While technically the series' best, the "newest" entries in the Pokemon canon offer few new experiences.
Enter Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the latest entries in the main Pokemon handheld series. Like past installments, Pearl is a turn-based role playing game. It is your goal to catch and raise every Pokemon that can be caught or traded between a couple of DS cartridges. Completing this task requires defeating eight Gym leaders all while discovering hidden secrets and treasures in the Sinnoh region. In simple terms, little has changed. Since the successful formula has been established, Nintendo has barely changed a beat. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". True, but predictability is spoiling the franchise. Series veterans will not be struck by dejavu, but they will expect the expected. Even the encounters with your rival and "new" series characters and Pokemon are extremely similar to those of the past. At the beginning of the game, you will be given a choice between three "starter" Pokemon: a grass type, fire type, or water type Pokemon. Your friend and rival-to-be will choose the Pokemon whose type is the weakness of your monster. You will randomly encounter your rival throughout the game to test one another's strength.
The key to beating the game is getting a variety of Pokemon and keeping them equally trained and experienced in battle. New Pokemon may be caught in the wild via Pokeballs or through completing various tasks or trading with friends. You can carry a total of six Pokemon on-the-go, but there are hundreds of Pokemon to capture and obtain. One area of credit that I will reward the game with is its difficulty. Unless my memory fails me, past iterations were not quite as challenging as Pearl. I doubted if I would ever defeat a few of the gym leaders.
Aside from the main quest, some additional modes add The biggest issue I have with this DS game, is that, aside from the graphics, it feels like a Gameboy Advance title. How unfortunate it is that the handheld's touch screen was not utilized in a more innovative way during combat.Online play was a must for the series. Now players are able to battle and trade with other Poke-trainers online, throughout the world. Other than the online play, the series is where it has been since the beginning. Familiarity breeds contempt, but Pearl (and Diamond and Platinum) still offer a fun, engaging, and refreshingly challenging experience.