Video Game Review: Pokémon Pearl
- Pokémon Pearl
- Nintendo (2007)
- Grade
- A
The series’ overall formula has changed little since the days of Red and Blue, and that’s just how we like it.
It has been almost a decade since I picked up Pokémon Yellow for the Game Boy Color while the fad was at its height. I haven’t really indulged in the complex rock-paper-scissors game since. However, I was charmed by previews and screenshots of the franchise’s latest generation of games. Overwhelmed with temptation, I bought Pokémon Pearl in a whirlwind of nostalgia. Mere hours after starting the game, I was very pleased with my purchase.
Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl follow the foundations set by previous generations: the player takes the role of a young person who must catch and battle various Pokémon, challenge gym leaders in order to receive badges, and eventually challenge the Elite Four. Alongside these arduous tasks, the player must also deal with a team of criminals, Team Galactic in this case.
The game consists of battles that, for the most part, are not overly complicated or difficult. Each Pokémon has a type, and each type has weaknesses, making the simplest strategy exploiting said weaknesses. While you will have to fight trainers and gym leaders, most battles will be random and meant to level up your Pokémon, just like it was a decade ago. This makes the games suited to existing fans of the gameplay (or those who can put up with it) and those who have never played a Pokémon game before.
There are others things to occupy your time, however. Contests, present in the previous generation, are back as Super Contests, and they have become more elaborate. Each contest has three rounds: visual, dance, and performance. In the visual round, players will use their stylus to dress up Pokémon in relation to a certain theme. In the dance round, the touch-screen is utilized again to participate in a simple rhythm game. Finally, the player will have to impress the judges with their Pokémon’s moves. If the player wins, their Pokémon will receive a ribbon. Winning a Super Contest will make a Pokémon happier, but there isn’t much of a point of participating unless you enjoy the diversion. Related to Super Contests are Poffin, which are similar to Pokéblocks from the third generation. Poffin are made from berries that can be found in the wild and grown. Depending on the berry used, Poffin can be used to raise stats for Super Contests (such as beauty, cute, smart, etc.) and can raise the happiness of Pokémon. Poffin are made in a mini-game where the player must stir a bowl of ingredients at a certain pace so as to not burn or spill the Poffin.
Finally, players can explore the Underground. Here, the player can mine for spheres that can be traded for various items. As well, the player may come across rare items, such as evolution stones, fossils which can become Pokémon, and more. Mining is done with the stylusl I find it a rather amusing diversion.
The presentation of the game is fairly impressive, but lacking when one considers the capability of the Nintendo DS. The graphics are not an overwhelming improvement from the Game Boy Advance games and many sound effects are re-used. Nonetheless, the games present a colourful and engaging world with crisp and charming visuals and animations. The pleasant music caters to the repetitive nature of the game. It is also worth mentioning that this game features a customizable attack using the system’s built-in microphone. The Pokémon, Chatot, will mimic the player’s input during its attack.
Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl take advantage of the Nintendo DS’s Wi-Fi and LAN capabilities. Using a wireless router or a Wi-Fi USB connector, the player can battle and trade Pokémon with players across the globe. This opens the multiplayer experience of Pokémon to those who may not have any friends interested in the series. Using wireless LAN, players can also engage in Super Contests, make Poffin together, and explore the Underground. While these distractions are certainly fun with friends, it is a shame that they aren’t available over Wi-Fi.
Ultimately, Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl offer a lot to gamers without straying from the roots of the series. After ten years, the basics still rule: fire is still strong against grass, grass against water, and water against fire. Any fan of the series will find hypothetically infinite gameplay in these games, which feature a vast, engaging world and 493 Pokémon to catch.
Play on, Pokémon trainers, play on.
Copyright . Published 1 June 2007 in What’s New.
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