Pokemon Platinum Review

Pokemon and I, we go way back, all way back to 1998 when I received my very first Charmander. And, even after all these years, I still have an undying love for the games. But how does Platinum fair up against the others? Is it better than Diamond and Pearl? Perhaps it's the best Pokemon game yet? All of these seem logical, but looks like you'll have to read this review to find out!

Story
I am happy to say that Platinum's story varies greatly from that of Diamond and Pearl. Of course, Team Galactic is up to no good again; but this time Cyrus seems to believe that obtaining both Palkia and Dialga will do the world good. You, of course, are a young Pokemon Trainer who happens to stumble into Team Galactic's affairs and you alone must somehow overcome the odds and stop him! Just remember, friendship always wins!

Pokemon Platinum also introduces some new characters to the story. There's Looker, an undercover cop who is attempting to prevent Team Galactic; he seems to pop up on random occasions and, well, basically is unneeded and gets in the way. And there's Charon, a new member of Team Galactic; he play's little role in the game at first, but later his role grows as he begins to rank up among Team Galactic.

A new area has also been added to Platinum, or perhaps I should call it a new dimension? If you have ever seen the Pokemon Platinum commercial, or watched the most recent movie Giratina and the Sky Bouquet then you will know about this new dimension. It is a separate dimension that truly shows off Pokemon's 3D capabilities. In this dimension you are able to walk on walls, ride on upside down waterfalls, and do something else that's not quite as cool as those 2 things. The reason why I say that this dimension really shows off Pokemon's 3D capabilities is because you can see the different layers of land below you, which I just found really cool.

Graphics
Starting off, the game attempts to fool you. When you start in Twin Leaf Town, you, as well as your Rival, are wearing winter outfits. Twin Leaf is also covered in snow. This fooled me into thinking that all of Sinnoh would be covered in snow, but I was wrong! In fact, Sinnoh is exactly the same as it was in Diamond and Pearl, which kind of disappointed me, I would have at least liked to see it in the winter time...

On the bright side, some of the gyms have been changed. Eterna City has a new "pedal clock" in the middle of it. Hearthome has a much more darker feel to it, and a completely different layout at that. Also, Veilstone has a "boxing" type gym where you must punch punching bags in order to complete it. Another thing to note is that more important characters, such as Gym Leaders, higher ranked Team Galactic characters, and your Rival, now have animated sprites before they throw their first Pokemon. In the end, not much has changed graphically in Platinum, but let's be honest: If your going to buy this game, are you going to buy it because of it graphics?

Gameplay
No, you're not. If your going to buy this game, it will most certainly be for its gameplay! Ever since the dawn of time, the gameplay in Pokemon has been the same. It's simplistic, but always addicting; and Platinum's gameplay is no different. If you have never played a Pokemon game (and I pray that you all have), then it goes a little something like this.

Step 1: Catch a Pokemon (or a few), it doesn't matter which one. It can be the strongest, the coolest, the dumbest, whatever you so choose.

Step 2: Train it to your heart's content. You can keep it until its level 100, or you can keep it until you find a better one OR, if you a real individual, you can train it to enter competitions, like a beauty competition.

Step 3: Defeat everyone!

Yup, that's Pokemon in a nutshell for you!

On a side note, Platinum has added a few new features. They have upgraded the wi-fi capabilities. You can now record your own battle videos, as well as share them, and watch other peoples' battle videos. Not to mention the ability to link the Global Trade System (GTS) to your Wii, and have it send you Wii-mail when you make a trade.

They have also added some new rooms to the Battle Tower. You have the classic room: fight others and their Pokemon, and see how long you can make it; one room where you choose a single Pokemon to fight for you; another room where you receive three random Pokemon to battle with, and lastly, you have a room where you simply choose three Pokemon to fight for you.

I am also happy to announce that, yes, both Dialga and Palkia are available in this version, as well as the transformation of Shamin (if you were lucky enough to snag one at a Nintendo event). You are also able to obtain 5 different transformations of Rotom: Fan, Refrigerator, Lawn Mower, Washing Machine, and Oven Rotom.

Sound
Ah, the sound of Pokemon. How I always think of the low-bit noise that comes out of each and every Pokemon's mouth when they are sent out for battle. I've always wondered why they don't say their name like they do in the show... it's a mystery!

Anyway, as far as sounds go in Pokemon, there's not much to say. I've always liked the music of Pokemon, especially the up-beat battle music they always have to offer. In the end, the music seems to be the same as Diamond and Pearl.

Overall
I suppose it's time that I truly tell you what I think of the game. Drum roll please...

I think that... this is the best Pokemon game that Nintendo has thrown at us since Gold and Silver! Am I saying that it's better than Gold and Silver? Not by a long shot, but it is a wonderful game. It's most certainly better than Diamond and Pearl because of the new features that have been added to the Battle Tower, as well as the ability the take and share battle videos with others around the world. I also like that Rotom can now transform into home appliances (some of which are absolutely amazing!), and well as Shamin's ability turn into its sky form.

I also loved the new dimension that you are able to enter and how they're implementing the movies into the game, it's a nice touch (though I'm sure it's hand in hand). In the end, Platinum is like Diamond and Pearl mixed into one; much like Emerald, Crystal, and Yellow before it. Just the fact that you can get both Dialga and Palkia makes it better than it's predecessors, but for once, Nintendo went the extra step by adding the new story, new features, new Pokemon, and new characters!

Overall: 9.2/10