Today, the Pokemon Company unveiled plenty of new gameplay footage from the upcoming remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. There’s a new region of the Sinnoh map to catch exclusive Pokemon. You’ll also be able to battle your friends online, which is a huge step forwards for the franchise’s co-operative mechanics. We’ve got a breakdown of all the new additions to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl featured below.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: Online Battles, Grand Underground
Perhaps the most exciting reveal from today’s trailer is the announcement of online battles with friends. It will function differently to the Battle Tower that was in the original Diamond and Pearl, though it’s currently unclear how it’ll work. In the most recent Sword and Shield games, you could head to the Wild Arena to trade and battle with other trainers. This is probably how it’ll work in the new remakes, too.
The trailer also shows off the revamped graphics. Gone is the 2D world of the 2007 originals; this looks more like Animal Crossing, with cutscenes, adorable character models, and more detailed landscapes. You can even harness the 3D art style to customize elements of the game. This ranges from your character’s outfit to the design of your Pokeballs. It shows a mechanic where you can place stickers on a ball. That’s a new way to give your favorite Pokemon a special home.
The biggest gameplay reveal was the introduction of the Grand Underground, which is an expansion of the underground caves and tunnels present in the originals. Back then you could dig holes, mine for shards, and build your own hideouts. Now, there seem to be new regions with wild Pokemon roaming, there for you to catch.
Altogether, it makes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl seem like faithful, nostalgic throwbacks for fans of the original games. There’s plenty in there for new players too, thanks to the range of new additions.
