After 89 Hours in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, I Want More Pokemon Games Like These

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I finished Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl pretty quickly when I first played them, focusing more on the Grand Underground than the main story. I wasn’t a fan of how closely they stuck to the original Generation 4 games, especially since they didn’t include much from Pokemon Platinum, had a limited selection of Pokemon available early on, and used the smaller, chibi character designs. Because of this, I didn’t replay the games for a long time, but I recently started a new game of Pokemon Shining Pearl.

I wasn’t very enthusiastic about playing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and even missed limited-time events for Darkrai and Shaymin, something I now regret. I had a different idea of what the remakes would be like, and I was disappointed when it didn’t meet my expectations. When Pokemon Legends: Arceus came out, I enjoyed it much more and decided it was the better Gen 4 Pokemon game. That’s why I quickly stopped playing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. However, I’m realizing now that I might have been too quick to dismiss it. Replaying Shining Pearl, I can see these games offer something special that feels different from the newer, 3D, open-world Pokemon titles.

Why More Future Pokemon Games Should Be Like BDSP

Okay, so I recently wiped my save data and started a fresh game of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and honestly, the first thing I noticed was how colorful everything was! I really don’t remember the graphics popping as much when I first played. And after putting in another 20 hours, I’m sticking with that impression. It’s funny, because I had a similar experience with Pokemon Sword and Shield. I used to think they were just okay, but after not playing for a while and then revisiting them, they’ve actually become some of my favorite Pokemon games! It’s all about the charm, the bright colors, and how down-to-earth they felt.

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I Think Pokemon BDSP’s Gyms Are Peak — Sorry, Not Sorry

The Gyms in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl still feel like classic dungeons with clever puzzles, and after spending so much time with Pokemon Legends: Z-A and the Gen 9 Pokemon games, I realized how much I’d missed that style. I also found myself really wanting to go back to the older, 2D Pokemon games – the top-down perspective, random encounters in tall grass, and a more limited Pokedex. I revisited Gen 1 with Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen before playing BDSP, and that feeling of nostalgia only grew stronger when I replayed Gen 4.

I’m still working on my second playthrough of Shining Pearl, and I’m really taking my time with it. I decided to do a super challenging run – I only allow myself to use shiny Pokémon! The rule is, after I beat each Gym, I can add one shiny I caught through completely random luck to my team. I actually tried something similar with FireRed on my last playthrough, but I’m still not finished with it. I only found three shinies in 180 hours of playing, so luck wasn’t really on my side. Shiny hunting in FireRed and LeafGreen is notoriously difficult, though. Thankfully, the odds are way better in BDSP, which makes this shiny-only run a little more manageable.

Honestly, I think the Grand Underground in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is a seriously underrated part of the game – no pun intended! It’s huge, and there’s so much to do. You can catch tons of Pokemon down there, hunt for that super annoying Spiritomb (ugh, that quest!), dig up loads of treasure, and even participate in the Diglett event which makes finding shiny Pokemon and rare items way more likely. I felt this way back when I first played in 2021, but playing it now, with everything else changed, it just feels even better.

Comparing Pokemon BDSP With Gen 9 and Beyond

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Compared to other games, even though I still really love Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, they can sometimes feel overwhelming in size. There’s a lot to explore, but running into Pokemon in the open world isn’t always as engaging. The Gyms have also changed – they’re less like complicated dungeons with puzzles to solve, and more like simple challenges before fighting the Gym Leader. They feel more like mini-games now, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it does feel like a part of what made the Pokemon series special is missing.

It’s been two generations now without truly compelling villains in Pokémon games. I wasn’t a big fan of the villains in Generation 7, and I think the best ones were in Generations 3, 4, and 6. While I do appreciate the recent attempts – Chairman Rose and Team Yell were interesting characters motivated by personal concerns, and Team Star had a surprisingly poignant backstory about dealing with bullying – the villains in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Team Galactic are just on another level, just like in the original games. Seeing their universe-themed backgrounds during battles really adds to the charm of BDSP.

If I could design my ideal Pokemon game as a sequel to Pokemon Winds and Waves, aiming for a release in late 2027, here’s what it would need to include:

  • Charming 2D or 2D-HD JRPG graphics in the overworld, 3D in battle — just like BDSP
  • Vibrant colors rather than as realistic as possible — BDSP and Sword and Shield vs. Scarlet and Violet
  • Enclosed spaces for Gyms with actual mazes and puzzles — like BDSP and FRLG
  • Around 200–250 Pokemon in the base game, with more unlocked with the National Dex — like BDSP and FRLG
  • The ability to shiny-hunt starter Pokemon, even if it means stopping your playthrough until you get one
  • Either actual villains or characters like Team Yell and Team Star, without the pretense of a villainous team. Better yet, both

Recent leaks suggest that remakes of the fifth generation of Pokémon games aren’t currently in development at Game Freak. This leads to two possibilities: either Nintendo has stopped making remakes altogether, or they’ll start having other companies create them. Since the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes were made by ILCA instead of Game Freak, I’m optimistic that we’ll see more similar games in the future.

Pokemon BDSP Are Not Perfect Games, And That’s Ok

I want to be clear that Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl aren’t flawless. There are definitely things I don’t love, like the removal of the Distortion World and Battle Frontier from Pokemon Platinum. However, revisiting these games reminded me of the special feeling early Pokemon games had – a feeling that’s still present in newer titles, though it’s changed over time.

I really enjoyed the stories in both the ninth generation of Pokémon games and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. They helped carry me through the games, even when things felt a bit repetitive. I also love being able to explore a huge, open world and hope future games keep that. However, I miss the cozy feel of smaller towns with memorable characters and the excitement of stumbling upon wild Pokémon in the grass. I’m optimistic about the tenth generation, even if it looks quite different, but I’d love to see the series occasionally return to that classic, more intimate style – I think a lot of fans would agree.

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2026-05-19 00:05