Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

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.

When referring to Pokemon each and every person falls into one of the following four categories: The first being those that have never actually heard of Pokemon and if that's the case then give yourself a sharp smack on the wrist for living in a bubble for the past twelve years. The second being those who have no interest in it whatsoever and if that's the case then I don't want to keep you, please take this escape rope and make your way quietly to the exit. The third being those that label it as "kiddy" and "childish" and it's these people who need to be double slapped by a Jigglypuff because that's plain ignorance. The truth is that the Pokemon games are anything but childish and probably boast more battle strategies than a grand chess master, it's just a darn shame that some people cannot look passed it's cuteness and see it for what it really is - a full-on RPG. The fourth and final group is of course the Pokemon fans themselves, the people who have been eagerly awaiting the releases of both Diamond and Pearl for the best part of two years. Hoping and praying that the latest additions not only live up to the mammoth ****cs that have gone before them but surpass them by making full use of the DS and it's capabilities. One thing I can tell you for certain is that they're a whole lot better than the mess that was Pokemon Ranger, the game were you had to draw large rings around wild Pokemon in order to catch them. They're also a whole lot better than those idiotic Pokemon Dungeon games in which you took on the role of one of the little critters (whoever thought up that idea needs firing).

You begin your adventure in a region known as Sinnoh and just like each of the games before it you're required to make a vital decision between three starting Pokemon almost immediately. Unsurprisingly you have a choice between grass, fire or water and each one is pretty well balanced, although arguably Piplup the penguin has a slight advantage as it evolves into a Water/Steel type and a tough one at that. Soon after you bump into Professor Rowan who will give you the task of scouring the region in the hopes of completing his Pokedex, this isn't necessarily as hard as it sounds but will require you to uncover every single area the game has to offer. Once that's done and all 150 are logged safe and sound you'll then be provided with the National Dex and that's where the real challenge begins, well unless you don't consider catching 493 Pokemon a challenge of course. Don't fret though because if you still own a copy of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red or Leaf Green and have it placed in your GBA slot you can trade all of your hard-earned Pokemon over via Pal Park, you are limited to trading just 6 a day but the good news is there's a 100% catch rate with every one you encounter.

Aside from your Pokedex which can take literally 100's upon 100's of hours to complete you should finish the main story in around 40 hours, although most fans will tell you this is the point in which the true game begins. This is the point where you start team building in the quest for ultimate supremacy over your friends, just remember that finding the right balance between brute force and carefully marked tactics is most definitely the key to success.

Apart from a few new features the gameplay hasn't seen a radical change, probably the most notable addition is the ability to battle and trade via Wi-Fi. Unfortunately though nothing can be done without the use of friend codes and if you can't get your hands on them then your online experience is going to be pretty limiting. The game also implements a device called a PokeTech that fills the lower of your two DS screens as you play, these have several different add-ons which can be used in a multitude of ways. At first you will receive pretty basic applications such as a watch and a calculator but the further you progress the more useful they become, some of which include a step counter to help with the breeding and the hatching of eggs, a berry map to help you keep track of all your various plantations and a screen that indicates how content your party are which is sure to help with those pesky happiness evolutions.

The graphics do a solid enough job without ever really breaking the boundaries, yes the buildings look a whole lot more impressive than they once did but that's only a small segment of what could have been achieved with the hardware available. The two-dimensional grid that you're pinned to just doesn't cut it anymore, neither do the cloned character models that you're repeatedly bumping into around every corner. Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments for me personally though are the actual battle scenes themselves, while they have been improved they still feel like they're stuck in the past.

The audio also leaves a lot to be desired, the individual calls for each Pokemon were fine a decade or so ago but now they feel horribly outdated, like they came from a time when Wham! were still cool and slipper socks were the 'in' thing. Thankfully the music holds steady and even though it can get a tad grating after prolonged periods of play it adds to the overall feel.

Despite their lack of progression Diamond and Pearl are both great games and welcome additions to the Pokemon series, with potentially 100's of hours worth of Gameplay, over 100 new Pokemon and the added bonus of Wi-Fi they're not only a must for fans of the series but also DS owners alike.

When I first got this game, I thought it would be fun but still have that boring Pokemon feel (you know, going from town to town can get pretty boring and redundant), but when I started playing, it sucked me in and I couldn't stop playing. It still starts out the same, you just went out with your friend when a group of Pokemon attack and you have to grab one of the three Pokemon starters (fire, water, grass) and then because you fought so well you get to keep it and end up going on a quest to get all of the badges, beat the Elite Four, Stop the evil team (team galactic in this case), and, well, "catch em all".

One of the best parts about the new game is the choice to access the underground. The underground is a system of tunnels spread all across Sinnoh (underground), and when there, you can dig for spheres (underground currency), evolution stones, and fossils. You can also create your secret base and steal your friends flag when both going down at the same time (not Wi-Fi compatible). Another thing that is good about this game is that because it is on the DS, the graphics are better and it actually looks like the buildings are buildings and not giant stickers slapped on the ground.

But what happens in one of the latter installments of this series is that a lot of the sounds are recycled and does not sound as crisp as it could have been. But don't get me wrong, the music for this game is amazing. The music in Sunyshore is so inspirational and fun to listen to, I went into the city and just listened to it for a really long time. One of the newer things that I experienced is the national dex. Once you see every Pokemon in the Sinnoh dex Professor Oak comes and gives you the national dex. This dex has a spot for every single Pokemon in the whole series. "But how do you catch them all if pearl only has Sinnoh Pokemon" you ask, there are three ways. 1. Pal Park: If you recall this game is on the DS and the DS has a GBA slot. So if you put Fire Red, Leaf Green, Ruby, Saphire, or emerald in and go to the Pal Park, you are able to migrate 6 Pokemon every 24 hours and then go in and catch them, what makes it even better, you automatically catch them! 2. Online trade: In Jubilife City there is a place called GTS. Inside you can start up Wi-Fi and ask for a Pokemon, this results in a group of trainers from around the world appearing and you can talk to them and see what Pokemon they would like for the one you want. There is also deposit, which is where you deposit a Pokemon and check back later to see if someone has made you and offer on it. 3. Battle "Island" An area that is only accessible after beating the elite four, the grass and water holds Pokemon from other games.

 One of the things that is really dumb is the "Event" Pokemon. There are 3 legendary Pokemon that need "special Nintendo events" to capture. This is a really stupid way because it means that you can only catch them all if you somehow find a way to get something that is almost impossible to get.

Even so if you are a fan of Pokemon or just want to get a good game for the DS that is easy to rack up over 100 hours, get Pokemon Pearl of Diamond.

(Note that this review is based on the Pearl version of the game.)

Though the Pokemon series has never recieved a vast change to its gameplay, its seldom release calendar and heavy features upgrades (to one of the most well-designed gameplay concepts out there) combine to make this new entry on the DS come out on top once again.

The pokemon series has helped Nintendo handhelds from the beginning with it's easy to play nature and childish undertone; and Pokemon Pearl and Diamond are the latest games in the series, and although the formula hasn't changed at all since the first games for the original GameBoy, the few new additions manage to make this one the best overall experience to date.

The gameplay is the same as it has always been, which is a good thing, because the gameplay has always been great. the major additions to the game are some new 3D graphical elements and and functional online mode. the game features about 100 or so new pokemon to catch as well as connectivity to the previous games for the GBA as well as the upcoming game for the Wii, in fact, the game comes with a miniature poster for Pokemon Battle Revolution for the Wii.

The connectivity to the GBA games isn't direct though,you first have to beat the game and have seen all the pokemon in the game, then you need to permanently transfer you GBA pokemon to a Poke-Park in the game and re- catch them there.

The online mode is like most other DS game out there, requiring you to know the person your trading with or battling, so it's not the most useful or the most convenient online mode, but thats to be expected from a DS game. You can anonymously trade pokemon you've seen before with random people, which is a nice addition, but you have to have at least seen the pokemon you want to even look and see if anyone has it up for auction.

In addition to the nomal online mode, it has a neat online mode called "The Underground" that lets you run around in a scavenger hunt style mini-game to find things like fossils, rare rocks and stones, and items for you secret base, you can play with a friend or multiple friends, but you need friend codes for that.

the before said 3D graphics come from the buildings and other scenery that have a slick polygonal look to them, and although they have no real impact for make a difference in gameplay, there nice to look at and it kinda weird to see 3D stuff in a largely 2D world.

the DS only functions come in a obvious way, using it in the fighting sequences to chose moves, this sounds like it does little to effect gameplay, but it makes fighting smoother and generally less time consuming. You can also use it with the Poke-watch, a little item that will fill in the bottom screen when your just walking around the overworld, you can make it more than just a clock by finding "aps" for it to make it more useful, and eventually you will be able to do things like check the time, to searching for underground and unseen items in the area.

Like every other game in the series, you gonna need both versions of the game or a freind with the other version to get the most out of it, because, being the marketing geniuses they are, you need to have both games to get everything there is to offer form this game, and, if my predictions are correct, you GOING to need at least one of these games to make the upcoming Wii game worth buying.

Overall, this isn't going to change your mind on the pokemon series if you already don't like it, but the changes are good enough to make it seem fresh to veterans of the previous games, and it's the best game to pick up for newcomers, dispute the anime series and the countless marketing ploys to target children, this game is good enough for all ages, for children to teens, and even adults. If you don't mind the the simplistic nature of the pokemon series, then you find that there is a good amount of depth in this games, and it's long enough to keep you playing for weeks. if you love pokemon, then get this game, if your not sure about the series, then by all means try this one out. but it won't change the minds of those who have already made up there minds. However, It's hard not to recommend this game to anyone with a DS.

Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are the latest entries in the handheld series, and bring plenty of new content to the table, while still giving players the same Pokemon they’ve experienced time and time again for the past ten years or so. The most notable additions to the series are touch control, voice chat, about 100 new Pokemon, and of course, online battling and trading over Nintendo Wi-fi Connection.

Let’s start with the basics, though. The graphical style of Diamond/Pearl is essentially the same as it’s always been; an overhead view of the world map with the player and his/her surroundings. But, with the hardware of the DS, the developers were able to add a few 3D items into the mix. For example, you’ll be walking through a field of grass going about your adventuring routine, and you’ll pass in front of some windmills. You, and the grass, will all be in 2D, but the windmill’s blades will be rotating and will seem to pop out at you. This is a very nice feature and works remarkably well on the little handheld. A few other 3D pieces include trees, houses, and skyscrapers.

During battle, (There’s plenty of battling, as with all the traditional Pokemon games), all the fighting will be displayed on the top screen, while the menus and such are located on the bottom screen. You have the option of touching to select everything, or using the D-pad and buttons. All of the Pokemon have new sprites and animations. All the old moves have new animations, and of course, there are plenty of new battle techniques, all of which look very nice. My only gripe with the graphics is that sometimes pixels will the misplaced and things will look a bit choppy. This is mostly on the 3D textures, but isn’t really all that noticeable.

That brings us to the sound. There is a bit of new music, and some old music. Most notably there are new arrangements of old songs, which are very well done. All of the Pokemon have their own distinct cries that you’ll hear in battle or you can listen to in the Pokedex, although this brings up some good and bad aspects of the sound. All the new Pokemon have cries that are smooth, and sound good, but all the old Pokemon have their same cries from the GameBoy Color games. This isn’t too big of a problem, though.

The story isn’t anything new. You collect and battle Pokemon to become the best trainer in all the land, while meanwhile and evil group tries to take over the world, or in this case, create a new one. Team Galactic are trying to capture the Pokemon of Time and Space to harness their power and create a whole new galaxy. It’s basically the same as the other games, except with a new group and a new objective. Although it can be interesting at times, it’s not very deep and not all that important, either.

The gameplay is pretty much the same as it’s always been. You get a starter Pokemon, you run around collecting, battling and trading, eventually rising to the top and becoming the Pokemon League Champion. The Gym Leaders serve as the bosses in the game, but you’ll also battle your rival every now and then. In this installment of the series, you get a Poketch (Pokemon Watch) that gets displayed on the touch screen. It’s a handy device that serves as a little PDA. It has few applications right when you get it, but you’ll receive more as you progress through the game. Not all of them are completely useful, but some are kind of interesting like the Move Tester, which let’s you see which type of attacks work well against whatever type of Pokemon.

Probably one of the coolest new features of these games is the ability to upload your Pokemon from any of the GBA Pokemon games by using the DS dual slot capabilities. The most anticipated feature, though, is the ability use Internet functions for trading and battling. You need friend codes to battle, but if you trade with a random person over the Internet, their data will be added to your Friends List automatically.

The Global Trade Station lets you trade Pokemon over the Internet with random people. You can search for the one you want, and if you find one it’ll display the trainer who has it and what type of Pokemon they want for it. It’s very easy to use and very helpful. The online battles also work very well. They’re very fluid and easy, but can lag if you or your opponent doesn’t have a strong connection. The game also keeps record of your wins and losses.

After you beat the main quest, which can be up to about 45 hours, there’s a ton of extra stuff to fill your time like competing in contests, fighting in the battle tower, or simply just trying to collect ‘em all. The extra content might not change the core gameplay much, but is a lot of fun and will take up a good deal of your time. These games serve the series justice and are great additions to your collection, so if you’ve ever been a fan of the series, or are completely new to it, this game will most likely satisfy your RPG needs for a long while.

Note: I'm introducing short forms in the intro so that you can get a sense of what I'm talking about later on. I feel that short = to the point, compressed.

[b]Summary[/b]

From the original RGBY (red, green, blue, yellow) Pokemon saga on the GB (Gameboy) and GBC (Gameboy Color), many say that the Pokemon RPG (Role-Playing Games) system has advanced exponentially. I do not believe this is so. RGBY looks the same as GSC (Gold, Silver, Crystal). GSC looks the same RSE (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald). It feels like nothing has changed; I am still playing with six Pokemon, four moves and a link cable. The DS Pokemon games feel the same way at heart, but both are quite eerie in the fact that they feel emulated of what Pokemon once was. This is an RSE game with tacked-on controls made for a DS; it feels as if Game Freak is porting their GBA games like a lot of other game companies port their next-gen games to the Wii just because they want money. The only difference is that the DS Pokemon games so far feel like Game Freak's reason for these games is not money; they just don't know how to do a DS Pokemon game, that is all. This series needs to be revamped for the DS, not updated to the DS. What they have improved upon and will probably keep is multiplayer interaction; no longer are you tied to a link cable. You can trade Pokemon with people across the world, and your acquired pokemon will be in the language of the original version from which it was caught. This is a very new concept and it is generous of Game Freak to provide a trading server tp which the game connects to. Everything else has stayed the same, which is good or bad depending on specified feature. All in all, I expected a lot of improvements to the Pokemon games and this, unfortunately, was not fulfilled.

[b]Gameplay:[/b]

Before I start, I need to tell you how I play. I am usually seen playing the game without enthusiasm. I hold down one directional button to move. I am not paying attention in battle sequences, I keep taping one button and doing one attack over and over again while I look at something else (like Giant Bomb, for instance). I play with the sound off. I am not really immersed in the game like I would be immersed with a first person shooter. I always play like this with any RPG, so how I play does not reflect how poor the game is; I only showed you my point of view. This review is not about how good this game is; it is about how good this game is in relation to it's predecessor. Unfortunately, I will be speaking to you as if you know all about previous Pokemon games, because I was hardcore game fan before the GBA games. I've played a little, but did not finish RSE.

As I start walking in Sinnoh, I notice that the always-pointing-north isometric view is very clever; it changes the look of the game. With that, you can actually hide behind buildings and see what is under bridges. Hiding behind buildings extends the range of freedom for your character, but the aspect is a downside since you never know whether there is a trainer or a patch of grass behind a building. It was the same way in RSE when you had to go under bridges; the bridge blocking your view of your character. If you are down to your last health point on your last Pokemon and the Pokemon Center is just a few feet away, you would not want any surprises.

Walking and running is too slow and you will find that getting somewhere is tedious compared to the GBA Pokemon games. On top of that, the top LCD screen inflicts a slight motion blur; this makes the game feel a lot slower.

The camera angles change depending on what place you go to. In the first gym, the camera angle was slickly lower to the ground to hide secret passages that you can navigate to the gym leader without

I press start and I notice that nothing comes up; figures, because the start and select buttons on the DS are hard to press and look very breakable. I use the X button to go to the menu, changing the settings so that select and start are bound to the appropriate buttons. I found that only the buttons originally on the GB are useful for any Pokemon game. I'll relate to this later.

The menu is on the top screen, with nothing important to touch yet. You would expect that DS games would have all touchable menus, but nooooo... I still have to use the D pad and buttons to navigate any menu other than the pokedex and the item menu. This shows that the DS Pokemon is basically a port of the GBA Pokemon.

I go into a battle, the battle music starts. The five-second-long battle intro plays, introducing the premiere pokemon and their trainers to the match. Like in previous games, this happens with every battle and you really wish you could skip this sequence and just get to the battle. By now, Game Freak could have answered fans' prayers.

The battle screen has everything from the previous games, except that the menus are on the touch screen. The buttons fill up the entire screen; I understand the concern of children not being very coordinated in pressing buttons, but this is overcompensation. These buttons are huge! The buttons on the bottom do not connect with what is happening on the top screen. I feel that your pokemon should be on the bottom screen, beside smaller menu buttons, with the opponent being on the top screen so as to connect the top and bottom screens. Also, this is the only place where you do get to touch something. Only in battle mode to you get a really interactive menu, which is annoying when you have to switch between the D-pad and touch screen every time a battle starts or ends. The battle menu can be navigated by D-pad, but you need to activate that function every time you start a battle by pressing any button. The battle menu looks tacked-on, and the the selection box (when navigating by D-pad) looks tacked-on on to that. The battle system is disappointing.

The rest of the game mechanics look the same. You can still team battle the same way. The emoticons are the same and you still have to chose individual words instead of individual letters when you are being asked a question by one of the scripted characters in the game. The game still gives you generic names if you don't input anything as your name with the provided touch-only keyboard on the touch screen; only it does not give you generic names in ALL CAPS, the first letter is a capital while the rest are lower-case.

[b]Multiplayer:[/b]

As you can see on your DS, you have no link cable! You can't time-capsule-trade with any GBA or GBC Pokemon games. You cannot connect a link cable from your DS to another DS (although it looks like the power connector can fit a link cable system in there). Since Game Freak makes trading and battling other real people a center-point of Pokemon games, it would make sense that A DS should be able to trade using using wifi (ad-hoc).

Well, they have done more than that, which can be surprising to a GBA gamer or usual to a gamer that has seen other DS games do the same thing. Yes, Pokemon can be traded through Game Freak's propitiatory online system without the need for friend codes. You can battle or trade with someone next to you or you can do both those things online (using friend codes. Both of you must be online to battle).

I (oddly) only find 3 things wrong with this concept. First is trading online. While trading online, you can trade with someone with another language of game and you will get that Pokemon with a pokedex entry of the original language from which it was caught. The problem with that is people might see this as another way to "catch 'em all" so they feel that in order for the game to be complete, they might have to catch all the Pokemon (probably both male and female), in all languages. Also, I'm not sure about this but the original nickname might still be on the Pokemon once you have traded it online; some three-year-old kid might get a Metapod that's named "Dick" at this moment. It shows that game rating might change during online play (or any play, for that matter). Lastly, voice chat is never going to be used because the DS headset has not gone mainstream yet. The multiplayer aspect of this game is quite solid.

[b]Singleplayer:[/b]

Game Freak do great on the single player campaign as always, but I notice that there are certain things that do not make sense or should be in the game. The fact that there is a daily limit to the amount of Pokemon you can take from your old cartage is not needed because it can always be circumvented by changing the date on your DS clock; there should have been no limit imposed at all in importing Pokemon. Also, I played Megaman starforce and I wanted to see cartage-enabled events in the Pokemon DS games. I want to be able to open up a cave, for example, when I have Pokemon Fire Red in my GBA slot. Game Freak did a really good job in terms of the single player campaign, but mechanics that cross over to this territory make the game feel that there is more to be done with the DS.

[b]Sound:[/b]

I have said this before, but let me rephrase it: this new Pokemon game still does not give me a reason to turn my volume up. The music is either new or remade to fit the acoustic style. There are no voices in the game. The fact that some of the creature's cries are recycled from as far back as the original RBG games is fine to me. I just wish Game Freak can add something new to make me want to raise the volume. Maybe some voices would be nice. I would love a music track with vocals. I really have nothing to say on this subject.

[b]Video:[/b]

There are no cutscenes in this game, and I like that. I still think the Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza cutscene back in RSE was not right. You should always be looking your character's head. End of story.

[b]Miscalanious:[/b]

Since the first Pokemon game, there has always been unskipable credits before the intro sequence. The GBC and GBA games had visually-aesthetic credits; the DS Pokemon games have gone back to text credits of the original GB games. Look, Game Freak and Nintendo, I know who you are and I do not need to know who you are. So if you're not going to make your names skipable when I press any button, you might as well make something entertaining while your names show up. On top of that, pressing start on the start screen is hardly reactive. Once I press start, the graphic on the screen has to stop before I go to the main menu; I want to play the game NOW. Not in five minutes. NOW! You're met with a menu that is on the top screen and you cannot touch it. With that, wifi turns on for a second to check something I don't know about.

[b]All in All:[/b]

Game Freak has made a new Gameboy Advance game. Yes, I said GBA game. This has tacked-on controls and most of the menus are not touchable. You have to switch between two control schemes for efficiency every time you enter a battle, and you are in battle most of the time. Moving is too slow. They have only refined the multiplayer aspect of the game, but I don't play Pokemon with other people.

This game needs a long-awaited redefinition.

I was introduced to the gaming world with Nintendo's Pokemon Yellow way back on the GameBoy Colour. Needless to say, the series has always held a special place in my heart. Each generation has found me owning one or even two of the games. However, the formula has changed very little since its debut 10 years ago, and it might be starting to wear thin.

For the select few who are unfamiliar with this classic series, you should know that Pokemon is a role-playing game. While moving a character, male or female, around the relatively vast world, you will harness the powers of a team of "Pokemon". Pokemon are creatures that also roam the region, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Starting with just one (given to you by a scientist at the beginning of the game), you will capture and raise many others. You can only carry around six Pokemon at a time, so choose your core team wisely! You will need a strong but balanced team to successfully traverse the land of Sinnoh.

The battles with Pokemon happen randomly, when you are traveling through long grass, dark caves, certain buildings, or over water. You will also battle other trainers, but only when you enter their line of sight on the map.

The actual battling is centered around a rock-paper-scissors mechanic that can set-up some frantic switching and nasty surprises. There are 17 types, ranging from Fire to Psychic to Steel to Flying. Each Pokemon has one or two types, and each attack has one type. Certain types have advantages or disadvantages. For example, attack a Water-type Pokemon with a Grass attack, and you'll be rewarded with double damage. However, use that same Grass attack against a Poison-type, and the damage will be halved. Because of this, the battles take on an interesting cat-and-mouse feel. You have to decide when to stand your ground and when to switch up.

The story is really only there to make the gameplay have a point. Your character is a young child who sets out on his/her own adventure after being given a Pokemon by the aforementioned scientist. Travelling around the continent of Sinnoh, you will be battling trainers, challenging "Gyms" (basically training centers that feature a 'boss' character), and finally challenging the legendary "Elite Four." A whole host of nasty character are there to deter you. Team Galactic are a bunch of crooks bent on causing general mayhem, and your rival, too, will challenge you in an attempt to prove that he is a superior trainer. Unfortunately, the story really is just "there." It doesn't involve you at all. None of the characters are memorable, and you certainly can't connect with them. Fortunately, this is not meant to be a story-driven game.

This has been the Pokemon formula since the series started a decade ago, and it has changed very little since. Diamond and Pearl keep it, almost entirely unaltered. This can be a blessing and a curse - the formula is an addicting one that works, but it might be starting to get a bit stale after so many reiterations.

Diamond and Pearl look pretty nice for DS games. The colourful graphics seamlessly blend old-school 2D and new 3D graphics to create some really nice effects. The world in particular has been given a beautiful, 3D face lift. This means that now, buildings and trees will move with your character. They will shift to match your perspective. This also means that your character can walk behind trees and buildings, and that inside houses computers or chairs no longer block your way. On the other hand, while the world has undergone some changes, the actual battling has not. Some sprites have been revamped, but still look flat, and particularly in the case of the new Pokemon, bland. Some of the attacks have changed, too, and the new versions look pretty cool, but the battles are really lifeless and stale where they could have been made exciting.

The sound is perhaps the most disappointing feature of Diamond/Pearl. Some of the newer Pokemon sound okay when they are going into battle, but the older sprites still have their original cry, which is usually shrill or tinny. Zubat, in particular, is terribly annoying. It really wouldn't have taken that much effort for Nintendo to simply revamp the older Pokemon's cries, and it would have added a lot to the battles.

The music in Diamond/Pearl hasn't changed from older gens either. After hundreds of hours of gameplay, I am beginning to tire of the same battle music, and when you are traversing the world the music is nothing to get excited about either. Overall, the sound in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl is really disappointing. It is something that could easily have been made great, but ends up annoying or bland. For the most part, I plugged in my own music and played with the sound turned off.

Taking advantage of the DS's hardware, Diamond/Pearly incorporate some very light touch-screen controls. You will play several mini-games with it, and during your travels there is a "Poketch" on the bottom screen. On this, you can choose to display a number of things, ranging from the time to your recently caught Pokemon. None of them are particularly useful, though. Fortunately, during battles you use the touch screen to select attacks, navigate menus, and use items. This makes everything a lot quicker and easier. All-in-all, though, you can't help but wonder if Nintendo couldn't have used the touch screen more to their advantage.

Online play is one new feature that really adds a lot to the series. Most notably, the ability to trade Pokemon with the GTS trading system and the ability to battle strong trainers whenever you feel the urge to are great. The GTS trading system is surprisingly accessible, but not without its flaws. You can put up any of your Pokemon for trade, then specify what you would like in return, right down to the gender or level of the Pokemon you wish to receive. On the downside, the trading system is plagued with absolutely ridiculous trades (think level one Pokemon for level 100s), posted by people hoping to get lucky and have a hacker hack them the Pokemon they want. As for online battling, it is a bit limited at the game's beginning, due to the unfortunate reality of needing friend codes in order to battle, but when you complete the story you can battle trainer's teams. Unfortunately, the teams you challenge are controlled by AI; you can still only battle "real" trainers once you have their friend code.

Another plus is that the online, in collaboration with great replay value, make these games last a long time, and you definitely get enough bang for your buck. You can play through these game multiple times, because there are always new secrets or different Pokemon combinations to try out. The game can appeal to a great amount of ages, too. Children will be content with the simplistic story and easy gameplay, while older gamers can get into competitive battling and the challenging extras at the end of the game.

All in all, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl are solid enough entries into the Pokemon series. It is a worry, however, that many of the games aspects have changed little, if at all, since the game debuted 10 years ago. Nintendo really needs to think about altering some parts of this classic series, or gamers will get bored with the all too familiar battle style, bland story, or repetitive gameplay.

Round-up:
Gameplay: 8.5
Story: 7.0
Graphics: 8.0
Sound: 6.0
Value: 8.5

OVERALL SCORE: 8.0

Pokemon has been around for about a decade now and although it seems to have fallen from pop culture's high interest, it is still alive and better than ever.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl starts off like every other Pokemon game. A young boy wants to become a Pokemon trainer. Simple? Right, lets get started.

The count with this Pokemon game goes up to a nice round number, about 500 Pokemon. Let us repeat that, 5-0-0! The largest count of Pokemon yet and although some might argue it, these Pokemon are actually different from one another. The usual starters are you Fire, Water, and Grass, no twist there, but this game introduces many new combo types and much more.

Touch control is used in a big way now as you can now control your Pokemon using the touch screen in battle. Seems simple, but it saves a lot of time and it feels so much better than having to scroll through what now seems thousands of menus in past games just to use something like tackle. There are also a wide variety of mini games that use the touch screen as well as a some other menus, such as polishing your Pokemon badges that you earned from defeating a gym leader.

Speaking of Gym leader, the battles in this game are much better than anything you have ever seen. Thanks to the better graphic capability of the DS, and the touch screen controls, battles in this game are much more entertaining, and look very nice. Well done animations and well drawn sprites are in every battle. When a move like ember or bubble impresses you, it is pretty clear that Game Freak put a lot of time into making this game and it shows that they didn't want you to finish it quickly. This Pokemon game is much longer than the past version as well as quite difficult. You will not be sweating bullets trying to beat a gym leader, but the levels of the opponent's Pokemon increase as often as yours which keeps things fresh.

Speaking of fresh, something the DS games bring to the table are online mode. Never before done in any Pokemon game, the online mode enables you to battle with your friends online, and it has full voice chat support. A Pokemon player's dream? Um, ya. There is very little lag when playing online and the full animations are there. Single, doubles, trading, general voice chatting, many things that past online DS games offer are there, and more some! There is even an introduction to a new feature in Pokemon called the Global Trading Station (or GTS for short) You will find yourself there quite often to see if you got that Pokemon you wanted. Think of ebay, Pokemon style, you put up a Pokemon for trade, and wait for someone to come along and trade you what you wanted, however, you need to have seen that Pokemon first, which is a little bummer, but still doesn't ruin the GTS much.

There is not much else to same, this Pokemon game is everything a Pokemon fan can want, and more! New area, new Pokemon, new leaders, nice graphics, online mode, and so much more! If you are a Pokemon fan, stop reading this and go out to buy this game, or both versions! You will not be disappointed at all!

Great Presentation: Everything is done with quality in mind. Some menus seems flat (like online selection), other than that, great work.
Great Graphics: Not full 3D, but everything is sharp and clean, nice art direction as always.
Amazing Sound: Everything in here is just great, music is amazing, however, why can't the Pokemon say their names! STOP THE NOSIES!
Amazing Gameplay: Same as always, but still an amazing piece of work, never gets old. Online... 'nuff said.
Perfect Lasting Appeal: I've never seen a someone's Pokemon game without at least over 100 hours clocked.

I would recommend this to any Pokemon fan, suggest a long rental for those interested.

            Ever since the release of the famed Blue and Red versions on the Game Boy in 1998, Pokemon has been a wild success. The popular license has spawned card games, television shows, spin-offs, and sequels to the original games. It’s been a good two years since anyone has had a true Pokemon experience, but with the release of Diamond and Pearl on the Nintendo DS the wait is finally over.

 

            Taking on the role as a male or female trainer in the brand new region of Sinnoh, you set out to become the best trainer in the land. But that’s not without some roadblocks in your way. You’ll need to clear eight Gyms all with their own Gym Leader, fight rivals, and deal with a new menace by the name of Team Galactic who desires to reface the surface of the world. So grab your Pokeballs and fire up that Pokedex, its time to become the best and save the world while you’re at it.

 

            Lets face it, the Pokemon franchise is not known for its story so expect more of the same. While Team Galactic’s part, especially their leader Cyrus’s, makes for a pleasantly menacing background, they don’t do enough with it. It’s over before you know it and just as in previous titles, you’ll find yourself pushing through the rest of the Gym Leaders in a very uneventful manner. Though that endeavor can last you well over 60 hours, it would have been nice if they added more spice to an otherwise stagnant and forgettable story.

 

            As expected, the core gameplay for Pokemon has not changed. You carry around a max of six Pokemon, every type has a certain weakness to another, and each can have up to four moves in their arsenal. Pokemon also still evolve and gain new abilities as they achieve experience from battling. While it can be fun for a time, it all ends in tedium. Pokemon still learn absolutely useless moves and unless you’re a Pokefreak it’s almost impossible to understand how some Pokemon evolve unless you look it up online. For example, there are kinds who only evolve if you have a specific Pokemon in your party, level at a certain time of the day, or are given a special item found in the world. While this sounds deep and intriguing it can be downright frustrating.        

           

            One major catch is Pearl and Diamond introduce over 100 new kinds of Pokemon, making the grand total close to 500. It also introduces a day/night cycle and certain Pokemon can only be caught during those times. Each version also has Pokemon exclusive to it, so if you’ve “gotta catch ‘em all” you’ll need to trade via the new Wi-Fi system. This new online functionality is a welcome addition to the series and makes for a fun time battling or trading with people all around the world. It’s pretty easy to set up but it’s bogged down by the increasingly annoying friend codes. If you don’t already know, friend codes are a unique set of numbers that identify you. No one will be able to connect to you unless they have your unique code, but at least you can still trade anonymously with the public.

 

            Graphically, Pokemon isn’t too impressive. The visuals are noticeably upgraded, but they retain much of what they looked like on the older hand-helds. Fortunately, the sound fairs better with some great new tunes along with old favorites. Unfortunately, the noises Pokemon make are all recycled from the original games. This doesn’t have an effect on the overall gameplay, but you’d think the next generation of pokemon would sound a bit better than they do.

 

            Innovation isn’t what Pokemon gives us, but the second screen does add a few fun aspects including the somewhat useful tool called the Poketch. The Poketch is a watch that comes with a slew of different applications you’ll discover during your adventure. While they aren’t all incredibly useful, some are decent additions (portable map, battle weaknesses) that make it useful to have around. But since the Poketch cannot be displayed in battle, the second screen allows you to see and select all your Pokemon’s abilities and items via the stylus. That’s around the extent of the DS touch features. Though they’re not exactly ground-breaking, it does add a flavorful new taste to rather old insipid gameplay.

 

            While Diamond and Pearl bring a variety of new Pokemon and touch features to the series, it can’t hide the fact that the game hardly differs from previous titles. Even so, its lack of innovation and change won’t stop Pokemaniacs from gobbling it up. As for the rest, if you’ve caught them all before, there’s really no need for you to catch them again.