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Pokemon Diamond/Pearl Released in U.S.
The wait for 'catch-em-all' folks in the US is over; Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are out today. Joystiq and Kotaku have coverage of yesterday's launch party at the Nintendo Store. "There was a station set up to play the card game, manned by adults who were there to teach the game to kids. Finally there was a station where Junichi Masuda, the game director, and Shigeru Ohmori, the game design lead, signed autographs for those old enough to know who they are. It may have been meant to push Pokémon merchandise (the guys at the card station handed out thin packs of cards to every kid who came by) but it also meant there was something for everyone." 1up and Gamespot, meanwhile, are offering up reviews of the game. Both hand it the respectable score of 8.5, saying that it's still a great game experience but dinging the developers for not moving the series forward in any innovative directions.
Is it still the same game that I played 10 years ago with just more pokemon? Not that I am interested in playing it again but if I recall correctly that was the only difference between the red, blue, green, etc versions.
I keep telling myself I'm not the desperate type.
Pretty soon, they'll have to start using Hex codes instead of color names.
Gotta buy em all, gotta buy em all.
You need to separate Pokemon the game from Pokemon the media phenomenon. The media phenomenon is certainly aimed at children...the games are not. The games are pretty much standard console RPG's reminiscent of the 8/16 bit era (and early 32-bit era when 2D graphics were still common)...they just give you a lot more characters to choose from in battle than most. Anyone that likes console JRPG's will enjoy these, especially if they want a little 8/16 bit nostalgia.
I see the first few comments are all very negative about this game.
Yet I am 18 and greatly enjoy the game. It's got a fun storyline, a wider variety of Pokemon (the magic number is now 493), and at long last decent graphics.
And I know I'm not the only one. I moderate the Diamond/Pearl forum over at Bulbagarden, which is home primarily to a number of older fans, many of whom are older than I am. Say what you will, this game is not just for children. Just because there's no graphic violence and language in it, that doesn't mean it's not fun by a long shot.
That said, I don't own a copy of the English version yet (still playing with my Japanese import of Diamond), but I'll be getting it soon enough.
- Trip
The point of milking something is to extract everything you can out of it. The big sales weekend in the US just shows the franchise developers that more innovation isn't quite needed yet.
Fads usually don't last this long, though, so I think it's safe to say that the formula works for a reason. Whoa there, cowboy, no need to add chocolate syrup to that milk just yet.
More Twoson than Cupertino
('course, we actually had 151...)
---GEC
I'm but the humble pupil, seeking to snatch the scratchbuilt pebble from the master's fully articulated hand
"...And we had to use WIRES to make 'em fight!"
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
I got it on Sunday and found the game to be readily available. Given how hard it was promoted in many stores I was expecting it to be harder to find.
Not that anyone asked for them, but here are my initial impressions on the game...
The last Pokemon game I played which was Pokemon Blue for the old Gameboy Pocket and this game despite being significantly more complex is very reminiscent that game. I have to say I don't agree with the complaints that the game should have been more innovative. Sometimes I don't want a game to be innovative. I want a game to adhere to a tried and true formula which I know I will enjoy. I don't want to feel alienated because the developers decided to completely revamp gameplay. I wouldn't want Pokemon Diamond/Pearl to be some stylus-based puzzle game.
Perhaps if I had played all the Gameboy Color and GBA version I would be asking for something different myself. But there are already plenty of other Pokemon games with differing gameplay styles on the DS.
I like the game. It's got nice vibrant graphics. When traveling around the world environments are subtly done in 3D; it all looks like it's sprite-based, but the environments are all 3D. Another neat thing is that a player can cross the entire world seamlessly. The outside world isn't broken into sections. Interiors and caverns, of course are the exception.
The Pokemon, in fights, don't really look any different than what I've seen of the GBA Pokemon games. The lack of character animations is a slight disappointment. But I can appreciate the amount of production involved in dealing with over 400 Pokemon, especially since some aren't much more than blobs.
The background music is decent. But Pokemon sounds leave a lot to be desired. Most consist of odd digital squawks. When I first encountered some of those sounds I couldn't help but momentarily wonder if those audio clips weren't corrupt.
Fights are entertaining but can get tedious sometimes, especially since Pokemon can be taken down more easily than a player character in most conventional RPGs. Walking through tall grass or caverns can bring an absurdly high number of random encounters. Then there are the jerks who stand around waiting to challenge the player. I like the interface, especially during fights. It's colorful and easy to follow. There are some inconsistencies, however, particularly with the inventory. It's like a different team worked on that aspect of the game.
One thing I've noticed is that this game has longer save times than any other DS game I've played to date. In some cases it even warns that it has to save "a lot of data".
The minor issues aside I do enjoy the game. It does get addicting; I can't help but wonder why Nintendo hasn't considered an MMO version of the series.
The only difference between the games is that each contains a few monsters unique to it. Unless you've got a friend/relative who is also buying the game (with whom you can trade the version-specific Pokemon), you can just grab whichever one you find without worry.
Way way back in the day, I bought Pokemon Blue for my Gameboy (yes, the big clunky one that ate up 4 AA batteries). I was lots of fun and everyone at my school played, battled, and traded. Even kids that didn't consider themselves nerds had a copy and were willing to trade or battle if you asked. It was the most revolutionary game for a portable system since Tetris.
I didn't play another Pokemon game since.
It's been 9 years now - I'm married, going to college, and working. When I heard about Diamond and Pearl, I was quick to reserve them both. I'm glad I did.
One of the major things that makes playing Pokemon Diamond/Pearl more enjoyable is the DS's built-in wireless. This might not seem like a big deal, but not every kid on the school yard kept a cable with them for Pokemon trading. Also, of course, the Wi-fi element of the game is very exciting. The voice chat is surprisingly well done, and makes the otherwise long battles (6 vs. 6 is quite a grueling battle) a little more enjoyable.
There was enough nostalgia to make me happy, but at the same time there were many new elements to me (I know most of these things were added in previous versions, but I know I'm not the only one who hasn't played since Blue). My wife, a first-timer at any Pokemon game, received it with enthusiasm and has been playing it every free moment she gets.
It's true that there's not much innovation to be found here. Even so, this is a solid game that was very well done. It remains a solid, lengthy RPG for the DS and will end up as one of the top games of the year.