Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill remake a fan-favorite generation ofPokemon. The Sinnoh region introduces a lot of lore to the series alongside some important Legendary Pokemon. As the firstPokemonremakes on the Nintendo Switch,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave a lot of expectations from fans. Story and graphical upgrades are only the beginning when considering what all to add to the two games.
Well before the days ofPokemonDLC games likePlatinum, Emerald, andYellowoften added things to the basePokemonexperience that may have been missing in their generational counterparts. WhilePokemon DiamondandPearl’sstorydid a lot for the series,Pokemon Platinum’sadditions helped to round out Generation 4. Building on the duo’s narrative, gameplay, and using its additions as inspiration could provide a well-rounded experience both respectful of the originals while incorporating the best possible combination of the past and present.
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Pokemon Platinum’s Expanded Story
The story inPokemon Platinumdoes not differ too much fromDiamondandPearlbut it does build on what was previously there.Pokemon Platinumdoes a good job at providing more details and pushing some critical aspects ofGen 4’s story and lore. This was accomplished by adding certain events and emphasizing particular NPC actions.
The villainous organization Team Galactic takes more direct measures inPokemon Platinumsuch as harnessing resources like the Valley Windworks and planting a bomb in the Great Marsh. The severe actions they take underline their efforts to re-create the world and harness the powers of Palkia and Dialga.Platinumalso uses both Legendary Pokemon in the story rather than only one, which helps with the introduction of the third of the Creation Trio, Giratina.
With space and time in danger, Giratina’s role inPokemon Platinumis somewhat likeRayquaza’srole inPokemon Emerald. The Pokemon is necessary to prevent a catastrophic disaster, on a cosmic scale, and as an available Legendary Pokemon to capture. While it might not seem like much Giratina’s presence with both Palkia and Dialga helps to reinforce how intense the entirety of Gen 4’s story is with a greater focus than just space or time.
Pokemon’s Distortion World
Giratina’sincreased importance in the story forPokemon Platinumbrought a couple of major changes to some of the final parts of the game as well. This resulted in the introduction of the Distortion World, Giratina’s home, and where the Pokemon appears in its Origin Forme. Distortion World was a visually cool and unique addition forPlatinumbut the area could benefit drastically from the remakes.
The area’s M.C. Escher-style physics created a space that is incredibly unique for the franchise. Thanks to the increased power of the Nintendo Switch as well as the interdimensional lore added to the series inPokemon SunandMoon,Distortion Worldcould be overhauled if adapted forPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.
While, visually, it would still be a great experience on stronger hardware, the gameplay for Distortion World could be extended past the main story. The area could become the main way of catching Ultra Beasts inPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl. Working similarly to Dynamax Adventures fromPokemon SwordandShield,such an adaption of Distortion World in the remakes could increase the replay value of the area. On top of increasing some endgame content, it would also allow for a wider array of Legendary Pokemon to appear.
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A Full Pokedex
Pokemon Platinumprovided a lot of access to other Legendary Pokemon beyond Gen 4’s main mascots andthe Lake Trio. As cool as a fleshed-out and permanent Distortion World would be, there should still be alternative methods to obtain Legendary Pokemon inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl. With the introduction of Pokemon like Regigigas, the originalDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinumexpanded upon the lore established in prior generations. Taking this a step further could complement the newer aspects of the franchise introduced inPokemon’s more recent years.
New Pokedex additions like the regional Legendary Birds alongside Regidrago and Regieleki inSwordandShield’sCrown TundraDLC are a great opportunity to continue the intergenerational tradition. Making both versions of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos catchable alongside both new and classic Regis could be a fantastic way to increase post-story content as well. And it could go even deeper and tie in Pokemon likeRegigigasand others across regions and generations to mirror Gen 4’s focus on space and time.
The idea of keeping a full roster is not exclusive toPlatinum’sLegendary Pokemonthough. This same practice could be extended to the other wild Pokemon available inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’sbase game.Platinumdid a solid job at uniting version exclusive Pokemon and filling out much of the Pokedex. While there were still some Pokemon excluded fromPlatinum,it is entirely possible to take the game’s original ambition and provide a truly expansive National Dex on the Nintendo Switch.
Pokemon Platinum’s Great Marsh
A memorable part of Pokemon’s early generations is the Safari Zone andPokemon Platinumhad its own iteration. The Great Marsh was changed from its original design inPokemon DiamondandPearlto one that was unique toPlatinum. The inclusion of this feature could be a great source of nostalgia for older fans but could also provide a more functional aspect.
The Great Marsh is an opportunity to implement the recent concept of regional Pokemon as it contains species that cannot be found anywhere else in Sinnoh. For example, while aGalarian Ponytaand Kanto Cubone are available in the wild, Kanto Ponyta and Galarian Marowak could be available in the Great Marsh.Pokemonhas a history of innovation when it comes to remakes, and this could be a fun way to show how far the series has come. Seeing the Great Marsh and other new features thatPokemon Platinumbrought to Gen 4 would be a fantastic way to connect the new and old generations.
