Pokemon Diamond and Silver Review

Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: US April 22, 2007
Official Website
Writer: Kalina

Rating: 9.2

Pros: Game-play remains as great as ever, and the trading, acquiring, and battling of Pokémon is still tons of fun.
Cons: not much of an update to either graphics or the battle system since the last Pokémon entry

Let’s get one thing straight: for all the obsessive-compulsive adrenaline rush that is Pokémon Pearl and Diamond, these two newest entries in the Pokémon series aren’t exactly revolutionary. The battle system, good old turn-based RPG action in all its rusty splendor, is nothing new. The one update to the battle system, the two vs. two battles, is a welcome touch, but isn’t a huge innovation, as the core mechanics of fighting remain unchanged. Of course, getting new moves for your Pokémon, either through leveling them up or finding new TM’S and HM’S, remains as much a joy as ever.

The graphics aren’t any newer than the battle system. Neither pinnacles of artistic achievement nor embarrassments of bad quality, they simply don’t stand out either way.
The graphics of Pokémon Pearl and Diamond are slightly better than the previous Pokémon Gold and Silver, but the difference is negligible (get ready to get out your microscope!) That being said, the graphics of the Pokémon Gold and Silver were, if not the best of the best, still quite nice and fitting. Little having changed, the graphics of Pokémon Pearl and Diamond are similarly suitable. A bit more detailed than those of the previous Pokémon games, they are also quite clear, and do not detract from the enjoyment of the game (nor the overall polished product).

Indeed, the sheer fun of Pokémon Pearl and Diamond shows that the graphics and game-play of the Pokémon series aren’t stale yet….but before they get too boring and familiar, hopefully, the next entry in the series will experiment with both the graphics and battle-system a bit more.

On the other hand, the heart and soul of the Pokémon series is neither graphics nor the battle system, but the overall game-play: collecting, trading, and breeding Pokémon. This core concept of Pokémon is still genius and executed so well that it helps to make up for the lack of innovative battle system and graphics. Obsessive-compulsives and die-hard fans (and I, as a member of both groups, know these are not always two separate categories), breathe in deep and get ready to seriously commit to not having a life…again. In Pokémon Pearl, there are 250 Pokémon to catch, with over a hundred never-before-seen Pokémon, and new evolutions! While Pokémon Pearl and Diamond (just like Silver and Gold) have their fair share of lazy, bland Pokémon designs, there are a few of creative, cute, and sometimes, dare I say it, even cool Pokémon designs. No matter how simple and lackluster the over-world graphics are, the Pokémon themselves are detailed, unique, and bursting with personality.

Nothing beats the joy of finding a new Pokémon. When you find yourself up at three in the morning playing Pokémon Pearl or Diamond, or bringing your DS to work or school, trying to play it as discreetly as possible (despite the fact that it may be, as it was in this reviewer’s case, bright pink), you will understand the powerful addiction that is Pokémon.

Oh, and as if one’s life won’t already be lost the minute they capture their first Pokémon in the wild, there are tons of side quests, nearly as numerous and varied as the types of Pokémon themselves. Like the side quests, the on-line component of the game is also integrated extremely well. At 45 + hours, the game is certainly not short. However, whenever a player does become bored with the main action, there are many options (side quests and on-line play) to keep them interested and excited about the game.

Pokémon may not look amazing or break any of the conventionalities of the series, but what it does do, it does extremely well. There are also enough new innovative touches like fresh side quests and the new on-line component that separate Pokémon Pearl and Diamond from their predecessors. Pokémon fatigue hasn’t hit yet, and as long as the company continues to pay such attention to the core game-play (and a little more attention to the battle system and graphics), the addiction of Pokémon will live on.