Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are now on the horizon, but The Pokemon Company is getting to work before the games are even out. A patch update recently rolled out with a variety of last-minute tweaks to both titles, bringing Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to Version 1.1.1 before their official release date.
Fans have been anticipating the Gen 4 Pokemon remakes for years, but it can't be denied that the build-up to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has been a little rocky. While Day One patches aren't unheard of in the industry, especially during the pandemic, a hasty last-minute patch the day before a video game comes out is another story.
The Version 1.1.1 update of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl appears to have been a last-minute attempt to optimize the data added in Version 1.1.0, which rolled out last week on November 11, 2021. This might not be particularly striking if the Version 1.1.0 update hadn't added a lot of important features to the games, including communications functions, Post–Hall of Fame gameplay elements, and some in-game movies and animation--including the game's opening and ending cinematics. Even with the optimizations, Version 1.1.0 will reportedly take up 3GB of memory.
While opening and ending cinematics aren't necessarily an integral part of a video game, the other elements Version 1.1.0 brought in may seem important enough to warrant a separate update specifically to optimize them. The Ramanas Park feature allows players to capture classic Legendaries, while the communications functions apply to the Grand Underground, Super Contest Shows, Union Room, and Mystery Gift.
This lets players use local and internet communication functions for these features as well as receive gifts via Mystery Gift. Again, while these aren't strictly necessary to play and enjoy Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, their addition certainly adds a lot to the game.
This late addition may help the games play smoother, but the fact that it had to be added might say something about these titles' production. While there has been a lot of hype around the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, even in other Pokemon games, this early patch could be interpreted as a sign that the developers aren't quite done working on them.
Early reviews seem to imply that the Gen 4 remake games aren't inclined to push the franchise forward or add too much complexity, which may raise questions about why they need so many last-minute tweaks.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl launch on November 19, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: Nintendo