When Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were announced, it felt like Sinnoh fans across the globe let out a collective cheer. The long-awaited return to one of the most beloved regions in the franchise was finally happening.
Expectations soared higher than a Staraptor in flight—but when the games finally launched in November 2021, the landing was…less than graceful. The initial excitement quickly turned into disappointment as criticism poured in. But as time has passed, a lingering question remains: Was all that hate truly deserved?
Developed by ILCA rather than Game Freak, and priced at the standard $59.99, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were marketed as faithful remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS classics.
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+ 5They arrived on the Nintendo Switch promising a modern experience of the fourth-generation games that fans adored. But the word “faithful” became a double-edged sword. Fans were expecting not just a remake, but a revamp.
Instead, what they got felt more like a glow-up in some areas and a copy-paste in others. While expectations leaned toward something on the scale of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, what was delivered looked, at first glance, more like a Super Mario RPG homage than a Pokémon epic.
click to enlarge+ 5The critiques came fast and furious. The most meme-worthy complaint? The chibi-style overworld characters, which made the game feel more like Animal Crossing: Sinnoh Edition than a dramatic Pokémon journey.
The Pokédex was outdated to the point of comedy—players were once again trapped in a world with just three Fire-type lines before the postgame (hello again, Ponyta!). The return of non-permanent TMs baffled modern players who had grown used to more freedom.
And let’s not forget the bugs and cut corners upon release, like an Elite Four fight where stats didn’t always behave as intended. At launch, the games felt like half a Moomoo Milk short of being truly finished.
click to enlarge+ 5But let’s give credit where it’s due—Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl weren’t without charm. Many fans appreciated the simplicity of the gameplay, which offered a back-to-basics experience in a time when newer entries were experimenting with open worlds and wild mechanics.
The upgraded sound design was a standout, turning nostalgic tracks into beautifully orchestrated remixes. The UI was smoother, menus were faster, and quality-of-life improvements like auto-saving and streamlined PC access made play more enjoyable.
click to enlarge+ 5The Pokémon League, surprisingly, was a solid challenge, with the Elite Four and the Champion using competitively viable Pokémon, even for veteran Trainers. And the return of following Pokémon—flawed in execution but heartwarming nonetheless—reminded us of why we fell in love with our teams in the first place.
So, here we are in 2025. Do these games still hold up? Well, they sit in a strange spot. They’re not revered like HeartGold and SoulSilver, nor as innovative as Legends: Arceus, but they’ve carved out a niche.
For newcomers, they're accessible. For nostalgia-seekers, they scratch the itch. And for die-hard Sinnoh fans, they’re still a portal to a region filled with charm, mystery, and catchy tunes. Love them or loathe them, they still get players talking—and playing.
click to enlarge+ 5In the end, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may not have been the revolutionary remakes we dreamed of, but they weren’t complete disasters either.
They offered familiar joy, endearing imperfections, and a trip down memory lane—warts and all. While we continue to hope for more ambitious remakes in the future (Unova, we’re looking at you), these chibi-fied Sinnoh adventures still have their place in the Poké-pantheon.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl page.