The pokemon series has helped Nintendo handhelds from the beginning
with it's easy to play nature and childish undertone; and Pokemon Pearl
and Diamond are the latest games in the series, and although the
formula hasn't changed at all since the first games for the original
GameBoy, the few new additions manage to make this one the best overall
experience to date.
The gameplay is the same as it has always been, which is a good thing,
because the gameplay has always been great. the major additions to the
game are some new 3D graphical elements and and functional online mode.
the game features about 100 or so new pokemon to catch as well as
connectivity to the previous games for the GBA as well as the upcoming
game for the Wii, in fact, the game comes with a miniature poster for
Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii.
The connectivity to the GBA games isn't direct though,you first have to
beat the game and have seen all the pokemon in the game, then you need
to permanently transfer you GBA pokemon to a Poke-Park in the game and
re- catch them there.
The online mode is like most other DS game out there, requiring you to
know the person your trading with or battling, so it's not the most
useful or the most convenient online mode, but thats to be expected
from a DS game. You can anonymously trade pokemon you've seen before
with random people, which is a nice addition, but you have to have at
least seen the pokemon you want to even look and see if anyone has it
up for auction.
In addition to the nomal online mode, it has a neat online mode called
"The Underground" that lets you run around in a scavenger hunt style
mini-game to find things like fossils, rare rocks and stones, and items
for you secret base, you can play with a friend or multiple friends,
but you need friend codes for that.
the before said 3D graphics come from the buildings and other scenery
that have a slick polygonal look to them, and although they have no
real impact for make a difference in gameplay, there nice to look at
and it kinda weird to see 3D stuff in a largely 2D world.
the DS only functions come in a obvious way, using it in the fighting
sequences to chose moves, this sounds like it does little to effect
gameplay, but it makes fighting smoother and generally less time
consuming. You can also use it with the Poke-watch, a little item that
will fill in the bottom screen when your just walking around the
overworld, you can make it more than just a clock by finding "aps" for
it to make it more useful, and eventually you will be able to do things
like check the time, to searching for underground and unseen items in
the area.
Like every other game in the series, you gonna need both versions of
the game or a freind with the other version to get the most out of it,
because, being the marketing geniuses they are, you need to have both
games to get everything there is to offer form this game, and, if my
predictions are correct, you GOING to need at least one of these games
to make the upcoming Wii game worth buying.
Overall, this isn't going to change your mind on the pokemon series if
you already don't like it, but the changes are good enough to make it
seem fresh to veterans of the previous games, and it's the best game to
pick up for newcomers, dispute the anime series and the countless
marketing ploys to target children, this game is good enough for all
ages, for children to teens, and even adults. If you don't mind the the
simplistic nature of the pokemon series, then you find that there is a
good amount of depth in this games, and it's long enough to keep you
playing for weeks. if you love pokemon, then get this game, if your not
sure about the series, then by all means try this one out. but it won't
change the minds of those who have already made up there minds.
However, It's hard not to recommend this game to anyone with a DS.
