Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (Japanese: ポケットモンスター ブリリアントダイヤモンド Pocket Monsters Brilliant Diamond) and Pokémon Shining Pearl (Japanese: ポケットモンスター シャイニングパール Pocket Monsters Shining Pearl) are the second paired Generation VIII games. They are enhanced remakes of the fourth-generation titles Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond ポケットモンスター ブリリアントダイヤモンド
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond's boxart, featuring Dialga
Pokémon Shining Pearl ポケットモンスター シャイニングパール
Pokémon Shining Pearl's boxart, featuring Palkia
Basic info
Platform:	Nintendo Switch
Category:	RPG
Players:	1-2, 4 players simultaneous
Connectivity:	Wireless, Nintendo Switch Online
Developer:	ILCA
Publisher:	Nintendo/The Pokémon Company
Part of:	Generation VIII core series
Ratings
CERO:	A
ESRB:	E
ACB:	PG
OFLC:	PG
PEGI:	7
GRAC:	ALL
GSRR:	6+
Release dates
Japan:	November 19, 2021
North America:	November 19, 2021
Australia:	November 19, 2021
Europe:	November 19, 2021
South Korea:	November 19, 2021
Hong Kong:	November 19, 2021
Taiwan:	November 19, 2021
Websites
Japanese:	Pokémon.co.jp
English:	Official site Pokémon.com Nintendo.com (Brilliant Diamond) Nintendo.com (Shining Pearl)
Japanese boxart Pokémon Brilliant Diamond Japanese boxart Pokémon Shining Pearl Japanese boxart

The games were announced worldwide on the 25th Anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red and Green on February 27, 2021, at 12 am JST through Pokémon Presents. The paired versions were released worldwide for Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021. All copies of the game are playable in nine languages: Japanese, English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. These are the first core series games not to be developed directly by Game Freak.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

After witnessing a news broadcast about the Red Gyarados being sighted at the Johto region's Lake of Rage, the player and their childhood friend Barry venture out of their hometown of Twinleaf and to the nearby Lake Verity to see if they can see one there too. Instead, however, they briefly encounter Pokémon Professor Rowan and his assistant, Lucas/Dawn, as they leave the site and accidentally leave behind Professor Rowan's briefcase. When the player and Barry examine it, they are attacked by a pair of wild Starly, forcing them to pick a Poké Ball each from inside the briefcase and use the first partner Pokémon within them to fend off the Starly. Later visiting Professor Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town, the player and Barry are allowed to keep the Pokémon they used and start their respective Pokémon journeys with them.

The player first travels to Oreburgh City and defeats the local Gym Leader Roark as their first step on their road to win a Badge from every Sinnoh League Gym. On a return trip to Jubilife City, the player has their first run-in with Team Galactic, whose members try to harass Professor Rowan for his research notes. The player later encounters them again in Floaroma Town, where they attempt to take over the Valley Windworks power plant with the lead of one of the organizations Commanders, Mars. After thwarting their schemes, the player travels through Eterna Forest to reach Eterna City, where they encounter a fellow Trainer named Cynthia, earn their second Badge, and confront Team Galactic's second Commander, Jupiter, at the Team Galactic Eterna Building.

Traveling through Mount Coronet to reach eastern Sinnoh, the player encounters a mysterious man named Cyrus and passes through Hearthome City, where the local Gym is closed for the moment, forcing the player to continue traveling, until they make their way to Veilstone City, wherein they can earn their next Badge. After the fourth Badge has been earned in Pastoria City, the player encounters Cynthia once again and visits her grandmother in her hometown of Celestic, before returning to Hearthome City to challenge its now-reopened Gym. Once the player has earned their sixth Badge from Roark's father Byron in the city of Canalave, a massive explosion caused by Team Galactic at Lake Valor shakes the entire region. Professor Rowan dispatches the player to investigate Lake Valor, while Lucas/Dawn and Barry do the same with Lake Verity and Lake Acuity, respectively. At Lake Valor, the player encounters the last one of Team Galactic's Commanders, Saturn, but is too late to stop him from capturing the Legendary lake guardian Azelf before he has the team retreat from the lake.

Traveling to the other two lakes as well, also earning their seventh Badge in the process, the player witnesses Team Galactic also capturing the other two lake guardians, Mesprit and Uxie, and taking them to their HQ in Veilstone. The player storms the HQ, confronts the organization's leader, Cyrus, and succeeds in freeing the captured lake guardians, but is unable to stop Team Galactic from completing the creation of the Red Chain, which Cyrus takes with him to the Spear Pillar at the summit of Mount Coronet. The player follows him, defeating a horde of Team Galactic Grunts along the way, and reaches the Spear Pillar just in time to see Cyrus using the Red Chain to summon and take control of the Legendary Pokémon Dialga^BD/Palkia^SP, intending to use its divine power to remake the universe in his own image. Before the new universe can be born, however, the lake guardians appear and destroy the Red Chain, stopping the creation process. Flying into a rage, Cyrus battles the player, but is defeated, ordering a retreat afterwards. The player is then given the chance to catch the Legendary Pokémon for themselves.

Following Team Galactic's defeat, the player earns their final Badge in Sunyshore City and travels to the Pokémon League, making their way through Victory Road and being granted the chance to challenge the members of the Elite Four: Bug-type specialist Aaron, Ground-type expert Bertha, Fire-type master Flint, and Psychic-type expert Lucian. Once the player has emerged victorious against all four of them, they're allowed to challenge Cynthia, who reveals herself to be the Sinnoh League Champion. Defeating her makes the player the new Champion and allows them to enter the Hall of Fame, after which they return to Twinleaf Town.

Now officially recognized as the strongest Trainer in Sinnoh, the player is allowed to travel to the Battle Zone, where highly skilled Trainers gather, and take on Gym Leader rematches. The main attraction of the Battle Zone, the Battle Tower, is led by Palmer, Barry's father, and offers high-level competitive battles against powerful Trainers from all over Sinnoh. A facility called Ramanas Park also becomes available to the player, allowing them to catch Legendary Pokémon from other regions.

Blurb

Unravel the myth of the Pokémon that controls time^BD/space^SP!

Search for Fossils and treasure by digging!
Dance to the rhythm!
Explore the Grand Underground!

Features

Overall, the game's graphical style is different compared to Pokémon Sword and Shield. The camera returns to a mostly top-down viewing angle similar to the original Diamond and Pearl, while the player and NPCs appear with chibi proportions in the overworld but regular proportions in battle. The regular overworld uses random encounters only, while Pokémon Hideaways in the Grand Underground use symbol encounters.

Like in the originals, the games only include Pokémon from the first four generations; therefore, the games include a total of 493 Pokémon.

New features

• The Underground has been replaced with the expanded Grand Underground.
• Pal Park has been replaced with Ramanas Park. At Ramanas Park, Mysterious Shards S and Mysterious Shards L (found in the Grand Underground) can be traded for slates, which can then be used to encounter various Legendary Pokémon.
• The Global Trade Station (GTS) has been replaced with the Global Wonder Station (GWS); Wonder Trades are the only trades available in the GWS.
• Amity Square now supports up to six walking Pokémon instead of just one. It retains the limitation that only "cute" Pokémon may walk, although as in Platinum, the first partner Pokémon and their evolutions are included, and now Eevee and its evolutions are supported as well.
  • The player may also pose for screenshots and save them to the Nintendo Switch's album.
  • Poffins can now be made inside Amity Square. The player's walking Pokémon surround the bowl during the cooking minigame, visibly reacting to the player's cooking.
• With the Nintendo Switch's lack of a bottom screen, the Pokétch may now be either absent from the screen, present in the top right corner of the screen, or enlarged to take up the majority of the screen (during which the regular overworld in the background has a blur filter applied). These three different methods of viewing are switched between using the R Button. The touch screen or a pointer cursor can be used to control the Pokétch while it uses the enlarged screen.
  • HMs have been removed; instead, the Pokétch has a new "Hidden Moves" app allowing the player to call wild Pokémon to perform field moves corresponding to the original game's HMs. These wild Pokémon are the same regardless of location: Bidoof for Rock Smash and Cut, Staraptor for Fly and Defog, and Bibarel for Strength, Rock Climb, Surf, and Waterfall.
    • Hidden Moves now skip the splash screen animation when used multiple times in the same area.
• The Town Map now has new features allowing it to show the locations of Honey Trees (distinguishing between Honey Trees with no Honey, Honey Trees with Honey but no wild Pokémon, and Honey Trees with wild Pokémon) and Berries that can be picked.
  • Due to this, the Pokétch's Berry Searcher app has been removed, as it would be redundant.
• Cooking a Level 95 or higher Poffin without any overflows or burns creates a rainbow-striped Super Mild Poffin.
• The small menu sprites used for all Pokémon from Generation VI to Pokémon Sword and Shield have been redesigned, no longer looking pixelated.
• The icons that represent types have undergone numerous changes. For example, the plain circle icon for the Normal type now bears two nubs resembling Bidoof's ears.
• Pokémon now have different cries when they faint.
• Pokémon featured in mass outbreaks can now be seen emerging from tall grass in the overworld en masse, though these Pokémon cannot be interacted with as they vanish into the grass when approached, and the means of encountering them remains the same as before.
• Each Gym Leader can now be rematched once per day after the National Pokédex has been obtained, with each having a new, stronger team of Pokémon.
• Lucas/Dawn can be battled once per day on weekends in front of Professor Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town after entering the Hall of Fame.
• In addition to Palmer, other notable Trainers can now also be faced at the Battle Tower, including the Gym Leaders, Cynthia, Barry, Team Galactic Commanders, and Cyrus.
• A new Key Item has been added: the DS Sounds. It is very similar to the GB Sounds from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, and can be used to replace the music in the game with the original versions of the songs from Diamond and Pearl. It is obtained from the Sound Designer, a Guitarist who appears in Game Freak's house on Valor Lakefront after the player enters the Hall of Fame.
• A new book has been added to the Canalave Library, titled "The Sea's Legend". It provides a hint on how to obtain Phione and Manaphy in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
• The Belle & Pa Trainer class has been renamed "Ranchers".

Features from Pokémon Platinum

• Rotom's appliance forms are included, and it can access them in Rotom's Room. The Secret Key (used to enter Rotom's Room) is no longer event-exclusive, and is obtained after catching Rotom in the Old Chateau.
  • Like in Generation V onward, Rotom's forms have different types.
• Giratina's Origin Forme is included. The Griseous Orb is now obtained from the Distortion Room in Ramanas Park after Origin Forme Giratina is defeated in battle.
  • As Giratina can only be caught in Turnback Cave, the Origin Forme Giratina in the Distortion Room is shown in a shadow-based form when fought to signify it cannot be caught.
• Shaymin's Sky Forme is included. The NPC in Floaroma Town from Platinum who gives the Gracidea is present.
• The first time the player rematches the Pokémon League after obtaining the National Pokédex, the Elite Four and Cynthia use teams with higher levels that feature the same Pokémon they use in Platinum.
  • If the player rematches the Pokémon League again after completing the event at Stark Mountain and the first rematch, the Elite Four and Cynthia again use different teams with stronger Pokémon, though these teams are entirely new to this game and not based on Platinum.
• As in every game since Platinum, entering the Hall of Fame causes in-game event Pokémon who have been defeated to reappear, so they are not permanently missable.
• Foreign Pokédex entries exist for all Pokémon, rather than only for a select few.
• Some Trainers use Stickers to create special effects when sending out certain Pokémon.
• It is possible to buy ten jars of Honey simultaneously.
• The Bicycle can be ridden inside gates.
• The theme of Mystery Gift is based on that of Platinum.
• The Pokémon Storage System wallpapers introduced in Platinum return, and now coexist with all wallpapers from the original Diamond and Pearl. However, the Platinum version of the Team Galactic wallpaper is altered to replace Charon with a Team Galactic Grunt.
• Like in Platinum, the error from the English version of Diamond and Pearl in which almost all Pokémon from in-game trades had Japanese as their language of origin is corrected.

Features from later generations

• The Fairy type has been added. The Roseli Berry, Pixie Plate, and Arceus's Fairy-type form have also been added to accommodate for this.
• The Steel type no longer resists Ghost and Dark.
• The player may have one walking Pokémon anywhere in the overworld outside of Amity Square. The feature is unlocked after visiting Amity Square once, and can be used with Pokémon outside of those that could walk in the original Amity Square.
  • As in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, different Pokémon walk at different speeds, and the player may directly interact with their walking Pokémon.
  • Though all Pokémon available in the game have existing walking animations, some Pokémon (mainly serpentine Pokémon such as Onix and Ekans) do not use them and instead glide over the ground with no animation.
• At the beginning of the game, the player can choose from eight different appearances (four for Lucas and four for Dawn), which feature different skin tones and hair colors.
• Trainer customization is now available. The Metronome Style Shop, where outfits can be purchased, replaces the location of what used to be the Veilstone Game Corner, while the prize exchange house has been replaced with a functionally useless storage building.
  • An early-purchase bonus event gives the player character an outfit based on their design in Pokémon Platinum.
• The Apricorn Poké Balls return, albeit as event-exclusive items.
• The Autosave option returns from Sword and Shield.
• The Exp. Share functions how it has since Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. Rather than an item, Exp. Share is a background mechanic that applies to the player's party from the start of the game and cannot be turned off.
• Two battle screen features present since Pokémon Sun and Moon continue to appear:
  • Type effectiveness is shown in the move selection screen.
  • The player can press the Y button to bring up a Bag sub-menu for Poké Balls in wild battles.
• The Pokémon Box Link returns (albeit no longer as an item), allowing the Pokémon Storage System to be accessed from anywhere (besides Gyms and the interior of the Pokémon League). This ability is obtained from Bebe in Jubilife City following the defeat of the Team Galactic Grunts.
• The Pokémon Nursery replaces the Pokémon Day Care.
• Origin marks return. A new origin mark that corresponds to these games has been added, and the Legends: Arceus origin mark also appears.
• Like in Sword and Shield, affection has been merged with friendship, meaning that friendship now results in affection bonuses.
• The Best Friends Ribbon is obtainable for Pokémon with maximum friendship from the female NPC in the Pokémon Fan Club in Hearthome City. As such, the Footprint Ribbon is given to most Pokémon for being 30 levels higher than the level they were obtained at rather than for having maximum friendship, though a certain group of "voiceless" Pokémon still require maximum friendship to obtain it.
• Critical captures return.
  • The Catching Charm returns from Sword and Shield. It is given out by one of the Game Directors on Valor Lakefront after reaching the criteria for obtaining the Regional Pokédex diploma.
• Hidden Abilities return.
  • Ability Patches return from Sword and Shield. They can be purchased from the Battle Park's Exchange Service Corner for 200 BP.
• Terrain returns, excluding Psychic Terrain.
• Poison does not deal damage outside of battle.
• Morimoto is now present on Route 213 as a Swimmer, being available to battle once per day after the Hall of Fame has been entered. After the first time he is defeated, he rewards the player with an Oval Charm.
• Hyper Training, Bottle Caps, and Gold Bottle Caps return. A Veteran in the Battle Park's Exchange Service Corner can Hyper Train the player's level 100 Pokémon in exchange for Bottle Caps and Gold Bottle Caps.
• When a Repel's effect wears off, the game asks if the player wants to use another one, provided they have more.
• The player now receives one Premier Ball for every 10 Poké Balls of any type bought at once, instead of only receiving one Premier Ball anytime they buy 10 or more.
• The Rotom Catalog returns from Sword and Shield. It is obtained after Rotom first enters one of the appliances in Rotom's Room, though at first it only contains Rotom's normal form and the appliance that it entered to obtain the catalog. The other appliances can then be taken from Rotom's Room to add them to the catalog.
• The Shiny Charm returns, albeit only increasing the chance of an Egg containing a Shiny Pokémon.
• The Pokédex can show form differences and foreign languages from the start, rather than having to be upgraded to unlock these features. The NPCs who originally gave the Pokédex these features will still attempt to upgrade the Pokédex, only to find that it does not need any upgrades.
• Though the Running Shoes return and still must be obtained before the player can run, there is no longer a button that must be held down in order to run; instead, the player runs by default after the Running Shoes have been obtained, like in Sword and Shield, provided they are using the joystick. If using the D-Pad, holding down B is necessary to run, as in prior generations.
• The HP bar drains noticeably faster than in Diamond and Pearl.
• Pokémon names are no longer rendered in all-caps, now using the proper case.
• Like in Sword and Shield, the Fisherman Trainer class has been renamed "Fisher".
• Like in all games since Pokémon X and Y, the Socialite Trainer class is renamed "Madame".

Returning features

• Seals return for the first time since HeartGold and SoulSilver, and are now called Stickers.
  • The player may now earn Stickers from completing Super Contest Shows or by defeating Gym Leaders.
  • There are now "over 90" different Stickers in the game, up from 77. "Ribbon Sticker C" and "Ribbon Sticker D" have been seen in screenshots as new Stickers.
  • Up to twenty Stickers may be placed on a Ball Capsule, up from eight.
  • The menu for positioning Stickers on a Ball Capsule now supports 3D movement for more detailed placement.
  • The boy in the easternmost house of Solaceon Town no longer awards letter Stickers for showing him the different forms of Unown, instead awarding extra Ball Capsules.
• Pokémon Super Contests return for the first time since Platinum, and are renamed Super Contest Shows. They have been changed in various ways, such as Ball Capsules and Stickers being used during the Visual round in place of Accessories, and they support online play.
• The Union Room returns for the first time since Generation V.
  • There are now two rooms, called the "Local Room" and the "Global Room", the latter of which newly supports online connections.
• The Manaphy Egg is obtainable through an event for the first time since Generation IV. It is now an early-purchase bonus event.
• TMs are single-use again, which was the case for all Pokémon games before Generation V.
  • Unlike in Diamond and Pearl, however, all TMs have repeatable acquisition methods. Most NPCs who give TMs now give three of the same TM, while Gym Leaders give five of the reward TM with the badge. All TMs can also be bought in the Grand Underground by trading Spheres.
• The National Pokédex returns in a core series game for the first time since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (though it only features the first 493 Pokémon, as in the original Diamond and Pearl).
• Despite the removal of HMs, field moves return for the first time since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The eight hidden moves corresponding to the original game's HMs can only be used outside of battle from the Pokétch, but the field moves which were not originally HMs (namely Flash, Dig, Teleport, Soft-Boiled, Milk Drink, and Sweet Scent) can be used outside of battle by Pokémon in the party like in the original. Chatter is an exception to this, being unusable outside of battle as it has been from Generation VI onward.
• The Berry growing mechanic returns.
• Honey Trees return for the first time since Platinum.
• Footprints are displayed in the Pokédex for the first time since Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.
• The Bicycle is obtainable for the first time since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
• The Badge-polishing feature returns. The Badge case can be viewed from the Trainer Card.
• The Key Items Vs. Seeker and Poké Radar both return.
• The Moss Rock, Ice Rock, and special magnetic field return following their removal in Sword and Shield. As in Sword and Shield, most of the Pokémon that evolve using these methods can still evolve using Evolution stones instead, although the Ice Stone is not obtainable, and Nosepass still cannot evolve unless leveled up in a special magnetic field.
• Several moves that were unusable in Sword and Shield have returned: Flash, Sketch, Hidden Power, Tail Glow, Psycho Boost, Heart Swap, Rock Climb, Chatter, Judgment, Dark Void, Seed Flare, and Toxic Thread. However, other moves that were unusable in Sword and Shield remain unusable in these games, even those that were usable in Diamond and Pearl. More information can be found here.
• Like in games prior to Pokémon Black and White, the maximum amount of money the player can carry is $999,999.
• Like in games prior to Sword and Shield, the Escape Rope is a consumable item in the Other Items category.
• Like in games prior to Sword and Shield, the nickname of an outsider Pokémon can only be changed by its Original Trainer, even if the Pokémon has no nickname.
• Like in games prior to Sword and Shield, the Move Reminder requires the payment of a Heart Scale for a Pokémon to remember a move. However, he will now teach Pokémon for free after receiving a total of ten Heart Scales.

Connectivity

As with other games on Nintendo Switch, the game is not compatible with other games in the same generation, outside of its pairing. The game does not support competitive features such as Ranked Battles, as Sword and Shield were used for competitive play until the beginning of Generation IX in November 2022. The game received Pokémon HOME connectivity on May 18, 2022 as part of HOME's version 2.0.0 update.

Due to coding issues, game engine compatibility problems, and glitch abuse mitigation measures, compatibility between these games and HOME has limitations. For example, Legendaries may only be moved out of a save file once per legendary per save file, and certain Pokémon like Nincada and Spinda can't be imported to or from other games. Additionally, when a compatible Pokémon from another game first enters these sets of games, its moveset is changed to its four most recent level-up moves by default (though the player can make alterations as of HOME's version 3.0.0, released on May 30, 2023).

Users of HOME can transfer Pokémon between other Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl save files on the console, even if the files belong to different profiles.

Only Pokémon that exist in the game data (i.e. those from the first four generations of games, excluding regional forms) can be transferred to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In addition any compatible Pokémon brought from Legends: Arceus will have their Poké Ball displayed as a Strange Ball, due to the invalid Poké Ball ID not being otherwise recognised in these games. The Pokémon will also not have its Origin mark displayed if it was brought from Scarlet and Violet.

Version-exclusive Pokémon

The following Pokémon are only obtainable in one game of this pair. In order to obtain Pokémon exclusive to the other game of this pair, they must be traded from that game. Alternatively, all Pokémon listed below are able to be transferred from previous games via Pokémon HOME.

Brilliant Diamond 0010 Caterpie Bug 0011 Metapod Bug 0012 Butterfree Bug Flying 0023 Ekans Poison 0024 Arbok Poison 0058 Growlithe Fire 0059 Arcanine Fire 0086 Seel Water 0087 Dewgong Water Ice 0123 Scyther Bug Flying 0125 Electabuzz Electric 0198 Murkrow Dark Flying 0207 Gligar Ground Flying 0212 Scizor Bug Steel 0239 Elekid Electric 0243 Raikou Electric 0244 Entei Fire 0245 Suicune Water 0246 Larvitar Rock Ground 0247 Pupitar Rock Ground 0248 Tyranitar Rock Dark 0250 Ho-Oh Fire Flying 0273 Seedot Grass 0274 Nuzleaf Grass Dark 0275 Shiftry Grass Dark 0303 Mawile Steel Fairy 0335 Zangoose Normal 0338 Solrock Rock Psychic 0352 Kecleon Normal 0408 Cranidos Rock 0409 Rampardos Rock 0430 Honchkrow Dark Flying 0434 Stunky Poison Dark 0435 Skuntank Poison Dark 0466 Electivire Electric 0472 Gliscor Ground Flying 0483 Dialga Steel Dragon

Shining Pearl 0013 Weedle Bug Poison 0014 Kakuna Bug Poison 0015 Beedrill Bug Poison 0027 Sandshrew Ground 0028 Sandslash Ground 0037 Vulpix Fire 0038 Ninetales Fire 0079 Slowpoke Water Psychic 0080 Slowbro Water Psychic 0126 Magmar Fire 0127 Pinsir Bug 0144 Articuno Ice Flying 0145 Zapdos Electric Flying 0146 Moltres Fire Flying 0199 Slowking Water Psychic 0200 Misdreavus Ghost 0216 Teddiursa Normal 0217 Ursaring Normal 0234 Stantler Normal 0240 Magby Fire 0249 Lugia Psychic Flying 0270 Lotad Water Grass 0271 Lombre Water Grass 0272 Ludicolo Water Grass 0302 Sableye Dark Ghost 0336 Seviper Poison 0337 Lunatone Rock Psychic 0371 Bagon Dragon 0372 Shelgon Dragon 0373 Salamence Dragon Flying 0410 Shieldon Rock Steel 0411 Bastiodon Rock Steel 0429 Mismagius Ghost 0431 Glameow Normal 0432 Purugly Normal 0467 Magmortar Fire 0484 Palkia Water Dragon

Save data bonuses

If the Nintendo Switch system being used has save data from previous mainline Pokémon games, the player may talk to an NPC in Floaroma Town to receive a Mythical Pokémon:

• Mew, if Let's Go, Pikachu! or Let's Go, Eevee! save data exists.
• Jirachi, if Sword or Shield save data exists.

If there is save data for Pokémon Legends: Arceus in which all missions have been completed and Arceus has been obtained, the Azure Flute will appear in the player's room. After entering the Hall of Fame and obtaining the National Pokédex, the Azure Flute can be taken to Spear Pillar in order to battle and catch another Arceus at the Hall of Origin, which can be Shiny, unlike Mew and Jirachi.

Save data for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl unlocks content in the following Nintendo Switch games:

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus: The player receives the Modern Jacket, Modern Trousers, and Modern Shoes of Team Galactic's uniform. After the credits, it also unlocks Request 93: "The Darksome Nightmare", in which the player can catch the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai.
• Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Pokétch Case for the player's Rotom Phone is obtained through Rotometry in Mesagoza.

Localization changes

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl

Main article: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions → Localization changes shared by Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl

Reception

Both Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl hold a rating of 73% on Metacritic. Nintendo Life gave the games a "Not bad" 6/10, criticizing that the artstyle is a downgrade from the original and "lacking Platinum features". Gaming magazine Famitsu gave Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl a score of 34 out of 40. IGN rated the games a "Great" 8.0/10, commenting that they lean "on the past, with all of its triumphs and tripwires." Game Informer gave the games a 8.5/10, noting that "they mostly hit the mark in being faithful to the originals".

Sales

The games sold over 6 million units in their launch week. In the fiscal year of their release, they sold 14.65 million units. As of December 31, 2022, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have sold 15.06 million copies worldwide.

Staff

Main article: Staff of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Version history

Version	Release date	Game file size	Official note	More information
1.0.0	Initial release	4.3 GB	N/A
1.1.0	November 11, 2021	6.7 GB	Adds multiplayer and online communications to the Grand Underground, Super Contest Shows, and the Union Room. Adds Mystery Gift. Adds Ramanas Park. Adds the opening and ending movie.	The Union Room only supports connection with 1 other player at a time. Certain Trainers' teams were adjusted. The delay in HP bar animation has been increased.
1.1.1	November 17, 2021	6.7 GB	Optimized Ver. 1.1.0 update data.	The icon for the Genome Slate was changed.
1.1.2	December 1, 2021	6.8 GB	Fixed some issues that would prevent the game from progressing under certain circumstances. Some issues have also been fixed for more pleasant gameplay.	Menu glitch is fixed Nursery cloning glitch is fixed Flower Paradise glitch is fixed[citation needed]
1.1.3	December 21, 2021	6.8 GB	Fixed some issues for more pleasant gameplay.	More menu glitches are fixed Surfing on land glitch is fixed NPC Trainers' Pokémon no longer know unusable moves, e.g. Fantina's Banette no longer knows Snatch Removed Shaymin event from Flower Paradise
1.2.0	February 21, 2022	7.4 GB	Union Room functions have been expanded. The maximum number of players you can play with via local or internet communication in Union Rooms has been increased to eight. Also, by selecting Greeting or Capsule Decorations, you can show each other your Trainer Cards or Capsule Decorations. Additional Colosseum battle feature has been added. Enter the Colosseum on the 2nd floor of a Pokémon Center to battle with other players using custom rulesets. In the Colosseum, you can set rules, such as the number of Pokémon to send into battle as well as their levels, and play Single Battles, Double Battles, or Multi Battles via local or internet communication. Pokémon Trading and Battles Some Pokémon acquired via unintended methods or illicit modification now cannot be used in Link Trades or Link Battles. Fixed some issues for more pleasant gameplay.	"Strength Menu Glitch" is fixed Added the Legends: Arceus origin mark Adds a clone checker (ignores Pokémon not originating in Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl or Ninjask/Shedinja pairs). Detected clones cannot be used online.
1.3.0	March 15, 2022	6.9 GB	Added an event related to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If a user on a Nintendo Switch system has save data from Pokémon Legends: Arceus that meets set requirements, that player can take part in a special event to meet the Mythical Pokémon Arceus when playing the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Pokémon Shining Pearl games. Further details can be found here. Added a network-trading feature at GWS. It is now possible to trade Pokémon online at the GWS in Jubilife City. Note: A Nintendo Switch Online membership (paid service) is required to trade Pokémon online. Some issues have been fixed for more pleasant gameplay.	Adds the Azure Flute event to the game.

Notes:

• v1.0.0 is present on the physical Game Cards, and is playable on a Switch whose internet connection remains off.
• v1.1.0 was released 8 days before launch when digital preloads became available. Official reviewers were also able to play this version before launch.^{[citation needed]} Outside of being an official reviewer, it is possible to play this version by pre-ordering the digital version of the game at least 3 days before launch, preloading it at that time, turning auto-updates on the Switch off, and then opting not to download the v1.1.1 update on launch day when unlocking the preload.
• v1.1.1 was released 2 days before launch. This version is playable by purchasing either the physical or digital versions on/soon after launch day and then downloading the updates at that time.

Gallery

Logos

• 

  English Brilliant Diamond logo

• 

  English Shining Pearl logo

• 

  Japanese Brilliant Diamond logo

• 

  Japanese Shining Pearl logo

Title screens

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  English Brilliant Diamond title screen

• 

  English Shining Pearl title screen

Trivia

Male Pikachu's sprite in Diamond and Pearl compared to its artwork in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

• These are the first core series Pokémon games:
  • That cannot trade with other core series games from the same generation and console.
  • In which Latias and Latios can both be obtained in a single save file without requiring trading, transferring, or events.
  • In which the other two first partner Pokémon that were not chosen at the beginning of the game can later be found in the wild, if Pokémon X and Y's Friend Safari is excluded.
  • Since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to not introduce any new Pokémon species.
    • Since Pokémon Crystal to introduce no new species nor new forms.
  • Since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to feature a National Pokédex.
  • To use rasterized graphics for Pokémon and item icon sprites.
  • Since Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 to introduce no new moves.
  • To have more than one patch released pre-launch (v1.1.0 and v1.1.1).
  • To have any post-launch patches announced pre-launch (v1.2.0 and v1.3.0).
  • Since Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to not feature regional forms in any capacity.
• These are the only core series Pokémon games to use the Unity engine, whereas all other games since Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen use a custom engine called GFlib.
• These are the only Generation VIII games in which Mythical Pokémon (other than the gift Mew and Jirachi), wild Legendary Pokémon, and the first partner Pokémon at the beginning of the game can be Shiny, as they could in Generation IV.
• These are the only Nintendo Switch Pokémon games in which the "Pokémon" part of the Japanese and Korean logo differs between the two versions, to match the Japanese logos of the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
• The artwork of both humans and most Pokémon for these games is based on their sprites in the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
• The design of the ambiguous Dialga/Palkia statue in Eterna City resembles its design from the Pokémon Adventures manga.
• These are the only core series remakes:
  • To not include any more Pokémon species than the original games.
    • The only alternate form appearing in this game that did not appear in Generation IV is Fairy-type Arceus, though Eevee had its gender difference added.
  • In which the Pokédex uses the same design as in the original games.
• These are the last core series games in which:
  • Pokémon can contract Pokérus.
  • Pokérus can be seen on the summary screen.
  • Pikachu and Eevee use their voices from the anime for their cries.
• The majority of the games' Pokédex entries are recycled from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, though some feature slight wording changes.

In other languages

Language Title Japanese ポケットモンスター ブリリアントダイヤモンド・シャイニングパール Chinese Cantonese 寶可夢 晶燦鑽石／明亮珍珠 Mandarin 寶可夢 晶燦鑽石／明亮珍珠 宝可梦 晶灿钻石／明亮珍珠 French Canada Pokémon Brilliant Diamond et Shining Pearl Europe Pokémon Diamant Étincelant et Perle Scintillante German Pokémon Strahlender Diamant und Leuchtende Perle Italian Pokémon Diamante Lucente e Perla Splendente Korean 포켓몬스터 브릴리언트 다이아몬드・샤이닝 펄 Spanish Pokémon Diamante Brillante y Perla Reluciente

References

Core series Pokémon games Generation I: Red & Green • Blue (JP) • Red & Blue • Yellow Generation II: Gold & Silver • Crystal Generation III: Ruby & Sapphire • FireRed & LeafGreen • Emerald Generation IV: Diamond & Pearl • Platinum • HeartGold & SoulSilver Generation V: Black & White • Black 2 & White 2 Generation VI: X & Y • Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Generation VII: Sun & Moon • Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee!‎ Generation VIII: Sword & Shield (The Isle of Armor / The Crown Tundra) Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl • Legends: Arceus Generation IX: Scarlet & Violet (The Teal Mask / The Indigo Disk) Legends: Z-A Pokémon game templates Core series • Side series • Spin-off series • Pokémon mini • Individual spin-offs • Betas • Demos

This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.