Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the latest remakes in the beloved Pokemon franchise. Trainers are exploring the mountainous, mysterious region of Sinnoh, with a brand new look to boot.

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Every Pokemon adventure is different, which is what makes them so special to so many people around the world. The series has infinite replayability, with challenge runs and streams becoming increasingly popular during the coronavirus lockdown. There is no wrong way to play Pokemon, but there are some things that will definitely impact anyone’s enjoyment. Before launching Pokemon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, here are some things to be wary of.

5 Choosing The Wrong Starter

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A Trainer’s starter is meant to be their best friend - the loyal Pokemon that is by their side throughout the highs and lows of their journey. It is important that Trainers consider their play style and final team before picking a Sinnoh starter.

Players can choose from the Fire-type Chimchar, the Grass-type Turtwig, or the Water-type Piplup. Each Pokemon has its own strengths and weaknesses. Turtwig is great for Trainers who are looking for an easier playthrough - it is super effective against the first team and evolves into its tanky final form, Torterra, at level 32, which is much quicker than any other starter.

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Chimchar stands out due to its great offensive capabilities and the lack of Fire-type Pokemon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Some players might think that this Pokemon would be at a disadvantage in the first gym, compared to the Water or Grass starters. However, if players are willing to grind up to 12, Chimchar will learn Power-up Punch; a Fighting-type move that is super effective against Rock.

Last, but certainly not least, is Piplup, the Water-type Penguin Pokemon. This Pokemon was the faithful sidekick of Dawn in the Generation 4 anime. This is a great choice if players are looking for a challenging, but safe playthrough.

4 Over-Leveling

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For many Trainers, the temptation could be there to grind out levels in the early routes and level a small, powerful team. This over-leveling method means that Trainers can be ready to take on any upcoming challenges, including their first rival fight. It can’t be denied that seeing an opponent's health bar quickly decline is a satisfying idea, but where’s the fun in that?

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have so much to offer players who take the slow and steady approach. Strategy, skill, and bonding through combat with all team members is one of the most important parts of any Pokemon game. Especially with the EXP share now impacting all party members, there is no reason to only battle with an obscenely powerful starter in Route 201.

3 Not Exploring The Grand Underground

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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have upgraded a lot of original features from the Generation 4 games. Perhaps the biggest improvement, however, has gone to the Underground, now appropriately named the Grand Underground. This is an extensive labyrinth that spans underneath the entirety of Sinnoh. Players can mine for rare items and Pokemon, including Fossil Pokemon and Kanto Pokemon not found in the original games.

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The Grand Underground has been split into six different elemental areas, including an underground volcano, lush forests, and snowy landscapes. This solves one of the biggest problems with the original games.

2 Falling For Mindy's Tricks

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This ruthless Trainer may seem unsuspecting at first. Many players have fallen for her helpful and kind facade over the years. Mindy is an NPC in Snowpoint City who offers to trade her Haunter for a Medicham. This may seem like a good deal - Haunter can only evolve into Gengar via trade and Medicham can be found in the wild on Route 217, just before Snowpoint City.

However, Mindy plays a dastardly trick on the player. One so cruel, over 16,000 Redditors have joined a Subreddit dedicated to hating on her vicious ways. When players trade over their beloved Medicham, she will gleefully sneer ‘Did my Haunter turn into something? Ha! Just kidding!”. That’s right - Mindy’s Haunter is holding an Everstone, which prevents it from evolving. Unless players have a friend who is willing to trade with them, they will be stuck with a Haunter and a newfound hatred for Mindy.

1 Wishing For More

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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl know exactly what they are - faithful remakes of the original Generation 4 games. Despite that, these remakes have included a number of new quality-of-life changes seen in more recent games, such as trainer customization, a new and improved Underground, a universal XP share, and alternatives for HM moves.

TheGamer says that “Platinum is still superior to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl in almost every conceivable way”. Some say that these remakes should have taken inspiration from Platinum’s story, such as including Looker, the detective determined to take down Team Galactic, or the post-game Battle Frontier, similar to the other Generation 4 remakes - HeartGold and SoulSilver. However, it is important to remember that these games are exactly what they say they are. Diamond and Pearl remakes. They were never sold as Platinum remakes.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released for the Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021.

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