With Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl having been out for a few weeks, rabid fans and dataminers are rapidly picking the game apart for extra details and additions made to the remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl games. Through endless hours of digging through files and features there have been findings that disappoint, such as Milotic's strange follow animation, and those that surprise, like the discovery of how to get the National Dex early.
The National Pokedex, or National Dex, is a Pokedex that allows players to document and catch Pokemon based around the nation, not just a singular region. Ultimately, this means more Pokemon to discover and catch. However, many thought that the National Dex was something to be earned after defeating the Elite Four and moving onto post-game content. One Redditor had even put picking up the National Dex on a large checklist they created once they'd finished the base game.
Through datamining though, it's been discovered that Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl players can get their hands on the National Dex and the Pokemon that come with it as soon as they've beaten the first gym. As was the case back in the original games, to earn the National Dex players must have a completed Sinnoh Dex, which means unfortunately unless a player has a friend who will trade them all the Pokemon they need, its unlikely they're going to get a completed one by the time they reach the first gym. However, some anticipate Pokemon Home compatibility, which would allow transfering missing Pokemon to help complete the Sinnoh Dex faster.
For many then, the National Dex will still be an elusive collectible until the Elite Four is beaten and the main game is completed. The National Dex sits for most among the hefty pile of post-game content players can experience once they've become Sinnoh's champion. Even without the content from Pokemon Platinum, there's still plenty to do at the end of Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl. With gym leader rematches, legendary Pokemon to be caught, and the Battle Tower to compete in, many are finding even after hundreds of hours that the games are still bringing new content to them.
Some, on the other hand, are spending over a hundred hours to start the game. One player in particular hasn't even picked their starter after over 120 hours of play, as they hope to begin the game with a shiny starter Pokemon. Whether a player is rushing to achieve their National Dex as soon as they've beaten the first gym, or spending hundreds of hours to have the perfect beginning, Pokemon Shining Diamond and Brilliant Pearl have plenty of features to keep both kinds of fans interested.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now for Nintendo Switch.