Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Review Thread

Oswen · Nov 17, 2021

I wish they would have kept Platinum's graphical upgrades to the various locations instead of reverting everything to the more bland D/P ones.

The Pokemon Tower, Stark Mountain, Battle Zone etc. looked so much better in Platinum, I really don't know why they couldn't keep at least those little graphical upgrades, was it really necessary to remain "faithful"?

Deleted member 81119 · Nov 17, 2021

KillstealWolf said:
I see the "Well the Distortion World wasn't that good." Comments have begun.

I'm definitely of the opinion that the Distortion world should be in this game. Battle Frontier should be in this game.

But that's a very different question to "which has more content, BDSP or Platinum". BDSP has more.

It’s Time To Go · Nov 17, 2021

The character movements are much faster than sword/shield which I appreciate
I think it looks better than SwSh. Granted I'm only in the first area but it pops, looks less blurry

808s & Villainy · Nov 17, 2021

Renna Hazel said:
That mentions the visuals of the battle scenes? I imagine any RPG that has different graphics in battles than it does on the overworld will have this addressed in reviews. First game that came to mind was Octopath and every reviewer mentions the gorgeous battles scenes.

IGN

Octopath Traveler Review - IGN

Whichever path you travel, this JRPG holds beauty and excellent combat in store.

www.ign.com

Gamespot

Octopath Traveler Review: Divide And Conquer

Octopath Traveler finds comfort in tradition but doesn't shy away from breaking the mold.

www.gamespot.com

The Pokemon review wasn't pointing out battle scenes as a new feature like you implied, it was in the visual section of the review. They mention the overhead visuals, the chibi style and then say the most impressive were in battle. I don't agree that they're impressive but it's fairly common to mention the visuals of a video game in a review, and if different aspects of a game have different visual styles (like Octopath or Pokemon) then they mention the different styles.

These aren't the same though. Your snippets are talking about the visual effects in attacks and the large detailed enemy sprites in battles. That reviewer is very clearly talking about the battle backgrounds

KillstealWolf · Nov 17, 2021

Jimnymebob said:
There's a difference between 'haha we've not included youf battle frontier tee-hee' and 'remake of a game doesn't have a HM maze from its expanded sequel' lol.
Anyway, I still absolutely stand by the fact Distortion World is awful. It's just a slog for an idea you could showcase in about 30 seconds.

It's a bit more than that though, it's fleshing out the characters more, specifically Cyrus and Cynthia (Cynthia who is now entirely absent from the Spear Pillar resolution) and even stuff like the additional cutscenes that play there as well.

It fleshes out the region more and it's absence will be missed. It may not be to everyone's taste, but It's still a shame it wasn't included so it would be easy to say it's the definitive way to play the game.

Also, ironically once again, the Battle Frontier is missing as well.

Renna Hazel · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

Now this is pretty funny. As someone who doesn't play Pokemon much, I thought the new games felt almost exactly like what I played on Gameboy way back when. Maybe the changes were too deep for me.

etrain911 · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

Really channeling this energy.

Syntsui · Nov 17, 2021

Renna Hazel said:
Now this is pretty funny. As someone who doesn't play Pokemon much, I thought the new games felt almost exactly like what I played on Gameboy way back when. Maybe the changes were too deep for me.

Pretty much, all the amazing QoL changes only really stand out if you go into the rabbit hole of breeding competitive Pokemons. That aside, it's pretty much the same games from decades ago.

Renna Hazel · Nov 17, 2021

808s & Villainy said:
These aren't the same though. Your snippets are talking about the visual effects in attacks and the large detailed enemy sprites in battles. That reviewer is very clearly talking about the battle backgrounds

Eh, they're both talking about the visuals in battle, because they're different from the visuals out of battle. I won't nitpick it though, if you think that's unusual and funny, that's fine. I find it's pretty standard practice to mention the visuals in battle in an RPG (when they're different). It surely wasn't presented as a new feature or anything. The visuals just impressed him. Low standards but hey, to each their own.

Quacktion · Nov 17, 2021

KillstealWolf said:
It's a bit more than that though, it's fleshing out the characters more, specifically Cyrus and Cynthia (Cynthia who is now entirely absent from the Spear Pillar resolution) and even stuff like the additional cutscenes that play there as well.

It fleshes out the region more and it's absence will be missed. It may not be to everyone's taste, but It's still a shame it wasn't included so it would be easy to say it's the definitive way to play the game.

Also, ironically once again, the Battle Frontier is missing as well.

Yea this whole set-piece is probably my favourite in all of Pokemon... and is one of the few things missing in this lol. Its not like Im not gonna get the game now since I do plan on sucking this mother dry but that does kinda suck still, probably more than the battle frontier personally.

Crayolan · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

Lmao. I want to live in this guy's world where Pokemon has innovated too much.

Marcus Aurelius · Nov 17, 2021

Critics might finally be fighting back for once

Kaffeemann · Nov 17, 2021

The remakes have the same regional Dex as the originals? Why? 150 Pokémon simply aren't enough anymore.

WrenchNinja · Nov 17, 2021

Kaffeemann said:
The remakes have the same regional Dex as the originals? Why? 150 Pokémon simply aren't enough anymore.

The regional dex is the same but there is stuff outside of it in the Sinnoh Underground. Enemy trainers only use regional dex mons til the post game.

808s & Villainy · Nov 17, 2021

Kaffeemann said:
The remakes have the same regional Dex as the originals? Why? 150 Pokémon simply aren't enough anymore.

To be "faithful"

BradenAndEggs · Nov 17, 2021

Opencritic and Metacritic are both in the 70's, but some are trying to spin this into being 'concerning.' Odd.

(I do realize what website I'm typing this on.)

jelmerjt · Nov 17, 2021

Please remake Black and White 2 next GF and NOT Black and White. Black and White 2 are vastly superior and the post game is huge. Heck GF might even do it since there are two versions to remake. Cash cash cash :D

Wander · Nov 17, 2021

Any details on multiplayer in the grand underground? How many players at once and is it a giant lobby where we can also catch Pokémon

Pop-O-Matic · Nov 17, 2021

BradenAndEggs said:
Opencritic and Metacritic are both in the 70's, but some are trying to spin this into being 'concerning.' Odd.

(I do realize what website I'm typing this on.)

For most video games, especially big AAA franchises like Pokemon, a MC in the 70s is basically an unmitigated disaster.

Lotus · Nov 17, 2021

Graven said:
Thats Ruby and Sapphire.

Online and the special/physical attacks revamp were game changers in itself.

Yea, out of all the games to call boring, Diamond and Pearl ain't it, Diamond probably got the most hours I've put into a Pokemon game ever

AHA-Lambda · Nov 17, 2021

Woah
That's surprisingly low

I may be off base I don't keep a close eye on Pokémon but despite all the recent fan ire it's still tended to review more positively right?

Lotus · Nov 17, 2021

Pop-O-Matic said:
For most video games, especially big AAA franchises like Pokemon, a MC in the 70s is basically an unmitigated disaster.

For Pokemon specifically? Not really lol

Efejota · Nov 17, 2021

Mario_Bones said:
These sound like weird remakes that aren't the definitive versions of Sinnoh but have unique things to offer that Platinum didn't. If they'd given us more of Platinum's changes and additions these could have been really special (even if the graphics would still look the way they do)

That sounds like Let's Go as well, where they remade Yellow instead of Fire Red.

diakyu · Nov 17, 2021

AHA-Lambda said:
Woah
That's surprisingly low

I may be off base I don't keep a close eye on Pokémon but despite all the recent fan ire it's still tended to review more positively right?

All mainline Pokemon games on the switch have an 80 on meta score. Pokémon games never have really high averages or at least not recently (and by recent I mean like a decade ago if even that)

Cronogear · Nov 17, 2021

.

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

A return to form for a series trying too hard to innovate

SunBroDave · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

"upheaval and change" lmao

GuitarGuruu · Nov 17, 2021

I don't think the game is bad, a little bit too faithful and the EXP toggle still pisses me off but otherwise I do think the games will be fun and a good way to revisit Gen 4.

dreamlongdead · Nov 17, 2021

I think 80 Metacritic is very generous for Sword/Shield, so the meta score for BDSP isn't low at all.

Most of the critics are positive about it, and I think most of us already made up our minds whether to buy it long before these reviews went up.

Deleted member 41520 · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

What the heck is that line about being coolest and most popular haha.

Strong kid energy

(Not necessarily a bad thing IMO)

PspLikeANut · Nov 17, 2021

Seems serviceable

disparate · Nov 17, 2021

Sounds like a ported DS game with new graphics. 70s is probably more than fair considering the plethora of JRPG features that have appeared since then that are missing- i.e. encounter rate sliders, difficulty options, etc.

KillstealWolf · Nov 17, 2021

BradenAndEggs said:
Opencritic and Metacritic are both in the 70's, but some are trying to spin this into being 'concerning.' Odd.

(I do realize what website I'm typing this on.)

75 is the "Fair" point for Opencritic and the "Mixed" point for Metacritic. And it is scoring lower than the series average.

We'll see what score it settles on, I'm sticking with the 79 the pokemon games always seem to end on.

Kirbivore · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

The things pointed out in this post feels like something that needs to be elaborated on (I should read it if it does) because by itself, it sounds rather asinine. The most I can probably think of though is the Mega, Z moves, and Dynamax mechanic.

Deleted member 81119 · Nov 17, 2021

Nintendo Life's review is super interesting. If you look at these as faithful remasters then they do that job well, but if you look at these as remakes that could bring more to the table, but don't, then that 6/10 score and everything they say is totally fair.

Like for me I want remasters of the originals, whereas NintendoLife talk about there being no reason to play these when you can just play the originals. It's a completely different stance based on different expectations.

I think these products that blur the line between remake and remaster will become more common, and the critical argument over whether to innovate, or stay true to the original vision, is going to continue to be a point of contention in the future. At least that's what I think.

MatrixMan.exe · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
This Polygon review is an ALL TIMER:

A series trying too hard to innovate? News to me.

808s & Villainy · Nov 17, 2021

jelmerjt said:
Please remake Black and White 2 next GF and NOT Black and White. Black and White 2 are vastly superior and the post game is huge. Heck GF might even do it since there are two versions to remake. Cash cash cash :D

I don't know what makes you think there is even the slightest possibility whatsoever of them even acknowledging B2W2 when it comes to remake Gen 5. There is a 0% chance of them getting remade

Kirbivore said:
The things pointed out in this post feels like something that needs to be elaborated on (I should read it if it does) because by itself, it sounds rather asinine. The most I can probably think of though is the Mega, Z moves, and Dynamax mechanic.

Yeah, because those are literally the only substantive changes made to the traditional formula in the series aside from the slight progression changes in SuMo, replacement of HMs, and overworld Pokemon in LGPE/SwSh

Anth0ny · Nov 17, 2021

Kirbivore said:
The things pointed out in this post feels like something that needs to be elaborated on (I should read it if it does) because by itself, it sounds rather asinine. The most I can probably think of though is the Mega, Z moves, and Dynamax mechanic.

When I send my Pokémon out to battle, I can't Mega Evolve them for a temporary boost of strength. I can't tap my wristwatch to make them grow to skyscraper heights. And capturing Pokémon involves the same battle format as fighting a trainer, not the gyro-enabled Pokéball-throwing minigame featured in Let's Go. I battle until all of my monsters faint or all of the other team's do; I capture Pokémon via the careful whittling of HP. For years, the series' modern distractions have pulled me out of the first franchise I ever loved as a kid. Each game has been another mutation toward unnecessary new mechanics that make for cool moments but prolong the series' already lengthy battles. Somewhere along the way, the franchise diluted the joy of solving elemental battle puzzles and building a team capable of countering any trainer I may come across. The focus became about spectacle — giant combatants, wide-open spaces bursting with Pokémon to catch — rather than strategy.

bah gawd clicking the button to make your pokemon bigger and strongerer has ruined the simplicity of this once universal franchise

diakyu · Nov 17, 2021

Kirbivore said:
The things pointed out in this post feels like something that needs to be elaborated on (I should read it if it does) because by itself, it sounds rather asinine. The most I can probably think of though is the Mega, Z moves, and Dynamax mechanic.

I assure you there are people out there who will like bdsp purely because it doesn't have a "gimmick" but I doubt whoever wrote that is thinking of it

edit: maybe not lol

808s & Villainy · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
bah gawd clicking the button to make your pokemon bigger and strongerer has ruined the simplicity of this once universal franchise

Each game has been another mutation toward unnecessary new mechanics that make for cool moments but prolong the series' already lengthy battles. Somewhere along the way, the franchise diluted the joy of solving elemental battle puzzles and building a team capable of countering any trainer I may come across. The focus became about spectacle — giant combatants, wide-open spaces bursting with Pokémon to catch — rather than strategy.

Well that I can at least agree with, although it's clear they don't actually want players to have to learn any sort of strategizing during the normal play throughs of these games. They've done their best to undermine any need to learn the battle system before the end of the main quest for some reason

Layell · Nov 17, 2021

I want to know what dimension this Polygon review came from so that I can check out their version of the game.

KillstealWolf · Nov 17, 2021

Anth0ny said:
bah gawd clicking the button to make your pokemon bigger and strongerer has ruined the simplicity of this once universal franchise

To be fair for that after many a season of playing Sw/Sh online I am so over Dynamax as a mechanic and won't mind when it inevitably disappears, still gets referenced in other media then comes back again for the Sw/Sh remakes some 20 years from now.

I still really miss Triples though.

disparate · Nov 17, 2021

Kirbivore said:
The things pointed out in this post feels like something that needs to be elaborated on (I should read it if it does) because by itself, it sounds rather asinine. The most I can probably think of though is the Mega, Z moves, and Dynamax mechanic.

They're right that these things kinda suck imo.

KillstealWolf said:
To be fair for that after many a season of playing Sw/Sh online I am so over Dynamax as a mechanic and won't mind when it inevitably disappears, still gets referenced in other media then comes back again for the Sw/Sh remakes some 20 years from now.

I still really miss Triples though.

fuck, me too

Falchion · Nov 17, 2021

Seems about right based on what we've been hearing before launch.

painey · Nov 17, 2021

How the mighty have fallen

Atom · Nov 17, 2021

Polygon review is off their fuckin rocker. DP is infinitely more complex in terms of level design, post game, side content etc than a lot of the modern titles. I think they're confusing spectacle and gimmick for actual game substance. If anything these remakes should shine a light of how utterly vacuous modern games can be.

Also distortion world setpiece is probably the best story climax in a pokemon game. Goes a long way to add additional characterization to villains and heroes that a lot of the other game. Such a shame it's gone.

Alooful · Nov 17, 2021

KillstealWolf said:
We'll see what score it settles on, I'm sticking with the 79 the pokemon games always seem to end on.

Pokemon was actually about an 85-86 average on 3DS and also always above 80 on DS as well

SwSh/Let's Go at 80 and 79 are low for mainline standards. I believe B2W2 (80) and Emerald (76) are the other ones down there

Xita · Nov 17, 2021

RockmanBN said:
"It's Pokemon/10"

Yeah you can copy paste this for every Pokemon review thread. As long as the usual formula is there it won't get marked off.

This is why I'm very interested in how Arceus is received, since it messes with the formula.

RedDevil · Nov 17, 2021

Pop-O-Matic said:
For most video games, especially big AAA franchises like Pokemon, a MC in the 70s is basically an unmitigated disaster.

Ouch to PMD.

Rainy · Nov 17, 2021

Alooful said:
Pokemon was actually about an 85-86 average on 3DS and also always above 80 on DS as well

SwSh/Let's Go at 80 and 79 are low for mainline standards. I believe B2W2 (80) and Emerald (76) are the other ones down there

I do wonder if the grading curve changed for a portable game to what would be a console game. In addition to the actual game too ofc.

808s & Villainy · Nov 17, 2021

Xita said:
This is why I'm very interested in how Arceus is received, since it messes with the formula.

Depends on if it's reviewed as a mainline game or a spinoff

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