Travel back to the Sinnoh region with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

By Rob Leane

Published: Monday, 16 August 2021 at 12:00 am


Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are finally giving fans a return ticket to the Sinnoh region, with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl all set to bring players back to that beloved location for a pair of long-requested remakes. At long last, a release date has been confirmed!

The Japanese studio ILCA is leading the charge here, remaking Game Freak’s Diamond and Pearl games – which originally launched on Nintendo DS back in 2006 – for the modern Nintendo Switch console. (Side note: we bet these remakes will look great on the Nintendo Switch OLED‘s improved screen).

Hyping up the release, the official Pokémon website says: “The original story has been faithfully reproduced, and the sense of scale in the originals’ towns and routes has been carefully preserved. People who played Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl can revisit familiar places and relive familiar scenes once more. For those setting out through Sinnoh for the first time, plenty of new encounters and surprises await.”

But when do the Diamond and Pearl remakes come out, and what else do we know about them? Keep on reading for all the essential details on what you can expect from Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release date

It may still feel like a way off but with the autumn and winter months upon us we will be playing this before we know it. The game is currently set to be unleashed to Pokémon fans on 19th November 2021.

Can I pre-order Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

You sure can! All the usual places to buy your AAA games should have it in stock. GAME has the Brilliant Diamond version of the game for £49.99 while Smyths has Shining Pearl for £44.99. We’ll keep an eye out for any deals that may be announced in the lead up to the game’s release.

Which platforms and consoles can play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

In news that should come as a surprise to nobody, you will need to be the proud owner of a Nintendo Switch if you want to play this as it will be released exclusively on that platform – much like every other AAA Pokémon release since that console was launched.

What is the difference between Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

It all comes down to a legendary Pokémon. If you want the chance to catch Dialga the Temporal Pokémon then you will want to get the Brilliant Diamond version of the game while Shining Pearl will give you the opportunity to get your hands on Palkia, the Spatial Pokémon – other than that they are identical!

What do we know about Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl gameplay?

Expect this to play very much like the original games did back in the day – it is a remake, after all – just with some visual upgrades. So be ready to witness a top-down view of the Sinnoh region as you make your way through it. As for what else is new and improved, that remains to be seen, but we should be able to tell you much more very soon as there is an event on the way (details below) that will shed much more light on what we can expect.

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Attention, Trainers!

Tune in to our YouTube channel on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, at 6:00 a.m. PDT for a #PokemonPresents video presentation featuring #PokemonBrilliantDiamond, #PokemonShiningPearl, and #PokemonLegendsArceus! pic.twitter.com/quBEdaCce2

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) August 13, 2021

Will the Pokédex have all possible Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

This remains to be seen and announced, but it does sound as though all the Pokémon that we expect to be included will be present and accounted for – we haven’t heard anything that would suggest otherwise. The bigger question seems to be whether the game will have new additions to the Pokedex and we will keep you updated on that as soon as we hear more which should hopefully be in a couple of days time!

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl trailer

Yep, there is indeed a Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl trailer doing the rounds – and here it is for your viewing pleasure! It’s already racked up 2.7 million views (and counting) on YouTube, so you can tell that people are exciting for this one. As we wait for that November release date to roll around, take a look below to see what the fuss is about:

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