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Nintendo: DS Previews

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars ^DS

Enchanted Folk And The School Of Wizardry ^DS

Preview

Pokemon Platiunum

Format: Nintendo DS

Developer: Game Freak

Publisher: Nintendo

Genre: Role Playing

17-Nov-2008 Gotta catch some more...

70 Comments

With close to a million copies sold in two days, Platinum's Japan release makes it crystal clear that the world hasn't yet had its fill of Pok�mon. Luckily, we haven't either, and we've spent a number of hours playing and replaying the new game to see just how much it's changed from Diamond and Pearl.

If you're familiar with the series you'll know that all of the earlier 'third' games in a particular series have offered relatively few changes to the template, particularly compared with the full-blown sequels. However, Platinum offers enough new content to make it an effective supplement to Diamond or Pearl, and a terrific standalone game in its own right.

You still start off in Twinleaf, and the opening exchanges feel very similar to Diamond and Pearl. However, things have changed in Sinnoh. There's a sprinkling of snow on the ground and the weather in general has taken a turn for the cold. Your avatar now sports a natty winter coat and other characters are more suitably attired, too. The Legendary Pok�mon is Giratina, which, in its new form, looks a little like a centipede hovering above the ground. As for the story, let's just say there's something happening atop Mount Coronet involving a portal to another world and leave it at that. It's not as if we play Pok�mon games for their compelling plots, is it?

This Is The New
What you'll really want to know is what's changed since Diamond and Pearl, and how much. The answer to both those questions is "a surprising amount". From small graphical tweaks, to new move additions and welcome interface adjustments, almost every alteration is worthwhile, and Game Freak should be applauded for listening to the fans and making Platinum a little faster and more accessible than its immediate predecessors.

Yes, you read correctly - unless it's just our elite gaming skills, Platinum seems a bit easier than Diamond and Pearl. Actually, easier is probably the wrong word - it's just a little more streamlined. Your Pok�mon get better moves faster, and additions to their moveset that make a genuine difference in the earlier stages. The starter Pok�mon are the same as before - Chimchar, Turtwig and Piplup - and they seem particularly well-balanced this time round. Chimchar is particularly effective in the gym battles, but out in the field he's not quite as effective given that you'll encounter Fire Pok�mon more frequently. By the same token, you might think that Piplup would be the best choice, but he's arguably the weakest in the gyms. Swings and roundabouts.

Dungeon Master
While we'd still love to see a full 3D Pok�mon game from them, Game Freak has made a few graphical changes, with some new battle animations and some fine-tuning which makes the game generally nicer to look at. And the dungeons themselves are much more inventive this time around, particularly the Torn Dungeon, which sees the stage flipping in all directions with the camera moving all over the place and showing off some pretty psychedelic graphics. It's easily one of the coolest moments in the entire series.
The return of the Battle Frontier is certainly welcome. For those who don't know, this was a giant building in Pok�mon Emerald, hosting an array of challenges and battles for hardened Pok�-masters. Needless to say, it offers substantially tougher fights than those you'll find in the main quest. There's also a Battle Recorder, which even allows you to upload and download videos via the Wi-Fi Connection, and it's really easy to do. If this feature makes it to the European release - and we've no reason to believe it won't - then we'll be very happy Bunearys indeed.

So our considered opinion is that you should start saving your hard-earned pennies immediately. If you've never liked Pok�mon then you won't find an awful lot here to change your mind, but those who were sucked into the world of Sinnoh by Diamond and Pearl will find plenty to tempt them back. And if you've had a break from the series since Emerald, then this is as close to a must-buy as you can get.

Tom East