Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Everything We Know So Far

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After a long, long wait, the remakes for the Sinn🅠oh games have been announced. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are the much-anticipated remakes of Diamond & Pearl, and they're releasing this year! While we initially got a trailer and some bits of info here and there, Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokemon Company have been kind of hush-hush about many of the details.

There is a bit we know, but there is much still shrouded in mystery, much like the legends of Sinnoh themselves. Here's what we know so far!

UPDATE: Since the initial publication of this post, a couple of presentations have revealed more information about Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. We've updated this post with the new info!

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Release Date - November 19, 2021

As is typical with main series Pokemon games, BDSP will be releasing just before the holiday season — specifically, on November 19, 2021.

Physical editions of both games can currently be pre-ordered on the official site, whil💦e digital copies can ☂be pre-ordered on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

The games will only be available on the Nintendo Switch.

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Trailers

There have been a few video presentations of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl trailer — one announcement trailer and two additional followups. It's unknown at the moment whether any other info will be released before the game is, but we'll likely get to see a bit more.

Here's the reveal trailer:

Much is shown in this trailer, though there aren't many features outside of new graphics that we wouldn't already know.

The August Pokemon Presents showcase gave us a bit more info to work with. We've embedded it here at the start time for the BDSP info (at 5:40), but feel free to watch the entire presentation to see info about other games like Pokemon Cafe Remix, Pokemon GO, and more.

Here's that video:

Much was revealed in this presentation, and we'll break it down throughout this post.

Finally, a third news video showed off some more content 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:in September:

Now, let's go over what we've been shown.

What's New In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl?

Right now, there have been a few things that are confirmed to be different from the original games, but aside from specific mechanics, we don't know the full story quite yet.

What they have said is that the story will be "faithfully reproduced" and that towns and routes have been "carefully preserved." The "faithfully reproduced" phrase has been pinpointed by fans and media alike, with most believing it means an almost 1:1 remake from the originals, but it's unclear just how far that phrase extends.

This is especial🌊ly interesting, since the developers have also sa🔯id that the remakes include "easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences of the modern Pokémon series."

What this likely means is that the games are almost the same in the most important characteristics, like the story, overworld, and more, but contain quality-of-life upgrades from more recent games — the removal of HMs, auto-save, the Shiny Charm, unlimited-use TMs, new items like Nature Miꦺnts, and more.

Developer

Interestingly, these remakes will not be developed by Game Freak — the first main series Pokemon titles not to be. Tokyo-based ILCA (which stands for I Love Computer Art) is developing Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, as Game Freak is busy making the open-world game Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Junichi Masuda, co-founder of Game Freak and longtime Pokemon game director and composer, will be co-directing BDSP alongside ILCA's Yuichi Ueda.

This will be the first main series Pokemon title that ILCA is working on. The studio did work on Pokemon HOME, though, so it's not their first foray into the Pokemon world.

ILCA also worked on NieR: Automata, Yakuza 0, and Dragon Quest XI, though not as the head developers. It'll be interesting to see how they do with the remakes while Game Freak takes a bit of a step back.

Graphics

The graphics have received a major upgrade, as is expected. However, the games will not take on the new graphics of Sword & Shield or the Let's Go games. New graphics show a 3D, yet still top-down style for the overworld.

The NPCs and♑ player characters have bee꧙n given a chibi-style design, like a modern 3D rework of the original character sprites. The style has drawn some criticism from fans, though.

In battle, things are a bit more current, comparedꦯ to Gen VII and Gen VIII games. Character and Pokemon models closely resemble modern games, using 3D Pokemon models, notably.

Attack animations and other battle animations are also the current style we know nowadays, giving the games🗹 much more 🤪of an updated feel. Battles also take place on a fully-designed battlefield like Sword & Shield, rather than the generic ones from back in the day.

The Grand Underground

To the delight of many Diamond & Pearl veterans, the Sinnoh Underground is making a return. However, it'll have a bit of a rework from the original! It's now called the Grand Underground and works a bit differently.

You'll be able to create a Secret Base, play with your friends, and dig for fossils and other treasures, much like the original version of the Underground. But, there will now be a new mechanic: Hideaways! These are underground locations where Pokemon can be found and captured. Some Pokemon are even exclusive to these areas. The decorations you place in your Secret Base will influence which Pokemon appear in Hideaways!

Super Contests

The Pokemon Super Contests have been upgraded from their appearance in Gen IV, as well. Full details were not outlined, but it seems like there will be a new mechanic called Hype Points. You'll need to perform to earn these Hype Points.

Your Pokemon can dance during a rhythm-🅠based minigame, and they can use moves to impress the audiencಌe. The same categories exist from the original version of Contests: Coolness, Cuteness, Beauty, Toughness, and Cleverness. There are four ranks: Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master.

Following Pokemon

One of the most exciting reveals du💃ring the Pokemon Pre🐟sents showcase was that Pokemon can follow behind your trainer on the overworld, much like in the Sword & Shield DLC areas and HeartGold & SoulSilver.

In Diamond & Pearl, you could have a Pokemon follow behind you in Amity Square, but only certain species were allowed in. Now, in the remakes, any Pokemon can follow♋ behind you, seemingly most places in the Sinnoh region, not just Amity Square.

Poketch & HMs

The Poketch, a gadget that could be used for various different functions, will be returning in the remakes. Instead of being on a second screen like it was on the DS, it'll pop up into the corner of the screen on the Switch. This new version of the Poketch removes the need for teaching HM moves to Pokemon to navigate the overworld. Instead, you can call upon wild Pokemon to perform those functions.

Other Poketch apps are confirmed as well:

Dowsing Machine
Step Counter
Pokemon List
Memo Pad
Friendship Checker
Digital Watch

Amity Square

The gardens and walking paths of Amity Square are returning, but the area will function a little differently in the remakes. In Diamond &a🌳mp; Pearl, there were only a handful of Pokemon that you could walk with in Amity Square. The number was expanded slightly in Platinum to include the Sinnoh Starter Pokemon and their evolutions.

It seems the roster has been expanded again, as the third gameplay video shows Eevee, who wasn't one of the original possibilities.

Another change to Amity Square in these remakes is that you can bring up to six Pokemon at once. In the 🏅older games, you could only walk with one Pokemon, but now, your entire team can accompany you. You can also take snapshots that will save to your Nintendo Switch library.

After walking with a Pokemon in Amity Square, you'll be able to have a Pokemon follow you around towns and routes in the game.

Poffins

These special items will be making their return in the remake games, and it looks like they'll function mostly the same. By completing a small minigame, you can make specialty Poffins that can raise the Contest stats of the Pokemon you feed them to.

You can team up with your Pokemon in the Poffin House or in Amity Square to cook Poffins. Your performance in the minigame factors in to the Poffin's quality.

Other Info

There are some ot𒈔her things reveal𝔉ed during the Pokemon Presents event that were mentioned briefly:

Character customization will be available, including your Trainer's appearance and their wardrobe
The Union Room is returning, and it will allow you to trade, battle, and play with trainers worldwide
Poke Ball Stickers are returning, allowing you to design special animations that play when you send a Pokemon into battle
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus will connect to Pokemon HOME, starting in 2022
There will be no ranked battles in BDSP or Legends: Arceus. The ranked battle system will continue in Pokemon Sword & Shield

The Sinnoh Region

We do know some of what to expect about the lore and geography of the Sinnoh region, wh🙈ich serves as the setting for the games, given what we know about the originals. There are also some features and mechanics from Diamond & Pearl that we know are returning in the remakes.

You'll face off against eight gyms before taking on the Sinnoh League, which consists of the Elite Four and the current-reigning Champion, Cynthia. Along the way, you'll have to contend with the evil Team Galactic, who are up to no good, as is the case with most villainous teams in Pokemon.

You'll also have a rival, Barry, who is a bit clumsy with how he rushes from place to place. He'll join you along the way, testing your mettle as a trainer and providing help on where to go and what to do.

Barry THUD brilliant diamond shining pearl rival

Starter Pokemon

One of the first things that you'll need to know is that your Starter options will be the same as they were in Gen IV: Turtwig, a Grass-type, Chimchar, a Fire-type, or Piplup, a Water-type.

Turtwig will ꦅgo on to evolve into Grotle, then Torterra, who is the only Grass/Ground-type in the series. Torterra is a bulky andꦰ defense-oriented Pokemon, with a decent physical Attack stat.

Chimchar evolves into Monferno, and then Infernape. This Fire/Fighting-type was the second of three Fire/Fighting Starters in a row, preceded by Blaziken and followed by Emboar. I💎nferna💟pe is more offense-focused, with decent Attack and Special Attack.

The final Starter choice, Piplup, will evolve into𝔍 Prinplup and then Empoleon. As a Water/Steel-type, Empoleon is a bit more balanced between offense and defense. It can play great as a supporter, setting things up on the field or removing them, though it can also pack a punch on its own.

Legendary Pokemon

You'll be able to catch a Legendary Pokemon, but which one you can will be determined by your game version. If you have Brilliant Diamond, you'll be up against Dialga. If you have Shining Pearl, you're looking at a battle with Palkia. These two, plus Platinum's mascot, Giratina, make up the Creation Trio of Sinnoh, representing time, space, and antimatter. All three were created by Arceus to rule over their respective domains.

Dialga is a Steel/Dragon-type with a signature move called Roar of Time. This Legendary is called the Temporal Pokemon because it is representative of time as a conceꦍpt overall.

Palkia is a Water/Dragon-type with Spacial Rend as a signature move. Palkia is called the Spatial Pokemon, since it's the representative and master of space as a concept.

Giratina is probably not going to feature prominently in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, since it was mainly the focus of Platinum. But, it could be caught in the original games after meeting some tough requirements. Additionally, it has another form in Platinum, its Origin Form. Whether Giratina's role will be expanded or kept the way it was is currently not something we know.

Terrain Hazards

Siဣnnoh is easily one of the most geographically diverse regions in the Pokemon universe. Th♏ere are snowy mountains, boggy marshes, beaches, floral fields, and more.

As a result, the game features a ton of terrain-related mechanics that add some flare to gameplay. You'll find yourself trudging through the snow to get to Snowbelle City, battling swimmers on the beaches, and even walking on pedways above the buildings in Sunyshore City.

We can see the player characters trudging through the snow and falling 𓃲into the boggy marsh terrain in the August Pokemon Presents video, so we know that these te💦rrain hazards will be making a return.

National Pokedex

Thi𓆏s is one of the biggest questions many fans have: will the Di𓆏amond & Pearl remakes include Pokemon from Generation V onward?

In past remakes (FireRed & LeafGreen, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire), Pokemon were included from more recent games than the originals those games were based on. One could easily conclude that the s𓆉ame will apply to the Gen IV remakes.

However, there's a slight snag when making this assumption: Sword & Shield does not contain the full National Pokedex. In one of the most controversial moves in Pokemon history (titled "Dexit" as a pun on "Pokedex" and "Brexit," since the Galar region is based on the U.K.), the developers made it so that you could only catch Pokemon that inhabit Galar. Those in the rest of the National Pokedex could not be imported up from other games.

This makes it a bit tricky when trying to predict which route BDSP will take. Will they continue the new trend of not including a full National Dex? Will they only feature the original Pokedex of Diamond & Pearl? Will the fine people at the Pokemon Company cave to the intense backlash to Dexit and include everything? It's all speculation at this point. In the trailer, we only see Pokemon from Sinnoh, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

UPDATE: In the Pokemon Presents showcase, some Pokemon that were in the National 'Dex but not the Diamond & Pearl regional Sinnoh Pokedex were shown (Sentret, Numel, and Houndoom), which might mean that the National Pokedex or Platinum 'Dex will be used for the remake games.

Version Exclusives

Every main series Pokemon game includes version exclusives — Pokemon that can only be caught in one version or the other, but not both. You typically need to find someone to trade with to get your hands on ꦦthe Pokemon from the other version. It looks like BDSP may have the same version exclusives as the originals.

Diamond	Pearl
Seel and Dewgong	Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking
Scyther and Scizor	Pinsir
Murkrow and Honchkrow	Misdreavus and Mismagius
Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar	Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence
Poochyena and Mightyena	Houndour and Houndoom
Aron, Lairon, and Aggron	Spheal, Sealeo, and Walrein
Kecleon	Stantler
Cranidos and Rampardos	Shieldon and Bastiodon
Stunky and Skuntank	Glameow and Purugly
Dialga	Palkia

Will There Be More Fire-types?

One of the most bemoaned things from Diamond & Pearl was the extremely notable lack of Fire-types available to the player. It's become a running joke at this point, but those playing through the games will still have to deal with the problem.

If you don't choose Chimchar as your Starter, the only Fire-types available to you before defeating the Champion are Ponyta and its evolution, Rapidash. Even Heat Form Rotom wasn't an option — Rotom's forms were introduced in Platinum, and were all Electric/Ghost-types until Gen V changed them to have individual secondary typing.

Sure, you don't need a Fire-type, but the sheer lack of them was noticeable and can be a bit of an issue. Three Gym Leaders — Gardenia, Byron, and Candice — and an Elite Four member — Aron — run Pokemon that are weak to Fire. Of course, they have other weaknesses, but it's a significant hurdle to manage your team around when one type could cover all four.

Platinum fixed this issue by adding Magmar as an obtainable Pokemon before the Elite Four, but since these remakes will be based on Diamond & Pearl, not Platinum, it's unknown to the general fandom whether the same issue will be present.

UPDATE: During the August Pokemon Presents showcase, Houndoom was spotted in the Grand Underground Hideaway. This probably means that the Platinum Pokedex will be present, at least in some capacity, in the Diamond & Pearl remake games, despite not being based on Platinum. This could indicate a larger rejigging of the Sinnoh Pokedex for the remakes. However, the entire National Pokedex was available in the postgame, and this footage could be from the postgame.

Preorder Info

If you want to secure a copy of the games in advance, you can📖 preorder them.

You can grab a physical copy of either Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, or you c🍌an get a double-pack with both.

Both versions are $59.99 (USD) each. The double-pack is $119.98 (USD). P𒐪reorders should be open for physical copies at most of your local 🐓retailers, as well as online.

Digital🃏 preorders became available ♉after the Pokemon Presents on August 18, 2021. You can preorder digital copies of the games or the double-pack directly on the Nintendo Switch eShop or by .

Additionally, there's an early-purchase bonus if you buy the game before February 21, 2022. It's not technically a preorder gift, but early purchases will come with the

Preorder Bonuses

By purchasing one of the games (or the double-pack) early, you'll receive some bonuses.

Preorder bonuses for physical editions will vary by region and retailer, but if you preorder either game or the double-pack, you'll be given some items, including 12 Quick Balls (digital) or 200 Poke Balls (double-pack). Any type of preorder will also come with the Manaphy Egg gift (outlined in more detail below).

	Individual Games	Double-Pack
Physical	Manaphy Egg Other bonuses by region/retailer	200 Poke Balls Manaphy Egg Other bonuses by region/retailer
Digital	12 Quick Balls Manaphy Egg	12 Quick Balls 200 Poke Balls Manaphy Egg

Different retailers are offering their own individual preorder bonuses. Remember that these come with their own terms and conditions an𓆏d can vary by region.

The Pokemon Center

If you preorder a physical copy or the double-pack , you'll also receive some plushie keychains of the Sinnoh Starters, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup. If you order an individual game, you'll get a random plushie from the three options, and if you get the double-pack, you'll receive all three.

Best Buy

By preordering through Best Buy, you'll get a keychain featuring the Sinnoh Starters, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.

GameStop

If you're in the US, you can get your hands on a pin set by preordering the double-pack.

In Canada, you'll get some premium art cards for ordering either of the individual versions.

Amazon

By preordering the double-pack through Amazon, you'll be given a set of Apricorn Balls (two of each).

Walmart

Walmart is offering some pens featuring Turtwig, Chimchar, 🍰and Piplup if you preorder the double-pack.

ShopTo (UK)

ShopTo, only in the UK, is offering a pretty sweet set of preorder bonuses. By preordering either Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, you'll receive a figurine featuring the corresponding Legendary Pokemon, Dialga or Palkia, and a double-sided poster. If you preorder the double-pack, you'll get .

Nintendo UK

By preordering through Nintendo UK, you'll be able to access some bonuses. If you grab either individual version, you'll get a Dialga or Palkia figurine and matching pin. If you get the double-pack, you'll receive a steelbook and the two pins (but not the figurines, it seems).

Target

Target is offering a preorder bonus for grabbing the double-pack ahead of the game's release. Preorder through Target and you'll get a journal that features Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.

South Korea

If you preorder either version or the double-pack in South Korea, you'll be given a code for Shiny Zacian and Shiny Zamazenta in Sword & Shield.

Other Release Info

As part of the Pokemon Presents video, there was some other information revealed about the games and purchasing them. Here's a breakdown of that info:

How to Get the Manaphy Egg

Regardless of whether you preorder the game(s) or make the purchase after release, you'll be able to obtain an Egg containing the Mythical Pokemon, Manaphy.

Simply head to the Mystery Gift option and select "Get via Internet." Apparently, it'll take around two hours of playtime to unlock the Mystery Gift function.

The Manaphy Egg Mystery Gift will be obtainable from the game's release until February 21, 2022.

Special Dialga and Palkia Edition Switch Lite

On November 5, 2021, a special version of the Switch Lite with a design featuring Dialga and Palkia will become available for purchase. The design is a reference to the special DS Lite that was releas🌌ed back in the days of Generation IV.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl News

News about the games has only trickled in, and much is still unknown. But, here's a roundup of the news we've received so far.

Speculation

As is the case with basically any hyped game release, there is room for a ton of speculation about what that game will include (or not include). Since these games are remakes, there's even more space for this speculation. Here are some of the changes between Diamond & Pearl and their remakes we could reasonably expect, some that probably won't be included, and some we aren't sure about.

Expected Changes

Some changes and updates have been introduced to the series since the original Sinnoh games that aren't confirmed for the remake, but are likely. We may have to wait until the full release to see if these predictions are true, but they are fairly safe guesses.

> Fairy-type

Since Gen IV, a new type has been added: Fairy. As part of the new type's addition to the series, a handful of existing Pokemon were retconned to have the Fairy-type. This won't be a major hurdle, but it will affect the types of some Pokemon.

Notably, the Champion, Cynthia, has a Togekiss in Platinum. Togekiss is one of the Pokemon that was given the Fairy-type. It's unlikely that she'll have her Togekiss in BDSP, since she didn't have it in Diamond & Pearl, but it's worth noting. Overall, the Fairy-type will likely make the Championship fight a bit easier. Before Fairy's addition, her Spiritomb had no weaknesses, and her ace, Garchomp, also has a Fairy weakness now.

Other notabl♔e trainers who will be more vulnerable with the introduction of the Fairy-type are Maylene, the Fighting-type Gym Leader of Veilstone City, with her Meditite and Machoke; Candice, the Snowbelle City Gym Leader, who has a Sneasel and a Medicham; Elite Four Aaron, who has a Heracross; and Elite Four Lucian, who also has a Medicham.

> Moves and Abilities

Since Gen IV, a wealth of new moves and abilities have been added. These will likely exist in the remakes, as well. It's hard to see the developers removing four generations of moves and abilities that have been added.

> Increased Game Speed

Diamond & Pearl were widely maligned for how slow everything was: saving took a while, health bars sluggishly drained when a move hit, surfing seemed like it went at a snail's pace, and the overall game and UI just felt slow. In Platinum, much of this was fixed. Several things were changed to make the pace a bit better. The same will likely apply to BDSP, but it's not a guarantee.

Unlikely Inclusions

There are some thin🍒gs that are almost guaranteed to not be includ🙈ed. However, we could be surprised!

> Mega Evolution and Gigantamax/Dynamax

The Pokemon Company has been, to the chagrin of many, eager to leave Mega Evolution in Gen VI and VII. Sword & Shield controversially contained no Mega Evolution, instead opting for the Gigantamax and Dynamax phenomena. It's unlikely that either will be included (especially Dynamax/Gigantamax, since it's specifically noted to be unique to the Galar region).

If Mega Evolution does make its♌ way into the remakes, it could really shake up some of the more important battles of the game. Three of the four members of the Elite Four, and the Champion, have at least one Pokemon that can Mega Evolve (Aaron: Heracross, Lucian: Medicham and Alakﷺazam, Flint: Steelix and Lopunny, and Cynthia: Garchomp).

Also, almost all of the Gym Leaders have a Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution, with the only exceptions being the first two (Roark and Gardenia) and the last (Volkne💧r). Maylene has a Lucario, Crasher Wake has a Gyarados, Fantina has a Gengar, Byron has a Steelix, and Candice has a Medicham and an Abomasnow.

Just to really drive the point home too much, your rival, Barry, has a Heracross, and the villainous team leader, Cyrus, has a Gyarados. The point here is that Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are ripe for Mega Evolution, which is unfortunate, because it probably won't be included. But if it is, it'll be fantastic.

> The Distortion World/Giratina Arc

There are definitely some things from Platinum, the sequel to Diamond & Pearl, that we might see in these remakes (see below). However, the entire arc/saga with Giratina and the Distortion World is highly unlikely. This is a huge part of Platinum's story and set it apart from its predecessors, so it's unlikely that it'll be included.

> Dual-Slot Mode

Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum featured a cool mechanic called Dual-Slot Mode. Basically, certain Pokemon could spawn in some areas depending on which GBA game you had in the DS's GBA slot (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, or LeafGreen).

Since the Switch does not have a GBA slot, it's unlikely that there will be any type of mechanic similar to this. Whether or not the Dual-Slot exclusive Pokemon will just spawn in those areas regardless is not known to the public.

> The Game Corner

There used to be a Game Corner in each major region, where you could gamble and trade your winnings for prizes. The last time a proper Game Corner appeared in the main series Pokemon games was the Sinnoh games before they were removed due to concerns over age ratings and gambling. Since then, Game Corners haven't been created and have been "closed" in subsequent remakes (Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire and the Let's Go games).

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl were definitely not going to break this trend, but it's been all but confirmed after the games received a PEGI 7 rating in the U.K. This age rating does not allow gambling in a game, so the Game Corner's probably going to be "permanently closed" during this visit to Sinnoh.

UPDATE: It looks like the Game Corner in Sinnoh has been replaced with a clothing store in the August Pokemon Presents video.

Could Go Either Way

There are some features, mechanics, and characteristics of the series that may be added or updated in the Sinnoh remakes, but it could really go either way. Some of these are also features 💎from Platinum, the sequel to Diamond & Pearl.

> Features From Platinum

While major mechanics and upgrades from Platinum are unlikely to be included in the Diamond & Pearl remakes, there are some things that we might see. As mentioned, th💙e overall pace of the game could be closer to Platinum than its predecessors. However, there are also some o📖ther things that we might see included:

Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos as roaming Pokemon
The Battle Frontier
Gym Leader rematches in the Survival Area
The Vs. Recorder and added online capabilities
Terrain and geographical features of some areas that were updated

Additionally, an NPC that does not appear in Diamond & Pearl but does appear in Platinum in the trailer.

This lady gives you a special item if you visit her in Floaroma Town with a Shaymin. She could just be included so you can change your Shaymin's form, but it's definitely raising some eyebrows.