Pokémon trainers will be heading back to the Sinnoh region in the upcoming generation-four remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. Nearly 15 years after their original release, the massively popular Diamond and Pearl titles are getting long-awaited reboots, and fans are eagerly waiting for the series’ release later this year.
The remakes were first announced with a quick one-minute trailer back in February, and there have been few new details released since then. But seeing that these are remakes, there have been 15 years of new Pokémon content since the original releases, and fan theories have run wild online, we’ve been able to put together a pretty clear picture of what these renewed Pokémon adventures will look like.
Here’s everything we know about Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl right now.
Further reading
Release date
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are set to launch on November 19, just in time for the holiday season.
Platforms
Like every Pokémon game to date, Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Hopefully, by the time these games hit the shelves, the much-anticipated Nintendo Switch upgrade will be in our hands as well.
Trailer
The announcement trailer for the latest pair of Pokémon games relies heavily on nostalgia to get players excited. The trailer opens up with a shot of one of the original titles launching on Nintendo DS, the handheld console these games were originally designed for. A montage of memorable scenes from the originals plays — the game’s introduction, choosing your starter Pokémon, cruising across the sea on the S.S. Spiral — before we get our first look at the remake.
It looks like these remakes will stay closer to the top-down perspective and chibi art style, like the originals, instead of borrowing any of the new styles used in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! or the newest entries in the series Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.
Gameplay
While there will surely be a couple of new elements added to the games, we expect the gameplay to be very similar to the original titles and what we’ve come to expect out of a standard Pokémon game.
Players will start the game as a new Pokémon trainer setting out from Twinleaf Town after picking from the region’s selection of starter Pokémon — the grass-type Turtwig, the fire-type Chimchar, or the water-type Piplup. You’ll start building a team of captured Pokémon, battling gym leaders and eventually taking on the region’s Elite Four, all while thwarting the chaotic plans of Team Galactic, a villainous organization that’s trying to summon the legendary Pokémon Dialga (in Brilliant Diamond) or Palkia (in Shining Pearl).
Multiplayer
We expect multiplayer to look very similar to how it has in past Pokémon — you’ll definitely be able to battle against and trade Pokémon with your friends without too much hassle. It’s unclear if multiplayer elements from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be available, like the ability to randomly trade Pokémon globally or the existence of competitive leagues.
We don’t imagine the game would include anything like Sword and Shield’s Wild Area, which allowed players to roam around hunting for new Pokémon alongside other trainers in real time.
Pre-order
You can pre-order Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, including a double-pack with both games, right now at a handful of select retailers.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Brilliant-Diamond-Shining-Pearl-Double/dp/B095XVZ41W?tag=igndeals14-20&ascsubtag=02fFe38P2nqFSdD9j0LB70W&th=1
Nintendo: https://diamondpearl.pokemon.com/en-us/#preorder
Gamestop: https://www.gamestop.com/video-games/nintendo-switch/games/products/pokemon-brilliant-diamond/11120692.html
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