"So you think you're "off" Pokemon? Yeah, I did, too."

[At the beginning of my reviews for Pokemon games, I make a point of saying that there are two versions of each title, and that there are very few differences between them. In this case, Diamond and Pearl are basically identical save for a few exclusive Pokemon in each. I'm reviewing Diamond since that's the one I decided to buy, but seeing as how they're both essentially the same game and I've played both of them extensively, consider this my review for Pearl as well.]

I think you know by now if you're a Pokemon fan or not. If you are a fan, then you know that so long as Nintendo doesn't change things and keeps pumping out a new handheld game every few years, you'll be kept happy. If you're not a fan, you never will be, so it's best not to try to understand what makes a Pokefan tick. Either way, this review is probably meaningless, since you're either going to buy the game or you won't, and it's already been predetermined. But damned if I won't review Diamond and Pearl anyway. Take that, suckas!

I think the main reason I like the Pokemon titles is because of the completionist in me. I shake with uncontrolled glee at the thought of taking pictures of every character in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and getting figurines made out of them, and I quiver with delight at the mention of Vice City concealing ONE HUNDRED HIDDEN PACKAGES! Pokemon, in which players capture and train hundreds of monsters in hopes of packing their trusty Pokedex with valuable information, is the completionist's dream.

I mean, how many of the little bastards are there now? Like, five hundred? I don't even know the exact count, which is kinda scary.

Diamond and Pearl add a new batch of pocket monsters and leave it at that. Sure, there are some minor additions and improvements, and the new online play is the one much-needed component that we Pokefans have been begging for all this time. But at its heart, this is still the same game we popped into our Game Boys back in 1998, and that's all it'll ever be.

Few other franchises could get away with that. But this is freaking Pokemon we're talking about. The gameplay is timeless, as Diamond and Pearl prove to be every bit as fun as the original games that eventually inspired them. You don't mess with something that can't possibly fail, especially when it never gets old anyway. That's why all these spin-offs were never terribly successful – they tried to be new and creative with the system, and that's not what the seasoned Pokemon player wants. (That, and none of them were very good in their own right. Pokemon Channel, anyone?)

The innovation, as usual, is minimal in these two sequels. The new DS-specific functions are infrequent and don't do anything to change the experience one way or the other. You can navigate the menus with the touch screen, but there's no point, since doing it with standard controls is just as easy and twice as convenient. For the majority of the game, the action occurs in the top screen, while the bottom screen just displays the time. (Um, thanks.) The game's design, in general, could easily have been pulled off on the GBA without any significant sacrifices.

Nope, Nintendo sticks with what it knows will work. There's no incorporation of destined-to-be-awkward touch screen controls into the battles, unless you count the newfangled ability to select your attacks. The DS is a system known for pushing ingenuity, and Nintendo has tried to use the handheld to reinvent many of its famous franchise, with mixed results (I fear for the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass). But they're pretty smart. They know that an abrupt change would only result in millions of angry fans. They stick to formula.

That formula is a simple one. Place the player in a massive RPG world that's inhabited with monsters that can be fought, caught, raised, trained, and pitted against one another. Give the player an objective and let him connect with other players, throw in the phrase “gotta catch ‘em all” to get them pumped, and let them roam wild.

It always works. The Pokemon games have such a deviously simple premise that it's often easy to undermine the depth that they pack. But if you think, the original game alone had a hundred and fifty of these little guys, and the amount is at least tripled today. Each Pokemon functions like an RPG character in its own right, with its own set of moves and abilities, some even housing an evolution or two upon extending training. Diamond and Pearl are essentially RPG's with around four hundred and fifty playable characters, all out there and waiting to be captured and commanded. That's depth you can't buy.

There are really two games here. The first is the basic structure of the game, in which players are tasked with wandering about the world battling designated “gym leaders” in order to earn badges and prove themselves as dedicated Pokemon trainers. At its core, it's like any other RPG, in which you level up your party until you're able to match your foes in battle.

The second game is one of collection. Completing the Pokedex – i.e., owning every single Pokemon in existence – was a daunting task in the first game, when there were only a hundred and fifty of the little creatures to catch. Now that there are hundreds more, the bar is raised. Not only will a completed Pokedex take a level of commitment that will suck your life away (which I know from experience after at least three major handheld releases), but now it requires back time and connection with other games. There are ways to import your Pokemon from Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald as needed (as well as FireRed and LeafGreen, those remakes of the original two games from a little while back).

Is it even POSSIBLE to get all four hundred and whatever Pokemon together, in your Diamond or Pearl cart? Get back to me in a few years and I might be able to give you a straight answer.

The one new element that helps matters is online play, which is the final piece in the puzzle that we fans have been awaiting all these years. Thanks to Nintendo WFC, online connection is a snap and trading and battling with your friends from far away couldn't be easier. Now that internet play has been added, I really can't see what more they could possibly add to the Pokemon universe to make it even more complete (other than an MMO, which would totally rule).

I am unfortunately not so impressed with Diamond and Pearl on a technical level, which is to be expected, I guess, but allow me to discuss. The graphics are clean and efficient without being anything special. The game is now structured in 3D, though it's a surprisingly subtle change – you'll notice, but it will fade from your mind rather quickly. But no attempt has been made to spruce up the battles, which look straight out of a Game Boy Color game. On the aural side, the music is decent but forgettable, and the sound effects questionable at best: Some of the new Pokemon make battle cries that sound up-to-date, while the old ones still make the same garbled squeals that they pumped out on the Game Boy. Is it really THAT hard to give this series an upgrade in the sound department?

On that note, why is there still only one save slot? Maybe multiple slots would take up too much space, but I don't like the idea that I can't replay the game without deleting all of my saved data.

You know what? No. I'm not going to harp on this title's flaws, ‘cause I just had too much damn fun with it. I like the fact that Nintendo can come around every few years and say, “Yeah, we KNOW the spin-offs suck, so here's some consolation.” They're reliable like that. Diamond and Pearl offer a pleasant reminder of just how addictive these little critters can be when they're pulled off right. I'd forgotten how much I missed ‘em until they came back.

Pros

+ Same addictive Pokemon.
+ There's, like, a million of them.
+ Incredibly deep from an RPG perspective.
+ No silly attempts at innovation.
+ 3D graphics are a nice touch.
+ Online play FTW.

Cons

- Still only one save slot.
- Unimpressive on a technical level.

Overall: 10/10

Is it wrong to still be so in love with Pokemon? Well, brand me a loser, because I just can't get enough. After crap like Pokemon Dash and Mystery Dungeon, it's great to finally see a worthwhile effort on Nintendo's dual-screened handheld. The Pokemon RPG's have become predictable, partly in their release pattern (a third version of this title will release in a year… watch for it), and partly in their quality. That's a good thing. I have come to expect greatness out of my Pokemon RPG's, and Diamond and Pearl are indeed great.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/07/07