Pokemon DiamondandPearlare often considered some of the most-polished games in thefranchise, and their bevy of unique features showing off the capabilities of the Nintendo DS likely play a part in this perception. The first foray into the fourth Generation ofPokemongames utilized the touch screen by letting playerspolish their Gym Badgesand use apps on the Poketch, while the Normal/Flying-type Chatot’s signature move Chatter could use custom audio thanks to the DS microphone. Upcoming remakesPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcan emulate some of these ideas thanks to Switch hardware, but others will be lost to time.
When the games were revealed as part of the 25th anniversary Pokemon Presents livestream in February, it was clearBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare sticking to their roots. While Game Freak is hard at work onPokemon Legends: Arceus, a unique open-world game set in the far past, Japanese studio ILCA is handling the more traditional remakes.Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave a toy-like aesthetic similar to 2019’sThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and they appear to emulate their predecessors more than prior remakes likeOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire. Some fans have been disappointed about this, but it’s hard to deny the appeal of bringing certain fan-favorite features like Sinnoh’s multiplayer Underground back as they were, just in HD.
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However, even if the Switch can use itsonline functionality to bring back the Undergroundand its touch screen to bring back badge polishing, it cannot access Game Boy Advanced (GBA) titles like the Nintendo DS could. Original models of the handheld console were able to slot DS games into the top and GBA games into the bottom. This was great for backward compatibility, but Nintendo also showed its ingenuity by allowing developers to let these games communicate. The so-called dual-slot mode was particularly well used inPokemongames, andDiamondandPearlremakes may feel emptier without it despite the original functionality being mostly obsoleted.
Dual-slot mode had one primary function inDiamondandPearl: Letting players transfer their monsters from Generation 3 GBA games into Generation 4. A facility called Pal Park could be found east of Sandgem Town in the Sinnoh region (and inHeartGold/SoulSilver’s Fuchsia City) wherein users could migrate Pokemon fromRuby,Sapphire,Emerald,Firered, andLeafgreenversions. Only a full party of six could be transferred at a time, as players would have to roam the Pal Park’s enclosure to see which environment a migrated Pokemon would choose to hide in.
Transferring Pokemon by literally connecting these games in the same console was clever, and making it into a game of hide-and-seek, while somewhat more tedious, was immersive and fun compared to what was available in previous entries. Generation 1 and 2 games on the Game Boy and Game Boy Color could trade back-and-forth to a certain extent using the Time Capsule in every Pokemon Center. However, those monsters could not be brought forward into Generation 3 via any official means. The games became more complex as they went on, withGeneration 3 introducing inherent Abilitieswhile overhauling the statistical values that made each Pokemon unique.
Generation 4 Pokemon could be moved into the Generation 5 gamesBlack,White, and their sequels through the Poke Transfer system - similar to Pal Park but instead using a minigame with trainers launching Poke Balls using a slingshot. Due to the lack of dual cartridge support, players would instead have to use Download Play on two DS systems to connect the games. Generation 6 and 7 used the Poke Bank application for storage and transfer, which was a precursor toGeneration 8’sPokemon Home- itself developed by ILCA.
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Of course, this only applies to mainlinePokemongames. Niantic’s mobile gamePokemon GOoriginallytransferred monsters intoPokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu!andEevee!’s GO Park(located in the same place as Pal Park inHeartGoldandSoulSilver) before they could be sent toPokemon Home, and other spin-offs have had similar connections.
Transferring Pokemon through Pal Park is not the only reason why players would want to utilize dual-slot mode. While playingDiamond,Pearl, andPlatinumversions, having one of the GBA games inserted would result in Pokemon from those regions appearing in certain locales across Sinnoh. For example, insertingRubyversion gives Seedot a chance to appear, whereasFireredversion gives Ekans a chance to appear. Despite also being on the DS,HeartGoldandSoulSilverreplaced this functionality with weekly Hoenn and Sinnoh music in the PokeGear Radio app.
Spin-off gamesPokemon DashandPokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Teamalso had compatibility with GBA games (though only withRed Rescue Teamin the latter case), but Game Freak was not the only developer using this feature. For example,Frogger: Helmet Chaoslet players unlock unique costumes if they inserted a GBAFroggergame;Harvest Moon DSlet characters from theGBA’s Mineral Townvisit, among other things; andKirby: Canvas Cursecould play music fromNightmare in Dreamland.
The Nintendo Switch only has a cartridge slot for its own games, and as of this writing just NES and SNES games are widely available via Nintendo Switch Online.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill likely have to leave the Pal Park behind, which is a shame given how well-integrated it was into the world of the originals despite ultimately being a way to transfer Pokemon. Other facilities like the Global Terminal in Jubilife City will also have to change givenGeneration 8 has its global trade tied toPokemon Home. It will be interesting to see how the remakes adjust these obsolete ideas for a new audience.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare set to release in late 2021 on Nintendo Switch.
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