Pokemon fans have discovered new evidence that the Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl remakes could include features from the 2008 title Platinum – something the community was worried wouldn’t be the case.
After months of “leaks” and rumors, Game Freak confirmed that the Pokemon franchise is heading back to the Sinnoh region with Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which are set to launch in late 2021.
The debut trailer left many questions unanswered. For instance, would it be based on Gen IV’s third installment, Platinum? A viral social media post may have discovered that answer.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl to include Platinum features?
In previous titles such as 2014’s Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, remakes have usually included elements from the definitive version of the Gen. However, in many aspects, not much about the 2021 Sinnoh titles is “usual.”
Unlike past reimaginings, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl are not based on the current Generation’s engine, nor does it integrate those new features. It’s sticking closer to being a faithful port. Because of this, fans were left wondering which version it would be based on.
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One eagled-eyed player spotted a key detail in the trailer that gives a pretty big hint. “Platinum added an extra NPC to Floaroma Town to talk to you about the Gracidea and gives it to you if you came with Shaymin. Guess who’s in the trailer,” the Gen IV fan explained.
Platinum added an extra NPC to Floaroma Town to talk to you about the Gracidea and give it to you if you came with Shaymin.
Guess who's there in the trailer. pic.twitter.com/1iOazHLfQq
— voltimer (@voltimer_) February 26, 2021
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While it may seem obvious that the remake would be based on Platinum, the trailer had many players worried since it didn’t show Legendary ‘mon Giratina. “Oh wow nice catch! Hopefully this means some content from Platinum will be in the games,” a user wrote. Another fan exclaimed, “Hopefully more improvements from Platinum make their way! Just hope for the best.” One player found hope in the tweet, writing, “it seems like hope is not all lost.”
Another piece of evidence pointing towards the remake using elements from Platinum is that Porygon-Z is seen in the trailer being used in a battle. In Diamond & Pearl, the ‘mon’s evolution line could only be used post-game. A thread on the r/Pokemon subreddit dissected this element further.
Game Freak threw a curveball when they deviated from their usual routine. Based on the company’s past of taking older regions and bringing them up to the current generation, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl should have used Sword & Shield’s engine and integrated features such Dynamax and Raids.
The 2021 Sinnoh titles don’t even use 2018’s Let’s Go as a template, opting for a third-party developer and utilizing a completely different art style altogether. So only time will tell whether the Nintendo Switch titles will also include content and changes included in Platinum. One thing is for sure, many fans hope so.