Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version are role-playing video games created by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006. These games are the first in the fourth generation of the Pokémon video game series. They were first released in Japan on September 28, 2006, and later released in North America, Australia, and Europe in 2007. A third version, Pokémon Platinum, was released two years later in each region. Remakes titled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released for the Nintendo Switch worldwide on November 19, 2021. A prequel, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, was released for the Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022.
Like earlier Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl follow the story of a young Pokémon Trainer who trains and battles Pokémon while stopping the plans of a criminal group called Team Galactic. The games introduced new features, such as online play using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, changes to battle rules and Pokémon Contests, and the addition of 107 new Pokémon. The games are separate but share the same story. While both can be played individually, trading between them is needed to complete the Pokédex.
Development of Diamond and Pearl was announced at a Nintendo press conference in the fourth quarter of 2004. The games were designed to use the features of the Nintendo DS. Originally planned for a 2005 release in Japan, they were instead released in 2006, the 10th anniversary year of the Pokémon franchise. To promote the games, Nintendo sold a limited-edition Nintendo DS Lite in Japan and held a celebration for the North American release.
The games received mostly positive reviews. Many critics liked the Wi-Fi features and graphics, and found the gameplay, though not greatly changed from earlier games, to be enjoyable. Diamond and Pearl sold about 18 million copies worldwide, which is over 2 million more than their predecessors, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and almost 6 million more than Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. They also sold more copies than their successors, Pokémon Black and White, by over 2 million. The games are among the most successful Pokémon games ever made.
Gameplay
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are role-playing video games with adventure-style gameplay. The basic rules of the games are similar to earlier versions. Like all Pokémon games for handheld devices, the gameplay uses a top-down view from above and has three main screens: a map where the player moves the character, a battle screen, and a menu where the player can manage their team, items, or settings. At the start of the game, players have no Pokémon or Poké Balls but can choose one of three Pokémon as part of the story. Once players get Poké Balls, they can catch more Pokémon. Players use their Pokémon to attack other Pokémon in battles. When a wild Pokémon appears or a trainer challenges the player, the screen changes to a turn-based battle. During battles, players can use moves, items, switch Pokémon, or run away. Running away is not allowed during battles with trainers. All Pokémon have hit points (HP); if a Pokémon’s HP drops to zero, it faints and cannot fight unless healed at a Pokémon Center or with an item. If a player’s Pokémon defeats an opponent by making it faint, it earns experience points. When enough experience points are collected, the Pokémon levels up. Most Pokémon change into a new type when they reach a certain level. As Pokémon level up, their abilities improve, and they learn new moves at specific levels. If a Pokémon cannot evolve, it learns moves faster.
Capturing Pokémon is an important part of the game. While other trainers’ Pokémon cannot be caught, players can use Poké Balls on wild Pokémon during battles. If a capture is successful, the Pokémon joins the player’s team or is stored if the team already has six Pokémon. The chance of capturing a Pokémon depends on the target’s HP and the strength of the Poké Ball used. Lower HP and stronger Poké Balls increase the chance of success. Making a wild Pokémon sleep or paralyzed also increases the capture chance. Each Pokémon species has its own capture rate.
Diamond and Pearl keep the basic gameplay from earlier games but add new features. The day-night cycle returns with five time periods: morning, day, afternoon, evening, and night. Battle rules also change. In older games, moves were classified as “physical” or “special” based on their type. In Diamond and Pearl, moves are grouped into three categories: physical (contact attacks), special (non-contact attacks), and status (moves that do not deal damage).
New features use the Nintendo DS’s capabilities. The Pokétch, a watch-like device on the DS’s bottom screen, has apps like a clock, calculator, map, and drawing tool. These apps are earned during the game. The Underground, an area beneath Sinnoh, allows players to build secret bases and play minigames with others. Items found in the Underground can be used in the main game. Diamond and Pearl also support online trading and battling through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The Global Trade Station lets players trade with others worldwide. Players can search for specific Pokémon and offer their own for trade. If another player has the requested Pokémon and wants the offered one, the trade happens immediately. Trades can also be left for others to complete later. Some Pokémon traded internationally have descriptions in the language of the game they came from.
Pokémon Contests are events where players compete for ribbons. In Diamond and Pearl, Contests have three stages, two more than earlier games. In the Visual Competition stage, players use the DS’s touchscreen to add items to their Pokémon to boost traits like “Cool” or “Cute.” In the Dance Competition, players tap buttons in time with music. The Acting Competition stage is similar to earlier games, where Pokémon use moves to impress judges. Like in earlier games, players can make Poffins from berries to help their Pokémon in Contests.
Diamond and Pearl are compatible with other Pokémon games, including Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Pokémon Ranger, and Pokémon Battle Revolution. After earning the National Pokédex, players can transfer Pokémon from Game Boy Advance games to Diamond and Pearl by inserting a Game Boy Advance cartridge into the DS. Up to six Pokémon can be transferred at a time, and they are sent to Pal Park, where they can be caught. Transfers are limited to six per day per cartridge, and players must catch the transferred Pokémon before transferring more. Pokémon moved this way cannot be sent back to Game Boy Advance games. After completing a mission in Pokémon Ranger, players can send a Manaphy egg or Riolu to Diamond or Pearl. Players can also wirelessly transfer Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl to the Wii games Pokémon Battle Revolution and My Pokémon Ranch.
Story
Diamond and Pearl are set in the fictional region of Sinnoh, an island inspired by the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Sinnoh is not connected to any other Pokémon region. It is known for its large, snow-covered mountains, including Mt. Coronet, which splits the region into two parts. Sinnoh feels different from other regions because it is the first with snow-covered paths. The region also has many waterways, including three main lakes—Verity, Acuity, and Valor—that form a triangle. Unlike the Hoenn Region, which has mostly water routes, only 30 percent of Sinnoh is covered by water. Beneath the surface of Sinnoh lies the Sinnoh Underground, a large maze of caves and tunnels.
The games tell the story of a new Pokémon Trainer who aims to become the Pokémon League Champion by collecting and training Pokémon. Like other games in the series, Diamond and Pearl include eight Pokémon Gyms led by Gym Leaders, who specialize in specific Pokémon types. Gym Leaders act as challenges and give Gym Badges to skilled Trainers, which help advance the story. As in all core games, the main character must also stop a crime group called Team Galactic. This group plans to use Pokémon to create a new universe while destroying the current one.
Like all mainline Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl begin in the protagonist’s hometown. After watching a news report about a search for a red Gyarados near a distant lake, the protagonist and their best friend, Barry, travel to check the local lake. They meet Professor Rowan, a Pokémon Evolution Researcher, and his assistant, either Lucas (a boy) or Dawn (a girl). After a short conversation, the professor and his assistant leave, leaving a briefcase behind. When they are attacked by wild Starly, the protagonist and their rival examine the briefcase. They choose one of three Pokémon inside—a Grass-type Turtwig, a Fire-type Chimchar, or a Water-type Piplup—and battle the Starly. After winning, Lucas or Dawn returns the briefcase to Professor Rowan. Seeing the bond between the protagonist and their chosen Pokémon, Rowan gives it to them and asks them to begin their journey and fill their Pokédex.
The protagonist meets Team Galactic early in the game when they must save Professor Rowan from their members. Their goals are unclear at first. Later, the player faces Team Galactic again when they take over a wind farm and set up a base in Eterna City. Eventually, they take control of Sinnoh’s three lakes to capture the Mirage Pokémon Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit. After earning the seventh Gym Badge, Team Galactic captures the Mirage Pokémon and imprisons them in their headquarters. There, they extract crystals from the Pokémon to create the Red Chain, an object that can control the Legendary Pokémon Palkia in Pearl or Dialga in Diamond. After freeing the Mirage Pokémon, the protagonist reaches the Spear Pillar, an ancient ruin on Mt. Coronet, where Team Galactic’s leader summons Dialga or Palkia. The Legendary Pokémon’s power disrupts Sinnoh, forcing Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit to stop it. The player then battles Palkia or Dialga. After defeating or capturing the Pokémon, Sinnoh returns to normal. The protagonist continues their journey, eventually reaching the Sinnoh League. After defeating all Elite Four members, they battle Cynthia, the Sinnoh League Champion, who had appeared earlier in the game. Defeating Cynthia makes the protagonist the new Sinnoh League Champion, ending the main story. In the post-game, a new island with Pokémon not seen in the main game becomes available, along with new stores and a tournament center. The protagonist’s old friend, who challenged them earlier, also appears to fight one final battle.
Development
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were created by Game Freak. Junichi Masuda was the game director. The music was made by Hitomi Sato and Junichi Masuda, with guidance from Go Ichinose. Some musical pieces were also created by Morikazu Aoki. According to Tsunekazu Ishihara from The Pokémon Company, the games were made to use the DS's special features, such as Wi-Fi and the slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges. The buttons used during battles are large and colored differently to help players who cannot read. The touchscreen was designed to let players use their fingers instead of a stylus. Most of the game's graphics are 2D, but some background elements are 3D. Some people criticized the use of 2D graphics, but Ishihara explained that the goal was to keep the original idea of Pokémon being played on a large map. He also said the games were physically in 3D but designed to feel like the original version. To address concerns about Friend Codes, Ishihara said they were used to prevent strangers from chatting over Wi-Fi. Nintendo shared information about glitches found in the Japanese versions of the games. These glitches caused players to get stuck in walls or lose saved data. Nintendo sent fixes to some stores in Japan to solve these issues. In mid-2020, people found and shared the source code for Diamond and Pearl. This revealed unused images and designs for Pokémon that were not used in the final game. These files were first shared on ResetEra, which was part of a series of leaks about unfinished versions of games being made by Nintendo.
Release
The development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was announced during a Nintendo press conference in the fourth quarter of 2004. This announcement also included details about Pokémon Dash and the Japanese launch of the Nintendo DS. The game’s creator, Masuda, said the games would offer new ways to play and aimed to create "the ultimate Pokémon version." Although the games were expected to be released in Japan by 2005, Nintendo stated that developers were still working on gameplay features and delayed the release until 2006. The games could transfer Pokémon from earlier Game Boy Advance titles and used the Nintendo DS’s Wi-Fi to allow up to 16 players to connect wirelessly. More details were shared in mid-2006, including plans for features like the Pokétch and time-sensitive events.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. To celebrate, Nintendo sold a special edition Nintendo DS Lite with the games’ mascots, Dialga and Palkia, painted in silver and gold. A two-disc soundtrack, titled Nintendo DS Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super Music Collection, was released in Japan on December 22, 2006. It reached #253 on Japan’s Oricon charts. Nintendo of America announced a North American release date of April 22, 2007, and offered pre-order bonuses like special DS styluses. A limited demo of the games was shown at the Game Developer’s Conference. A release party was held in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza. Nintendo of Europe and Australia announced release dates of July 27, 2007, and June 21, 2007, respectively. Events like a launch party in London and the Nintendo DS Connection Tour 07 in Australia celebrated the games’ release.
The success of the games helped increase interest in the Pokémon brand. Nintendo of America’s marketing vice president, George Harrison, said the games attracted players of all ages, including older fans of the original Pokémon games. Pokémon USA opened a temporary boutique in Times Square’s Toys “R” Us, selling licensed merchandise. Burger King partnered with Pokémon USA in 2008, including exclusive trading cards and accessories with Kids Meals in the United States and internationally.
Pokémon Platinum Version, the third game in the series, was developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on September 13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009, in Australia on May 14, 2009, and in Europe on May 22, 2009. The game received mostly positive reviews, with average scores of 84% on Metacritic and 83.14% on GameRankings. Critics praised its improvements over Diamond and Pearl but noted similarities between the games. IGN ranked it as the ninth-best Nintendo DS game and one of the best DS role-playing games of 2009. It became the fastest-selling game in Japan, selling 7.6 million copies.
Reception
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl received slightly higher scores than FireRed and LeafGreen and Ruby and Sapphire. The highest score was 92 from UK Official Nintendo Magazine, and the lowest was 67 from Game Revolution. Later, UK Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game 20th in a list of the greatest Nintendo games. Ryan Davis from GameSpot gave the games an 8.5/10, called them "Great," and said they were "the most well-rounded Pokémon games to date." IGN and GameZone also gave the games an 8.5/10. UK Official Nintendo Magazine gave the games 92%, and GameSpy gave them a 4.5/5. The games received slightly lower reviews from ComputerAndVideoGames.com than Ruby and Sapphire had, but earned an "A−" grade from 1UP.com, which was an improvement from Ruby and Sapphire's "B−."
Most reviewers said the gameplay and storyline were similar to the first games, but Diamond and Pearl remained engaging. Ryan Davis from GameSpot said, "It's surprising how well the formula works in Diamond and Pearl, showing the strong basics of the series and good execution." The games' Wi-Fi connectivity also received positive reviews. 1UP.com called the addition of wireless connectivity the biggest improvement. GameSpot and GameSpy both listed online play as a positive feature, calling the system "robust" and "the most important new feature." ComputerAndVideoGames.com said of the Global Trade Center, "Suddenly, Pokémon feels alive again, like in the late '90s, and you'll forget about any technical issues after finding a level 100 Munchlax on your cart."
The graphics generally received positive reviews. GameSpot praised the mix of 2D and 3D graphics, and GameZone said the graphics were "better than expected" and that "a Pokémon game has never looked this good on a handheld." GameSpy said the simple graphics made the game "a pleasure to explore." ComputerAndVideoGames.com, however, said the 3D effects were limited, calling it "just a viewpoint change" with "not much happening" between scenes. The audio was less praised: IGN said the Pokémon cries "still sound like the original Game Boy" and that the music, while "more advanced," was "not much better than Game Boy Advance quality." GameZone also said the sounds had not improved, calling it "the only area that stayed the same." GameSpot mentioned the "recycled" sounds as a negative point.
First released in Japan in 2006, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl had the most successful launch week in the Pokémon series and the best launch week for any Nintendo DS game in Japan. Within 46 days, the games sold 3 million units, becoming the fastest-selling DS games to do so. By the end of the year, sales reached 5 million units in under three months, making Diamond and Pearl the best-selling Pokémon games in Japan. In the United States, pre-orders for Diamond and Pearl reached 533,000, nearly double the pre-sale numbers for FireRed and LeafGreen. Within five days of release, the games sold about 1 million copies and were the fastest-selling Pokémon games until Pokémon Platinum was released. The games were the seventh-best-selling video games of 2007, with about 4.27 million units sold in the United States. By early 2009, sales reached 5.3 million units. As of September 30, 2017, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl combined sold 17.67 million copies worldwide, which is about 1 million more than Ruby and Sapphire and 6 million more than FireRed and LeafGreen. The games also increased sales of Nintendo DS hardware in the United States, selling 471,000 DS units and raising video game sales by 20% in April 2007 compared to April 2006. In Europe, the games sold about 1.6 million units in seven weeks and topped charts in Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, there were more than 10 million Pokémon trades via Wi-Fi.
At G4’s G-phoria 2007, the games won "Best Handheld Game" and were nominated for "Best RPG." In 2008, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were nominated for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Children's Kids Vote Award. In IGN’s Best of 2007 Awards, Diamond and Pearl were named the best Nintendo DS online multiplayer games and the best Nintendo DS RPG games of the year. In the 2006 Famitsu Game Awards, Diamond and Pearl won the Best Hit award and tied with Final Fantasy XII for the Game of the Year award.
Competitive battling in Pokémon became more popular with Diamond and Pearl. The separation of physical and special attacks allowed Pokémon like Gengar and Gyarados to use their higher attack stats and gave special/physical coverage moves to types that were previously only physical or special. Online play also made Pokémon battling possible worldwide.
Legacy
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are improved versions of the original games. They were released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is an action role-playing game that takes place before Diamond and Pearl. It is set in an older version of the Sinnoh region called the Hisui region. This game was released for the Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022. Both games were first shown during a Pokémon Presents event on February 26, 2021.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were created by ILCA. These games are similar to the original Diamond and Pearl, but they include new features from later games. Reviews of the games were mixed, with some praise for their similarity to the original games and some criticism for missing features from Pokémon Platinum and for how newer and older features were combined. The game’s art style, which made characters look like small, cute figures called "chibis," also received mixed opinions. By May 2022, the games had sold more than 14 million copies.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus keeps the basic gameplay from other Pokémon games but changes how players move through the world. Players can explore five different areas, or "biomes," in the Hisui region. Players can interact with Pokémon in the world, and some Pokémon can attack and hurt the player. Battles with Pokémon can happen directly in the world. Reviews of the game were generally positive, with praise for its new gameplay style and some criticism for its art style. The game was nominated for Best RPG at The Game Awards. By May 2022, the game had sold more than 12 million copies.
Pokémon Battle Revolution is the first game in the Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo Wii. It uses wireless technology to connect with the Nintendo DS, allowing players to use their Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl in different game modes.
My Pokémon Ranch is a Wii game made by Ambrella and released through the WiiWare download service. It was first released in Japan on March 25, 2008, and later in North America on June 9, 2008, and in Europe on July 4, 2008. The game costs 1,000 Wii Points, which is equal to US$10.00. Like the GameCube game Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire, My Pokémon Ranch lets players store and organize Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl. Pokémon moved from those games to My Pokémon Ranch are shown in 3D and can interact with the player’s Miis.