Gotta Catch ‘em all once again!

Before I begin, Geodude+Magnitude > All.

Now that I got that comment out of the way, its really been fun playing the latest installment of Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. Yes, I am a closet pokemon fan(that really sounds weird) and I have been following the Pokemon franchise since Red & blue. For those who don’t know why people love Pokemon so much, lets just say that if you combine likable characters with a simple yet fun turn-based RPG battle system, then you’ve got a massive franchise train that barrels forward 10+ years and running.

Over the years, that system has progressively gotten a bit deeper over time. Over that same amount of time, the franchise has been in a slow decline. That was signaled even brighter when the WB Network canceled the Tv Cartoon Series of the same name after a very long and popular run. To save the series, Nintendo/Game Freak slowly moved the Cartoon Product away from 4Kids Productions to in house production that airs new shows on Cartoon Network. The final nail in the coffin for the 4Kids services happened last year when the contract with 4Kids ended and Nintendo/Game Freak opted not to renew. With that said, all of the long time voice actors were replaced for “cheaper models”. So the saying goes, “You get what you pay for” and the cartoon never sounded the same since which probably will further kill the series.

Redemption in the form of Dual Screens

Nintendo knew about the decline in the Pokemon franchise and hatched a plan to use “Recover” on the series. The redemption comes in the form of Diamond & Pearl on the DS. This game surprisingly has many uses for the touch screen, most of them very practical. For once, the 2nd screen can be used to select attacks, manage many screens and forward dialog. But that’s just part of it. The game is just packed full of features and almost all of them utilizes the touch screen in one form or another.

Some of those features are standard in a Pokemon game like the pokedex. Which also includes new features for example: rolodex like function via touch screen, a search feature, Pokemon cry sound manipulation and the time of day indicator to show when the Pokemon roams at certain times of the day. Others are relatively new, like the Poketech watch which sits on the second screen when not battling. Various characters throughout the game will give you various Poketech apps like a memo pad, hidden item detector, and a waypoint map.

The More things change, the more they stay the same

One thing that has changed a lot is the look of the game. Adventuring is no longer bound by pure 2D. Diamond & Pearl now has a totally cell shaded 3D environment which is bound to the specs of the 2D game, which is an overhead view of the characters-of which is still 2D. Some of the views change depending on the area like some Gyms. The new 3D environment also gave the advantage to make more detailed adventuring areas within the same space.

Ironically, the battling phase of the game unfortunately remains 2D. The characters and their Pokemon have gotten a fresh coat of 2D love, but still move the typical 3 to 4 frames. My guess is that they wanted to keep production costs down since there are now close to 500 Pokemon in the universe. The script animation has gotten better than the previous Pokemon installment and the battle effects have gotten much love. Some look absolutely amazing while others have remained much the same. The music has gotten many remixes. And of course, I really don’t have to explain the importance of full WiFi support, complete with voice chat.

In plain sight…

Beyond the typical Pokemon game, this installment has a lot of small details that you wouldn’t expect from a typical DS game. For once the Day/Night system actually simulates real time which means that if you play at night, it will be night time in game. If playing in the late afternoon, the game’s environments will gradually transition complete with sunset. There are also other small enhancements that you will notice when traveling beyond the typical PokeTv reporter which this time gets much more aggressive for an interview with the hottest trainer on the block.

Beyond the traditional gameplay continues the PokeContests which has become a LOT more extensive as far as I know. I haven’t tried much of the PokeContests part of the game, since it is technically a giant mini game with… mini games. But it does extend the replay value after you have conquered all trainers and caught every Pokemon in the Dex. Bedsides, your girlfriend might like that aspect of the game instead.

I have to admit, if you haven’t tried a Pokemon game EVER(which would probably be unlikely) then pick up a copy of Diamond or Pearl. Hell, if you have tried Pokemon before then chances are you will love this installment.