like it so much! Too bad for the dubious graphical choices.
  40. SuperkenGaming
    Dec 8, 2021
    8
    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
    my first pokemon game in a long time
    I havnt played a base line pokemon game since silver way back in the day, so I was excited to hop back into the remake of the 4th gen.. and while this game is great, its just not as magic as I remember pokemon games being.. The 4th en of pokemon introduces 107 new pokemon and none of them are really any    Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
    my first pokemon game in a long time
    I havnt played a base line pokemon game since silver way back in the day, so I was excited to hop back into the remake of the 4th gen.. and while this game is great, its just not as magic as I remember pokemon games being.. The 4th en of pokemon introduces 107 new pokemon and none of them are really any exciting, as usual you start by choosing your favorite starter, and this time youre on a journey to stop team galactic whos going to these lakes and snatching up the regions legendary pokemon… and the story is pretty straightforward and therefor not really all that interesting..
    Diamond and Pearl are very straightforward games in general, go through the routes, building up your team of pokemon which btw share exp from the start, so I had to do absolutely 0 grinding to beat this game… go to the gyms, take town the leader, get a badge, get an ability to progress through the world, an ability that you don’t have to attach to a pokemon to use, another change I love vs back in the day.. so no longer are you forced to have a party of pokemon for certain moves to progress the game, you no longer have to save spots in their move sets for a move you don’t really care about all that much..
    But that’s it, that’s the game.. 30 hours of go from this town to this town… It was enjoyable but it was also a bit of a disappointment.. this wasn’t a world or story ill remember, there are no cool mysteries to solve in each town, they all kind of blend together.. This is probably one of the most forgettable monster collecting games ive every played..
    That being said its still pokemon, its still addicting to build the best team possible trying to catch them all if you care to…
    While this isn’t a journey ill remember, its still one im glad I took
    I give Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
    an 8/10    … Expand
  41. Melonpanic
    Nov 29, 2021
    8
    As someone who loves the franchise, but who skipped generation 4, I am finding this game to be almost the perfect Pokémon experience. The faithfulness to the original means you have the look and feel of the earlier games, which some may prefer, but with a few modern quality of life improvements thrown in, above all, the ability to sit on my couch and play on a TV! I would gladly give thisAs someone who loves the franchise, but who skipped generation 4, I am finding this game to be almost the perfect Pokémon experience. The faithfulness to the original means you have the look and feel of the earlier games, which some may prefer, but with a few modern quality of life improvements thrown in, above all, the ability to sit on my couch and play on a TV! I would gladly give this a 9 or more if this had some extra content thrown in on top of the originals and the few bugs (which I have not encountered myself) had been addressed prior to release.

    I don't really understand the criticism of the 'chibi' style overworld graphics, I think they are charming and chibi Dawn is really cute! The in battle graphics are really nice, with clean but detailed backgrounds and a really beautiful colour palette overall.

    Hope to see more re-makes in this style, would love to see gen 2 and 3 (re-re-make?) brought to the bigger screens in this way.    … Expand
  42. FluffySpartan
    Apr 5, 2023
    8
    It's okay, it's at least better as the main games of the last year's.... The pkmn attack animations are good compared to the game freak games.
    Give another team a good budget and the license for pkmn and the games would be awesome again. Look at new pkmn snap, very good quality because it's not from game freak.
  43. Starfree
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    This game is flawed but amazing. I would say it’s as fun a platinum but platinum has more and better content, this game just looks better and has some cool things. The new underground is amazing, the music is amazing, the graphics are amazing. There are a few glitches, nothing game breaking tho. Very solid game.
  44. nusoul
    Jan 7, 2023
    8
    I don't understand the people who gave this game bad marks, this game is almost perfect as I remember it when I played it on DS.
  45. lalahand
    May 27, 2023
    8
    Initially I thought this is a **** remake, but after playing all other recent Pokémon games, this is actually the best one on switch
  46. cfc1998
    Jun 27, 2022
    8
    First of all, yes this is a very simple and faithful remake of the original games, but honestly I prefer this way than seeing Sinnoh with Sword and Shield **** graphics and engine. A visual change and a few quality of life improvements are more than fine for me, but if I have one criticism of the game is not adding Platinum content, other than that I enjoyed the game a lot! The post gameFirst of all, yes this is a very simple and faithful remake of the original games, but honestly I prefer this way than seeing Sinnoh with Sword and Shield **** graphics and engine. A visual change and a few quality of life improvements are more than fine for me, but if I have one criticism of the game is not adding Platinum content, other than that I enjoyed the game a lot! The post game content is definitely the best added feature, playing the gym leaders rematches was a lot of fun.… Expand
  47. Alvalos
    Nov 21, 2021
    8
    Are they perfect? No
    Are they fun? Yes
    Does it include platinum content? No Are the graphics bad? No Would you replay them again? In a heartbeat BDSP is, without a shadow of a doubt, a trip down nostalgia lane, a re-imagining of the original journeys throughout the Sinnoh Region from their initial outings in Diamond & Pearl. Story If the goal was to achieve faithful remakes of those    Are they perfect? No
    Are they fun? Yes
    Does it include platinum content? No
    Are the graphics bad? No
    Would you replay them again? In a heartbeat

    BDSP is, without a shadow of a doubt, a trip down nostalgia lane, a re-imagining of the original journeys throughout the Sinnoh Region from their initial outings in Diamond & Pearl. Story If the goal was to achieve faithful remakes of those games, then ILCA have fully succeeded in their mission. It’s just as leisurely paced as the original Diamond & Pearl, encouraging the player to take their time and take in their surroundings. The story of DP is quite grand but it wasn’t fully realised and developed until Platinum. Lots to do & explore whilst not feeling too linear with a maze-like map. In this instance however, after playing through the game, I personally feel as though the fleshed out story beats from Platinum are missing here.

    Graphics
    They’re clean, charming & capture the essence of what classic top-down Pokémon used to be. Cutesy & child-like. Sword & Shiled in comparison can look a little muddy around the edges. There were a few janky animations from time-to-time but nothing that didn’t just make me smile and giggle. They clearly take inspiration from the Links Awakening remake, and on reflection, it was probably the better route to go down than trying to re-create these games in Sw/Sh graphics. Don’t be fooled by the initial reveal trailer, the improvements in lighting, shading & character models has come on leaps & bounds since we first saw it at the beginning of the year. Everything Else
    -The roster of Pokémon is as it was in Gen 4, it actually makes for a decent challenge trying to shape a team with the Pokémon you have at your disposal. We won’t get all the Pokémon in Legebds Arceus, we didn’t get them all in Sw/Sh, why should this be any different?
    -The grand underground is a place where you could spend hours hunting through the walls or capturing Pokémon, otherwise unobtainable in the overworld for your adventure. ILCA, you did a cracking job of the underground and making it useful & accessible for everyone. -Contests have been re-defined & streamlined but IMO I would say this was for the worst. Contests in the original had substance & felt like a journey in of themselves. The new version of contests are a rhythm game - great if you’re short of time, but I didn’t feel as though I had something to work towards. Poffin making can be tedious at times! - The EXP share was a necessary edition although it should have been a toggleable option. I had it on for my whole journey and blacked out a couple of times! It negates the grind, but ideally should’ve been optional. I very much enjoyed my time with BDSP, ILCA have managed to rekindle that inner child and bring back memories of playing my original copy of Diamond back in 2007. Newcomers of the series will have a shock as BDSP is the genuine article when it comes to what Classic Pokémon is all about. A little bit tough, a grand adventure & a lot of fun. Highly recommend first time Pokémon players pick up this one rather than any of the more recent entries. ILCA catered this game to the fans of Diamond & Pearl, a love letter to what Pokémon used to be, trying not to get hung up on the more recent additions & changes in the newer games. I hope TPC continue to outsource some of their projects.    … Expand
  48. PMG-Writer
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    Nintendo managed two successful remakes for fans and children with Pokémon Brillant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. The storyline is neat and drives us through the game. Thanks to the simple gameplay concept, both games are just fun to play and it motivates enormously to experience the familiar story and catch and train Pokémon. The graphical presentation and the background music areNintendo managed two successful remakes for fans and children with Pokémon Brillant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. The storyline is neat and drives us through the game. Thanks to the simple gameplay concept, both games are just fun to play and it motivates enormously to experience the familiar story and catch and train Pokémon. The graphical presentation and the background music are successful and round off the good overall impression. Still, there are a few weak scenes in the remakes. Those who would like to play with Pokémons again should take a closer look for "Pokémon Brillant Diamond" and "Pokémon Shining Pearl".… Expand
  49. ShadowRose
    Jan 12, 2022
    8
    This is a really good remake as it stays true to the original game the only thing is that there is not much new added content for people who have played the old version.
  50. MGamer490
    Nov 29, 2021
    8
    I still remember close to 15 years ago when I got my hands on a copy of Pearl, was only a teenager at the time and didn't have a DS so I borrowed my Cousin's DS to play it. On the first night I was up until 5-6am playing it in bed rather than going to sleep, I had an absolute blast. When I heard of the remakes, I was excited to return to Gen 4, but as with any Pokemon game that releases, II still remember close to 15 years ago when I got my hands on a copy of Pearl, was only a teenager at the time and didn't have a DS so I borrowed my Cousin's DS to play it. On the first night I was up until 5-6am playing it in bed rather than going to sleep, I had an absolute blast. When I heard of the remakes, I was excited to return to Gen 4, but as with any Pokemon game that releases, I will definitely play it, because even the rough ones, they are still great games.

    Graphics - Well they have definitely been changed up a bit! At first I was against the new design, but over time it grew on me and I found it to be very cute, as did my partner who was playing Brilliant Diamond alongside me. It felt very much like the original, no major changes in terms of the layout of the game, but the graphical improvements made it feel somewhat new and refreshing which I enjoyed. The Pokemon battles themselves reflected the newer games being in a 3D environment which is what I would have expected, I will always cherish the sprite based battles but these 3D battles is the way it should be and remain from now on.

    Changes - There isn't a whole lot of changes besides a few things such as an exp share that cannot be turned off so your Pokemon will level up despite not being in battle and this can make the game pretty easy, early on I was training up to 25 different Pokemon (no lie) to keep their levels lower and have a bit more of a challenge, you can also access your PC box from anywhere after a certain point in the early game much like the newer games, so that will feel similar to the younger crowd or newcomers who are familiar with these recent Pokemon games, it doesn't bother me necessarily, it is more convenient, I just wonder if its better to have an option to turn EXP share off. You have the Poketch app as well, playing docked makes the app a little difficult to manage as it was used a 3DS tool with the touch screen in the original, so that can be a bit annoying but if you are playing handheld, no major issues besides having to load it up on screen to use it. Not many other changes really come to mind, it feels very much like the originals for the most part.

    Bugs and glitches - There were some minor issues, occasions where the screen would take a while to load, and even a situation where my partner was in a battle and she clicked on a move to use but the screen just stayed still and she could not doing anything other than close the game and re-open, having to start where she last saved, I didn't experience this issue myself but it did feel like the quality we'd expect from this series was lacking just a tad but not enough to ruin the experience.

    Common complaints - Lets just put this on the table because I am seeing negative scores purely based on these reasons - There are no major changes in this remake, there is no national desk, they didn't base it on the Platinum version etc etc. This seems to be a review bomb of negativity that will forever plague the Pokemon series because people are unhappy they are not being given exactly what they want despite clear signs of what the game is from trailers and such. I personally am most fond of my time with Pearl, but also Pearl was made with the new pokemon in mind, and the Platinum version expanded on the pokemon a bit more including ones from previous games, but I don't need them to include the whole pokedex, Pearl and Diamond was there as an introduction to a new world, a new generation of pokemon and this is the first experience people had with generation 4 so giving that experience to newcomers of Pokemon is not a bad thing. There is also the complaint that there is no major changes in the remake but I can guarantee if there were major changes, then people would complain about them changing too much. Its my personal belief that people are expecting way too much from these games at times when this is nothing more than a remake of a classic, just because it isn't based on your favourite one (Platinum) then I don't think its fair to give it a 0, you knew what to expect when you saw the names of the games advertised. So if you are like me and just want to return to Pearl and Diamond, or you are new to the series, then definitely pick this up, you will have a great time, and I never really have a bad time playing Pokemon, its always good fun.

    Final Rating - For Pokemon fans like myself who wanted to go back and play the original with updated graphics and some minor changes, this is great and I finished the game in less than 10 days just because it is so easy to play and have a good time. If you are wanting more from the remake then I would suggest maybe skipping this one as it doesn't do anything overly different to the original.    … Expand
  51. PrincessSaf
    Nov 21, 2021
    8
    While I would have preferred a remake in the style of Sword and Shield, I am not entirely against the style they chose to be closer to the originals as they were on DS. However it just feel like they did the minimum to remake the originals and to me it does not compare with the third gen remakes.

    In a way I don't think they are best for those who did not play the originals because those    While I would have preferred a remake in the style of Sword and Shield, I am not entirely against the style they chose to be closer to the originals as they were on DS. However it just feel like they did the minimum to remake the originals and to me it does not compare with the third gen remakes.

    In a way I don't think they are best for those who did not play the originals because those remakes feel worse than Sword and Shield and I don't think they are much better than playing the originals either, so I am mixed for the recommendation overall. Maybe if they were a third less expensive than main releases it would have been better.

    I still can't give it a bad score, I can't 100% recommend it, but I like it, it looks good enough, and it's based on good games, so I would recommend people to look a little into it before buying but it should be fine.    … Expand
  52. MrPablic
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    Es todo lo que buscas si quieres recordar el juego de la nds. Se ve muy bonito y los nuevos implementos y el post Game tan difícil lo hacen muy disfrutable.
  53. Brunosky99
    Nov 24, 2021
    8
    Gráficamente es hermoso, pero hecho de menos las mejoras implementadas en el Pokemon platino, como los cambios en los gimnasios y el evento del mundo distorsión. Sin embargo es un muy entretenido viaje con sabor a nostalgia.
  54. Kreepycake
    Dec 1, 2021
    8
    I haven't played the original diamond and pearl or even platinum but after completing shining pearl I can say I enjoyed the experience, the main problem that I have is exp share as it makes the game far too easy but other than that it was a ton of fun.
  55. nzmetacritic
    Sep 26, 2022
    8
    Hi all!

    I have bought this game recently, like 3 days ago and by far I have had the best experience ever on this game. I have the original copy on my DS version 10-15 years ago but I don't think I ever got to finish it. I loved it back then as well. If you are looking for an Nostalgic/original pokemon classic linear game. This is the game for you. I have never played any pokemon games    Hi all!

    I have bought this game recently, like 3 days ago and by far I have had the best experience ever on this game. I have the original copy on my DS version 10-15 years ago but I don't think I ever got to finish it. I loved it back then as well. If you are looking for an Nostalgic/original pokemon classic linear game. This is the game for you. I have never played any pokemon games after Gen 4 so playing this brought me back so many memories on why I loved pokemon in the first place. I love the Isometric top down camera angle of this game. I hope to see more other pokemon games in this format. A remake but in 3D graphics makes it more beautiful and inspiring to look at. Being able to explore underground and catching wild pokemons and knowing what to catch just made the game more appealing. However I love the tall grass wild feature not knowing which pokemon is battling me. It is more challenging this way. I hope they still continue this style aswell.

    Looking at the negative reviews on this game don't make sense to me. I think going open world for pokemon is also a great idea too but I think Gamefreak should definitely focus on the quality, the story, the amount of content than rushing to finish a game every year.

    Back to the review; It reminds me of ''Pokemon Battle Revolution'' and this game happening all in one instead of buying 2 separate games. I hope ILCA will continue this genre. Personally this game is what I wanted 10 years ago. I am enjoying every moment of this game, it is super fun and addicting. I would like to see Gold and silver remakes including my all time favorite Emerald.

    Negatives. Not Worth $100 NZ because it is a Remake and its literally the same game not much new things or expansions even added to it. its weird that SW/SH is the same price.
    I notice 1 thing versing the gym trainers use the same pokemons that I have fought from normal trainers. Wish for more diverse and varieties of Pokemons when it came to the gym otherwise its too easy!

    8/10 for me Good job ILCA    … Expand
  56. hkatbamna1
    Feb 20, 2023
    7
    Visually, its an excellent remake of my favorite pokemon generation. Them keeping the chibi artstyle definitely helped nail the nostalgia of it. Sadly, taking points away for how absurdly easy they made this game. The forced experience share with no option to turn it off made it so my pokemon were perpetually at least 10-15 levels above the opponent. Really would have appreciated SOME challenge
  57. Schueli
    Aug 10, 2022
    7
    Ja, gibt nicht viel zu sagen. Typisches Pokémon halt. Nur mit hässlichen Figuren in der Oberwelt. Im Kampf passt dann alles.

    Bin durchgerusht und hab nicht viel gesammelt. Macht das, was Pokémon macht und war soweit gut.
  58. Dragonfire14
    Dec 2, 2021
    7
    It's a shame that these remakes are better than the actual next entries in the series (Sword and Shield). Even though BD&SP (Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) are better, they are still flawed and no where near what a modern AAA release should be. Missing content, removed content, weird art style, missing options, and bugs are all taking away from making these remakes great. Are theyIt's a shame that these remakes are better than the actual next entries in the series (Sword and Shield). Even though BD&SP (Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl) are better, they are still flawed and no where near what a modern AAA release should be. Missing content, removed content, weird art style, missing options, and bugs are all taking away from making these remakes great. Are they terrible must avoid games, no.

    Graphics:

    The art style in these games is a bit strange. They basically took the original DS games and upscaled/polished them. It is strange to look at, but could be overlooked if the animations and in battle models were fantastic, but they are not. Animations are again lacking and and basic. Pokemon developers refuse to fully utilize the hardware and add animations in that amount to more that using the transition and rotation buttons. This is just a nit pick of mine, but I wish shinies were actually hand made and not a simple hue shift.

    Content:

    These games are remakes, so expecting something completely different is out of the question, but expecting a better experience than the originals is what I went into them with. These games are missing a ton of platinum content, all event content, nerfed contests, and removed game corner. The contest change was the biggest hit to me. They completely threw them out in the remakes changing them into a shell of their former self. Instead of a multi staged mini game it is simply a rhythm game without the rhythm. The removed Arceus, Darkrai and Shaymin events are currently not in the game, but Shaymin has been proven to be in the game through glitching out of the map. I know that in the past these were events later in the game's life, but these remakes should of included them in the base version. Then there is the glitches, there are many. I won't go super into detail here, but a quick google can outline them for you.

    That being said these remakes do make one awesome change to content, the underground. The Grand Underground is amazing, and let's you catch a ton of Pokemon not in the game. Secret bases are a bit simplistic and boring now, but the rest of the Underground is so fun.

    Options:

    The biggest issue with missing options is that exp share is stuck to be on. While I don't mind it since it just eliminates grind time for me, a bunch of players are upset with the lack of difficulty this creates. I hope this option gets added to the game.

    Conclusion:

    While I'm happy Pokemon is back on track to be an actually good game after the mess that was SW&SH, I think these games could of been so much better. I don't know if it is Gamefreak or The Pokemon Company that is holding the series back, but something needs to give. The Pokemon series itself needs an evolution, it needs to finally enter the modern gaming levels, and use modern technology.    … Expand
  59. PlanetDeadwing
    Dec 19, 2021
    7
    Pokémon Shining Pearl (or Brilliant Diamond) is a game that is constantly at war with itself. It's a game that completely succeeds at emulating the classic experience of arguably Pokémon's finest generation - the mighty Generation IV - and the unforgettable spirit of the duo of games that largely represented it. But in both attempting to be as faithful as possible to the original gamesPokémon Shining Pearl (or Brilliant Diamond) is a game that is constantly at war with itself. It's a game that completely succeeds at emulating the classic experience of arguably Pokémon's finest generation - the mighty Generation IV - and the unforgettable spirit of the duo of games that largely represented it. But in both attempting to be as faithful as possible to the original games while also being modernised and in refined for the Switch, it results in perhaps the strangest gameplay experience out of all the Pokémon games. For me, this game constantly alternated between being a happy trip back in time to the blissful golden years of the late 2000s (back when life was simple, everyone got along, the world made sense, and everything felt right) and a somewhat awkward retread that doesn't entirely justify its existence. This game is so unnecessarily faithful to the original that at times it feels like playing a really shiny port rather than a true remake, and at times it's surreal seeing things about Diamond/Pearl that now feel somewhat dated being celebrated by the game. From the designs of gyms and towns to the chibi art style and even having the exact same Pokémon on every route, this game will repeatedly give you deja vu if you've played the Sinnoh trio multiple times (which I have). But despite these issues, I'm enjoying this game so far, simply because, let's face it - Sinnoh is, and always will be, a realm of absolute magic, and it's impossible not to get sucked into it for hours. It's a shame that there wasn't more done to it though. It needed more stuff from Platinum, more new things and more improvements to old things. But if you can look past its lack of ambition and a few awkwardly dated aspects that didn't translate well to the Switch, Shining Pearl (and Brilliant Diamond) once again prove that there's no end to Pokémon. There is no escape...… Expand
  60. Detorded
    Nov 22, 2021
    7
    These are undoubtedly the best Pokemon games on the Switch, but unfortunately this is not saying much. Let's Go and Sword/Shield were weak entries; the only reason Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are enjoyable games is because the originals were good - since all this game does it modernize the old DS games, it is pretty hard to mess them up. However, this is a very unambitious remake andThese are undoubtedly the best Pokemon games on the Switch, but unfortunately this is not saying much. Let's Go and Sword/Shield were weak entries; the only reason Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are enjoyable games is because the originals were good - since all this game does it modernize the old DS games, it is pretty hard to mess them up. However, this is a very unambitious remake and it leaves me disappointed as Pokemon once again misses its potential.

    These games are full price (up to $90 in Canada) and they arguably do less than Pokemon Platinum (which released 13 years ago at half the price). The main problems with these games are that they are so caught up in being "faithful" remakes that they miss the point of a remake - we don't want to buy the same games again at a higher price and modernized graphics, people were expecting a bit more - Platinum made Diamond and Pearl redundant, and to faithfully recreate Diamond and Pearl is to take a step backwards, not forwards. The bar for remakes had already been set with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire - which was ambitious, not only nostalgically recreating Hoenn, but adding new and improved features (including an entire new postgame story with Rayquaza). These games are a step back from ORAS.

    Again, the games are great fun since DP were good games to begin with - I am having fun playing this game and I am about 8 hours in. Yet, I can't stop reminding myself that these games could have been so much more.    … Expand
  61. JimPickens
    Dec 4, 2021
    7
    Pokémon BDSP is remarkably disappointing simply by virtue of being a remake of a heavily flawed game that was improved greatly already with Platinum, unfortunately however is not a Platinum remake.

    The original Diamond and Pearl were slow and agonizing to play, the Regional Dex was comically unbalanced against fire types, and just about every single aspect of the games were improved in    Pokémon BDSP is remarkably disappointing simply by virtue of being a remake of a heavily flawed game that was improved greatly already with Platinum, unfortunately however is not a Platinum remake.

    The original Diamond and Pearl were slow and agonizing to play, the Regional Dex was comically unbalanced against fire types, and just about every single aspect of the games were improved in Platinum, the games third revised version. I generally do not like Gen 4, I don't care for DP or HGSS, but I do like Platinum, I love Giratina, I love Cynthia and I love the Sinnoh region, Piplup is my favourite starter, so I feel these remakes have already shot themselves in the foot when they decide to remake the objectively inferior versions instead for no other reason than to be able to sell 2 copies of the same game to idiots who'll eat up anything GameFreak throws at them.

    BDSP fixes some issues with DP, namely the speed. Originally they were unbearably slow, showcased in an infamous video of a Blissy's health going from 655 to 0, taking 34 seconds. So BDSP already places it's best foot forward by having the game run at Gen 8 speed, then shoots that foot with its art style. Yes the age old complaint, BDSP looks hideous, the chibi art style looks fine from a distance but the game loves to do lose up's of characters during dialogue and it looks pretty rough, Cyrus in particular really suffers here, I just can't take him seriously when he's so gosh darn adorable and cuddly looking. While the style does look nice for cute things, that doesn't really work in a game that debuts Giratina, which I'm sorry, looks like the Gaping Dragon from Dark Souls, it just does, I'm right goddamnit. You would think the cute chibi art style would go great with Pokémon given how easily they could turn them into adorable little chibi models... they don't. For following you around, rather than making the models chibi to work with the characters, they just scaled them down, so Giratina looks like an 8 legged dog and not a giant, terrifying dragon thing. Not helping matters is the following animation, for most it's fine, but some Pokemon like Ekans suffer greatly, because Ekans does not slither, no no no, Ekans slides along the ground in his basic model as if attached by a string, it looks horrible, not least of all because the animation already exists in Let's Go, and could have easily been reused, ILCA are just incompetent, not lazy.

    Combat isn't slow anymore, but feels incredibly slow, it's the same old static, boring turn based combat, which is really disappointing when we exist in a post-Persona 5 world and have seen Turn Based taken to a logical extreme and how engaging it CAN be, Pokemon just refuses to, ironically enough, evolve.

    Story hasn't bee changed much, still fun and engaging, still would've liked it if they used Platinum over DP but oh well, can't sell two copies of Platinum I guess.

    Pokemon BDSP is not bad, but it's not any better than the original Diamond and Pearl, which makes it still worse than Platinum, which it really shouldn't be. The moment to moment Pokemon gameplay will always be fun to me, so I can't say I didn't have fun here, and hell, I can't say I didn't ENJOY these games, I absolutely intend to go back to these at some point and play them again, they're the definitive version of Diamond and Pearl, but not the definitive version of Gen 4, which is honestly really disappointing, and I simply can't ignore it's plethora of flaws both inherent to Diamond and Pearl, and unique to the remakes. Let's all hope Legends Arcues is good... But it probably won't be.    … Expand
  62. KeybladeHero_05
    Jun 29, 2023
    7
    I'm going to be honest with you all, this remake was really really boring. Sure the trailer did say that it's a faithful remake but to me, it isn't. Both games and including the original versions, are empty and a lot of people agreed.

    If this was a remake of Platinum then things would be slightly better. By the time I've reached the champion for the first time, I was 5 or 6 levels    I'm going to be honest with you all, this remake was really really boring. Sure the trailer did say that it's a faithful remake but to me, it isn't. Both games and including the original versions, are empty and a lot of people agreed.

    If this was a remake of Platinum then things would be slightly better. By the time I've reached the champion for the first time, I was 5 or 6 levels behind because shared EXP is back for some odd reason.    … Expand
  63. judgementblade
    Feb 16, 2022
    7
    I'll try to keep this short and on point. For starters, Gen 4, namely Platinum is my favorite Gen (Gen 6 being 2 and Gen 3 ironically 3). It is also one of the tougher games in the franchise, which still holds up compared to most other Pokemon main games. As such, I was rather looking forward to it. Unfortunately these remakes were not that good. I chose Shining Pearl since originally II'll try to keep this short and on point. For starters, Gen 4, namely Platinum is my favorite Gen (Gen 6 being 2 and Gen 3 ironically 3). It is also one of the tougher games in the franchise, which still holds up compared to most other Pokemon main games. As such, I was rather looking forward to it. Unfortunately these remakes were not that good. I chose Shining Pearl since originally I played Diamond on DS.
    Like for many, the Chibi-Style didn't resonate with me at first. After a couple of hours it didn't bother me anymore. Still, I really LOOOOOOOOVED the contest in Platinum and can't believe HOW MUCH they screwed them up in this re-make.I had hardly any fun with them anymore. It would have been fine if it just had been one round. Sadly, that **** they came up with here, is all that was left of the original really great Contests. New player though won't know what they botched here.
    The new Underground wasn't that great either. I assumed stupidly that I would be able to catch new Pokes before the national Dex but no, so a rather pointless addition and also terrible to not be able to decorate my secret base with carpets, poster and other furniture like originally, only with rather useless statues until post-game. However, I love the new trainer animations when they lose, they are charming. This doesn't help how annoying the menu delay is though. Don't be surprised if your too fast for the game and use an item in a way you didn't intent due the delay screwing you over.
    I never cared for competitive play and not even catching them all since Gen 5 so I won't go more in-depth than this. It was fine to play through it again but I rather play the originals, you even got a holiday estate in Platinum in post-game but not even that anymore. So, don't buy it for more than 20-30 bucks if at all, unless you just want a modern look on Gen 4 that you missed for one reason or another.    … Expand
  64. Xitomz
    Nov 24, 2021
    7
    Same games as the old ones with improved graphics and some quality of life improvements. Overall an enjoyable game for anyone that wants to experience the 4th generation of pokemon as a newcomer or an experienced player.
  65. Duckfan2037
    Nov 27, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you like Pokemon remakes this one is a great game, if a bit too easy and some difficulty scaling problems at times, for example the third gym leaders Lucario will kick your ass if you at level. I cant imagine a child being able to beat her without help. Other than that the lack of features at launch is abhorrent. Even as far as remakes go. I pre orderded the double pack on the eShop and was immediately disappointed to find out link trade isn't available at launch and will be patched in later. Besides that you will need a Nintendo online account to use it! My score would be higher of this was fixed. I don't and have never supported looking previously free content behind a paywall. Starlink did this and I stoped playing it out of spite for Ubisoft.

    In conclusion, it's a good remake with stripped down features and neat exclusives if you are willing to look beyond the 20.00 a year paywall to play online.    … Expand
  66. Emanuel317
    Dec 8, 2021
    7
    Fiel a los juegos originales... las gráficas me parece bien y sus modelos "chibi" en cuanto la dificultad cuando tienes revancha con la campeona de la región es muy difícil con lo cual es excelente pero con el poder de la amistad puedes ganarle fácilmente.
  67. Alepod
    Jan 4, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nice graphics and fluid gameplay but it is easy during all the main campaign and it becomes truly hard only in the Pokémon League, I’m not a fan of the chibi sprites and I think that the history could be expressed better if it was not chibi, plus the dungeons are easier than before before the HMs or because some elements have been cancelled. If we think at them as the entrée for Pokémon Legends: Arceus it is good and… FINALLY the text is written in an easy to read font, seriously, I have problems at the right eye and I was able to read perfectly during all the game, though this font was introduced in Sword and Shield.… Expand
  68. Fra-k
    May 15, 2022
    6
    a sufficient game, that unlike the titles, don't shine at all.
    a timid remake, with not enough new stuff for both old and new players.
    a failed occasion
  69. Magmagan
    Dec 17, 2021
    6
    I put in 13 hours into this game. And I don't think there was a single hour that I didn't think "huh, I'd rather be playing Platinum on my 3DS right now".

    Unlike Sword and Shield, that pulls off a global XP share by having the trainer and wild encounters keep up with your levels, BDSP has the same old wild Pokémon and trainer levels with an XP gain that doesn't fit with the original    I put in 13 hours into this game. And I don't think there was a single hour that I didn't think "huh, I'd rather be playing Platinum on my 3DS right now".

    Unlike Sword and Shield, that pulls off a global XP share by having the trainer and wild encounters keep up with your levels, BDSP has the same old wild Pokémon and trainer levels with an XP gain that doesn't fit with the original levels. Even trying to Nuzlocke felt like child's play

    The only redeeming factor is that your Pokémon can run around with you. But that comes in a little too late for that wow factor to carry through the rest of the game.

    If you can, just play the original.    … Expand
  70. elolugo
    Jun 27, 2022
    6
    Good pokemon game. Not perfect, but fun nevertheless. Play it only if you haven't played it on the DS
  71. fanmadeendings
    Feb 15, 2022
    6
    Diamond and pearl aren't bad games, so this isn't bad - It's just not much better than the games it is based on, and that's a shame, as HeartGold and SoulSilver were essentially remaking the definitive Crystal version, but this is just a remake of the base games instead of Platinum. It's also visually inconsistent and buggy - For better and for worse. All in all, minus the glitches, it'sDiamond and pearl aren't bad games, so this isn't bad - It's just not much better than the games it is based on, and that's a shame, as HeartGold and SoulSilver were essentially remaking the definitive Crystal version, but this is just a remake of the base games instead of Platinum. It's also visually inconsistent and buggy - For better and for worse. All in all, minus the glitches, it's probably the most uninteresting pokemon experience so far.… Expand
  72. Woodley1400
    Dec 12, 2021
    6
    Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are faithful remakes of the original games with stylized and colorful graphics and a few quality of life changes. However, this remains my least favorite generation of Pokémon. The remakes still suffer from a lack of Pokémon diversity, too frequent random encounters, and inconsistent difficulty curves. The inclusion of fairy type does add an interestingBrilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl are faithful remakes of the original games with stylized and colorful graphics and a few quality of life changes. However, this remains my least favorite generation of Pokémon. The remakes still suffer from a lack of Pokémon diversity, too frequent random encounters, and inconsistent difficulty curves. The inclusion of fairy type does add an interesting twist to the combat. Annoyingly, movement felt jerky, and I rarely used the bike in the whole play through. Despite its flaws, this is still fun and charming. One of the biggest highlights is the updated soundtrack, which is lovely.… Expand
  73. Zumbie101
    May 7, 2022
    6
    It feels like a direct remaster, nothing particularly changes at all which is nice for nostalgia but thats all really. Additional point for removing all the HM's however nothing stands out at all, feels like a re release especially with the overworld sprites
  74. YourLocalChonke
    Nov 21, 2021
    6
    Very slow, not smooth, and unpolished experience. Locked to 8 directions, which would be fine if it didn't snap you to the grid when you moved left, it made the games' movement feel unnatural. Can only run at 30fps, which makes the game feel even slower. When running into a wild encounter, you get a text box, do a move, text box, field effect, text box. Anything that happens will be saidVery slow, not smooth, and unpolished experience. Locked to 8 directions, which would be fine if it didn't snap you to the grid when you moved left, it made the games' movement feel unnatural. Can only run at 30fps, which makes the game feel even slower. When running into a wild encounter, you get a text box, do a move, text box, field effect, text box. Anything that happens will be said to you with a text box which lasts for over 1 second, which doesn't seem so bad, but when you are running into wild battles so often, it gets tedious. Use a move, it says the move with a text box, makes the hp go down, says if it was super effective with a text box, allows the enemy to do the same, so on and so forth. Very, very unintuitive. The graphics look less appealing than the originals, which is disappointing. But alas, it's still pokemon and a solid bit of fun, definitely not worth the $60 though, $40 would suit it more.… Expand
  75. Frad
    Aug 28, 2023
    6
    El regreso a las raíces de la franquicia Pokémon es una experiencia gratificante, especialmente después de haber experimentado las innovaciones de títulos más recientes como Pokémon Arceus y Pokémon Violet. Pokémon Shining Pearl nos brinda la oportunidad de revivir una experiencia clásica, y aunque presenta ciertos aspectos que merecen mención, este remake no pasa desapercibido.

    La    El regreso a las raíces de la franquicia Pokémon es una experiencia gratificante, especialmente después de haber experimentado las innovaciones de títulos más recientes como Pokémon Arceus y Pokémon Violet. Pokémon Shining Pearl nos brinda la oportunidad de revivir una experiencia clásica, y aunque presenta ciertos aspectos que merecen mención, este remake no pasa desapercibido.

    La fidelidad de este remake a la cuarta generación de Pokémon es innegable, y esta lealtad es una característica altamente apreciable. Al buscar adquirir este remake, lo que buscaba era precisamente una reencarnación modernizada de la experiencia original. Las gráficas y texturas, aunque no alcanzan la cima de las capacidades actuales, son respetables y adecuadas para el propósito de revitalizar este título clásico.

    Una mejora notable en este remake es la capacidad de correr en lugar de caminar, lo cual amplía significativamente la experiencia de exploración. Este cambio en la movilidad proporciona un elemento adicional de comodidad y dinamismo al juego, permitiendo una exploración más ágil y fluida en la región de Sinnoh.

    Un aspecto particularmente interesante es la eliminación de la necesidad de utilizar movimientos específicos como "cut", "move" o "swim" a los Pokémon del equipo. En su lugar, un Bidoof interviene para llevar a cabo estas acciones. Aunque esta elección puede suscitar interrogantes sobre por qué un solo Pokémon realiza todas estas tareas, la implementación es aceptable y no perturba la experiencia de manera significativa.

    La introducción del subsuelo ("Underground") es un aspecto que enriquece el juego con una dimensión adicional. A pesar de que no exploté plenamente esta función, considero que es una adición valiosa que, si bien no es esencial, proporciona una capa extra de diversión y descubrimiento.

    No obstante, es justo destacar ciertos aspectos desfavorables. Las batallas, en ocasiones, transmiten la sensación de un título similar a Pokémon Stadium. Aunque esta variación puede ser interesante, personalmente considero que la ejecución podría haberse perfeccionado para una experiencia más equilibrada y coherente. Además, al completar el juego, la sensación de obsolescencia se hace presente, generando una disminución en la motivación para emprender la captura de Pokémon Shiny.

    En resumen, Pokémon Shining Pearl se revela como un remaster acertado que reaviva la magia de la región Sinnoh de manera encantadora. Los gráficos modernizados, la jugabilidad consolidada y las mejoras en el modo multijugador convergen para brindar una versión remasterizada que merece ser explorada. Aunque no está exenta de críticas, esta recreación ofrece una oportunidad valiosa para redescubrir un clásico de la franquicia Pokémon.    … Expand
  76. LCBane
    Nov 22, 2021
    6
    A safe recreation of the base games without addressing the real issues of the originals and the implementations Platinum put in order to combat them and create something special. BDSP struggles to find a foothold in the shadow of the incoming release of Legends: Arceus and is a disappointment compared to previous remakes.

    Gameplay: The game replicates all the nostalgia of the originals    A safe recreation of the base games without addressing the real issues of the originals and the implementations Platinum put in order to combat them and create something special. BDSP struggles to find a foothold in the shadow of the incoming release of Legends: Arceus and is a disappointment compared to previous remakes.

    Gameplay:
    The game replicates all the nostalgia of the originals without including many of the quality of life changes that have been implemented in recent generations. Whether that be unlimited-use TM's
    mega evolutions, limited pokedex etc. The game also takes much the difficulty away as less and less trainers have the reinvigorated rosters they included in Platinum. Spare Cynthia and the EF who actually have properly spec'd teams EVs maxed and all. With a mandatory exp share your levels soon far exceed those you face as the Pokémon in your party passively gain more exp than ever before and this cannot be turned off. Without going into too much detail there are still many many glaring issues in the games code letting you surf across trainers and dry land, soft lock in unprecedented areas such as gym puzzles and even completing the game and becoming champion with 6 or 7 gym badges only. Many more issues come from not being able to pick up items, losing items or even the strange clerical issues like frame rate changes when you turn off all sounds the game just runs better.

    The return of older mechanics that were not properly updated sees many disappointed in this title as well. Honey trees having a small chance of any pokemon at all when activated and the rates on those pokemon are low already. The changes to the great marsh are also present with atrocious rates as well. All of the date and time mechanics are blocked behind a 24 hour cd if the system changes time when the game is started. Meaning if you got the game on friday and were looking to get your drifloon you would have to wait an entire week after you defeated team galactic. You could change the date and time to carry over to next week but still have a 24 hour cooldown in order to get your pokemon encounter.

    Story:
    The pacing of the story is still at a standstill removing even more of the difficulty from the originals with bugged/broken friendship and affection systems that multiplicatively stack granting your pokemon higher crit rates, first move regardless of being outsped, living on 1 hp over and over, even getting rid of status effects on a whim. Pair this with the omission of the changes platinum took to keep you moving and involved in the story it slugs on with its main story at a snails pace with zero post game offered.

    Graphics:
    Returning to something reminiscent of the original games was a good approach however the chibi art style does not mesh with the blocky tile system of old well. However the graphics in battles are some of the best we have seen of any switch title. Despite the lack of improvements in battle animations and move animations the overall feel and look of the pokemon, characters, and backgrounds is great in battle. A sharp contrast to the plastic, dead world outside of combat. Sadly however the rest of the game looks like a reskinned DS and the technologies age shows in the tile systems movement and feel around the world.

    Music:
    The music is a fresh take on the originals and brings life to where the graphics aren't to scratch. The new renditions are great reimagining's of their inspirations and provide a great feel when playing. The overall level of quality to the sound design and music is great but lacks some of the spark a full orchestra had with the music of sword and shield and other recent titles.

    Overall:
    Much more can be said about what I enjoyed or disliked about this game however the main points are clear. These games are simply a time sink for fans and the pokemon company and nintendo wanted a free money grab with zero effort and left it to a subsidiary licensed company. little to no imagination was brought to reinvigorate and improve these games from the original. including the bare minimum to keep the masses buying, Sitting in the shadow of what's to come with half baked Legends: Arceus, BDSP fails to create a rendition of the originals that stands up to previous remakes such as HGSS and ORAS let alone what Platinum accomplished to improve the generation.    … Expand
  77. ProfessorPlumb
    Nov 30, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In many ways I found myself disappointed playing Pokémon Shining Pearl. I don’t have a ton of nostalgia for this game as I grew up more heavily with Pokémon Gen 3 and Gen 5. At its core, Shining Pearl still has the addicting gameplay loop of catching Mons, challenging Gym Leaders, and foiling nefarious criminal plots on the side. There are some really cool Pokémon in Sinnoh that are fun to find and use. I like the honey tree mechanic, which I feel gives you a solid reason to go back and re-explore areas all over the map. The last few gyms felt much better-developed and even as an adult I had fun solving the puzzles to get to the Gym Leaders. The music has a fresh coat of orchestrated paint and several of the tracks stand out with the jazz and charm that makes Pokémon’s music so iconic and memorable. Sinnoh’s map isn’t my favorite, but some areas like Mount Coronet were fun to explore.

    The HM mechanic is improved due to not having to spend valuable move slots on your party, but it feels awkward because if you use fly or surf, it’s a random starraptor or bibarel that perform the HM, it doesn’t make sense and breaks immersion. I think a sensible solution would be to use the HM’s only if a Pokémon on your current team is capable of using it. That way it feels special to have useful Pokémon on your team but you don’t have to bog your team down with an “HM Slave” or two. The TM mechanic feels like they struck the right balance, where they do break so you have to conserve TM, but the common ones can be found or purchased, and the gym leader TMs give you multiple copies so it’s not wasted entirely if you end up using it on a Pokémon and decide later not to use them. It’s unfortunate that the game is so ridiculously easy throughout, you can play through the entire game without losing a single battle. I had this complaint about Sword/Shield as well, so the best I can say is Pokémon is a relaxing gaming experience, and if you want true challenge, try playing competitive Pokémon or a different video game. The main story is just too easy. There feels like an infinite amount of trainers to battle on the various routes but none of them are particularly challenging or memorable, just more fresh meat to level up your Pokémon. It gets stale in the mid-late game.

    The characters feel excessively clumsy and clunky, I found myself getting stuck often and the general movement felt terrible. The chibi animations are somewhat cute but the character wobble like fisher price toys, it is very unnatural. It is incredibly jarring to see team Galactic boss as a chibi model and then you battle him to see him as a rugged adult man that could kill you with his eyes, it makes no sense and I really disliked the juxtaposition of both models. The game feels SLOW. Battling is tedious, and since that is 60% of the gameplay, it gets old really quick. I found myself playing half-heartedly with one hand on the controller and watching YouTube or listening to music in between battles. I really wish they would make a Pokémon game that combines all of the magic of the core gameplay but make it more pretty polished, actually make the battles difficult (I thought the AI for the 8th gym leader was a step in the right direction, he felt noticeably more challenging than the other gyms), and make the battling 10x faster and more intelligent. They could keep the game as is for the main demographic of children but it would be as easy as creating a difficulty slider or “this is not my first rodeo” mode so that more experienced and older players can enjoy the nostalgia of Pokémon without being made to feel like they’re actually still 10 years old. Overall I had some fun, so I will still say it is playable, but definitely a slip in quality in my opinion from the ds/3ds Pokémon era.    … Expand
  78. RealisticStance
    Jan 7, 2022
    6
    When they first announced this, I was ecstatic. Growing up with DP, this was something I had been looking forward to for years. The recent decline in quality with pokemon started to make me skeptical about what would become after all.
    It's not really bad, it is pokemon afterall. It's just disappointing. The devs seem like they were trying hard to make this a remaster more than a remake,    When they first announced this, I was ecstatic. Growing up with DP, this was something I had been looking forward to for years. The recent decline in quality with pokemon started to make me skeptical about what would become after all.
    It's not really bad, it is pokemon afterall. It's just disappointing. The devs seem like they were trying hard to make this a remaster more than a remake, but at the same time they changed it up enough were it isn't a remastered.
    They made the exp share for the whole team permanent, so now there is not really any skill needed. You can say that I'm an adult, so of course it's easy, but when I can just walk through the game, barely grind, and end up 10 levels higher than the next gym leader, you know there is a problem.
    The fact that the Sinnoh dex isn't the platinum one irks me, as it was expanded for a reason. Platinum dex pokemon are in the underground now, so why not just go the extra step?
    The lack of traps and capture the flag just bothers me. What was the point off removing them? It's not like they didn't want to put effort into the underground. They expanded the whole map and added the pokemon encounters, so what was the issue?
    Why were the mythicals given so early? They're obviously overpowered, and they sort of ruin the flow. I know you could simply not use them, but the kid inside me wants to use them to win as easily as possible.
    Following pokemon being brought back is cool, but why make them use realistic moving speeds? If they're slow enough, they'll just keep teleporting to you. HGSS got it right with with just having them be right behind you.
    Nothing similar to Delta Episode? They could have just used Platinums story if they were feeling extra uninspired. Just not much new content? Sure, we have "new" content, which just changes the structure of things that were in the originals, or brings back old features, but nothing that hadn't been touched on before. Every other remake had added on a lot of lore or activities to the story, so why should this one not receive the same amount of care and attention? The only other thing I can really say is that HGSS is the prime example for how a remake should be done. This game did not really follow it.
    (Music is phenomenal, though that doesn't make up for the cons of this game)    … Expand
  79. Markianer
    Mar 15, 2022
    6
    I like the graphic and the remake is actually pretty well made, but i dont understand why they didnt fix the whole buncg of issues that the original game had very sad
  80. Satsoku
    Jan 8, 2023
    6
    I feel like these remakes were a miss opportunity. They are faithful to the original Diamond and Pearl respectively, however, they felt soulless and forgettable compared to the originals, or Platinum even. Playable, but that's about it.
  81. KinimodYunmi
    Dec 12, 2022
    6
    Hatte mich anfangs erst gefreut Pearl nochmal durchzuspielen, sah aber dann etwas weird aus und ist dann aber doch trotz Remaster viel zu sehr in die Jahre gekommen, man hätte es mit den Funktionen und der Story von Platin remastern sollen und nicht Pearl und Diamant.
  82. larsdebest21
    Nov 22, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has become way to ez. Like all of my pokemons are 10 levels higher then all my opponents pokemon. I can spam 1 in entire gym to win..... Thats really boring tbh. Also this game could have some extra content like post game stuff. Its disappointing for me they didnt do anything new at all .… Expand
  83. SavageReviews1
    Nov 25, 2021
    5
    My biggest gripe with this game and this series in general is I basically one shot ever trainer/ Gym Leader with my starter Pokémon. It makes battles boring which makes up a majority of the gameplay. I wish they would add some difficulty options. How about making it so you can only use certain types of Pokémon in a gym battle or make it so you can only carry three Pokémon at a time. Or howMy biggest gripe with this game and this series in general is I basically one shot ever trainer/ Gym Leader with my starter Pokémon. It makes battles boring which makes up a majority of the gameplay. I wish they would add some difficulty options. How about making it so you can only use certain types of Pokémon in a gym battle or make it so you can only carry three Pokémon at a time. Or how about have the trainers and gym battles match whatever level you are like the grand underground does? It shouldn’t be on the player to have to create artificial limits to make the game more challenging. My wife is even bored with the game after the third gym battle because she has all these Pokémon but she never has a reason to use them because her starter handles everything.… Expand
  84. katieelizabeth
    Nov 20, 2021
    5
    Pokemon BDSP are not bad games, but overall I'd say this is a pretty unambitious and mediocre remake of an average game for its time that is frankly too faithful for its own good.

    In terms of graphics, the game looks completely outdated. The chibi art style is not endearing, nor does it look very good. Fortunately, the character models and pokemon look much better in battle, but all    Pokemon BDSP are not bad games, but overall I'd say this is a pretty unambitious and mediocre remake of an average game for its time that is frankly too faithful for its own good.

    In terms of graphics, the game looks completely outdated. The chibi art style is not endearing, nor does it look very good. Fortunately, the character models and pokemon look much better in battle, but all this does is make me wish they were used throughout the entire game. The in-battle models frankly look so much better than the chibi stuff.

    The environments look bland and look worse than the original pixel graphics from 2006. I wish they didn't maintain the 2D tile aesthetic - it just looks fake/outdated to me. How do several indie games manage to look better than a game produced by a 105 billion dollar company?

    While the soundtrack is an improvement over the original version on the DS, it still falls way short of the live orchestrated soundtrack from Sword and Shield. Unfortunately, it sounds like this soundtrack is entirely midi-based, lacking any real recorded instruments of any kind.

    The story isn't all that interesting either. The original script came out around the same time as Mass Effect. The script wasn't good for its time, let alone holding up in 2021. It is a missed opportunity that the developers didn't modernize/reimagine the script to become more engaging and in line with modern RPGs or the very best of its anime. I wish the gym leaders were more fleshed out and part of the story. I wish team Galactic was given a lot more depth.

    The pacing of BDSP is incredibly slow, and the game finds ways to waste your time repeatedly. Random battles are extremely outdated and are annoying, especially in caves. I am so disappointed the game did not choose to have pokemon in the overworld like the modern games.

    Eggs take forever to hatch in BDSP and do not benefit from the increased hatching time found in Sword and Shield. I spent over 9000 steps to hatch the egg given to me in Hearthome City and it just wouldn't hatch for me. I got better things to do than rotate my L-stick riding a bike until it hatches. This is such an outdated game mechanic that did not need to be implemented "faithfully" in BDSP.

    Battles are also super slow to the point of them becoming grating. Essentially, Pokemon battles aren't "show don't tell" - BDSP verbosely tells yous everything in nauseating detail. When I faint a pokemon, it should fall immediately when I hit it - it should be obvious to anyone what has happened to that Pokemon by just looking at the animation and the health bar going to 0. Instead, the game's faint animation happens many seconds after the hit, and BDSP still insists on telling you the pokemon fainted with an additional textbox too. Even FF7 did this properly on the Playstation 1! Why is everything so verbose with text dialog boxes for?

    Before each combat round, BDSP also shows a textbox saying, "Your pokemon is awaiting directions." No kidding! Does anyone seriously need this textbox??? Stuff like "It's Raining" is also equally redundant - we can see it raining on the screen! And when using a move, there's no reason its name can't be displayed at the same time as the animation too. The amount of verbose and completely unnecessary text in this game is beyond ridiculous.

    And when a battle starts, can we finally have an option to remove the Pokeball fanfare and just have all pokemon come out immediately to save time? Why does starting every random battle have to be padded with 10 seconds of animations? Can the Switch not load these battles faster?

    Then there are weird control issues in BDSP, such as the L and R buttons not working in the menus like every other modern game, which tripped me up quite a bit. The d-pad is also unfortunately assigned to walking when it should have been assigned to your 4 registered items. Why did none of the QA staff say anything?

    Ultimately, BDSP needed to completely reimagine modern Sinnoh in full 3D (similar to Sword and Shield), modernize and polish the script, and increase the quality of life and production values across the board to justify its AAA price tag. Barring that, BDSP needed to be sold for $29.99 given what we got. Essentially, BDSP is a low-budget cash grab and it should not be praised or endorsed in any way. Pokemon fans need to be vocal and reject these cash grabs. Pokemon fans need to demand better for their hard-earned money because BDSP is an embarrassment for a full AAA-priced game, and is simply not competitive with other AAA games on the market.

    If you want to go back to the past - for all its problems - then you might enjoy BDSP. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this game. BDSP's archaic and overly-verbose design just doesn't interest me anymore. I would have much rather had a modern reimagining of modern Sinnoh with immersive 3D environments, a modern engaging story, and high production values. Modern Sinnoh deserved better.    … Expand
  85. TheHonestMan
    Nov 24, 2021
    5
    Mediocre experience. Retains the originals flaws and has an ugly art style for the sake of "faithfulness". Sinnoh itself is still well designed and the improved pacing is welcome but there's just nothing compelling about it for those looking for a better or fresh take on the originals. Forced exp share and affection bonuses also tamper with the experience as most of the game it notMediocre experience. Retains the originals flaws and has an ugly art style for the sake of "faithfulness". Sinnoh itself is still well designed and the improved pacing is welcome but there's just nothing compelling about it for those looking for a better or fresh take on the originals. Forced exp share and affection bonuses also tamper with the experience as most of the game it not rebalanced to accomodate them. You'll get some causal nostalgic fun going through the story but the buyer's remorse will kick in at the postgame where there is little to do except the same old low-effort legend fetch quest we've had since ORAS. Save your money for Legends… Expand
  86. Turdnuggz
    Nov 24, 2021
    5
    They could've remade this game by taking into account all the improvements Platinum made to this generation but they decided not too. They made the game even easier, and the chibi overworld looks a bit unusual. They added some new features that improved the game but just like with every new pokemon game there is a step back for every step forward. The exp. share giving all pokemon exp andThey could've remade this game by taking into account all the improvements Platinum made to this generation but they decided not too. They made the game even easier, and the chibi overworld looks a bit unusual. They added some new features that improved the game but just like with every new pokemon game there is a step back for every step forward. The exp. share giving all pokemon exp and being required is stupid, but at the very least they changed the exp gain system to what was introduced in Gen 5. Many of the issues that pretty much every pokemon game have once again return to this as well such as the boring/tedious NPC trainer battles, and ridiculous evolution requirements. These games have so much potential but are wasted by terrible decision making.… Expand
  87. NylonYT
    Jan 31, 2022
    5
    It is an ok game bu tI think that that Ilca was a bit lazy about this. They could have done so much more to bring life into this game, but it just looks bare bones.
  88. Kuja089
    Nov 20, 2021
    5
    Some of the complaints here are amusing. Text boxes galore that statesbits raining, your pokemon fainted, pokemon awaiting directions... that has been in every pokemon game, this is standard in the series; children still play this game and it is needed.

    Overall decent remake. I love the art style, chibis are cute, everything pops and the colors bring life to the game. My main    Some of the complaints here are amusing. Text boxes galore that statesbits raining, your pokemon fainted, pokemon awaiting directions... that has been in every pokemon game, this is standard in the series; children still play this game and it is needed.

    Overall decent remake. I love the art style, chibis are cute, everything pops and the colors bring life to the game.

    My main complaint -The Game Is Too Easy. Please please pleeeeeease stop woth the exp share for the entire team and when catching pokemon. The pokemon level much too quickly. Or revert to Pokemon X and Y by allowing us to turn it off. I hate feeling trapped by how I should play the game, give us a choice.

    Im not going to write a novel of a review since i thought the contests and underground explorer changes add tons of gameplay time.

    Now i understand this is for "children" in some peoples eyes, but a large percentage of the player base are adults who grew up with the series and have played and bought every game released. Ive been reading didnt blog posts and cannot understand how nintendo/gamefreak cant see the large exodus that will happen if they dont tweak the difficulty (or allow the users to turn the handicaps off). Greatly disappointed by this remake, not in relation to the presentation, but due to the handicaps placed on an already easy game.

    That is another point id like to make. Those of us who played Red and Blue as children, we know how difficult that game was. Guess what, we beat it over and over again while learning and sharpening our skills. Stop babying and spoon feeding the current gen of kids. Its unnecessary.    … Expand
  89. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    5
    meh .
  90. 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
  91. 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
  92. 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
  93. 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
  94. 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
  95. AlexMakesToast
    Nov 20, 2022
    4
    Shining Pearl = 4/10
    ......................................................
  96. 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
  97. 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
  98. Federx
    Jan 30, 2022
    2
    avoid like the plague. they somehow managed to make sinnoh even worse, which is quite the achievement
  99. 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.
  100. 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
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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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