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Pokémon Hideaways come with a variety of different terrains ranging from still-water caverns to volcanic landscapesīeing the first in the series to support online play via wi-fi, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl certainly had their share of early online social elements, but the balance of the gameplay still favored content that could be enjoyed without an internet connection. It’s really interesting to compare them to see how the series has progressed in recent years, particularly in terms of how it has trended toward MMO-like elements such as raid battles. It even brings back the old Union Room, a kind of visual lobby system introduced back in the days of Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green in 2004. By comparison, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are a throwback - a nostalgia trip. It’s wildly different from the more recent Pokémon Sword and Shield, which attempts to mix somewhat modern graphics with online social elements like the Wild Areas and raids. If only it had kept the 2D sprites, it would be perfect. Even the distinctly tinny soundtrack isn’t all the different from how it was back on the Nintendo DS. Returning to the overhead camera angle is refreshing, in some ways bringing me all the way back to the days of Red and Blue on the Game Boy. The remakes are at pains to preserve the look and feel of the originals, and until I saw Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in action, I didn’t realize how much I missed it. Over the course of a 40 minute hands-off demo, I found myself once again transported back to the region that remains my sentimental favorite. Now I’m kind of glad Game Freak took the remakes in this direction. Gen 4 getting the short end of the stick once again. Compared to the gorgeous, fully-updated remakes afforded Gen 3, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl seemed to be on the losing end of things. But when they were finally announced earlier this year, the community was left feeling slightly bemused. Still, that didn’t stop the community demanding Diamond and Pearl remakes, if only because they were next in line after 2014’s Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Use the Explorer Kit you’ll receive during your adventure to visit the Grand Underground But to say that a game refined the existing formula isn’t a terribly exciting legacy, which is perhaps the biggest reason that Gen 4 wound up getting lost in the mix of history. Most critically, it introduced true online play, paving the way for the community to grow into what it is today. It brought back several features that had been cut in Ruby and Sapphire, redefined the balance of the competitive game by splitting physical and special attacks, and introduced several much-needed evolutions for Pokémon like Roselia and Piloswine.
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On reflection, the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl generation was mostly about refinement. Most of the love for latter day Pokémon games are generally reserved for the likes of Black and White, with little respect given to Diamond and Pearl’s striking atmosphere and the myriad improvements it made to Ruby and Sapphire.
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Black: Victini & ReshiramWhite: Victini & Zekromīelow are all of the new Pokémon in their National Dex order.Pokémon Ranger & The Temple of the Sea!.Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of Time & Darkness.Mystery Dungeon: Blazing, Stormy & Light Adventure Squad.Pokémon Battle TrozeiPokémon Link: Battle.
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