I’m ready to dive back into Sinnoh!
A new Pokémon Presents was streamed late in the evening of August 18th, and while hopes weren’t high that we’d see a huge amount of new information, I still figured it would shed some light on what we can expect from the franchise in the next few months.
Surprisingly, there was quite a decent amount of new information shared on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Nintendo Switch remasters of the beloved DS releases. A lot of the information shared even exceeded many fans’ expectations for the quality of the upcoming title.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the event.
Grand Underground
The original Nintendo DS game boasted an incredibly addictive multiplayer minigame wherein players were able to explore a vast underground labyrinth, digging up fossils and finding treasure alongside your friends. In this Pokémon Presents, it was confirmed that this feature would return alongside a handful of fun additions.
Most notable will be Pokémon Hideaways, hidden caverns players can stumble across that will contain various critters not traditionally found within the Sinnoh Region. It was confirmed that how each player chooses to personalise their underground base will directly affect who they come across in each of the dens.
Collectible Stickers?
Okay, I’ll admit that I’d be surprised if anyone was truly excited by this addition. Throughout adventures through Sinnoh, trainers will come across collectible stickers that will influence the animations that play when casting a monster into battle. They didn’t go too deep into just how much control players will have during customisation but being able to have confetti or fireworks fly out is a cute returning feature.
New Outfits
While not as robust as the last few Pokemon releases, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will feature a level of Trainer customisation, with players able to purchase outfits and styles along their journey
Being able to express myself and take some kind of ownership over my Trainer is one of my favourite features introduced in the franchise in recent memory, so it’s exciting to see it return, even if not as in-depth as what we’ve seen before.
Super Contest Shows
Returning from the original release are the adorable Super Shows, except this time around they’ve been given a little polish to more closely resemble modern rhythm games. I’m interested in seeing more of this diversion as we get closer to release, as it could help address the franchise’s issue with post-game content.
Union Room replaces GTS
The original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games were the first titles in the franchise to introduce online play, and I’m willing to bet it was a lot of children’s first experiences trading critters online. It has been confirmed that the remastered versions will have online features more in line with the modern titles, for better or worse.
The Union Room previously reserved for local play, will now be the primary way trainers communicate and trade with each other. I’ll reserve my thoughts for now, but I’m interested in seeing how this will be received by the community.
Following Pokémon
I’m willing to bet this will be everyone’s biggest takeaway from our new look at Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. I mean, this has to be one of the most common fan-requested features every time a new title is announced.
As silly as it sounds, having a partner Pokémon follow me around does a lot for endearing me to the monsters that make up my team. With the confirmation that this feature will be returning, I’m officially all in on these games.
Editor’s Note: Little Floatzel running about is top-tier adorable. An absolute critter. – Jesse
As someone left underwhelmed by the initial reveal, getting a deep dive into some of the new and returning features in Pokémon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl has rekindled my excitement. I’m curious to hear about what you think about the recent showing, are you on board now? Never were?
Let us know, and we’ll keep you up to date as we approach launch!
Pokémon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl will be releasing November 19 exclusively on Nintendo Switch.