With the long-awaited release of familiar Sinnoh region to discover everything that has changed about it since they last visited in Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl or Pokémon: Platinum. These remakes promised to be faithful recreations of the original Diamond & Pearl games, though information available prior to their release suggested that some of the changes made in Platinum would return. However, some of Platinum’s distinguishing features remain left out of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl as the games adhere more to the content of the originals.
While Platinum was widely considered a major Diamond & Pearl, BDSP are functionally ports of the original games, for the most part, with enhanced 3D graphics. However, they include new features and updates of their own to set them apart from the originals. Fans of Platinum’s many unique and interesting features may be disappointed to find that most of these changes did not transfer over to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
It’s possible that Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl will include content from Platinum in the future if there will, in fact, be DLC for the games. However, this is currently speculation as Nintendo has not alluded to any DLC coming for BDSP, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus will likely be taking center stage for the franchise when it is released early in 2022. With the notable lack of Platinum content in Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, players will find that these major changes did not transfer over to the newly released Gen IV remakes.
The Distortion World Is Absent From BDSP
The showdown against Cyrus in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl brings back the original encounter from D&P in which players can catch either Dialga or Palkia depending on their version. However, Platinum’s Distortion World is absent as Giratina is no longer the mascot Legendary of the game that players encounter at the game’s climactic Spear Pillar. With its unique mechanics and bizarre atmosphere that set it apart from anything else in the game, players may be disappointed to know that the Distortion World will not be featured in Diamond & Pearl’s remakes.
While this parallel realm can’t be accessed in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, its resident Giratina can still be caught after players defeat the Pokémon League. Giratina can be found by returning to Route 214 below Veilstone City, where a new hidden path has been opened on the right just below Psychic Mitchell. This Spring Path features Pokémon that are around level 50 and leads players to Turnback Cave, where the legendary Giratina will be waiting for them.
Original D&P Gym Puzzles And Order Return To BDSP
Some of the gyms in Platinum had major renovations compared to Diamond & Pearl. The Eterna Gym, Hearthome Gym, and Veilstone Gym featured entirely new puzzles, and players challenged these gyms in a new order. Hearthome Gym was the fifth gym in D&P, but Platinum allowed players to challenge Gym Leader Fantina the first time they arrived in Hearthome City, making Hearthome Gym the game’s third gym instead. The interior had also been changed to feature a maze that players had to navigate in the dark rather than a brief math quiz that had players enter the door corresponding to each room’s answer to reach Fantina. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl brought back the original order, so Hearthome is the fifth gym once again, complete with its original puzzle. Fortunately, the Pokétch has a calculator so players can check their math.
Eterna Gym and Veilstone Gym also had updated puzzles in Platinum that didn’t make it to BDSP, which feature Diamond & Pearl’s originals. Rather than playing hide and seek with four trainers to reach Gardenia in Eterna Gym, players had to rotate the hands of the gym’s giant clock by defeating the four trainers before they could reach Gardenia. Veilstone Gym originally featured sliding blocks that players had to move in order to clear a path to Maylene, but Platinum had punching bags that players hit to topple tire piles blocking the way forward.
BDSP’s Gym Leaders Use Original Teams From D&P
In addition to the changes that Platinum made to its gym’s puzzles, most of its gym leaders also had different Pokémon in their teams. Gardenia’s Cherubi had evolved into a Cherrim for Platinum’s fight, and Fantina’s Gengar was downgraded to a Haunter. Fantina’s Drifblim was also swapped for Duskull. Bryon’s party featured a Magneton instead of a Bronzor, which increased the difficulty of his battle and rounded out his team’s abilities.
With the expanded Pokédex of Platinum compared to D&P, Candice’s and Volkner’s teams featured more Pokémon of their respective types as more ice and electric type Pokémon were included in the game. Candice had a Piloswine and Froslass rather than Snover and Medicham, and Volkner fought with Jolteon and Electivire instead of Ambipom and Octillery. Despite the return of each gym leaders’ original team in BDSP, however, the remakes update their gym battles by giving each party’s Pokémon new movesets, presenting a fresh challenge compared to both D&P and Platinum.
Looker Didn’t Make It To BDSP
Looker was a character first introduced to the series in Platinum who helped players foil the dastardly plans of Team Galactic. As an International Police officer, Looker investigates their criminal activities and appears at various points throughout the game as players battle Team Galactic and infiltrate their bases. While Looker has become a recurring character in the Pokémon franchise since Platinum and shows up to solve mysteries and fight crime in most of the franchise’s more recent core games, he doesn’t appear in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which maintain the original story from D&P.
D&P’s Original Climate Returns To Sinnoh In BDSP
Platinum featured a Sinnoh Region that was notably colder than it had been in Diamond & Pearl, with Lucas and Dawn sporting winter weather outfits to keep warm on their adventures. While their Platinum outfits are available in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which lets players change their outfits to customize their avatar, the climate of the Sinnoh Region has returned to its more temperate state. It’s possible that Sinnoh became colder as a result of the Distortion World portal being open atop Mount Coronet, and as this realm is not included in the remakes, Sinnoh’s warmer weather is featured once again in Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
