Looking Back is a series where we take a glance at a particular game of yesteryear, whether it be influential, under appreciated, or just simply worth remembering.
Before Pokemon Diamond/Pearl hit the DS, the Pokemon series was very popular, but slowly declining due to lack of innovation. Game after game players were introduced to the same basic gameplay, but with different Pokemon to collect. For most players, this wasn’t offering enough incentive to buy the new games that came, and needed something fresh for the newly released DS system. This “savior” to the Pokemon series was Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. When released in 2006, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl refreshed the series and innovated how games utilize the DS’ features.
A screenshot of the Poketch’s calculator
The players in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl were given a Poketch early on in the game, and this device utilized the DS’ touch screen. The Poketch allowed players to be able to see where they are going on the map (without pulling it from their items list!), check the time (a new clock system that used their DS’ clock time), a walking-counter, a drawing pad (that utilized the DS’ touch screen), and a calculator! These features utilized the DS in many different ways, and paved the way for other games to not be shy to experiment with the DS.
The DS system was released with Wi-Fi capabilities, while the official Nintendo Wi-Fi server wasn’t released until a year after the launch of the DS. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl made use of this by having its own Wi-Fi lobby, which let players trade Pokemon with people from around the world, and battle with friends via Nintendo’s Friend Code system. This unique system offered the players to receive a unique 12-digit code to add other players so they may interact with them, like usernames on XBOX LIVE or PSN. The Wi-Fi on Pokemon Diamond/Pearl also used the built-in microphone on the DS to communicate with friends. This forever ended the days of people battling online and having a phone next to their ear, and was more convenient also.
Another innovative feature was that Pokemon Diamond/Pearl used the GameBoy Advanced cartridge slot on the DS system in a very creative way, allowing players to access their Pokemon from previous games and import them into their Diamond/Pearl game! After playing the game, the player eventually gains access to a place called Pal Park, where Pokemon from previous iterations can be caught after being selected from a menu.
A bird’s eye view of Pal Park
As we go on playing the latest Pokemon game, we can always remember that the games Pokemon Diamond and Pearl pushed the DS to its limits, almost using every feature that the system had to offer at the time. This helped other games see that you could experiment a lot more than developers thought, and innovated the DS (and its game market) forever.
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