Pokemon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Show Off New And Improved Gameplay Features

During today's Pokemon Presents showcase, Nintendo revealed more details on its upcoming remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. While Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl don't stray too far from the traditional pocket monster formula, they do have a few modern updates pulled from more recent games in the series like Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Customization appears to play a big part in the game, as Poke Balls can be tweaked to feature new effects whenever you summon Pokemon, and trainers can don fashionable gear during their journey.

Another touch of customization allows for a Pokemon to be let out of its Poke Ball and follow a player around as they explore Sinnoh's various locations. One example of this was seen in the trailer when Riolu kept pace with a player by doing a Naruto-style ninja run.

A new Grand Underground area will allow players to explore a subterranean section of Sinnoh that's home to numerous Pokemon and treasures, which bears a few similarities to Sword and Shield's wild areas. Mining is also back, and uncovering certain items will allow for statues of Pokemon to be placed inside of secret bases. These aren't just decorative statues either, as they'll alter which Pokemon you encounter in the Grand Underground.

Most importantly though, contests are back in a big way in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. While previous Pokemon games focused on just how adorable your chosen Pokemon could be when paraded in front of judges, these newer events have a more interactive element that features dancing and unleashing a Pokemon's best moves to wow the crowds.

Finally, the remakes will feature online battles like other games have in the past, perfect for when you want to see just how well your team does against someone else's collection of Pokemon.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will launch for the Nintendo Switch on November 19. Before those games arrive, you can get your hands on a limited-edition Nintendo Switch Lite model that features the Diamond and Pearl mascots Dialga and Palkia etched onto the console. For more on the game and its other editions, you can check out our Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl preorder page.

This week's Pokemon Presents showcase had plenty of information on other games in the franchise, such as Pokemon Go, Pokemon Cafe Remix, Pokemon Unite's mobile release date, and Pokemon Legends Arceus, which looks to be a massive departure from the mainline games. We also learned that Arceus and Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl will get Pokemon Home support, but not at launch.