During a stream today, Nintendo announced what to expect out of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, with news on customization, a revamped Underground, and a fun sounding rhythm game. One of the changes coming to the games with the updated version is that the Underground has been revamped. Now called the Grand Underground, in this vast subterranean world that spans the entire Sinnoh region, you will be able to visit and participate in activities such as digging up valuable treasures and Pokemon Fossils, or creating your own Secret Base. You can also visit places called Pokemon Hideaways, where you can find Pokemon that live in a variety of different environments. These Hideaways come with different terrains, and with different Pokemon living in each type of environment. Some of these Pokemon can only be found in these Hideaways. Some of the walls in the Grand Underground can also be dug into, using a sledgehammer and a pickax. By digging into them, you can find useful items and valuable Pokemon Fossils, as well as new Pokemon statues that have been added to these games. You can also use an item called the Digger Drill to build yourself a Secret Base and customize the place with the Pokemon statues you find. It is also possible to adventure with others in the Grand Underground. You can also dig for Fossils together with other Trainers. Something else that is returning to the game is following Pokemon. Here, the cute creatures will walk around with you once you have progressed in the game to a certain point. You can only have one Pokemon walking at a time with you, but any Pokemon can tag along. If that weren’t enough, you can also put on a show in the game with your Pokemon. Called Super Contest Shows, these are put on by four performers and their Pokemon, who will all work together to show off their performance skills. During the show, you can dress up in your favorite outfit, and your Pokemon will dance. These shows are divided into five categories within each are several ranks. While performing, you will be judged based on a Visual Evaluation, a Dance Evaluation, and a Move Evaluation. You can receive Hype Points based on your evaluations, and if the combined total of all four performers’ Hype Points reaches a target score, the show will be declared a success. As far as customization is concerned, you will be able to use Capsule Decoration to create effects. This can be used to place Stickers to customize the effects that appear when your Pokemon comes out of its Poke Ball for battles or Super Contest Shows. There are over 90 different Stickers, you can customize your Ball Capsules with effects like fluttering flower petals or flickering flames. You can place up to 20 Stickers on a Ball Capsule, and these can be purchased in shops, but you can also get them by defeating Gym Leaders or completing successful Super Contest Shows. Speaking of customization, you can also customize your appearance in the clothing department by buying and changing outfits at Metronome Style Shop in Veilstone City. Interaction with others will also be a factor in the game, and you will be able to mix it up with Trainers all over the world. This will occur in the Union Room where you can battle or trade Pokemon with other Trainers through local communication or online communication. There’s also a Local Room where Trainers can gather using local communication to enjoy trades, battles, and other activities. There is also a single room for worldwide players called the Global Room, where you can connect with others via online communication. And finally, as a special early-purchase bonus, you can receive a Manaphy egg for use in either Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl. You can receive your egg by choosing “Get via Internet” from the Mystery Gift function in the game until February 21, 2022. By putting it into your party and carrying it around on your adventure through the Sinnoh region, you’ll be able to hatch the egg and gain Manaphy as a companion. Plus, if you leave Manaphy with the Pokemon Nursery, you will get a Phione. Should you put both Manaphy and Ditto into the Pokemon Nursery, you’ll find an egg that will hatch into Phione should you carry it around with you while out adventuring. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release for Switch on November 19, and the games are scheduled to be connected to Pokemon Home in 2022. The games are remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl which were released back in 2007. In them, you can choose either Chimchar, Piplup, or Turtwig as your starter Pokemon and the original story has been faithfully reproduced, and the games will be easy-to-understand and player-friendly like the modern Pokemon series, according to Nintendo. And, like most Pokemon games, each version will feature creatures exclusive to the option picked. Like, Dialga is the starring Legendary for Diamond, and Palkia graces Pearl. Also, Cranidos and Stunky will be exclusive to the former while Shieldon and Glameow will be exclusive to the latter.
