Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl originally released in 2006. Upon the trailer's release, fans' opinions were mixed as the remakes look very much like a modern take on the old chibi style that doesn't exist in Pokemon games anymore. Fans who were wanting a remake of the Gen 4 games probably imagined something closer to what Pokemon Sword and Shield look like, or at the very least, like the Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes. Despite the visual style change, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be the next mainline Pokemon games for Nintendo Switch.
Pokemon Sword and Shield were the first mainline Pokemon games released on the Nintendo Switch, and were met with mixed reactions from fans. From the extremely easy gameplay, the lack of a full National Pokedex, and paid DLC to include only some of the missing Pokemon, fans of the series were very critical. Still, with so much controversy surrounding the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield, it sold quite well despite it all. Now that fans are getting what they want with the Gen 4 remakes, the backlash for Pokemon Sword and Shield might give Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl an edge.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Are Mainline Games
The mainline Pokemon games would always be able to trade with each other within the same generation, this includes remakes of mainline Pokemon games such as Pokemon Fire Red being able to interact and trade with Pokemon Ruby for example. This has been the case for every generation thus far, until recently.
Now, in order for players to bring their beloved Pokemon to the latest Pokemon game Sword and Shield, they will need to transfer it to Pokemon Home first, a hub that can house thousands of a player's Pokemon from various mainline games. In theory, this is a good solution but many Pokemon simply do not exist in Sword and Shield yet, and once a Pokemon is brought to Pokemon Home it cannot move back to previous generation games.
As Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of mainline games, they should theoretically work in tandem with Sword and Shield, much like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire worked alongside Pokemon X and Y. This means players who own a copy of Brilliant Diamond should be able to trade with someone who has a copy of Pokemon Shield. Though this raises the question: will Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have a National Pokedex true to Gen 4 or Gen 8 or something in between?
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl to Feature a True National Pokedex?
Pokemon games before Sword and Shield would normally start with its regional Pokedex, a digital encyclopedia featuring Pokemon typically only found in those games. Upon defeating the Elite 4 or another hurdle, the player would have their Pokedex upgraded to the National Pokedex, allowing them to register every single Pokemon available up to that point. In Pokemon Diamond and Pearl this was also the case, as the player had to have simply seen all 150 of the regional Pokemon before upgrading to the National Pokedex. At the time there were 493 Pokemon in total, and so the number of Pokemon in Diamond and Pearl's Pokedex went from 150 to 493.
In Pokemon Sword and Shield, this was changed as Pokemon were actually not included within the code, so even if a player completed its Galar regional Pokedex of 400, that would be it. There was no National Pokedex included, and fans would have to wait for subsequent DLC before more Pokemon could become available again. But even now, after both DLC were released not every Pokemon is available in Sword and Shield despite there being a whopping 898 different kinds to collect, a challenge that normally grows with each new generation.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will stay true to their source material. This means Pokemon from that generation that was missing will become available in mainline games once more, though that doesn't currently mean they will be available to trade to Sword and Shield. Currently, Sword and Shield are missing a large number of Pokemon from Gen 4's Diamond and Pearl. This includes the starters Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, as well as the unique fossil Pokemon Cranidos and Shieldon. They are also missing 3 notable event legendary Pokemon Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus, possibly saving for a future event.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Have Lowered Expectations
Since Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes, they don't get as much attention as a new mainline games with brand new Pokemon. On top of this, the visuals are completely different from how the mainline Pokemon games are nowadays, which have turned some fans off. Still, fans of the original Diamond and Pearl who have wanted a remake will be happy knowing their games are being brought to the latest console, likely with newly added features.
With Pokemon Legends: Arceus also on the horizon, and a rumored third DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl might seem like they are overshadowed. They shouldn't be though as there is still a lot of information that isn't known yet. How will the remakes implement the underground mechanic? Will they feature the GTS, originally debuting in Diamond and Pearl, which is notably absent from Sword and Shield? How will they showcase the Super Contests and the Poketch?
Currently, there are around 230 Pokemon missing from the mainline games, nearly 20% of all Pokemon. With the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, this number will finally drop, but their availability in Sword and Shield is still unknown. Perhaps Sword and Shield will get updated to include data from the newly added Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, though only time will tell.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl will release on Nintendo Switch in late 2021.