Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is here. While remaining as faithful as possible to the Gen IV Nintendo DS games, this remake has a lot to offer for all players. Whether you're new to the franchise or revisiting the Sinnoh Region once again, here is our beginners guide packed with tips and tricks to help get you started with Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl.
Read More: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Walkthrough: All Guides in One Place
Adjust Your Settings
To truly be prepared for your adventures across the Sinnoh Region, you'll want to check that your Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl settings are suited to you. You can adjust the volume, text speed, and battle speed, so things go exactly at the pace you want. If you're looking to rush through the remake in a weekend, you may want to turn the speed of things up and turn off battle animations, including Battle Effects and Battle Style.
Either way, messing with your settings is perhaps the first thing you want to do when you launch your copy of Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl. Then, you can go on your Pokémon journey with everything suited to your playing preferences.
Select A Starter Pokémon
You have three starter Pokémon to choose between in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl; Chimchar, Piplup, and Turtwig. This might seem daunting, but ultimately, won't make much of a difference to your journey around the Sinnoh Region. So, just pick whoever you like the look of, or if you're still uncertain, take a look at this guide to each starter Pokémon.
All three starter Pokémon have their strengths and weaknesses. Piplup ultimately has a unique dual-type of steel and water, while Chimchar is one of the very few fire-type Pokémon in Sinnoh, and Turtwig is great for early game. Yet, the choice is up to you. You'll encounter plenty of new Pokémon throughout your journey regardless!
Familiarise Yourself with Types Strengths and Weaknesses
Throughout Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, even the most advanced Pokémon players might have a hard time remembering all the strengths and weaknesses of every single Pokémon type. There are eighteen types in total, all with unique strengths and weaknesses; some of them, even, with their own immunities that you'll need to remember. Be sure to brush up on the types to ensure strong battles across the Sinnoh Region.
We have a type chart detailing all the strengths, weaknesses, and immunities of every Pokémon type in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl here!
Battle Everything, Especially With A Partner
Battles are the key component of Pokémon, but they're more than just a way to earn EXP. By battling everything, that Pokémon will be logged in your Pokédex regardless of the outcome of the fight. Whether you flee or all your Pokémon faint, you'll still be one step closer to completing the Pokédex by engaging in every battle. In addition, the EXP, cash, and levelling up is kinda nice.
Whenever you're battling alongside an NPC, the NPC will restore your Pokémon following every battle. Thus, it's a good idea to make the most of this and battle all trainers along your path as well as wild Pokémon; this makes for a great opportunity to get a load of EXP for your Pokémon without needing to run and take a trip to the Pokémon Centre.
Don't Forget to Trade
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl each have their own, rather lengthy, list of exclusive Pokémon. Therefore, if you want to complete your Pokédex or encounter favourites like Growlithe and Ninetails, you're going to need to do some trading! Trading is one of the most fun elements of the Pokémon games, and some Pokémon will not even evolve unless traded (looking at you, Haunter), so go and make the most of it with your friends.
Adventure in The Grand Underground
Whenever you require a break from Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's main storyline, taking a trip to the Grand Underground makes a fun break. Down there, you can battle in Pokémon Hideaways or dig away along the corridors to collect evolution stones, statues, and other rare items like Elixirs or Mysterious Shards. Everything you dig up, including spheres, will prove useful later in the game when you take a trip to Ramanas Park and want to summon some legendary Pokémon.
Additionally, the Grand Underground also has a Diglett bonus. When met, there are four minutes for you to dig or battle, with an increased chance of finding rare items or shiny Pokémon!
Those are some of the most important things to keep in mind while you get started in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Have fun battling it out as you adventure around the Sinnoh Region, and don't forget to check out Amity Square, and Super Contest Shows while you're at it.