Pokemon Pearl Version

"Not bad, but not good in comparison to the old games."

This game was the reason I got a DS. I was excited to see what exactly the Nintendo DS was capable of doing for the world of Pokemon. I had owned every single one of the portable Pokemon games that had been released before it-- all eleven games (including the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes, course). Every time a new Pokemon game had been released, I was blown away. I had dumped hundreds (if not thousands) of hours into those addicting games for its unique and fun style of gameplay. I consider Gold, Silver, and Crystal to be among the greatest games of all time.

However, I was not impressed. This was the first Pokemon game I had only been able to play for an hour before getting bored. Basically, the synopsis of every portable Pokemon game thus far: *insert player name here* is given a/an *insert starter Pokemon here* by *insert professor name here* and embarks on a quest to defeat the Elite Four and *insert evil gang here*. I had done this all before many, many times... and it was just getting a little repetitive for me. But why this particular generation? Why did it take me three generations to get sick of this traditional Pokemon story? For starters, I think that the potential of the DS wasn't harnessed in the least. Nintendo adds a touch screen to a handheld system, and the most they can do for Pokemon is give you an interactive watch and the ability to mix berries into tasty Pokemon treats? They certainly could have tried harder than that. Secondly, I don't think it was "upgraded" that much from the R/S/E series. It looked nearly identical in my eyes. They just added half a dimension to the bird's eye view and brighter colours, and called it "improved graphics." The Pokemon have the same pixelated appearance and the same 8-bit cries after 10 years of technological advancement. Come on, Nintendo. Give us something fresh and innovative! I'd like a 3D environment where the Pokemon have personalities of their own and the battle system is a little more complex than turn-based strategy. I'd like something EPIC, but still Pokemon.

Not only was it repetitive, it didn't quite meet the standards of its predecessors. There were a few minor things about the original Pokemon games that made them ten times better than the newer ones. For one, there were VERY few unnecessary features. G/S/C added an innumerable amount of improvements, such as breeding and shiny Pokemon. What did D/P do for Pokemon? It added a useless watch and Pokemon dance contests. A lot of this stuff is most likely a way to take up space on the cartridge. Secondly, I absolutely detest the music. The sound quality may have increased, but the music is actually the most obnoxious Pokemon music I've ever heard-- it's the only Pokemon game I can easily play with the sound off. Beautifully composed Pokemon music is now a thing of the past. Third, the difficulty of this game is incredibly easy until the Elite Four. The first Pokemon games were challenging, yet not frustrating. I didn't breeze through the game, nor did I ever want to. Fourth, the game is incredibly slow, which makes it tedious; even when the dialogue is on "fast," I still find myself rapidly mashing the A button. And lastly, the most important thing-- the Pokemon. I often hear about how "the original 151 were the best and Pokemon is just getting stupid now." Well, I would agree. After G/S/C, most of the Pokemon got a little ridiculous. The original Pokemon were based on mythological Japanese demons, whereas the new ones are just uncreative ways to add numbers to one's Pokedex. I mean, come on. There are dozens of legendaries (aren't legendary things supposed to be a little less common?), and most of them come in groups of three. To make matters worse, we keep getting told that everything we had ever known about Pokemon evolution is wrong, because they keep adding pre-evolutions and post-evolutions to Kanto and Johto Pokemon! In fact, they ruined Sneasel for me by adding its second evolution, Weavile. It seems Pokemon is slowly going downhill.

HOWEVER... I wouldn't call this game "bad." I would call it "lacking." I know most of my review was pointing out its flaws, but that's because all that was good about the original games is present in D/P. It's still reasonably fun, despite that it's just terribly rehashed. The names, locations, and Pokemon were changed, but it's still Pokemon. I think it's worth buying for 30 bucks, as it will burn 30+ hours of your time (there's also plenty to do after you defeat the Elite Four), but nothing to be too excited about; it's not exactly the magnum opus of the Nintendo DS. Diehard fanatics of Pokemon, such as myself, will still be entertained to some extent. 7/10.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/01/09

Game Release: Pokemon Pearl Version (US, 04/22/07)