Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

Well, I got Pokemon Diamond on launch day, and, for the most part, I must say that I was greatly impressed at how much Nintendo's main franchise has improved over 2 years. The game may still be the storyline of: "Catching Pokemon and training them as well as getting badges, which all leads up to beating the Elite Four."

In Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, the storyline basically follows that of the show "Pokemon Diamond and Pearl" (By the way Nintendo, very original.) Anyway you start out as a kid who lives in the Sinnoh region, along with his best friend. While wondering the area, you travel to the nearby lake to find Proffesor Rowan who has just recently returned from a vacation, along with his new assisstant, Dawn. After they leave, you and your friend notice that the Proffesor left behind his briefcase. Upon encountering wild Pokemon, you and your friend use the Pokemon inside to defend yourselves. After that, and returning the briefcase to Proffesor Rowan, he rewards you two with the Pokemon that you chose. As usual, your rival accquires the Pokemon that has a type advantage against your Pokemon. But, due to a third rival, Dawn, she recieves the Pokemon that you have a type advantage against. When all of that is completed you go back your home in Twinleaf Town. Your mom gives you the running shoes, which allow you to run instead of walk by holding B. Then, you finally set off on your adventure.

Now that the main storyline is out of the way, let's get to new features. In Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, there have been many new features added to the franchise. One of them includes the use of 3-D graphics! Finally, a Pokemon game for a handheld that has 3-D! Only certain scenes contain 3-D features in them. But, Pokemon Centers and Poke Marts as well as houses are designed in 3-D. The detail isn't that great, but it's an improvement.

After graphics, we have the Global Trade Station and Wi-Fi. WOW! The first Pokemon game to have Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi comes hand-in-hand with the new GTS, or, Global Trade Station. The GTS allows players to trade other users across the globe, that's right, not just the nation, the planet. You can also put up your own Pokemon for trade and offer for someone else's. Also, another feature that comes with Wi-Fi is the option to battle people across the globe on the second floor of any Pokemon Center.

There are, of course, two new main legendary Pokemon, Dialga for Diamond, Palkia for Pearl. Now, the odd thing about these Pokemon is the fact that they come on a very random and strange level. Normally, a legendary Pokemon would appear on around level 70. These two, however, appear on level 47. Yup, it's weird alright. Totally random. Supposedly there is something about these Pokemon that seperates them from others. This is because they were once a Pokemon combine, called Arceus, which is unobtainable nless through a special Nintendo event that hasn't arrived in the U.S. yet, or through an Action Replay(like I did).

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl has been reported as the Pokemon game with the most legendaries in it. There are 13 of them. They are: Dialga, Palkia, Arceus, Shaymin, Darkrai, Rotom, Regigigas, Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit, Cresselia, Heatran, and Giratina.

Overall, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are very good games, considering all of the improvements that have been made over 2 years. This is no doubt my favorite set of all of the Pokemon games ever to have been released. Hopefully, there will be a third installment to the set. I am looking forward to more Pokemon games for years to come!

I give Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: (4.6 out of 5)