More than fifteen years on from their initial release, and the gen 4 Pokemon games have finally returned to the spotlight. Like the Let's Go! games before them, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are full remakes for the Nintendo Switch, meaning that a new generation of players will now be able to explore the wonderful world of Sinnoh. A lot has changed over the years, both in terms of visuals and gameplay, though one important question remains the same: which is the best gen 4 starter Pokemon?
As far as starters go, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup are among the best and most popular starter Pokemon of all time, though trying to decide between them can be incredibly difficult. As tends to be the case with most generations' starter trios, each Pokemon has its own advantages and disadvantages, making it pretty difficult to measure one against the others. Depending on what exactly players are looking for in a starter though, this decision can become a little easier.
Why Players Should Choose Turtwig as Their Starter
Turtwig will give players the edge in several of the games' early gym battles, which is arguably the period of the games when players need their starters the most. In these opening stages, most won't yet have had a chance to start building a balanced team and so will likely still be relying on their starter to carry them through most battles. With this in mind, Turtwig is the perfect starter for new players or those who are looking to make the game a little easier while they get to grips with its mechanics.
As well as shining brightest early on, Turtwig also has its uses later on in the game as well. Its final form, Torterra, is a physical tank that's capable of withstanding some real punishment and its grass/ground dual typing certainly has its uses too. It's also worth noting that Turtwig's final stage evolution is triggered at level 32, which is much earlier than those of the other two starters. Granted, they both eventually catch up and arguably go on to surpass Turtwig in many ways, but, for a decent chunk of the game, at least, Turtwig really does lead the way.
Why Players Should Choose Chimchar as Their Starter
Like Charmander in the gen 1 games, Chimchar is going to struggle in the game's first gym due to Roark's team being made up exclusively of rock-type Pokemon. Things do get better in Eterna City though and later on in the Snowpoint City gym too, but, on the whole, Chimchar's likely to have more bad days than good as players work their way through Sinnoh's eight gyms. It does get its first evolution a few levels before the other two starters, however, providing it with an edge in some of the game's many mid-game trainer battles.
Ultimately, players shouldn't choose Chimchar as a short-term solution, but instead as a potential long-term member of their team. The lack of standout fire-type Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl make Chimchar's final evolution, Infernape, the most viable contender for a place on players' endgame teams out of the three starters, as too do its impressive offensive stats. This is especially true for those who are playing Shining Pearl, as having Palkia on their team will almost certainly relegate Empoleon to the bench.
Why Players Should Choose Piplup as Their Starter
Piplup is arguably the safest option of the three, providing players with an experience that, though still challenging, shouldn't push their Pokemon-playing skills too far. As mentioned above though, Shining Pearl players with the end-game in mind may want to opt for Chimchar instead so that they can accommodate both Palkia and their starter in their final team. For Brilliant Diamond players, on the other hand, Piplup is a solid, if unspectacular choice and one that should come in useful right up to the Elite Four.
It is worth noting that there are a few other viable water-types that players can pick up early on in the game, including Psyduck and Magikarp (the latter of which can later be evolved into Gyarados). In fact, there are quite a lot of strong water-types available throughout Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which arguably weakens the argument for Piplup a little. Granted, the same is also true of Turtwig, but at least in its case, those Pokemon don't really show up until the latter stages of the game.
The Final Verdict
Which gen 4 starter players should choose really depends on what they're looking for in a starter Pokemon. New players and those wanting to make life easier for themselves early on should definitely choose Turtwig, while anybody who's looking for a Pokemon that will stick with them right through to the endgame should really be picking Chimchar. Piplup is arguably the weakest of the trio, though, as with most series starters, it's still a very good Pokemon in its own right. With that in mind, there really are no bad choices here — even if some are subjectively a little better than others.