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Review

Pokémon Platinum

92%

Format Nintendo DS

Developer Game Freak

Publisher Nintendo

Genre Role Playing

21-May-2009 It's Pokémon Diamond/Pearl: The Director's Cut

60 Comments

If you're a long-time Pokémon fan, this review will be nothing new to you at all, and won't come as a surprise to you in the slightest. You see, you'll know we've been down this route before. For every generation of the Pokémon series there have always been two games released, then a sort of extended special edition released a bit further down the line to keep fans busy as they wait for the next generation (or, if you're the cynical sort, to milk them for more of their cash).

And so, once again, Pokémon is back in another re-jigged version. Basically, if Diamond and Pearl can be considered in the series as Pokémon 4, then Platinum is Pokémon 4.5. It's effectively exactly the same game but with some extra features added on to make it more interesting.

More From Your 'Mon
So what exactly is new here? Well, for starters there have been a few changes added to the storyline. There's a new subplot involving Mt Coronet and Giratina, including a brand new area called the "Distortion World" (more about that later though). There are a few new characters who pop up every now and then, and the storyline with Team Galactic has been fleshed out a bit.

It's not enough to completely change the game, it's just some extra stuff to add a bit more oomph to the storyline and to make things a little bit more interesting for anyone who's already put countless hours into playing the original Diamond and Pearl. It's rather like those 'extreme version' DVDs you get of teen comedy movies in HMV, only here you're finding out more about Cyrus instead of getting 12 extra seconds' worth of naughty women's bits.

Other than the extra subplots, the main adventure itself is pretty much unchanged. The order of the gyms has been messed around a bit to make things interesting but other than that there's not much to do here that you didn't do if you played Diamond and Pearl, at least not until you get near the end. It's just before you reach the last gym that you come across the main new storyline involving Mt Coronet.

There's something funny going on at the summit of the mountain which has made Sinnoh noticeably colder as a result. What is it? We're not telling you, but it does lead to one of the most notable additions to Platinum - the Distortion World.

A Whole New World
This new area is certainly visually impressive. It's full of weird physics-bending shenanigans like walking on walls, surfing up waterfalls and it makes for a pleasantly different Pokémon experience. Playing it can be a bit awkward at first because although the game's graphics have technically been 3D since Diamond and Pearl the gameplay has still been 2D at heart, and as a result this fully 3D stage can be a bit fiddly to navigate. Still, just the simple fact that it's something vastly different to what we're used to in a Pokémon game makes it a nice addition nonetheless and it feels like there has been some effort put into this release after all, because, to be honest, up until that point you might have doubted it.

Thankfully the additions continue after you complete the main adventure and realise there's more to do. For starters there's the Battle Zone - a big island off Sinnoh where the Battle Frontier can be found. The Battle Frontier replaces the Battle Park from Diamond and Pearl, and contains five different facilities (the Battle Tower from Diamond and Pearl and four others).

As in the Battle Frontier in Pokémon Emerald, you have to visit a number of different facilities and defeat the Frontier Brains who rule each one. Each facility has its own unique set of battle rules which make battling a real challenge. For example, one of them makes each trainer spin a roulette wheel before each battle, which randomly changes your Pokémon's status.

The Battle Frontier is a handy addition to the game, and since it provides at least 366 new battles (assuming you never lose) on top of those in the main adventure, it's guaranteed to make your game last longer. It also makes it easier to level up some of your Pokémon.

Seen It All Before?
Although there are no new Pokémon to speak of in the game, a few of them do at least have some new versions. The most notable of these is the game's cover star, Giratina, who has a new form known as the Origin Forme which makes it look more like a snake. There's also a new form for Shaymin called the Sky Forme - which makes it look a bit like a dog and turns it into a Grass/Flying type Pokémon - as well as five new forms for Rotom based on household appliances (finally, the washing machine Pokémon we've always dreamed of!).

Anyone with Diamond and Pearl hoping to get hold of these forms will be out of luck, because since the information for those forms aren't on the cartridge, when you trade with a friend with a copy of Platinum the Pokémon will revert back to its standard form as it moves over. If you're one of the many people who still play My Pokémon Ranch though (something we can't understand if we're being honest), you don't need to worry: there's an update for the game you can download which lets you use the new forms.

If you're the sort who dedicates most of your Pokémon Diamond and Pearl time battling other gamers online, Platinum has also tried to make improvements for you too. Early on in the game players are given a new item called a Battle Recorder which, as the name suggests, lets you record battles you have with other opponents online then share them with other users. So if you're sick of trying to describe last night's epic fight to your mate (and you have the feeling they don't believe you anyway), you can just send the recording to them and let them see it for themselves. It's a nice touch.

There's also a new Wi-Fi Plaza section, which replaces the Wi-Fi club in each Pokémon Center. This area lets you play mini-games and socialise with up to 19 other people. The mini-games aren't much cop though, and are really only there to keep players entertained for short bursts.

In all, Pokémon Platinum is an extremely difficult game to rate. The simple fact is, it's the definitive DS Pokémon experience and if you don't have DS Pokémon game this is the one to go for. However, it's only the best because it adds a few cherries to Diamond and Pearl's already rich cake, so if you picked up either of those two then you really have to ask yourself if it's worth spending another £30 to plough through a two year old game that's 95% identical to the one you already have.

Chris Scullion