SmokedHostage

User Score
8.9

Presentation - 7.5
Gameplay - 9.0
Value - 10

Pokemon Platinum is the third installment in the recurring Japanese role-playing game series, Pokemon, for the Nintendo DS.  Developed by Nintendo’s second party developer, Game Freak, the series enjoys much more market success though some of it can be perceived as a cash-in. While the game itself is not an entirely new game,  builds upon Diamond and Pearl and brings an overall packages that for the better.

Pokemon Diamond starts off fairly slow and can be consider standard Pokemon fair.  You’re a ten year-old boy or girl going off on an adventure to explore the Sinnoh region.  You have a rival that’s a childhood friend of yours, a Professor that that occasionally guides you through your quest, and another child who is the Professor’s helper.  That much is not changed from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl or most games in the series.  What makes Platinum’s narrative unique is that Team Galactic’s Leader, Cyrus, is given a more of a backstory and his intentions are revealed to be more devious than Diamond and Pearl.  Also two new characters, Charon and Looker, make an appearance and this prevents the adventure from feeling like Diamond and Pearl all over again.

Part of the reason to go back to Sinnoh region for a possible second time is the overall improvements on Diamond and Pearl.  Several battle animations in Platinum are crisper and smoother and it makes the flow of battle much faster than its two year old cousins.  Also some things wrong with Diamond and Pearl have been remedied as well.  The Surf speed is faster, the Poketch now has an up and down button, and several Pokemon, which required the use of a GBA cart and/or your National Pokedex are available right off the bat.  This obviously creates more flexibility when making your team of six.

While Pokemon Platinum has fixed some things that ailed Diamond and Pearl, some unfavorable things have returned.  The soundtrack is mixed, bearing a collection of memorable tracks and generic compositions.  Also, not much has changed graphically from Diamond and Pearl.  The game makes it obvious that it has a 3D engine, especially with the new Distortion World, but at times, it looks just like a Gameboy Advance game.  The visuals were sub-par in 2007 and in 2009, they’re somewhat abysmal.  Other than that the in-battle animations are good and the new Gym Leader/Elite Four member/Battle Frontier Brain animations make it feel more intense and more engaging.

The gameplay hasn’t changed much either from Diamond and Pearl.  It’s still the turn-based gameplay of yore.  What it does offer, however, is very polished.  The Battle Recorder, a new Key Item, allows you to record battles and share them via GTS.  While it’s not anything like Youtube, it’s a neat feature that shares the intensity of battle.  The Battle Frontier also allows for some very epic battling.  Spamming Flamethrowers will not win you the day.  Strategy via the use of prediction and mind games is more or less welcomed in this area and will not only give you nice videos to distribute on GTS but Battle Points to spend on more battle-ready items.

Pokemon Platinum can drain a lot of hours.  The main quest can be completed in about 30 to 40 hours but catching all 493 Pokemon can offer weeks or months of gameplay.  Team Building and new strategies are supported in Online Play and the Battle Frontier as well.

Pokemon Platinum is a solid game.  For those who already own Diamond and Pearl, it’s a mixed package.  For those new to the franchise, it’s quite possibly the best start available.  New Forms of Pokemon and new faces may not be enough for the $34.99 price tag to some, the polish and several hours of play are.