Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl: Is there Platinum content?

Source: The Pokémon Company

What is Pokémon Platinum?

Sinnoh fans the world over are excited for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which are remakes of the beloved Nintendo DS titles, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. The original Nintendo DS games received a follow-up that was meant to be the “definitive” way to experience Sinnoh, called Pokémon Platinum. This game introduced new mechanics, story elements, and locations, fixing many issues fans had with the original dual release.

This was a common practice at the time with the Pokémon games, which often had a third “definitive” version that came out a year or two after the orginal games.

Those interested in the upcoming Nintendo Switch titles know that there are often differences between the originals and remakes, which begs the question of whether Pokémon Platinum content will be included this time around.

Can Platinum content be found in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. No Platinum content can be found in the Gen IV remakes. Changes to the structure of Gyms in Eterna City, Hearthome City, and Veilstone City aren’t being carried over to the remakes. Areas like the Distortion World, which made its debut in Pokémon Platinum, won’t be available in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, either. The Battle Frontier does not make an appearance in the remakes, and players will have access to the Battle Park from the original Diamond and Pearl instead.

The absence of Platinum content doesn’t mean that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl won’t be great games, however. The original games were beloved even before Platinum released, so there’s no doubt that they’ll be just as good as the originals.