You really can't go wrong with a Pokemon game.
Looking back ten years, one can see why the Pokemon series was to be such a big success. Cute monsters and traditional role-playing mechanics all wrapped up in one portable package for children on the go. It was played outside of homes, schools, malls, and everywhere kids seemed to wander back then. The fact that there were loads of merchandise, trading cards, and a television show about the growing phenomenon did nothing but nurture the growth of the entertainment giant. The idea behind it was simple; churn out a new game every two years or so, while introducing new monsters and keeping the core game-play the same. While this may have worked for the first two or three games, after a few years the whole thing had become stale, example being the Game Boy Advance versions of LeafGreen and FireRed. Fans of the series needed something fresh, and as time went on they began wondering, “where is the title that will allow the Pokemon series to become as fun as it was nearly ten years ago?”
Well, they need not suffer any longer.
How though? What could be so special about this particular version of Pokemon that sets it apart from all the other rehashes? The answer can be summed up in two words: online play. One can only wonder why Nintendo took so long to get this series online, given the amount of replay-ability they could have added onto the already monstrous time needed to build up your intimidating team of monsters. It could probably be attributed to the fact that Nintendo has never been much for Internet connectivity, as it was their president a few years back that said that Internet gaming wasn’t going anywhere. It can be forgiven, as it wasn’t until XBox Live emerged onto the scene that online console gaming took off. Though late to catch onto the craze, Nintendo has finally brought the series online, allowing for nearly infinite replay value, providing that you have access to a wireless router or USB cable. While this is all well and good, the majority of the time you spend with this feature is toward the end of the game, and as everyone knows, adventures start from the beginning.
As with all Pokemon titles since the early days of Red and Blue, you take control of an aspiring young ten year old ready to begin his/her adventure in the world of Sinnoh. After choosing a boy or girl (each with an odd sense for fashion), you will run into your first dose of trouble, giving you the opportunity to pick one of three unique Pokemon: the water penguin Piplup, the fire chimp Chimchar, or the grass turtle Turtwig. Once obtained, your mission will be to visit city after city in the hope of collecting eight gym badges; signs of victory that show proof of your battling prowess against some of the leaders of the Pokemon League. If you have played any of the Pokemon games in the past, you will have no problem getting into the swing of things. And even if this is your first time, there are plenty of menus and help screens to guide you along through your confrontations.
Battles are played in a one versus one format, with the occasional double battle thrown into the mix. One of your six Pokemon will take the stage, with up to four moves being available to use against your opponent. Damage is dealt in a rock-paper-scissors format, meaning that if you use a ground attack on a rock Pokemon it will have a greater effect than if used on a flying type. Though some knowledge will have to be acquired through the use of game guides, everything becomes pretty straightforward thanks to some interesting gadgets you gain throughout your progression of the game. Again, while all these elements may sound familiar to most players, there is one big change present that alters the layout quite a bit: the touch screen.
It has been seen before from probably everybody who owns a DS; a game comes along that is moderately good, but could’ve taken advantage of the touch screen a bit more. There are also times when there is no use of the bottom screen at all, with the exception of maybe a map or fancy pause menu. Frustrating isn’t it? It’s like buying a Wii game only to find out that it isn’t compatible with the motion-sensing feature. And while Pokemon Diamond and Pearl don’t add anything relatively new to the game-play through the touch screen; it does make the title a lot easier to play. Though the player can still use the control pad and basic buttons to select attacks and equipment, the simple layout and item shortcut feature are so convenient you’d have to be a masochist to pass it up (not the kind you’re probably thinking of). Along with these helpful options, the game’s bottom screen also functions as a watch, with as many tricks in its programming as one worn by James Bond. It is known simply as the “Pokétch,” and with it, you will have a clock, calculator, treasure detector, type chart, and dozens of other features at your disposal, some useful and some . . . not quite as useful. The way Diamond and Pearl uses most of the hardware capabilities of the DS is commendable, as is the way Game Freak and Nintendo stuff enough content in each version to hold the player over for hundreds of hours.
Yet, if there is one thing one could take from the game as being aggravating, it would be the mind-numbing repetition of leveling. “Sure, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but it would help if there were more places to gain experience points toward the end of the game. Players that have followed the series for years know that the Elite 4, most of the time, is the final confrontation in the single player mode. But what if you want to continue to the coveted level of 100 to battle your friends? Well, prepare to battle these same trainers over and over again. With the amount of memory that the DS cartridge can hold being quite large, it is disappointing that there couldn’t have been an additional continent or island to traverse to. Even Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color had one for goodness sake. Nevertheless, the online battle modes that Diamond and Pearl provide, help us time deficient players out exponentially by allowing for open level, level 50, and level 100 battles. Only level 60 and want to take part in a max level fight? Then just select the level 100 option and your Pokemon will be leveled to 100 as if it was trained manually. The individual stats of that Pokemon may not be as solid, but it doesn’t make enough of a difference to be a detriment.
Speaking of online again, probably the greatest game-play addition to the latest in the Pokemon franchise is the Global Trade System (GTS for short). Provided you have seen the Pokemon somewhere in your travels, you can trade for that creature by putting up another of your choosing. You can even decide the gender and level range if you so desire. It usually takes a few hours for a trade to happen, but with thousands of people on the wi-fi system daily, you can be assured that you will get the one with the preferences you want. A small bit of advice though; don’t go trading a level 5 Bidoof for a level 100 Dialga or else you might be waiting a little longer than usual (forever). Providing you don’t abuse the system, the GTS is a fantastic way to acquire Pokemon that you can’t get in your particular version of the game.
One thing you’ll notice through your travels is just how different this particular world of Pokemon looks and feels. That is because the environments have evolved to full 3-D. This allows the world of Sinnoh to look far more spectacular than it would have with the limitations of previous handheld systems. Water flows, flowers sway, and buildings stretch, even the character models are more detailed than in the past. With enhanced lighting and color, attacks actually appear intimidating. There’s nothing quite like watching your solarbeam or flamethrower fill the screen with a bright spark of light, then witnessing the opponent fall to the ground in a daze. To add to the already great atmospheric visuals is the reappearance of weather effects. Heavy downpours in swamps, blizzards on mountaintops, and blinding sandstorms in deserts, each are impressive in their own right and add their own unique strategic element in the heat of battle. From top to bottom the graphical presentation of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl is flawless, and is among the upper echelon of DS games thus far.
The audio department is another story though. Why, oh why couldn’t they have updated the sound effects for some of the earlier Pokemon? How many times do we have to hear the same ear piercing screeches of Geodude, Zubat, and Gastly? Returning back to memory size, wasn’t there a possibility that the Pokemon calls from the television show could’ve been implemented? With voice acting being a dominant role in gaming today, there was easily enough space on the cartridge for some stand-able dialogue. Come on, even the Nintendo 64 had voice acting; example being the flight sequences in the classic Star Fox 64. The music fares slightly better, but most of the themes are far too short, which in turn, causes them to recycle too often. Sure keeping things simple allows for some nostalgia, but that feeling wears thin after the first few hours. Some words of advice, keep the volume on low.
At the end of the day, you can’t really go wrong with Pokemon Diamond or Pearl. With improved visuals, 100 new Pokemon, online play, and a new continent to explore, the latest generation in the series is something to get your RPG-loving hands on. Whether you have been catching them for nearly ten years or are just now getting into the craze, there is more than enough here for everyone. The game is simple enough for beginners, but has deep enough of a meta-game for pros to go crazy with. If there is any advice to give, it would be this: get a wireless router or USB cable. There are too many players out there that thought the previous versions were over too soon. Seeing their finely trained teams go to waste by having no one to play but the computer. That time is over. As a long fan of the series, it is good to see the franchise head in the right direction, and hopefully, it can only get better from here on out.
