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amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: December 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

this game is amazing. I bought this game back in october from japan and I think it's better than the older games although I do have trouble in some parts in the game because it is in japanese.
I can't wait for it to come to the US

Pokemon arrives on the Nintendo DS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Pokemon Pearl and Diamond.

INTRODUCTION:
The Pokemon franchise has always been a mixed bag. While it spawned numerous disasters, like an annoying cartoon and frequent controversies, it also resulted in a sweet card game and some of the greatest portable RPGs the world has ever known. Any Pokemon game that has stuck to the traditional formula has been a true winner. From the series infancy right up to the recent Game Boy Advance titles, this is the RPG series that has never failed to please. With each new entry in the series (as far as the "traditional" RPGs of the series go), there have been enough improvements to keep fans interested, but enough sticking to the classic formula so as to not alienate long time fans. Read on for my review of the Nintendo DS entries in the series, Diamond and Pearl.

OVERVIEW:
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were released in Japan in the latter half of 2006. The American release followed in Spring of 2007. The game adds over a hundred new Pokemon to the roster, as well as a whole new world to explore, and Nintendo WFC compatibility.

REVIEW:
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are more or less what people expected them to be, and that's a good thing. Nintendo took its flagship franchise, and stayed true to the classic formula, but took excellent advantage of what the DS is capable of (in most respects.) What results is one of the finest titles both in the Pokemon franchise and for the DS.

-THE GOOD-

-CLASSIC POKEMON GAMEPLAY. This is true blue original-style Pokemon gaming, not one of those misadventures that made people tilt their heads in confusion. If you've played any of the other games in the series (the REAL series, not the departures from the classic RPG formula), and you found them appealing, you'll fall in love with this new entry instantly.
-OVER A HUNDRED NEW SPECIES. You'd think after a decade with this franchise, Nintendo would be either fresh out of new ideas for Pokemon or scraping the bottom of the barrel for new ideas. Neither is true. Nintendo keeps things fresh, with several awesome new species, and even some new pre-evolved forms and evolutions for the old ones. Not to mention there are a ton of new legendaries in town.
-NINTENDO WFC COMPATIBILITY. I really had my doubts about Nintendo being able to use this well in a Pokemon game, but for the most part they succeed well. All trading with friends locally is done wireless in a Union Room (like what you did in Fire Red and Leaf Green for the Game Boy Advance with wireless adaptors.) You can even trade online with gamers all around the world! The online trade system is an awesome addition to this series.
-INVOLVING. This game grows on you. Any fan of the Pokemon series will tell you that the RPGs are addicting, and there is definitely more to them than meets the eye. Beneath the cute characters and happy music is an in-depth game that requires well-planned strategies to win. This isn't just a kids game. Get started with it, and it will take over your whole life.
-TWO VERSIONS. As with all Pokemon games, there are multiple versions of the game - Diamond and Pearl. Each game is the same, except for the different versions of Pokemon in each game. You can buy one version and a friend can buy the other, and this is a good way to get everything the game has to offer.
-TONS OF REPLAY VALUE. With the over one hundred new species added here, the total number of Pokemon now approaches five hundred. With that many, you'll never get tired of hunting. And even if you catch them all, you can always try training different species and participating in the Pokemon contests. There's always something to do.
-LOTS OF CUSTOMIZING YOUR MONSTERS. This has always been a feature I've loved about this series. You can arrange the moves of your Pokemon to your liking, and thus customize them to suit your own fighting style. A similar-specie monster own by you and your friend, at the exact same level, may have totally different attacks!
-NEW UNDERGROUND MODE. This is a nice little extra addition to the series. Though by no means required, it's a great feature and can help you get some rare items.
-COMPATIBLE WITH THE GAME BOY ADVANCE RPGS. You can use them to import your old monsters once you get the National Pokedex, and even have them in your DS's GBA slot to make some rarer Pokemon appear in the wild! A nice incentive to have one of the older games.

-THE BAD-

-THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS IN THIS SERIES I DON'T THINK NINTENDO WILL EVER FIX. Pokemon CAN NOT forget HM-taught moves on their own! This gets extremely annoying when your Pokemon wants to learn a new move, and you can't get rid of the one annoying once-obligatory move you want to trash the most. Likewise, you can't change the nicknames of Pokemon gotten in trades. This gets annoying when trading online with Japanese gamers who give their creatures nicknames consisting of Japanese characters us Americans will never understand. There are other little flaws but I won't nitpick.
-IMPORTING YOUR OLD GBA MONSTERS IS A GREAT FEATURE, BUT YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH TOO MUCH BEFORE YOU CAN DO IT! You have to beat the Gym Leaders, Elite Four AND complete the regional Pokedex before you can do this. Fortunately, you only have to SEE all the Pokemon to complete the dex, but this doesn't make this any less annoying. Eager trainers who want to get their old monsters into the game right away are going to be annoying. I understand Nintendo wanting to make gamers work for this, but this is just too much. The feature should have been made available earlier in the game.
-HORRIBLY OUTDATED GRAPHICS. The Game Boy Advance games in the series are graphically superior to these! The graphics are often pixelated, and the attempt at three dimensions will cause confusion at times, as some paths will become difficult to see. You actually have to play the game to know what I mean.
-WHEN TRADING ONLINE, YOU CAN NOT TRADE FOR A POKEMON UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE IN YOUR GAME! This is absolute bull! If you're thinking about filling out your Pokedex through online trading, forget it. I don't know what Nintendo was thinking when they came up with this asinine idea.
-YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE POKEMON UP FOR TRADE AT A TIME ONLINE. This pretty much speaks for itself.
-IF THE DS HAS SO MANY BUTTONS, WHY CAN YOU ONLY REGISTER AN ITEM TO ONE BUTTON? It gets annoying having to decide between having a fishing rod or a bike on the register button, as I use both a ton and most gamers will too. Would it have killed Nintendo to make the L and R buttons register buttons too? They don't get used much at all.

OVERALL:
Despite the obvious flaws, this is a great game. All Nintendo DS owners will be doing themselves a favor adding Pokemon Pearl and/or Diamond to their collections.

EDITION NOTES:
At the time I write this, the game is brand new. You should have no trouble finding a copy in any game store.

Review Page: 1 

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