Having a Pokemon follow after their trainer while exploring the world sounds like a cute concept on paper. The player response to this element of gameplay in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl was generally positive, with the movements of series favorites such as Pikachu receiving particular praise. However, not all Pokemon animations in Nintendo's recently released remakes of the fourth-generation Pokemon games have been so positively received. Frustrated fans of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have taken to the Internet to voice their complaints.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which released worldwide on November 19th, are remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS titles Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl. These games, which feature a three-dimensional art style instead of the pixelated style of the originals, feature the player exploring Sinnoh, a region inspired by the real-life Japanese island of Hokkaido. The remakes were announced as part of Pokemon's 25th Anniversary event earlier in 2021 alongside Pokemon Legends: Arceus, a prequel title also set in Sinnoh.
In both games, players can visit a location called Amity Park in order to unlock the ability to have the Pokemon of their choice follow behind them while they move on the overworld map, gaining Affection as they do so. On Reddit, a user going by flash_baxx criticized the follow animation of Onix, a Rock-type Pokemon from the game's first generation.
Although it resembles an enormous snake made from rocks, Onix does not slither or weave behind the player, instead hovering in midair while staying in a generally vertical position. Onix is also portrayed as barely larger than the player character, despite previously being established as one of the first generation's biggest Pokemon.
Many commenters agreed with flash_baxx and similarly criticized the follow animations of other snakelike Pokemon including Ekans and Seviper. In addition, some Pokemon based on inanimate objects, such as the balloon-like Drifloon, were disliked for barely displaying any movement during their follow animations. Another animation that received criticism was that of Milotic, a Water-type known in-universe for its gracefulness. Rather than "swimming" in midair as it did in previous titles, Milotic remains mostly frozen behind the player.
The follow mechanic and animations were compared negatively to Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee!, which were released three years prior in 2018, as well as previous remakes including Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver. As Onix appeared in the Let's Go titles, which focused exclusively on the first generation of Pokemon, fans wonder why the smoother animations from the 2018 games were not used.
This is especially noticeable as the animations of other Gen 1 Pokemon, such as Golem, received praise. Some players credit the decrease in animation quality with developer Game Freak's decision to outsource most of the two games' production, something it had not done for any previous main series Pokemon titles.
The newest remakes received mixed reviews from critics, with the generally slow and stiff animation style and irritating in-battle glitches being a frequently mentioned negative point. The games were also criticized for their lack of new features when compared to the original Diamond and Pearl, although many liked the addition of the new Grand Underground area that allowed players to obtain Pokemon not previously available in the Sinnoh region.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are available now for the Nintendo Switch.