Of important note is the Poketch, a new device that’s similar to the old Pokegear from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Not only does it work as an in-game clock, but it also has 24 other applications that can be acquired over time, including a calendar, touch-screen calculator, friendship checker, daycare monitor and pedometer. Some of the applications are not always useful, but the majority of them are.
Still, even with all of these new features, the same-old game play core remains intact. If you’ve ever played a Pokemon game before, then Diamond/Pearl will seem very familiar. You’ll battle with your team of Pokemon by deciding what attacks to use, as well as capture wild Pokemon in a similar manner. What makes Diamond/Pearl different is the use of the touch screen and stylus, allowing for quicker and more precise controls during battles. The trainer’s backpack, Pokemon status screen, and Pokedex all have received some level of touch screen control that makes them quicker and easier to navigate.
In battles, the touch screen provides a quick way of accessing items from the backpack, a very welcome addition. Controlling your character is still done with the directional pad, and most of the other basic controls from the Pokemon game remain as is. Two-on-two battles, which first debuted in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, are once again back, and they’re really not too much different, other than that you’ll actually know this time around when you’re about to jump into a two-on-two battle.
There have been complaints about Diamond/Pearl not making the jump to 3-D, given the DS’ superior processing power over the Game Boy Advance. However, if anything’s for certain, it’s that Game Freak has proved time and time again that 2-D can be just as beautiful as 3-D. The game takes on a “flattened” 3-D perspective for buildings, trees, etc. while keeping characters and Pokemon in a detailed, sharp 2-D perspective. It isn’t the first time Game Freak has gone this way — their GBA title Drill Dozer pulled off similarly detailed 2-D graphics — but it’s not too big of a deterrent. Similarly, the sound has received a boost over past Pokemon titles, sounding crisper and better overall.
Article comments
1 - Deano
I throw out one other aspect of the pokemon games that, as a parent, I quite like - The game requires the players to read almost constantly. It is very text-heavy in comparison to most other video games with the focus on graphics, animations and sound. This is one reason I never object to my son cracking open his DS for some Pokemon time.
2 - cass
As a pokemon player myself, I think these games are quite educational because your character goes on missions to help the other characters on the game, the animation is great on the nintendo console.