Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (Switch) Early Impressions

 "Technology just blows me away!" -Twinleaf Resident, 2021

Hey everyone: so, I just got Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl today; the newest main games in the series and the long-awaited remakes of the original “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl” on DS. As someone who’s a big fan of that generation of games, my early impressions are quite positive.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not opposed to changes in a remake of a previous work; especially if a change fixes something from before. At the same time, I definitely have a “not broken- don’t fix it” approach to game design. There’s a reason why so many Mario, Zelda and Metroid games have become timeless classics.

With that in mind, while Game Freak clearly kept a close watch on series newcomers ILCA, Inc. (“Yakuza Zero,” “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance,” “Nier: Automata”); they also gave them clearly recognizable ingredients, and even as someone who’s been more reluctant to farm the main series out to other developers; they definitely still made a meal with a good flavor out of it. It’s the difference between adding a little spice to the dish and dousing it in an overpowering sauce. With the main developers still occupied with next year’s “Pokémon Legends Arceus,” it’s the difference between giving them a new Bentley and starting them with a lightly used 2006 hatchback. The original DS games set numerous precedents still being used in the series today; and I’m honestly amazed how much the core gameplay still holds up after all this time.

That’s not to say there aren’t any worthwhile changes in the games: autosave is a welcome inclusion; and I’m glad I got my wish of the games not taking excessive time to save anymore. As for the visual style: I never had a problem with it, and I still don’t. I think it’s a nice balance between the graphics of “Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee” and Generation VIII. Not an exact copy of the originals, but still recognizable. Maybe it’s because I still play retro games, maybe it’s the fact my pop culture age took hold in the 1990s and early-to-mid-2000s; but I was never going to have a problem with the style they went with. As for the XP Share being baked into the progression: I didn’t have a problem with it in Galar or other RPGs with similar mechanics, and I don’t have a problem with it here.

I will continue work on my full review of “Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle” among other projects; and as I train for the first gym, I will keep you informed of any further progress as it happens. That’s all for now: take care.