Pokémon Diamond/Pearl Comments by Luke Albiges

Wasn't this supposed to be the firt region locked DS game? How import friendly is it?

If I gave you Pokemon diamond and pearl
Would you be a happy boy or a girl..

It works on European DSs (I have it), and I'm pretty sure that it will connect with the PAL version too. I don't know if it will work with the PAL Pokemon battle revolution though.

Wow, great stuff. It's a buy then. I haven't played a Pokemon game since Gold so this sounds right up my alley.

This looks exactly like all the previous version of Pokemon, is there actually much that's new or improved here?

If so, some more mention of it would be nice - and if not then it's hard to see how this ageing and highly repetitive series can still be worth a 9/10.

It's Pokémon.

Not Pokčmon.

/nitpick

edit: ah, fixed. find/replace FTW

how about a review for those of us who know, in essence, what pokemon is (something to do with packs of little cards, did you have to collect them or something, like panini cards? and a small yellow dog/cat thing) but haven't ever played the games, or watched the childrens cartoon, or anything.

is it an RPG? what? what is it?

eurogamer, we need background, otherwise you're just preaching to the converted.

oh, and what the hell *is* "halo" of which you constantly speak, but never explain (ok, i knew that one, but i bet there are some folks, i.e. the population of japan, who still might be mystified).

I've had Pokemon Diamond for a few weeks. Never played a Pokemon game before so everything is new to me. I'm 15 hours in now and it's bloody addictive. It's a fantastic game. I graabbed if for Ł18.99 from Movietyme.

This looks exactly like all the previous version of Pokemon, is there actually much that's new or improved here?

If so, some more mention of it would be nice - and if not then it's hard to see how this ageing and highly repetitive series can still be worth a 9/10.

Just looking at it doesn't tell the whole story, all the pokemon games a follow the same collect-a-thon beat all the gyms defeat a Team Rocket variant then defeat the elite four on the exterior.

The smart thing every new generation of pokemon game has done is that there are new pokemon, with new types, and different influences on what type of attacks are super effective against what, and they add new abilities onto the pokemon themselves that influence the battle, what abilities you can use outside of pokemon ala HM's, you can't adopt a one approach beats all throughout the pokemon franchise outright and you have to re-learn what's what as well.

Nintendo could literally make a carbon copy of the first pokemon Games, add 100 new pokemon and it'd still feel like a fresh game rather than a re-hash I think it's the only franchise ever that can do that.

Oh yeah i would like to pat myself on the back with the achievement that I collected all 200 pokemon in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald last week. :)

Oh yeah i would like to pat myself on the back with the achievement that I collected all 200 pokemon in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald last week. :)

Congratulations! I got to about 180 and gave up..!

I'm loving Pearl, though. It's taken 45 hours off me in the last 7 days, and no signs of slowing yet! There are unquestionably chinks in the armour which will hit you at about the 35 hour mark but it's a phoenomenal game and at movietyme's price you'd be mad not to...

Re: PAL compatability - no issues whatsoever yet (American DS games have cooler boxes, incidentally), but I'm nervous about it working with the zoned Pokémon Battle Revolution...

I have had diamond for a few weeks now and managed to clock up a not unimpressive 80 odd hours on it :)

My first reaction to the game was that the graphics seem a little less smooth, more rough around the edges, when compared to my GBA version, Fire Red. The character animation seems to have taken a bit of a nosedive also.

I played with Fire Red again for a few weeks before getting Diamond to ensure I had got as many of the little beasts that I could, including MewTwo. I played it on a GBA Micro on the train to work. Maybe the small screen lends itself to the graphics of Pokemon better than the two big screens of the DS or maybe it is just me, but the previous GBA version of pokemon looked better than the DS version.

Having said that, the game mechanics are still as good. Fighting, capturing, breeding etc are all the same and ensure that even if you haven't played pokemon for a while, you will fall right back into place within 5 minutes of playing.

whats the difference between the two and which is recommended?

@Steroyd

Ok, so besides new Pokemon and some new attacks and things, it's basically just the same (admittedly quite good) game recycled again?

Personally I think the latest game in a long-running series should be doing more than adding a few 'more of the same' features each time if it expects to get a decent score.

Don't get me wrong, I own two Pokemon games already (Red on the GB and Sapphire on the GBA) and I enjoyed them both - but they were basically just the same game rehashed, so I can't help that thinking the score should go down each time a new game in the series repeats it all again.

oh, and what the hell *is* "halo" of which you constantly speak, but never explain (ok, i knew that one, but i bet there are some folks, i.e. the population of japan, who still might be mystified).

I think they covered this one; it's an FPS. 'Nuff said.

Ok, so besides new Pokemon and some new attacks and things, it's basically just the same (admittedly quite good) game recycled again?

mmmm.... kinda.

Every iteration has always refined and polished whatever niggles there were in the previous games while adding new stuff to keep it fresh, I don't think a mark should be taken off because it kept the same core gameplay (infact it might of been prevented a 10/10 because of that) that we all loved from the previous games the last thing we want is to break what isn't broken which is far worse.

Anyway with all that rabble what Diamond Pearl adds to the fray most importantly is online be it battles or pokemon swapping so a 9/10 is more than justified for this sequel.

Remember that traded Pokémon gain +50% XP. Online battling and being able to team up.

W.
I.
N.

Good point about Battle Revolution working with imported versions - it *should* do though as the DS is region free, so the game should work with any version of BR released. Fingers crossed.

==Score==
When a 'rehashed' game is still an awesome game, that works great in all mechanics, and has enough fresh new things to keep it interesting, there is no reason to downgrade the score. This game deserves the score without a doubt.

==European compatibility==
According to Nintendo Benelux, DS versions will be compatible -as long as it's all English; sucks to be French/German- and DS to Wii will 'likely' be compatible.

http://ng-gamer.nl/nieuws.php?id=3370&gi...

How do you get Pikachu onto a bus?

You poke-'im-on!!!

'things that are popular' and 'things that are good' aren't always the same thing. Just look at Oasis or Coldplay

What are you trying to say here? Because Oasis and Coldplay are both popular and good.
So I don't get the point you're trying to make.

Superb, well worth the 9/10

No mention of the very dodgy English or the fact that the touch screen is totally underused?

Still, it's Pokemon. Gotta play. Deja vu. Again.

My NTSC copy of Pokemon Red and Silver worked with the PAL versions of the 2 stadium games, so it should work with BR.

Thank goodness for online ordering, to save me the embarrassment of picking this up in person. I've been put off later iterations by how difficult it seems to be to catch EVERYTHING. I caught 151 monsters in Red (thanks to Pokemon Colosseum), did a decent amount of Gold, but not picked one up since.

Daikon - the review clearly states LOADS of clever uses of the touch screen. So, who is right?

Also, for people like me that haven't played Pokemon since Pokemon Red on the Gameboy, what's the difference between Diamond and Pearl?

No mention of the very dodgy English or the fact that the touch screen is totally underused?

What dodgy English?
And the touch screen is used perfectly well. Not every game needs to make use of it, in the same way not every game needs to make use of the microphone.

things that are popular' and 'things that are good' aren't always the same thing. Just look at Oasis or Coldplay

What are you trying to say here? Because Oasis and Coldplay are both popular and good.
So I don't get the point you're trying to make.

Seconded mate.

Imported this as soon as it came out and can't put it down. A return to the former glory of Gold, none of the Ruby rubbish. I can see it lasting 50 hours minimum and I encourage everyone to import at only Ł20 on CDWOW.com! The only problem is the crappy grey US box and none of my friends have frined codes yet....

Also, for people like me that haven't played Pokemon since Pokemon Red on the Gameboy, what's the difference between Diamond and Pearl?

Just different pokemon that's all.

Saying that i'm getting the one with Scyther in it, i think that one's pearl.

horrible, fanboyish review that preaches to the converted imo. That last paragraph is cringeworthy.

dudefella & justsomeone: totally agree. what a poor review for EG, especially when it appears to be an important 9/10 release. I'd love to know more about the basics of Pokemon and why it's exactly so 'playable by all' to quote the last gushing par of this worryingly poor review.

I still haven't got a clue about how this bleedin' game works or why it appears to be so toothsomely addictive. Please can someone sum up in a handful of words why the Pokey games are so more-ish and why this one is so good.

And crucially, is this the best starting place for a Poke game or would one of the older releases be better?

Picked this up the other day online also for Ł20. Just got my 2nd badge and im hooked already. This is definatly as good as gold+silver if not better from what ive played so far and I cant wait to get online and import some of my Sapphire pokemon.

@Owen-B

"Clever uses" is not the same as properly used, which it isn't - the user interface behaves like a regular GBA game.
You clearly haven't played this game yet.

Why oh why do I have to use the D-pad to navigate through all of the menu options instead of being able to click on them using the stylus?

9/10 .... but, it's Pokémon o_o

For people who don't know how Pokemon plays:

It's basically a fairly simple RPG game with tons of hidden depth. In each game, you leave your home town to become a Pokemon Trainer, Gain Badges, and by doing so, become the best Pokemon Trainer in the world.

At the start of the game, you pick a Starter Pokemon, and set off on your adventure, travelling the world from City to City, beating Gym Leaders in fights to get all 8 badges allowing you to fight the Pokemon League.

Travelling around the world, you catch lots of different Pokemon in Poke Balls, creating an ultimate squad of Pokemon, and to catch all of em'. Battles themselves are really fun, but simple. Mostly, it revolves around Rock, Paper and Scissors style weaknesses.

Well, that's basically it, but it really is so much fun.

I still want to see a "proper" 3d pokemon game.

Give it the 3d zelda treatment, will be ace.

But yet they keep doing bloody arena games!


>Wasn't this supposed to be the firt region locked DS game?

Dunno for sure, but i presume this is because of the online gaming.

@Daikon

You're able to do so in the battles. Can't think off the top of my head which menus you're referring to?

Can you say "fanboy"?

BRILLIANT game!!! Still as addictive as ever

That looked more like the synopsis from the back of the game pack than a review...

I found the touch screen implemented into battles damn annoying. It drags out battles way too long when they're already going slow. Another thing I don't like is how this time they've become toooo linear, like setting a direct ONE route path for you to follow. You can't even take a different route to the same place, they give you stupid roadblocks.

7/10 for me.

It would be 6 but bonus point for implementing this: "In return we'll refrain from doing MASSIVE DAMAGE to your assistant". Yes, that line is in there, and others like 'n00b', 'owned', and 'for the win'.

i got it imported and it work on wifi the only thing im worried about is battle revolution

this game is definaitly addictive i played for nearly 4 hours and didn't notice

Completely agree with the review, excellent game, as with others have had no probs on a PAL DS.

Also would like to see a proper full 3D version with Wiimote enhanced attacks....

Got it, been playing it aaaand... so far it's exactly (eeeeeexxxxxxxaaaaaaactly) the same as the game I played on my Gameboy Color all those years ago.

Same Pokemon, same game structure, same everything. Only difference is this online ability (sod all use if you're not a 12 year old whose mates all have DS's) and the fact there's two screens to clean up the interface a bit, and the day/night modes. But other than that... 9 out of 10? NINE?

I can't believe identical iterations of games get the same score. Who is that chap doing the review? Never seen him before, should I trust him? If this is my frame of reference I'll be knocking a point or so off his future reviews until he starts putting some actual CRITICISM into reviews rather than reciting facts and 'being funny'.



Er, having said that I'm enjoying it so far.

Pokemon games are great. The handheld ones, that is.

@Freelancepolice

The menu screen? The one that opens if you press X? The one you use to save your game with?

How about computer operations? Moving pokemon in and out of storage?
No touchscreen functionality at all here. Might as well have released the game on GBA.

Well there is some limited touch screen stuff in the pokemon computer menus but if you're talking about the little text menu on the top I'd be inclined to say it doesn't need it. You're moving your character with the d pad and face buttons why make the player take out the stylus, even giving the option seems pointless to have to endure a screen swap or obscure the poketch only to change your mind and cancel the menu.

The pokedex would be the most useful touch screen addition IMO and it is. I can quickly find whatever pokemon I want with the stylus.

David78 - thanks for the gameplay overview bud. At last!

buyitbuyitbuyit

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=235

On the nose.