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 in each region two years later. Remakes called Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released for the Nintendo Switch worldwide on November 19, 2021. A prequel titled 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 a criminal group called Team Galactic. The games introduced new features, such as online play using Nintendo Wi-Fi, changes to battle rules and Pokémon Contests, and the addition of 107 new Pokémon. The games are separate but share the same story. While each can be played alone, trading between them is needed to complete the Pokédex.
Development of Diamond and Pearl was announced during 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 special edition Nintendo DS Lite in Japan and held a celebration for their North American release.
The games received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised the online features and graphics, and many said the gameplay, though not significantly changed from earlier games, remained enjoyable. Diamond and Pearl sold more copies worldwide than their Game Boy Advance predecessors, with about 18 million units sold. This includes over 2 million more units than Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and nearly 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 that include adventure elements. The basic way to play these games is similar to earlier versions. Like all Pokémon games for handheld consoles, the gameplay is viewed from a third-person overhead perspective and includes three main screens: a field map where the player moves the main character; a battle screen where Pokémon fight; and a menu where the player can manage their team, items, or settings. At the start of the game, the player has no Pokémon or Poké Balls but can choose one of three Pokémon to begin the story. Once the player gets Poké Balls, they can catch more Pokémon. Players use their Pokémon to attack other Pokémon during battles. When the player meets a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer, the game switches to a turn-based battle screen. During battles, the player can use a move, use an item, switch their active Pokémon, or run away. Running away is not allowed during battles against trainers. All Pokémon have hit points (HP); if a Pokémon’s HP drops to zero, it faints and cannot battle unless healed at a Pokémon Center or with an item. If the player’s Pokémon defeats an opponent by making it faint, it earns experience points. When a Pokémon gains enough experience, it levels up. Most Pokémon evolve 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 new moves faster.
Capturing Pokémon is an important part of the game. While other trainers’ Pokémon cannot be captured, the player can use different 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. Certain effects, like sleep or paralysis, also make it easier to capture Pokémon. 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. The game also changes how moves are classified. Previously, moves were divided into "physical" or "special" based on their type. In Diamond and Pearl, moves are grouped into three types: physical attacks that make contact, special attacks that do not make contact, and status moves that do not cause damage.
Some new features use the Nintendo DS’s functions. The Pokétch, a fake smartwatch, appears on the DS’s bottom screen and includes tools like a clock, calculator, map, and drawing pad. These tools are earned during the game. Beneath Sinnoh’s surface is the Underground, an area for wireless multiplayer games. Players can build secret bases and play minigames. Items found in the Underground can be used in the main game. Diamond and Pearl also supported the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (now discontinued), allowing players to chat, trade, and battle online. The Global Trade Station lets players trade with others worldwide. Players can search for Pokémon they want and offer their own. If another player has the desired Pokémon and wants what the player offers, 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. According to Pokémon art director Ken Sugimori, the Global Trade Station was his favorite new feature.
Pokémon Contests are events where players compete to win ribbons. In Diamond and Pearl, Contests have three stages, two more than earlier games. In the Visual Competition, players use the DS’s touchscreen to add accessories to their Pokémon to improve traits like "Cool" or "Cute." In the Dance Competition, players tap buttons in rhythm with music. The final stage, Acting Competition, is similar to earlier games, where Pokémon use moves to impress judges. Like Pokéblocks in earlier games, Poffins—baked goods made from berries—can be given to Pokémon to improve traits and increase their chances of winning 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 players can capture them. Transfers are limited to six Pokémon every 24 hours per cartridge, and players must capture transferred Pokémon before making another transfer. Pokémon moved this way cannot be sent back to Game Boy Advance games. After completing a special 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 take place in the fictional region of Sinnoh, an island inspired by the real 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 in two. Unlike earlier regions, Sinnoh has a "northern" feel because it is the first region with snow-covered paths. The region also has many waterways, including three main lakes—Verity, Acuity, and Valor—that form a triangle. However, unlike the Hoenn Region, which is 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 follow the journey 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 for Trainers, giving them Gym Badges that help advance the story. As in all core games, the player must also stop a crime group called Team Galactic, who plan to use Pokémon to create a new universe while destroying the current one.
The games begin in the protagonist’s hometown. After watching a TV report about a search for a red Gyarados spotted at a distant lake, the protagonist and their friend Barry decide to visit the lake. There, they meet Professor Rowan, a Pokémon Evolution Researcher, and his assistant, either Lucas (boy) or Dawn (girl). After a brief conversation, the professor and his assistant leave, leaving a briefcase behind. When they are attacked by wild Starly, the protagonist and their rival investigate the briefcase. They choose one of three Pokémon—Turtwig (Grass-type), Chimchar (Fire-type), or Piplup (Water-type)—and battle the Starly. After defeating the Starly, Lucas or Dawn returns the briefcase to the professor. 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 rescue Professor Rowan from their members. Their goals remain unclear until later. The player later encounters Team Galactic again when they take over a wind farm and set up a base in Eterna City. Eventually, Team Galactic captures the Mirage Pokémon Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit and imprisons them in the Team Galactic 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 causes chaos, and the protagonist battles or captures Dialga or Palkia, restoring peace to Sinnoh. After completing the main story, the player defeats the Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia, and becomes the new champion. In the post-game, a new island with unique Pokémon, stores, and a tournament center becomes available. The protagonist’s old friend, who challenged them earlier, also appears for a final battle.
Development
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were created by Game Freak. Junichi Masuda was the game director. The music was composed by Hitomi Sato and Junichi Masuda, with guidance from Go Ichinose. Additional music pieces were created by Morikazu Aoki. According to Tsunekazu Ishihara from The Pokémon Company, the games were designed to use special features of the DS, such as Wi-Fi and a slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges. The battle screen has large, color-coded buttons, which Masuda said would 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, though some background elements are 3D. The choice to keep 2D graphics received criticism. Ishihara explained that the games were meant to keep the original feel of Pokémon, which is a game played on a large map. He added that the games were physically in 3D but designed to feel like the original version. Ishihara also said that Friend Codes were used as a security measure to prevent players from chatting with strangers over Wi-Fi. Nintendo released a statement about glitches found in the Japanese versions of Diamond and Pearl. These glitches caused players to get stuck inside a wall or lose saved data. Nintendo provided fixes to some retailers in Japan. 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 included in the final game. These files were first shared on ResetEra, which was part of a series of leaks about unfinished versions of Nintendo games.
Release
In the fourth quarter of 2004, Nintendo announced the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl during a press conference. This event also included the introduction of Pokémon Dash and information about the Japanese launch of the Nintendo DS. Masuda, a developer, said the games would offer new ways to play and that he aimed to create the best version of Pokémon. Although the games were expected to release in Japan by 2005, Nintendo stated that developers were still working on gameplay details and delayed the release until 2006. The games would allow players to transfer Pokémon from Game Boy Advance titles to Diamond and Pearl. Nintendo also mentioned that the games would use the Wi-Fi features of the Nintendo DS, enabling 16 players to connect wirelessly at once. Additional details about the games were not shared until mid-2006, when Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said connectivity with Pokémon Battle Revolution was still being developed. Features like the Pokétch and time-based gameplay were also mentioned.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. To celebrate, Nintendo sold a limited-edition 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 number 253 on Japan’s Oricon charts. Nintendo of America announced a North American release date of April 22, 2007, with pre-orders including special DS styluses. A limited demo of the games was shown at the Game Developer’s Conference, and a release party was held in New York City. Nintendo of Europe planned a July 27, 2007, release, while Nintendo Australia set a June 21, 2007, date. A launch event in London featured an appearance by the band McFly. In Australia, the Nintendo DS Connection Tour 07 included Pokémon events like trading card competitions.
The success of the games increased interest in the Pokémon brand. George Harrison, then Nintendo of America’s marketing vice president, noted that players of all ages were enjoying the games. Pokémon USA opened a temporary boutique in Times Square, selling licensed merchandise. A promotional campaign with Burger King in 2008 included Pokémon trading cards in Kids Meals, lasting from July to August in the U.S. and continuing 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 on September 13, 2008, in Japan, March 22, 2009, in North America, May 14, 2009, in Australia, and May 22, 2009, in Europe. Platinum received positive reviews, with scores of 84% on Metacritic and 83.14% on GameRankings. Critics praised its changes and additions to 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 sold 7.6 million copies in Japan, making it the fastest-selling game at the time.
Reception
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl received higher scores than FireRed and LeafGreen and Ruby and Sapphire. The highest score was 92 from UK Official Nintendo Magazine, while the lowest was 67 from Game Revolution. UK Official Nintendo Magazine later ranked the game 20th in a list of the greatest Nintendo games. Ryan Davis of 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, an improvement from Ruby and Sapphire's "B−".
Most reviewers said that while the gameplay and storyline were similar to earlier games, Diamond and Pearl were still enjoyable. Ryan Davis of GameSpot said, "[I]t's a little surprising how well the formula holds up in Diamond and Pearl, which is a testament to the strong fundamentals of the series as well as the quality of the execution." The games' Wi-Fi connectivity also received mostly positive reviews. 1UP.com called the addition of wireless connectivity the games' "biggest improvements." GameSpot and GameSpy both listed online play as a positive feature and called the system "robust" and "probably the most significant new feature." ComputerAndVideoGames.com said of the Global Trade Center, "Suddenly, Pokémon feels properly alive for the first time since playgrounds were abuzz with monsters in the late '90s – and you'll instantly forgive Game Freak their technical stubbornness the first time you switch on your DS and find the level 100 Munchlax you craved is 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 what I had originally imagined" and that "a Pokémon title hasn't ever looked this good on a handheld." GameSpy said the graphics, though simple, made the game "a pleasure to explore." ComputerAndVideoGames.com, however, said that "the so-called '3D' isn't up to much: it's just a viewpoint shuffle, with DS's gutsy engine taking a nice long nap between the odd hypnotic windfarm or fog effect." The audio was not as well-received: IGN said the Pokémon cries "still screech with the flair of the original Game Boy" and that the music, while "more advanced," was "not much beyond [Game Boy Advance] quality." GameZone also said the sounds had not improved, saying "This [the audio] is the only area that hasn't taken one step forward. It remains stagnant and doesn't show any progression over the GBA titles." GameSpot cited the games' "recycled" sounds as a negative point.
First released in Japan in 2006, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl had the most successful launch week of any Pokémon game and the best launch week for any Nintendo DS game in the country. 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, almost twice 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 ever until the release of Pokémon Platinum. 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, making their sales totals about 1 million higher than Ruby and Sapphire and about 6 million higher than FireRed and LeafGreen. The games also increased sales of hardware in the United States, leading to the sale of 471,000 DS units and causing video game sales in April 2007 to rise 20% compared to April 2006. In Europe, the games sold about 1.6 million units within seven weeks of release and topped the charts in Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, there have been 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 physical special split allowed Pokémon such as Gengar and Gyarados to use their higher attacking stat and gave special/physical coverage moves to formerly all-physical/special types, and online play made Pokémon battling possible worldwide.
Legacy
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are improved versions of earlier 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 introduced in a presentation called Pokémon Presents on February 26, 2021.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were created by ILCA. These games are described as "faithful" remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl games, with added features from later titles. Reviews of the games were mixed, with some praise for their similarity to the original games and criticism for missing features from Pokémon Platinum and challenges in combining older and newer game elements. The art style, which made characters look like small, round cartoon figures called "chibis," also received mixed opinions. By May 2022, the games had sold more than fourteen million copies.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus keeps the main gameplay rules but changes how players move through the world. Players can explore five different areas, or "biomes," in Hisui. They can interact with Pokémon in the open world, and some Pokémon may attack players. Battles with Pokémon can happen directly in the open world. Critics gave the game "generally favorable" reviews, praising its new gameplay style but criticizing its art style. The game was nominated for Best RPG at The Game Awards. By May 2022, it had sold over twelve million copies.
Pokémon Battle Revolution is the first game in the Pokémon series for the Wii. It uses wireless technology to connect with the Nintendo DS, allowing players to use 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, then in North America on June 9, 2008, and in Europe on July 4, 2008. It cost 1,000 Wii Points, which was 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 appear in 3D and can interact with the player's Miis.