The 4th generation of Pokémon was a major milestone for the long-running series. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl versions were the main games released in 2006 (Japan) and 2007, as well as Pokémon Platinum that released in 2009. The 4th generation was the first series on Nintendo’s new handheld brand, the Nintendo DS. While the games still featured a top-🐎down 2D sprite design, it showed a lot more life than its Game Boy Advance predecessors by having more of a 3D environmental design.
Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum brought many changes to the Pokémon gameplay formula. One of the biggest changes was the restructure of physical and special moves. No longer were moves determined by their type, but instead their actual nature of the move. This allowed for more unique ways to develop Pokémon cꦗompetitively as well as buff up Pokémon whose typing was a special type ꦐbut had plenty of physical power (Electabuzz is a prime example.)
Of course, like many Pokémon games, there are always a large number of secrets and easter eggs that can be found in the game. Many of these secrets may not have been experienced unless you took advantage of a glitch or hacked certain items in the game just to play planned side quests. Here we will venture forth into the mysterious and often chilly Sinnoh region and discover 30 gameplay secrets that players may not have been aware of when Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum took center stage in the Pokémon universe.
30 Diamond And Pearl’s Hidden Side Quests That You L𒆙ikely Missed
Generation 4’s Legendary Mythical Pokémon, Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus had a different method planned in order to acquire 👍than past Pokémon like Mew and Celebi. Originally, each of these three Pokémon had side quests that were unlocked once you received a mystery gift item online.
These items were never distributed outside of Japan.
Instead, only the Pokémon themselves were released, meaning the side quests were never 𒆙accessible legally. Y🧔ou can hack the mystery gift items to trigger the side quests.
29 ﷽ Encountering The God Of Pokémon
One of the most memorable Pokémon in the 4th generation is the Legendary Mythical Pokémon Arceus. Arceus is kn💙own as the Creation Pokémon, said to ha𝕴ve created the entire universe. Additionally, it had the highest base stats of all Pokémon at the time, and if you take away Mega Evolutions and Fusion forms, it still does have the highest.
Arceus is commonly referred to as the PokéGod, who was part of aꦇn unr🍬eleased side quest.
If you obtained the unobtainable🍷 Azure Flute, then go to the Spear Pillar, the flute will automatically play. This will cause a staircase to appear in which you will ascend to the heavens to battle Arceus at level 80. Not only is♏ this the highest level wild Pokémon ever, but with a move like recover available, it is also one of the most difficult Pokémon of all time to capture.
28 ꦕ 🃏 A Major Trick To Collecting Shiny Pokémon
Shiny Pokémon made their debut in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Shiny Pokémon were alternately colored Pokémon that can be noticeably different from their normal designs. This type of Pokémon was ext🌃raordinarily rare. In fact, the odds of encountering a shiny Pokémon are 1/8192. However, there was one method that was introduced in generation 4 that made encountering shiny Pokémon significantly better.
The Masuda Method increases the rate of shiny Pokémon hatches by a factor of 5.
The Masuda Method is named after the Director at Game Freak and series creator, Junichi Masuda. The Masuda Method involv𝓰es getting two Pokémon t🐲hat were caught by trainers from two different real-life countries and breeding a Pokémon egg from them. The egg will have a 1/1638 chance of hatching into a shiny Pokémon.
27 You Can Catch Spec🦹ific Pokémon From Generations 1 And 3
With the original Nintendo DS and DS Lite, the system features a GBA cartridge slot where you could play just about any GBA game on your DS. The games can even communicate with each other. This is well used in 4th gen Pokémon. Of course, you can transfer your Pokémon via the Pal Park, but there is an added bonus to having a GBA Pokémon game inserted. By having Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red, or Leaf Green inserted, you can catch many of the exclusive Pokémon from those 🐼respective games in the wild in the DS game.
26 Rematch With Every Gym Leader And Othe✃rs 🌟
If you missed out on Pokémon Platinum, you missed out on one of the nice additions to the post game. After you complete the Stark Mountain sidequest, a restaurant known as the battleground will open up. Here you can battle in rematches against all of the gym leaders in Platinum as well as the tag battle partners you meet along your journey. This is a valuable source of gaining experience as these trainers all have 5 Pokémon leveled in the low 60s. This gives trainers multiple options on how they want to grind out leveling up Pokéꦚmon to the higher levels.
25 It's⛄ Good To Turn Back At Turnback Cave 𝓰
Turnback Cave is best known in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl as the location in which you can ꦚcapture the legendary Pokémon Giratina. However, Turnback cave can help trainers get rich quick. It is a very confusing cave as each room is basically random.
After you battle Giratina, if you come back, there will be an item in its place.
Depending on how soon you get to the room, one of three different items appear. These items include a Reaper Cloth, a Rare Bone, and Stardust. If you come back to get rare bones they can be useful in earning a lotಌ of cash.
24 Getting A Happy Birthday Message From Your Friend ♚
One of the neat little touches that Pokémon can have with its players is the🤪 thoughtfulness of connecting to your system settings and having a special happy birthday message wh💟enever you play the game the day that your birthday is set.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were the first games to have this feature.
If you play on your birthday and go to Sandgem Town, your friend Lucas/Dawn will acknowledge that it is your birthday. Unfortunately, there isn’t any gift that is being given to you✃, but it’s the thought that counts right?
23 Old Chateau Mysteries Are Easy To 🐼Miss
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl features a rather interesting location just north of Eterna Forest, a haunted mansion known as the Old Chateau. The Old Chateau was best known as the location where ꦗyou can get the ghost Pokémon Rotom, but it is pretty easy to miss some of the weird happenings that can occur in the mansion.
There are two ghostly people that appear within the mansion, but they have to be triggered through specific means.
First, a girl would appear in an adjacent room when you enter a specific bedroom down a hallway. Next, if you leave the dining room, then re-enter, you’ll see what appears to be ൲a butler floating towards the kitchen. These are the only times you ever see them and there is no explanation as to who they are or why they are there.
22 You😼 Can Save Your Best Battles As Highlights ⛎
If you missed out on Pokémon Platinum you missed one of the cool additions to the game. In Platinum, you can receive the item Vs. Recorder. This item will allow you to save a limited number of battles that you engage in either online or at the Battle Tower. You can then share your vꦏideos over the Global Terminal. This is a very good feature for competitive battlers being able to review how their battles went and what they can improve on in the future.
21 𒁃Transfer As Many Pokémon As You Want As Soon As You Want
Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum allowed you to transfer Pokémon from your Game Boy Advance games into the Pal Park. However, there was a very annoying catch in that you could only do six Pokémon a day. There is a way that you can bypass this and transfer as many Pokémon as you want in one day. You’ll need two GBA Pokémon games to pull th𝓰is off, one where you transfer like normal, the other to use as a decoy when you ch𒉰ange the time.
When you change the time on your system, make sure to have the decoy copy inserted in the DS. When you restart Pokémon D/P/P it will have to re-calibrate due to the clock settings changed on the DS and you would have to normally wait 24 hours (why Game Freak?) Then restart with the normal copy you are transferring from and you can send six more Po𒀰kémon over. To do more, just rinse and repeat.