Watching a new, roughly 25-minute presentation on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, something struck me: Pokémon is actually kind of cute, right?
Of course I know this – the Pokémon Company did not hoist it’s brand to the top of the highest-grossing media franchise lists by playing down the snuggliness of a Pikachu – but it’s weirdly easy to put out of your mind when thinking about the main series games. Generally, people get into Pokémon when they’re still a child, and so the games – whichever they play first – tend to feel big and imposing. Challenging, even.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl previewPublisher: The Pokémon Company/NintendoDeveloper: ILCAAvailability: Out November 19th on Switch
This is what sticks with you as “your” idea of Pokémon, and it’s what sits at the front of your mind during its quests to become the very best, to topple leagues and champions and evil organisations again and again.
But, it is also very cute, and this is what sets the Diamond and Pearl remasters apart from the rest in that main series: their rounded, squishy-plastic chibi look takes a pixel-and-sprite style that you could interpret however you want, and turns it into something definitive. This is pitched as a cosy game first, a heroic adventure second, and thinking about it that way makes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl much easier to understand.
Partly, it’s been difficult to know exactly who these remakes are for. The Pokémon Company describes its goal with these remakes as being “to make them feel fresh and exciting for veteran players, whilst providing an up-to-date and exciting experience for new players” too. In other words, they hope everyone will like them. And in practical terms, it means two things: that squishy new art style, for one (“a modern-day reimagining of our classic style,” as a Pokémon representative put it) and a selection of user experience updates – but not a huge amount more.
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Pokémon battles are much faster in the remakes than the originals, for instance, and simple things like the shortcut for throwing a Pokéball in wild encounters return from modern entries like Sword and Shield. More excitingly, as was teased in a recent trailer, HMs have changed a bit. These are now accessed via the Pokétch, which has been moved from the DS’ second screen to a pinnable overlay viewed in the corner of your Switch. It appears that your party Pokémon don’t need to learn HMs in order for you to use them in the overworld, as a result: the presentation showed footage of a trainer interacting with a smashable rock blocking their path, and a “wild Bidoof” appearing to smash it.