Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare remakes ofPokemon DiamondandPearloriginally released in 2006. Upon the trailer’s release, fans' opinions were mixed as the remakes look very much like a modern take on the old chibi style that doesn’t exist in Pokemon games anymore. Fans who were wanting a remake of the Gen 4 games probably imagined something closer to whatPokemon SwordandShieldlook like, or at the very least, like thePokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphireremakes. Despite the visual style change,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill be the next mainline Pokemon games for Nintendo Switch.
Pokemon SwordandShieldwere the first mainline Pokemon games released on the Nintendo Switch, and were met with mixed reactions from fans. From the extremely easy gameplay, the lack of a full National Pokedex, and paid DLC to include only some of the missing Pokemon, fans of the series were very critical. Still, with so much controversy surrounding the release ofPokemon SwordandShield,it sold quite well despite it all. Now that fans are getting what they want with the Gen 4 remakes,the backlash forPokemon SwordandShieldmight givePokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlan edge.
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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Are Mainline Games
The mainline Pokemon games would always be able to trade with each other within the same generation, this includes remakes of mainline Pokemon games such asPokemon Fire Redbeing able to interact and trade withPokemon Rubyfor example. This has been the case for every generation thus far, until recently.
Now, in order for players to bring theirbeloved Pokemon to the latest Pokemon gameSwordandShield,they will need to transfer it toPokemon Homefirst, a hub that can house thousands of a player’s Pokemon from various mainline games. In theory, this is a good solution but many Pokemon simply do not exist inSwordandShieldyet, and once a Pokemon is brought toPokemon Homeit cannot move back to previous generation games.
AsPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare remakes of mainline games, they should theoretically work in tandem withSwordandShield, much likeOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphireworked alongsidePokemon XandY.This means players who own a copy ofBrilliant Diamondshould be able to trade with someone who has a copy ofPokemon Shield. Though this raises the question:willBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave a National Pokedextrue to Gen 4 or Gen 8 or something in between?
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl to Feature a True National Pokedex?
Pokemon games beforeSwordandShieldwould normally start with its regional Pokedex, a digital encyclopedia featuring Pokemon typically only found in those games. Upon defeating the Elite 4 or another hurdle, the player would have their Pokedex upgraded to the National Pokedex, allowing them to register every single Pokemon available up to that point.InPokemon DiamondandPearlthis was also the case,as the player had to have simply seen all 150 of the regional Pokemon before upgrading to the National Pokedex. At the time there were 493 Pokemon in total, and so the number of Pokemon inDiamondandPearl’sPokedex went from 150 to 493.
InPokemon SwordandShield,this was changed as Pokemon were actually not included within the code, so even if a player completed its Galar regional Pokedex of 400, that would be it. There was no National Pokedex included, and fans would have to wait forsubsequent DLC before more Pokemon could become available again.But even now, after both DLC were released not every Pokemon is available inSwordandShielddespite there being a whopping 898 different kinds to collect, a challenge that normally grows with each new generation.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill stay true to their source material. This means Pokemon from that generation that was missing will become available in mainline games once more, though that doesn’t currently mean they will be available to trade toSwordandShield.Currently,SwordandShieldaremissing a large number of Pokemon from Gen 4’sDiamondandPearl.This includes the starters Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, as well as the unique fossil Pokemon Cranidos and Shieldon. They are also missing 3 notable event legendary Pokemon Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus, possibly saving for a future event.
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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Have Lowered Expectations
SincePokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare remakes,they don’t get as much attention as a new mainline games with brand new Pokemon. On top of this, the visuals are completely different from how the mainline Pokemon games are nowadays, which have turned some fans off. Still, fans of the originalDiamondandPearlwho have wanted a remake will be happy knowing their games are being brought to the latest console, likely with newly added features.
WithPokemon Legends: Arceusalso on the horizon, and arumored third DLC forPokemon SwordandShield,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlmight seem like they are overshadowed. They shouldn’t be though as there is still a lot of information that isn’t known yet. How will the remakes implement the underground mechanic? Will they feature the GTS, originally debuting inDiamondandPearl,which is notably absent fromSwordandShield? How will they showcase the Super Contests and the Poketch?
Currently, there are around 230 Pokemon missing from the mainline games, nearly 20% of all Pokemon.With the release ofPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl,this number will finally drop, but their availability inSwordandShieldis still unknown. PerhapsSwordandShieldwill get updated to include data from the newly added Pokemon inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, though only time will tell.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlwill release on Nintendo Switch in late 2021.
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