Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

For other uses, see Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (disambiguation).

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
File:PokemonDiamondBox.jpg North American box art for Pokémon Diamond (Box art for Pearl version not pictured)
Developer(s)	Game Freak
Publisher(s)	Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
Designer(s)	Satoshi Tajiri (executive producer) Junichi Masuda (director)
Series	Pokémon series
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer, online multiplayer

Pokémon Diamond (ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド, Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo, Pocket Monsters Diamond) and Pokémon Pearl (ポケットモンスター パール, Poketto Monsutā Pāru, Pocket Monsters Pearl) are role-playing games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the spin-off Pokémon Platinum, the games are the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs. First released in Japan in 2006, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe in 2007.

The games are set in the Sinnoh region of the fictional world in which the series takes place. Sinnoh is a habitat for nearly 493 different species of Pokémon, some of which are exclusive to the region. Like previous Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl chronicle the adventures of a young Pokémon trainer as he/she trains and battles Pokémon while also thwarting the schemes of a criminal organization. The games add many new features, such as Internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and changes to battle mechanics, while including older game concepts such as Pokémon Contests. The games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary to trade between them in order to complete the games' Pokédexes. The Sinnoh Saga of the Pokémon anime is based on the games' plots.

The games received generally favorable reviews. Most critics praised the addition of Wi-Fi features and felt that the gameplay, though it had not received much updating from previous games, was still engaging. Reviewers were divided on the graphics, however; and the audio was criticized as being primitive. The games enjoyed more commercial success than their Game Boy Advance predecessors: with around 15 million units sold worldwide, Diamond and Pearl have sold around 1 million more units than Ruby and Sapphire and almost 3 million more units than FireRed and LeafGreen.

Gameplay

Main article: Gameplay of Pokémon

The bottom screen of the Nintendo DS holds the Pokétch, a multi-functional device with features related to time tracking and player status.

The basic mechanics of Diamond and Pearl are largely the same as their predecessors'. As with all Pokémon games for hand-held consoles, gameplay is in third-person, overhead perspective and consists of three basic screens: a field map, in which the player navigates the main character; a battle screen; and the menu, in which the player configures his party, items, or gameplay settings. The player begins the game with one Pokémon, and can capture more using Poké Balls. The player can also use his Pokémon to battle other Pokémon. When the player encounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer to a battle, the screen switches to a turn-based battle screen where the Pokémon fight. During battle, the player may fight, use an item, switch the active Pokémon, or flee (the last not an option in battles against trainers). All Pokémon have hit points (HP); when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and cannot battle unless revived with a Pokémon skill or item. If the player's Pokémon defeats the opposing Pokémon (causes it to faint), it receives experience points. After accumulating enough experience points, it may level up; most Pokémon evolve into a new species of Pokémon when they reach a certain level.

Apart from battling, capturing Pokémon is the most essential element of Pokémon gameplay. Although other trainers' Pokémon cannot be captured, the player may use a Poké Ball on a wild Pokémon during battle. A successful capture adds the Pokémon to the player's active party or stores it if the player already has the maximum of six Pokémon. Factors in the success rate of capture include the HP of the target Pokémon and the strength of the Poké Ball used: the lower the target's HP and the stronger the Poké Ball, the higher the success rate of capture is.

New features

See also: List of Pokémon

As with all generations of Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl introduce new species of Pokémon. Unlike Ruby and Sapphire, which did not include some Pokémon from previous generations, all 493 Pokémon are available in Diamond and Pearl, though the last three can only be obtained through an event or through trading with Pokémon Platinum. First introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, Diamond and Pearl feature sensitivity to the time of day and day of the week, which is reflected in a number of facets, such as the lighting of the overworld, the locations of non-player characters, and the availability of certain species of Pokémon. Increased from three times of day in Gold and Silver, there are five time periods in Diamond and Pearl: morning, day, afternoon, evening, and night. Diamond and Pearl introduced several changes to battle mechanics. In previous generations, Pokémon moves were classified as "physical" or "special" based on their type; for example, all Fire-type moves were special and all Ground-type moves were physical. In Diamond and Pearl, however, moves are categorized into three groups. Attacks that make physical contact with the opponent are "physical", attacks that do not make physical contact are "special", and moves that do not deal damage directly are classified as "other".

Some of the games' new features capitalize on the Nintendo DS's features. The Pokétch, a device resembling a wristwatch, uses the DS's bottom screen and hosts applications including a clock, a calculator, a map, a counter, and a drawing pad. Beneath Sinnoh's surface is the Underground, a large area used for wireless multiplayer gaming; in it, players can create and decorate secret bases (first featured in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) and participate in minigames. Diamond and Pearl also employ support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to communicate through voice chat, trade, and battle online. The main system for trade is the Global Trade Station, which allows players to trade with people around the world. Players can search for any Pokémon which they have seen in the game and offer their own; if another player is offering the requested Pokémon and is looking for the offered Pokémon, the trade occurs immediately. (The trade does not have to be instant; an offer can be left for other players to browse and complete, even while the player is offline.) Certain species of Pokémon traded internationally will have a Pokédex entry in the language of the game it originated from.

Diamond and Pearl's Pokémon Contests (events in which the player's Pokémon compete in a show to win ribbons) consist of three stages, two more than the Contests of the Game Boy Advance games. In the Visual Competition stage, players use the Nintendo DS's touchscreen to place accessories on their Pokémon to boost a particular trait, such as "Cool" or "Cute", and earn points. In the Dance Competition stage, the player must tap buttons on the touchscreen in rhythm with the music. The final stage, Acting Competition, is similar to Pokémon Contests of the Game Boy Advance games; Pokémon use their moves to appeal to the judges and crowd. Like Pokéblocks in the third-generation games, baked goods called Poffins can be made from berries and fed to Pokémon in order to boost a particular trait and therefore the likelihood of success in a relevant Contest.

Connectivity to other devices

In addition to compatibility with each other, Diamond and Pearl offer compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Pokémon RPGs, Pokémon Ranger, and Pokémon Battle Revolution. After earning the National Pokédex in Diamond and Pearl, the player can transfer Pokémon from the Game Boy Advance games to Diamond and Pearl by inserting a Game Boy Advance cartridge into the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot of the Nintendo DS while Diamond or Pearl is in the DS slot. After six Pokémon are uploaded from the cartridge, they are sent to the Pal Park, an area where the player can capture the transferred Pokémon. Pokémon uploads are restricted to six every twenty-four hours per GBA cartridge, and the player must capture the uploaded Pokémon before performing another transfer. Pokémon transferred to Diamond and Pearl this way cannot be sent back to a Game Boy Advance cartridge. Also, Pal Park cannot be accessed when playing Diamond or Pearl on a Nintendo DSi, since the DSi is not backward-compatible with Game Boy Advance cartridges. After completing a special mission in Pokémon Ranger, the player will be able to send a Manaphy egg or Riolu from Ranger to Diamond or Pearl. Finally, players can wirelessly upload Pokémon from Diamond and Pearl to the Wii games Pokémon Battle Revolution and My Pokémon Ranch.

Setting and plot

	File:Sinnoh.jpg
The Sinnoh region (right) is based on the Japanese island Hokkaidō.

Diamond and Pearl are set in the fictional region of Sinnoh, an island based on the Japanese island Hokkaidō. Sinnoh is unconnected to any other region in the Pokémon universe and is characterized by large, snow-covered mountains (Mt. Coronet, part of a mountain range, divides Sinnoh in half). Unlike other regions, Sinnoh has a "northern" feel to it: it is the only region with snow-covered routes. Sinnoh is also characterized by its waterways; it has three main lakes (Verity, Acuity, and Valor) that form a triangle. Unlike the Hoenn region, however, which is mostly water routes, only 30 percent of Sinnoh's landscape comprises waterways. Underneath Sinnoh's surface is the Sinnoh Underground, a large maze of caves and tunnels.

The games chronicle the adventures of a new Pokémon trainer who strives to become the Pokémon League Champion by collecting and training Pokémon. Like most games in the series, Diamond and Pearl feature eight Pokémon gyms led by Gym Leaders, professional trainers whose expertise lies in a particular Pokémon type. Gym Leaders serve as bosses and reward skilled trainers with Gym badges, key to the advancement of the plot. As in Ruby and Sapphire, the protagonist must also thwart the schemes of a crime syndicate (here Team Galactic) who plan to use Pokémon to restructure the region into a utopia.

Like all other Pokémon RPGs, Diamond and Pearl begin in the protagonist's hometown. After viewing a television report about a media-conducted search for a Red Gyarados spotted at a far-away lake (Johto's Lake of Rage), the protagonist and his/her best friend travel together to check the local lake for a Pokémon like it. They spot Professor Rowan, a Pokémon evolution researcher, and his assistant, the playable character not selected in the game: Lucas (boy) or Dawn (girl). After a short discussion the professor and his assistant leave the lake, leaving a briefcase behind. When they are attacked by wild Starly, the protagonist and his/her rival examine the case. The player is then given a choice between three Pokémon found in the briefcase (Chimchar, Turtwig, or Piplup) to battle the Starly with. After defeating the Starly, Dawn or Lucas retrieves and returns the briefcase to the professor. Noticing that a bond has been forged between the young protagonist and his/her chosen Pokémon, Rowan offers it to him/her, asking that he/she embark on a journey and fill his/her Pokédex.

The protagonist encounters the main antagonist, Team Galactic, early in the game, when he/she must save Professor Rowan from its thugs; however, its motives are unclear until later. The protagonist encounters the Team twice (when it takes over a wind farm and when it sets up a base in Eterna City) before it takes over Sinnoh's three lakes in an attempt to capture the Mirage Pokémon (Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit). Shortly after the player earns the seventh Gym badge, Team Galactic captures the Mirage Pokémon and imprisons them in Team Galactic headquarters, where its members extract crystals from the Pokémon to create the Red Chain (an object that can control Pokémon) to control the legendary Pokémon Dialga (in Diamond) or Palkia (in Pearl). After releasing the trio, the protagonist is able to access the cave atop Mt. Coronet, where the leader of Team Galactic awakens Dialga or Palkia. The legendary Pokémon's powers begin to overwhelm Sinnoh, causing the newly free Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit to attempt to stop it. The player then battles Dialga/Palkia; after defeating or capturing the Pokémon, Sinnoh returns to normal.

Development and release

Director Junichi Masuda (right) and designer Shigeru Ohmori (left) at the North American release party in New York City

With the announcements of Pokémon Dash's release and the release date of the Nintendo DS, the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was announced at a Nintendo Press conference in the fourth calendar quarter of 2004. Junichi Masuda at Game Freak developed the titles, saying it would "become a new type of game that offers a number of new forms of play" and that he was determined to create "the ultimate [Pokémon] version". Though Diamond and Pearl were expected to be released in Japan by 2005, Nintendo revealed that the developers were still working on aspects of the gameplay and that the games would not be released until 2006. The company said that Diamond and Pearl would be able to communicate with Pokémon games for the Game Boy Advance, allowing players to transfer their Pokémon to the new games. Nintendo also announced that the games would make full use of the Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS, allowing 16 players to communicate wirelessly at one time. Further information concerning the games was not released until mid 2006, when Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned that connectivity with Pokémon Battle Revolution was also still in development; new features such as the Pokétch and time sensitivity were also mentioned.

According to Pokémon co-creator Tsunekazu Ishihara, the games were designed with the DS's unique features in mind, such as the Wi-Fi capabilities and slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges. The command buttons in the battle screen are large and color-coded; according to Masuda, this feature would facilitate gameplay for players unable to read. Also, the touchscreen interface was designed to encourage players to use their fingers rather than the stylus to manipulate the screen. Though most of the graphics in Diamond and Pearl are 2D, some of the background elements are 3D. The decision to retain 2D graphics in Diamond and Pearl drew criticism; in response, Tsunekazu Ishihara said that "we wanted to maintain the original idea of Pokémon being a game that you played on this big map" and explained that physically, the games were in three dimensions but was designed to "maintain the original feel of the game". Responding to criticism over the use of Friend Codes in the games, Ishihara explained that it was a security measure taken to ensure that players would not be able to chat with strangers over the Wi-Fi connection. Nintendo released a statement detailing glitches found in Japanese releases of Diamond and Pearl. The glitches caused players to be stuck in an in-game wall or lose saved data. Nintendo has released patches to certain retailers in Japan to fix these glitches.

The games were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. To commemorate the release, Nintendo sold a limited-edition DS Lite in Japanese Pokémon Center stores and through the Pokémon fan club by mail. The consoles featured the games' mascots Dialga and Palkia painted in silver and gold respectively on a metallic black finish. On December 20, 2006, Nintendo of America announced that the North American release of the games was slated for April 22, 2007, and that those who pre-ordered their copies of the games would receive special DS styluses branded with some of the new Pokémon. Shortly before the games' North American release, The Pokémon Company presented a limited demo of the games for Nintendo's booth at the Game Developer's Conference. To celebrate the games' North American release, Nintendo held a release party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City's Rockerfeller Plaza. Nintendo of Europe announced a release date of July 27, 2007, for the European Union, and Nintendo Australia announced a June 21 release date. A launch event was held in GAME stores at Hamleys to celebrate the European release of the games. The event, held on July 26, 2007, offered a chance to purchase the games one day before their official release date and featured an appearance by band McFly. To celebrate the Australian release of the games, Nintendo launched the nationwide Nintendo DS Connection Tour 07; each stop in the tour featured events such as Pokémon Trading Card Game competitions and Pokémon trivia games.

The success of the games revived the popularity of the Pokémon brand. George Harrison, then Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, noted that the games were attracting "players of all ages"—from younger children to "grown men and women" and older players who "played the original Pokémon games". As a result, Pokémon USA opened a temporary boutique in the Times Square Toys 'R' Us that sold exclusively Pokémon licensed merchandise including Jakks Pacific-created action figures, plush toys, backpacks, and clothing. Ronald Boire, president of Toys 'R' Us, stated that the store planned to open temporary boutiques in all 585 of its domestic locations. Other Pokémon merchandise includes a BattleDome Playset and a talking Pokédex. Additionally, Pokémon USA partnered with Burger King to launch a promotional campaign in which Burger King included exclusive Pokémon trading cards and accessories with Kids Meals. The promotion lasted from July 7 to August 3 in the United States and continued through the fall internationally.

Soundtrack

Nintendo DS Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Super Music Collection is a two-disc soundtrack featuring music scored by Hitomi Sato and Junichi Masuda under the supervision of Go Ichinose, with a few other fanfares composed by Morikazu Aoki. The album, released in Japan on December 22, 2006, peaked at #253 on Japan's Oricon charts and charted for one week.

Disc 1

Disc One # Japanese title English translation/transliteration Length 1 オープニングデモ Opening Demo 2:05 2 オープニング Opening 1:12 3 とくべつばんぐみ「あかいギャラドスをおえ！」 Special Program "Follow the Red Gyarados!" 0:20 4 フタバタウン（昼） Futaba Town (Day) 1:21 5 ライバル Rival 0:36 6 ２０１ばんどうろ（昼） Route 201 (Day) 0:36 7 みずうみ Lake 1:13 8 湖でハプニング！ Happening at the Lake! 0:19 9 戦闘！野生ポケモン Battle! Wild Pokémon 1:16 10 野生ポケモンに勝利！ Wild Pokémon Defeated! 0:17 11 ヒカリ Hikari 0:53 12 どうぐゲット Get Furniture 0:04 13 マサゴタウン（昼） Masago Town (Day) 1:00 14 けんきゅうじょ Retrieving the Item 1:12 15 連れて行く Bring Along 0:28 16 ポケモンセンター（昼） Pokémon Center (Day) 0:47 17 回復 Recovery 0:05 18 視線！たんぱんこぞう Look! Boy with Shorts 0:20 19 視線！ミニスカート Look! Mini-skirt 0:25 20 戦闘！トレーナー Battle! Trainer 1:42 21 トレーナーに勝利！ Trainer Defeated! 0:22 22 コトブキシティ（昼） Kotobuki City (Day) 0:51 23 たいせつなどうぐゲット Get Important Furniture 0:05 24 フレンドリィショップ Friendly Shop 0:52 25 ２０３ばんどうろ（昼） Route 203 (Day) 1:31 26 戦闘！ライバル Battle! Rival 1:11 27 クロガネゲート Kurogane Gate 1:26 28 わざマシンゲット Get Important Item 0:05 29 クロガネシティ（昼） Kurogane City (Day) 0:48 30 クロガネたんこう Kurogane Coal Mine 1:36 31 ジム Gym 1:04 32 戦闘！ジムリーダー Battle! Gym Leader 1:37 33 ジムリーダーに勝利！ Gym Leader Defeated! 0:49 34 バッジゲット Get Badge 0:07 35 視線！ふたごちゃん Look! Twins! 0:17 36 レベルアップ Upgrade 0:04 37 ソノオタウン（昼） Sonō Town (Day) 1:18 38 きのみゲット Get Berry 0:04 39 ２０５ばんどうろ（昼） Route 205 (Day) 0:54 40 ギンガ団登場！ Enter Team Ginga 0:25 41 戦闘！キンガ団 Battle! Team Ginga 1:17 42 ハクタイのもり Hakutai Forest 1:22 43 一緒に行こう！ Let's Go Together! 0:05 44 ハクタイシティ（昼） Hakutai City (Day) 1:41 45 ギンガハクタイビル The Hakutai Ginka Building 0:38 46 戦闘！キンガ団幹部 Battle! Team Ginka Leader 1:15 47 キンガ団に勝利！ Defeated Team Ginka! 0:19 48 進化 Evolution 0:31 49 進化おめでとう Congratulations on the Evolution 0:06 50 じてんしゃ Bicycle 1:17 51 視線！サイクリング Look! Cyclist 0:31 52 ２０６ばんどうろ（昼） Route 206 (Day) 0:48 53 ヨスガシティ（昼） Yosuga City (Day) 1:08 54 ２０９ばんどうろ（昼） Route 209 (Day) 1:22 55 視線！やまおとこ Look! Mountain Man 0:18 56 ズイタウン（昼） Zui Town (Day) 0:57 57 ポケッチアプリゲット Get Poketch Application 0:04 58 ２１０ばんどうろ Route 210 1:17 59 トバリシティ（昼） Tobari City (Day) 1:27 60 リッシこのほとり（昼） Risshi Area (Day) 1:30 61 ミオシティ（昼） Mio City (Day) 1:20 62 ２１６ばんどうろ（昼） Route 216(Day) 1:50 63 キッサキシティ（昼） Kissaki City (Day) 1:55 64 ギンガ団アジト Team Ginga Base 1:00 65 戦闘！キンガ団ボス Battle! Team Ginga Boss 2:15 66 アジトの最奥！！ Innermost Hideout!! 0:32 67 テンガンざん Mt. Tengan 1:30 68 やりのはしら Spear Peak 0:49 69 伝説ポケモン出現！ The Legendary Pokémon Appears! 0:38 70 天変地異！！ The World Is Turned Upside-Down! 0:38 71 戦闘！ディアルガ・パルキア Battle! Palkia/Dialga 2:40 72 ナギサシティ（昼） Nagisa City (Noon) 1:28 73 チャンピオンロード Champion Road 0:36 74 視線！エリートトレーナー Look! Elite Trainer 0:27 75 ポケモンリーグ（昼） Pokémon League 1:22 76 ファイトエリア（昼） Fight Area (Day) 1:07 77 ２２５ばんどうろ（昼） Route 225 (Day) 1:21 78 ２２8ばんどうろ（昼） Route 228 (Day) 0:54

Disc 2

Disc Two # Japanese title English translation/transliteration Length 1 フタバタウン（夜） Futaba Town (Night) 1:21 2 ２０１ばんどうろ（夜） Route 201 (Night) 0:36 3 ポケモンセンター（夜） Pokémon Center (Night) 1:29 4 Ｗｉ－Ｆｉ通信 Wi-Fi Communication 0:20 5 マサゴタウン（夜） Masago Town (Night) 1:03 6 コウキ Kouki 0:53 7 コトブキシティ Kouki City 0:52 8 テレビきょく Television Station 1:04 9 GTS 0:48 10 なみのり Surf 1:28 11 ミオシティ（夜） Mio City (Night) 1:29 12 わざ忘れ Forget a Skill 0:05 13 ２０３ばんどうろ（夜） Route 203 (Night) 1:38 14 視線！からておう Look! Karate King 0:17 15 クロガネシティ（夜） Kurogane City (Night) 0:49 16 ２０５ばんどうろ（夜） Route 205 (Night) 0:54 17 視線！ふなのり Look! Sailor 0:40 18 ハクタイシティ（夜） Hakutai City (Night) 1:41 19 ちかつうろ Underground Passage 1:24 20 ちかでハタをとった！ Capture the Flag Underground! 0:56 21 視線！アロマなおねえさん Look! Aroma Lady! 0:20 22 ソノオタウン（夜） Sonō Town (Night) 1:17 23 もりのようかん Forest Hotel 1:48 24 ズイタウン（夜） Zui Town (Night) 1:00 25 だいしつげん Great Marsh 0:59 26 ２０６ばんどうろ（夜） Route 206 (Night) 0:48 27 視線！ポケモンコレクター Look! Pokémon Collector 0:28 28 トバリシティ（夜） Tobari City (Night) 1:36 29 ゲームコーナー Game Corner 1:24 30 スロット当たり Slot Success 0:19 31 スロット大当たり Jackpot! 0:17 32 視線！ギャンブラー Look! 0:29 33 ２０９ばんどうろ（夜） Route 209 (Night) 1:21 34 キッサキシティ（夜） Kissaki City (Night) 1:56 35 ２１６ばんどうろ（夜） Route 216 (Night) 1:52 36 みずうみのくうどう Lake Cave 1:10 37 戦闘！ユクシー・エムリット・アグノム Battle! Agunomu, Emuritto, and Yukushi 1:56 38 ２１０ばんどうろ（夜） Route 210 (Night) 1:19 39 ポケトレで発見！ Found Something with Poketore! 0:24 40 ナギサシティ（夜） Nagisa City (Night) 1:32 41 視線！げいじゅつか Look! Artist 0:38 42 ふれあいひろば Event Plaza 1:00 43 アクセサリーゲット Get Accessory 0:04 44 ヨスガシティ（夜） Yosuga City (Night) 1:13 45 コンテスト会場 Contest Arena 0:34 46 ポフィン Poffin 0:36 47 スーパーコンテンスト！ Super Contest 0:54 48 コンテスト！ドレスアップ Contest! Dress Up 1:02 49 ダンス　かんたん Simple Dance 1:23 50 ダンス　むずかしい Difficult Dance 1:22 51 コンテスト！結果発表 Contest Results 0:20 52 コンテスト優勝！ Winning the Contest! 0:20 53 ２２８ばんどうろ（夜） Route 228 (Night) 0:53 54 リッシこのほとり（夜） Risshi Area (Night) 1:30 55 ファイトエリア（夜） Fight Area (Night) 1:07 56 バトルタワー Battle Tower 1:05 57 ２２５ばんどうろ（夜） Route 225 (Night) 1:23 58 ハードマウンテン Hard Mountain 1:16 59 戦闘！伝説のポケモン Battle! Legendary Pokémon 1:07 60 ふしぎなおくりもの Mysterious Present 0:20 61 ポケモンリーグ（夜） Pokémon League (Night) 1:22 62 決戦！ポケモンリーグ Decisive Battle! Pokémon League 1:22 63 四天王登場！ Enter the Elite Four! 0:23 64 戦闘！四天王 Battle! Elite Four 1:38 65 四天王に勝利！ Elite Four Defeated! 0:19 66 チャンピオン　シロナ Champion Shirona 0:44 67 戦闘！チャンピオン Battle! Champion 1:31 68 チャンピオンに勝利！ Champion Defeated! 0:40 69 栄光の部屋 Hall of Fame 1:14 70 殿堂入りおめでとう！ Congratulations on Your Induction! 0:47 71 エンディング Ending 4:37

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	84%
Metacritic	84%

Review scores

Publication	Score
1Up.com	A-
Computer and Video Games	8.1/10
Eurogamer	9/10
GameSpot	8.5/10
GameSpy	4.5/5
GameZone	8.5/10
IGN	8.5/10
Nintendo Power	9/10

Diamond and Pearl garnered slightly higher ratings than FireRed/LeafGreen and Ruby/Sapphire. The games have an 85 out of 100 on Metacritic and an 85% ("generally favorable reviews") on Game Rankings. The highest score given was a 92 by UK Official Nintendo Magazine, while the lowest was a 79 by NGamer UK. However, this was an import review of the Japanese version; the score was later revised to 81% for the western version. Ryan Davis of GameSpot gave the games an 8.5/10 ("Great") and stated and said, "[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are] the most well-rounded Pokémon games to date." IGN and GameZone also gave the games a 8.5/10. The 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/Sapphire had, but earned an "A-" grade from 1UP.com, an improvement from Ruby/Sapphire's "B-".

Most reviewers felt that though the gameplay and storyline had not changed much since the first games, Diamond and Pearl were still engaging. 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 earned largely positive reviews. 1UP.com called the addition of wireless connectivity the games' "biggest improvements". Gamespot and GameSpy both listed the addition of online play as one of the positive points of the games 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 blend of 2D and 3D graphics, and GameZone said that the graphics were "better than what I had originally imagined" and that "a Pokemon title hasn't ever looked this good on a handheld". GameSpy felt that 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 so well-received: IGN felt that the cries made by the Pokémon "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 felt that the sounds had not been updated, 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 one of the negative points.

First released in Japan in 2006, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl have the most successful launch week of games in the Pokémon series, and the best launch week for any Nintendo DS game for the country alone. Within forty-six days, the games sold three million units, becoming the fastest DS games to do so; by the end of the year, the number increased to five million units in just under three months, making Diamond and Pearl the best-selling Pokémon games in Japan. In the United States, pre-orders for Diamond and Pearl passed 533,000, almost twice the pre-sale numbers for FireRed and LeafGreen. Within five days of release, the games sold around one million copies and were the fastest-selling Pokémon games ever until the release of Pokémon Platinum. With around 4.27 million units sold in the United States, the games were the seventh-best-selling video games of 2007, and since early 2009 that figure has been updated to 5.3 million units. As of March 31, 2008, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl combined have sold 14.77 million copies worldwide, making their sales totals around 1 million higher than those of Ruby/Sapphire and around 3 million higher than those of FireRed/LeafGreen. The games also boosted sales of hardware in the United States, spurring the sales of 471,000 DS units and causing the sales of video games in April 2007 to rise 20% from April 2006. In Europe, the games sold around 1.6 million units within just seven weeks of their release and topped the charts in Spain, Germany, and the United Kingom. 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 online multiplayer games and the best RPG games. 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. The game placed 20th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.

Related games

Pokémon Platinum

Pokémon Platinum (ポケットモンスタープラチナ, Poketto Monsutā Purachina, "Pocket Monsters Platinum") is an enhanced remake of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald. It was released on September 13, 2008 in Japan, March 22, 2009 in North America, and was released in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009 and May 22, 2009, respectively.

The game features Giratina as its mascot and introduces its Origin Forme, as seen in Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior. Its initial form is referred to as its Altered Forme in the English localization, but originally called its Another Forme in the Japanese release. The storyline involves a disturbance atop Mt. Coronet, as a portal to the "Distortion World" is opened and Sinnoh's climate becomes colder. The trainers have been given new outfits to suit the colder climate. The Distortion World is a strange place in another dimension where normal physical laws do not apply. In addition, Shaymin, which was distributed in Japan as part of admittance to the aforementioned film and in America through a promotion via Toys R Us, has a new form known as its "Sky Forme", a dual Grass- and Flying-type Pokémon. When traded to Diamond or Pearl from Platinum, Shaymin will transform from its Sky Forme back to its regular forme or Land Forme. With the use of a new item in Platinum known as the Gracidea Flower (unlockable with the event Shaymin) Shaymin can be caused to change from Land Forme to Skye Form, reverting with a reuse of the flower. When the special Regigigas that is given out with a pre-order ticket for Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Shaymin is traded from Diamond or Pearl to Platinum, it activates an event that makes Regirock, Regice, and Registeel available to catch in Platinum. Like Shaymin, Regigugas was released in America via Toys R Us. Additionally, five exclusive forms of Rotom were introduced. Rotom's forms are unlockable by use of a Secret Key made available for download over Wi-Fi Connection via Platinum's onboard Mystery Gift function. Other added features include the Battle Frontier, which was first introduced in Pokémon Emerald, and appears again in Platinum with five new frontier brains; the Wi-Fi Plaza, an arcade area, the player can play minigames with other people over the Wi-Fi connection, and the Vs. Recorder which allows players to save and replay videos of battles between friends.

Pokémon Platinum sold 1 million copies in its first two days on the Japanese market. According to Media Create, the game has sold 2 million copies in Japan as of December 7, 2008. Thus, it is the fastest-selling Nintendo DS title as of late. Pokémon Platinum is the second best-selling game of Japan in 2008, as well as the best-selling Nintendo DS game in Japan of that year, selling 2,187,337 copies. On March 21, 2009, the day before the North American release of Platinum, Nintendo hosted a launch celebration at Nintendo World Store in New York. Attendees were able to demo or even purchase the game before its official release the next day. The game went on to sell 805,000 units in just 9 days in the U.S., ranking as the second highest game sales for the month. In a hands-on preview of Platinum, Kat Bailey of 1UP.com praised the game's many new features as well as its improvements in interface and graphics. "Pokémon fans probably won't be found wanting with Platinum. Even after you finish up the main quest, stop messing around with the Battle Recorder, and clear out the Battle Frontier, you've still got side quests and contests to keep you busy. And once you venture back down the Pokémon rabbit hole, you won't be coming up again for a while," wrote Bailey. Famitsu gave the game a score of 9/9/9/9 for a total of 36 points. "From the new story elements to the addition of the Battle Frontier, there's a ton of neat stuff, and you're getting a lot for your money here," they remarked. IGN gave the game an 8.8 out of 10 saying it was easily the definitive version but it was difficult to praise a two-year-old game.

My Pokémon Ranch

Main article: My Pokémon Ranch

Ranch (みんなのポケモン牧場, Minna no Pokemon Bokujō, Everyone's Pokémon Ranch) is a Wii game developed by Ambrella and released via the WiiWare download service. First released on March 25, 2008, in Japan, it was later made available in North America on June 9, 2008, and in Europe on July 4, 2008, for 1000 Wii Points. Like the GameCube's Pokémon Box, Ranch allows players to store and arrange Pokémon from Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Pokémon transferred from those games are rendered in 3D and can interact with the player's Miis. The DS games are not necessary to use Ranch; players are given six starter Pokémon and a new one each day.

References

• Game Freak (2007). Pokémon Diamond. Nintendo.
• Pokémon Diamond Version instruction booklet. Nintendo (2007).
• Loe, Casey (2007). Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Redmond, Washington: Nintendo. ISBN 978-159812018-9.

External links

Official sites

• Pokémon Diamond/Pearl subpage on Pokémon.com
• Pokémon Diamond/Pearl official U.S. website
• Official Pokémon GTS website
• Pokémon Platinum Official U.S. Pokémon Platinum website

Reviews of the games from mainstream media

• Molina, Brett (April 24, 2007). "Pokémon's 'Diamond' and 'Pearl' both shine". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
• Lash, Cindi (May 30, 2007). "Game Daze: 'Bust-a-Move Bash', 'Pokemon Diamond/Pearl'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
• Hill, Jason (June 21, 2007). "Pokemon Diamond/Pearl". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
• Kesten, Lou (May 21, 2007). "Reviews: Collecting Games for Nintendo DS". Fox News. News Corporation. Retrieved 15 January 2009.