The Pokemon Company and ILCA have announced Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl.
Remakes of the 2008 mainline Nintendo DS Pokemon games, players will head to the Sinnoh region; based on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and part of the Russian island of Sakhalin. Its most prominent feature is Mt. Coronet, a mountain range that divides the land in two.
The region is also steeped in mythology; especially around a trio of Pokemon living in lakes across the land, and legendary Pokemon said to command time and space. However, Team Galactic seeks to abuse this power for their own gains.
The original games introduced new features such as Super Contests, Poffin cooking, Ball Seals for custom Pokeball animations, and the underground. The latter allowed players to make their own bases, dig up fossils, and play capture the flag with local players (not to mention setting and avoiding traps).
Unlike other main Pokemon games, this one will not be developed by Game Freak. Instead, it will be handled by ILCA Inc.; the studio behind the Pokemon Home app. The game uses an art-style akin to the Let’s Go games (along with a chibi artstyle in the overworld evoking the DS games), but it seems players will once again fight wild Pokemon.
The trailer also shows the return of the Underground, along with contests (based on a video billboard in one of the cities), and the day and night cycle.
Pokemon Platinum, the third version of the original duo, featured a more snowy climate, more Pokemon from past games, addition content, and the Battle Frontier. The Battle Frontier in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was dramatically cut down from the experience in Pokemon Emerald. Only time will tell to see what features from Platinum have made it into the Diamond and Pearl remakes.
You can find the announcement trailer below.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl launch late 2021 for Nintendo Switch.
In other news, an action RPG set in Sinnoh’s ancient past has been announced; Pokemon Legends Arceus.
