This year marked the 25th anniversary of the release of the very first Pokemon games all the way back in 1996, and the Pokemon franchise has come a long way since its early days. Pokemon Red and Blue were the games that started it all for many players, and they were also the first to be released worldwide, and now Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are back 15 years after the release of the original Generation 4 games. Pokemon games were never static, in the sense that the franchise changed and evolved throughout the years alongside its players, albeit in a different way.

Mainline Pokemon games have always had a pattern of sorts when it comes to their narrative, and there were always a few specific elements involved to a degree depending on the Generation of games. The main themes have always been that of growing up, taking on an adventure, making new friends thanks to the Pokemon themselves, facing a rival, and getting stronger. The characters then prove their worth by defeating Gym Leaders and sabotaging the baddies' plan. This also applies to the original Generation 4 games, as well as Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. However, they still feel different.

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A Reddit user called Commander579 shared a post stating that they figured out what makes modern Pokemon games feel different when compared to the first few Generations, all while playing Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Their take is that, in classic top-down Pokemon games, players were controlling a child protagonist who had a lot on their plate, whereas in modern games the protagonists tend to be children who are told by the adults to just be children.

Another player believes that Pokemon Black and White were the biggest steps forward due to the protagonists being young adults and treated as such. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are faithful remakes of Generation 4 titles, and as such, they too feature children as their protagonists - which is not a bad thing per se.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are the latest installments in the main series as far as Generations go, and they were both geared towards young Pokemon fans. "Adult" Pokemon games are common because the audience grew up with the games, but the narrative of the games didn't match that growth in the same way. Thus, modern Pokemon games often feel different from the first bunch, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now on the Switch.

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