Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: everything that’s changed

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are “faithful remakes” of their 2006 predecessors, Nintendo says. These games, however, were not Strange. They were Nintendo DS-exclusive games with special features for its dual-screen hardware.

This leaves the fans wondering: What is left of the original? Pokémon DiamondAnd PearlThey will be available for their Nintendo Switch remakes. We can see that developer ILCA kept the unique features of the original game while incorporating quality-of life updates from recent games like Polygon’s 40-minute preview. Pokémon SwordAnd Shield

The game seems to be a big improvement over the previous versions. We saw Route 208 in the preview. The area was located just outside a mountain. As we looked at it, we could see that the route had been remade, with the same landmarks and characters but with new graphics. Even quirkier features like the Pokétch, a smart watch with apps, have made their way to the remakes. In this game, you will be able to use the app to do things like count your steps, and leave notes using the Switch’s touch screen.

Quality-of-life features seen in Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch make up the bulk of the changes we saw in Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl. For starters, remakes have an automatic save feature. In Pokémon battles, every Pokémon in your party gains experience after a battle, and you can swap Pokémon in and out of your storage system at any point, too. You’ll also no longer need Pokémon with specific Hidden Moves in your party to fly or ride on the water anymore. You no longer need one Bidoof who knows Surf, Cut and Rock Smash.

A small, yet crucial change to the battle menu is that your list of attacks will show you how efficient each move is. If you have a Pokémon that knows a water-type move and you’re facing a fire-type Pokémon, the menu will tell you that a water-type attack like “Water Gun” is, of course, super effective. Players no longer need to look up what’s super effective against what.

Image: The Pokémon Company/ILCA Inc

Diamond And Pearl’s special area, the Underground, will also change up in a pretty significant way. The originals allowed players to mine for materials and build secret bases. While the remakes will preserve the mining mini game of the original, the secret base is swapped out for “Pokémon Hideaways,” little rooms where you can battle and catch Pokémon while exploring the tunnels.

Although the Underground has hidden bases you won’t be able decorate. Instead, you’ll fill out your base with Pokémon statues you collect while dowsing. The Underground will be able to react differently to combinations of these statues. For instance, if you place three statues of bug-type Pokémon in your secret base, you’ll see more bug-types in the rooms elsewhere in the zone.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond AndShining Pearl, by ILCA, Inc. and The Pokémon Company, launches Nov. 19 on Nintendo Switch.