Best Pokemon game since Gold.
Well yeah, in fact Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are the best Pokemon games since Gold and Silver. What you get new is a whole new world to explore, along with over 100 new Pokemon along with returning Pokemon and all kinds of new features such as the Wi-Fi mode.
Gameplay: 8/10
It's still the same core formula, but it works great. That's not to say the battles won't get repetitive though. Graphics: 8/10
While not overly impressive for the DS, for a Pokemon game it looks great. The 3D effects add a lot and the animations and sprites have improved a bit too. Sound: 8/10
The music comes in pretty clear, and it's pretty good if not memorable. However, the Pokemon still make those bad sounding cries, which are improving but still sound terrible.
Value: 10
The main quest is around 30-40 hours long if you decide to train all your Pokemon during the quest, if you only train one, only about 20 hours. Either way, there are still tons of extras, minigames, the new underground feature and plenty of Wi-Fi stuff to do.
Wi-Fi: 8
Easily the best Wi-Fi on any DS yet, you can trade, battle and do underground online or with local sharing, in addition to that there are plenty of options and it never really gets boring.
Overall, Pokemon Pearl is a great game that's a must have if you have a DS. In fact, it's the best Nintendo DS game out there as of now.