With the announcement ofPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl,many fans of the series will be able to experience the long-awaited remakes of thefourth generation ofPokemongames. This generation is remembered fondly for its abundant number of Pokemon to catch, including numerous Mythical and Legendary Pokemon, a compelling story, and plenty of novelty features.
The fourth generation of games also includes a great deal of lore for thePokemonuniverse as a whole, andPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill likely include an updated version of this. The lore inPokemon DiamondandPokemon Pearlis realized further with the release ofPokemon Platinumand the full attention given to the Creation Trio.
Pokemon Platinumcenters itself on the third of the Creation Trio, Giratina. The game brings with its new mascot some quality-of-life changes as well as new features that players enjoyed. With the release window ofPokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlset for this fall, there are a number of features that feel likely to return but have yet to be announced. While some features were present inDiamondandPearl,other aspects ofPlatinumcould be worked into game and could benefit from the way the series has handled its recent content.
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Pokemon Platinum’s Legendary Birds
Counting all the Legendary and Mythical Pokemon that can be obtained,Pokemon Platinumhas a total of 17 Mythical and Legendary Pokemon available to players. While some of these Pokemon like Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus are event-only Pokemon, others can be caught through explicit means. Three that seem most likely to return are the original Legendary Birds from the first generation, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. To catch these,Pokemonplayers must first speak to Professor Birch after obtainingthe National Dex, at which point he will say that the birds have been spotted nearby the Sinnoh Region. This makes them randomly available to capture in the wild grass throughout Sinnoh as players roam.
This roaming mechanic has been used as recently as Gen 8’sPokemon SwordandPokemon Shield’sFrozen Tundraexpansion. In this expansion, Galar forms of the Legendary Birds were discovered and become available for the player to catch. With the addition of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos' Galar forms to the series, it feels likely thatBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcould use either the three Kanto birds or the Galar forms.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Delta Episode
The event Pokemon, Darkrai, Shaymin, andArceuscould see themselves worked into the remakes alongside Giratina through a story mechanic that Pokemon has used in the past. The remakes of the franchise’s third generation,Pokemon Omega RubyandPokemon Alpha Sapphire,had a segment called theDelta Episode. With howPokemon Platinumoriginally expanded on Giratina’s role in Gen 4, it feels fitting that theDiamondandPearlremakes receive a similar treatment asOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphiregave to Deoxys and Rayquaza from Gen 3.
Distortion World fromPokemon Platinumacts as Giratina’s home and is where it naturally appears in its Origin Forme. This location is the unstable counter to the regular time and space that Dialga and Palkia, the mascots forBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, reign over. As Giratina is part of the Creation Trio, it seems likely that the space will return with the Pokemon itself inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl. With the minimal information available so far, how it returns is still a matter that is up in the air. ADelta Episodeor similar style of content could be a great way to do it as lengthy post-game stories could also leave players with a sense of fulfillment.
Giratina and Distortion World’s return throughBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’sownDelta Episodecould be expanded and allow for more time in the space as well. Players could revisit with Origin Forme Giratina as a guide and search for Darkrai and Cresselia. The Area’s odd physics and interdimensional features could play well to the Lunar Duo’s dynamics. With Arceus as a variable god to the franchise, exhuming control over Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, a secondary plot around the Lunar Pokemon could offer side quests to encounter some fan favorite Pokemon and build up in-game lore.
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The WiFi Plaza and Minigames
It feels likely thatBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcould also have some of the Wi-Fi features of Gen 4 return. The WiFi Plaza was an area located beneath Pokemon Centers that allowed players to congregate and play games inPokemon Platinum. With the amount of integration that online features have had inPokemongames since Gen 4’s original release, especially with things likePokemon HomeandPokemon Gocompatibility, it feels like a great opportunity to show off how features like these have been improved.Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shielddid have things like the bike races in the Wild Area, but the inclusion of dedicated minigames could help promote a community driven environment.
There is a case to be made forPokemonminigames as well when fans consider the amount ofPokemonspin-offs or gamesthe franchise has been featured in over time. It might be a bit much to see things such as Pokemon races where players could test their fastest speedsters against another’s, but match and puzzles games could be a realistic option. With the hardware upgrade that the Nintendo Switch has compared to the Nintendo DS, more intricate puzzles and advanced touch screen features could be implemented to turn the WiFi Plaza into a fantastic piece of nostalgia realized.
In all, it would be great to seePokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlreturn with a lot of these features if not more. The fourth generation ofPokemongames have a rich environments and experimented with a lot of early concepts thanks to the DS’s touch screen and Wi-Fi capabilities. To see story elements, interactive features, and side content advanced onto hardware that can handle greater demands hasn’t been more than a dream until now.
Niche features likethe Undergroundcould shine now even though they were dropped in later installments. Something like Chatot’s Chatter move might not have as big of an impact but expanding on howPokemon Platinumtreated roaming Pokemon and the inclusion of already available Mythical and Legendary Pokemon in story elements could provide great player experiences.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare set for release in late 2021 on Nintendo Switch.
