• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl General Discussion

I seriously cannot believe they brought back single-use TMs, it's so dumb. It's unbelievable they regressed something we've put past 10 years ago just for some cheap """nostalgia""". I have NO IDEA why they thought of that being a good decision.

I just hope they don't lock it behind some sorta of currency and make it easy to get it back.
 



Based on this, I guess they'll be more like TRs where you can earn multiple moves of whatever you need fairly easily, I guess in the Underground or something. Still a really weird decision, even SWSH still had reusable TMs, but still not as bad as original Gen 4 where once you used that one TM you're out of luck.

Also good that you can remove the Poketch from the screen, kinda a duh sort of thing but it would have driven me nuts otherwise. I hope it's easy to toggle on and off the screen.
 



Based on this, I guess they'll be more like TRs where you can earn multiple moves of whatever you need fairly easily, I guess in the Underground or something. Still a really weird decision, even SWSH still had reusable TMs, but still not as bad as original Gen 4 where once you used that one TM you're out of luck.

Also good that you can remove the Poketch from the screen, kinda a duh sort of thing but it would have driven me nuts otherwise. I hope it's easy to toggle on and off the screen.


Hmm... putting TMs in the Underground would be a rather good way to keep TMs from being one-per-file again. It would also make the Underground more useful and support exploration. If not then I hope you can just simply buy more at certain PokeMarts or even special markets and not restrict them behind BP (especially if getting BP is more difficult/post-game content). Hell, they could even use Shards or Heart Scales as the "currency" for more TMs, like how Shards were used for Move Tutors in the past, which would also encourage exploration in the Underground. It's the Gym Leaders' TMs that are the most concerning to me, as they tend to be the most notorious for one-per-file setups. Let's say hypothetically TMs can be farmed in the Underground, which would include Gym Leader TMs. Maybe you can only get those particular TMs after beating it's respective Gym first. So, for example, you can only get more Grass Knot TMs after beating Gardenia and getting the initial one from her. This is just a hypothetical setup as I could be completely off and they're simply purchasable from Marts or other markets like Seals, but if it does end up the case then it won't be too bad. Not great but it would somewhat mitigate the issue.

That said, @Enzo mentioned something that got me thinking. Considering that ORAS used reusable TMs despite being remakes of RS, which had one-time TMs, then it is a very strange decision, even if it's purely for nostalgia. It does feel like a one step forward, two steps back idea, as reusable TMs have been a thing since Gen 5, with Sword/Shield's creation of TRs being a supplement/callback to them (though, granted, some of the TM choices in Sword/Shield were odd... like Payday, as no one in their right mind would use such a move as a TM, even in early game). If TMs can be easily farmed or simply purchased at select marts and not restricted behind something like BP then it's an okay setup despite the odd design choice. Either way, it will bring back the "tradition" that was TM hoarding from earlier games before Gen 5 shattered that. Not sure how I feel about that but if hoarding TMs is as easy as it was with TRs in Sword/Shield then it's doable. I guess this might also bring back the return of passing down TMs as Egg Moves again, though that info we don't know yet.

At the same time it does suggest that any sort of compatibility between Sword/Shield and BDSP will be basically non-existent (not counting Home, obviously). While that was a question many had, myself included, it appears that BDSP will be completely separate from Sword/Shield. Sure, it was probably a given (especially if we factor in LA), but seeing how XY and ORAS still had some compatibility between each other despite GF not updating XY for the release of ORAS did suggest that the same could be applied here. But it appears that Sword/Shield and BDSP will be completely separate entities if both the battling scene and TM setup are completely different from each other. Shame, but it appears that this new news is the final nail in that coffin for any sort of compatibility between both sets of Gen 8 games.
 
The IGN review describes the music as "MIDI-like", and gives examples at 0:44 and 3:32. The trumpet in the trainer battle theme sounds like it needs more reverb to me, but other than that I like what they've done. It seems like this remake is trying really hard to preserve the feel of the original music, even more so than usual.

 
Okay, so about the ‘new’ news:
  • Going back to single-use TMs just for the sake of nostalgia is an odd choice. I really hope multiples of them aren’t locked to the post game.
  • The Amnity Square restriction being kept is a really unnecessary implementation just to keep things ‘faithful.’ Also, taking away the multiplayer Poffin making is a very odd choice when you could just let ILCA borrow how Game Freak implemented multiplayer curry making.
  • If Secret Bases are just for placing statues and there’s no more capture the flag mini game, then what’s the point of having secret bases in the first place? What’s the point of making other players visible in the Underground if you’re not going to let us interact with them? It really seems like the only reason we have the Grand Underground right now is to keep the route encounters the exact same as DP.
In terms of existing features that aren’t quality of life ones, they either stripped them down (only one move per Super Contest and removing capturing flags from the Grand Underground) or kept the less-liked aspects of the original DP exactly the same as before just for nostalgia’s sake (single button Pokétch and possibly sheen if they don’t make it work like resetting EVs). I doubt they’ll even build the game’s level curve around the Exp. Share and might even have all Gym Leaders use their DP teams instead of their Platinum teams despite us supposedly getting access to the Platinum Pokédex ourselves!

The new features we do have are pretty good, but they seem to be either solely aesthetic or only exist to cover up another dumb decision made to keep the nostalgia factor.

Overall, this is telling me that the only things TPC seems to think is worth investing time in is 1) a simplified and easy main campaign and 2) is straight-up battling and trading, the absolute bare minimum of the multiplayer Pokémon experience. Don’t get me wrong; I think ILCA is doing a great job on these remakes! However, there just isn’t enough for me to justify my purchase of BDSP. I ultimately think TPC would’ve been better off porting Platinum (including all of it features like the Battle Frontier and the WiFi Plaza, as well as Platinum’s story), splitting it in two for version exclusives (including Dialga and Palkia), and calling them Diamond and Pearl: Premium edition.
 
Last edited:
I agree that the Amity Square restriction is just unnecessary. I understand the restriction was needed in the original games given not every Pokemon had sprites that faced in every direction until HGSS, but now that Pokemon games use models, this restriction simply isn't needed at all. I hope they will give us an option to give exceptions so that we can get around the restriction in some way.
 
I think TMs not being reusable isn't because of nostalgia but because of Game Freak's new philosophy of making items more valuable. We already saw it in SWSH, TRs and EXP Candy were made the main reason people would do raids, and the DLC is filled with items everywhere as well as new methods to obtain them. I expect that to continue with Legends and Gen IX. I was worried that there would be no way to obtain more TMs until the postgame, but yeah, the Underground does seem like a very obvious option, using the statues not only would get you more Pokemon but also new items.

The Amity Square still having restrictions is something I saw coming since the trailer didn't show any big one (it did when Amie was announced), but I do expect for the roster to include most first-stages and some small final-stages like Loppuny.
 
How is it that these games are so painfully conservative (including going back to single use TMs) but then when it comes to one of the worst issues of Sword/Shield - EXP Share always on, they bring it over?

Also, I never liked Amity Square telling me which Pokemon were cute and which were not. I have my own opinions.
 
  • If Secret Bases are just for placing statues and there’s no more capture the flag mini game, then what’s the point of having secret bases in the first place?

You kind of answered your own question there: The point is to have a place to set down statues, which influence the types of stuff that appear in the Hideaways.

Though I do feel like they should have renamed them to something else, like "Trophy Rooms."

I think TMs not being reusable isn't because of nostalgia but because of Game Freak's new philosophy of making items more valuable. We already saw it in SWSH, TRs and EXP Candy were made the main reason people would do raids, and the DLC is filled with items everywhere as well as new methods to obtain them. I expect that to continue with Legends and Gen IX. I was worried that there would be no way to obtain more TMs until the postgame, but yeah, the Underground does seem like a very obvious option, using the statues not only would get you more Pokemon but also new items.

This. It's not a "Man, remember how fun single-use TMs were back then?" sort of thing, it's just them thinking about what kinds of renewable resources they can have players continually wanting. Obviously they've realized by now that only giving you one copy of a TM ever is a loathsome kind of game design (especially with the high desirability of certain moves in the competitive scene), so I don't think they're ever going to back to that - but a one-use item that you can always go back and get more of is standard fare for RPGs. So really it's just a matter accessibility, of how well they distribute these TMs.

Another possibility I could see is being able to exchange Spheres for TMs, much like SwSh's Watt Traders. It'd encourage players to keep playing the mining game and to spend lots of time in the Grand Underground.
 
Last edited:
Also, I never liked Amity Square telling me which Pokemon were cute and which were not. I have my own opinions.
Same. I guess we both agree with that one Black Belt.
Even worse is how incredibly limited the options were, especially since a lot of Pokemon that could be considered conventionally cute were inexplicably left out (I know I've complained about this twice already, but Pichu and Cleffa somehow not being considered cute when their freaking evolved forms are is just so, so weird to me). Platinum did at least let you take out the Gen 4 starters in all their stages, which mixed things up quite a bit by adding a small handful of unconventionally cute choices. But again, it seems like Eevee -who wasn't originally elegible for a stroll in the DPP Amity Square- was added to the "cute" roster, so it's very likely that there will be other additions alongside it.

...

So here's my guesses/personal choices for other potential new Amity Square additions:
  • All the Baby Pokemon, or at least all the ones available in the DPP Pokedex (like I said a few posts above, it'd be great to be able to take these guys out for a walk in an exclusive area to raise their friendship and help speed up their evolution)
  • Starly
  • Shinx
  • Buizel
  • Marill
  • Misdreavus
  • Wooper
  • Duskull
  • Snorunt
  • Snover
  • Ralts
  • The other two Hoenn starters (Torchic's already there, so might as well complete the set)
  • Combee (mainly so that there's at least some benefit to catching a male one)
  • Bidoof (no, this is not me being a memelord; Psyduck's presence in the list of Amity Square-approved Pokemon proves that goofy-looking Pokemon can be considered cute, so why not Bidoof?)
 
I'm not really affected by anything involving online stuff (multiplayer Poffins, flag games, etc.) because I don't have friends to play Pokémon with :(. It's kind of sad that it seems like Poké Dolls aren't coming back (I could be wrong, though) but at least we have statues, which is better than nothing. The real question is can I place more than one statue of the same Pokémon.

The Great Marsh looks cool, even if that was one was one of my least favorite parts of Platinum.

Is that Clefairy place a Game Corner??? (Or something like a Game Corner)
 
It's a clothing shop now. (But thankfully they kept the Game Corner music!)
That's cute :) (But where are we going to have our floating crap game)
Another possibility I could see is being able to exchange Spheres for TMs, much like SwSh's Watt Traders. It'd encourage players to keep playing the mining game and to spend lots of time in the Grand Underground.
If they did this, then maybe I wouldn't hate spheres as much as I do (okay maybe I don't hate them, but they are annoying)
 
kinda w/e about one-time TMs returning as long as, like most people in this thread have mentioned, the player can easily obtain them again. it was quite agonizing back in the ~* old days *~ trying to figure out who to teach moves like eq and stone edge to. @_@
 
i mean no genuine disrespect or rudeness, but i wish someone can explain the benefits of having exp share off. back in the older generations when it was more optional, i was swapping pokemon in and out to gain exp for each one of them anyway, so it might as well have been on since the beginning. i can see the logic of EVs being potentially messed up, but it's nothing EV-reducing berries can't solve (making a big assumption they're very easily obtainable in this game).

am i missing something? .-.
 
i mean no genuine disrespect or rudeness, but i wish someone can explain the benefits of having exp share off. back in the older generations when it was more optional, i was swapping pokemon in and out to gain exp for each one of them anyway, so it might as well have been on since the beginning. i can see the logic of EVs being potentially messed up, but it's nothing EV-reducing berries can't solve (making a big assumption they're very easily obtainable in this game).

am i missing something? .-.
It’s mostly because the games aren’t ever balanced around said Exp. Share, making it easy to overlevel your Pokémon. Having to constantly deposit your Pokémon so they don’t get overleved is more annoying than putting a toggle option for it, plus if give you a choice of whether or not you want to use it. When you think of it that way, removing the option to turn it off is essentially an extension of “Game Freak is deliberately making these game easier even though Pokémon was easy to begin with.” I wouldn’t have as much of a problem if they maybe nerfed the amount of experience that your Pokémon gain under the new system until the post game, but they they won’t.

Hope I cleared things up for you!
 
i mean no genuine disrespect or rudeness, but i wish someone can explain the benefits of having exp share off. back in the older generations when it was more optional, i was swapping pokemon in and out to gain exp for each one of them anyway, so it might as well have been on since the beginning. i can see the logic of EVs being potentially messed up, but it's nothing EV-reducing berries can't solve (making a big assumption they're very easily obtainable in this game).

am i missing something? .-.
Exp share made Sword/Shield so easy they honestly became boring for a lot of people. Removing it would help avoid that fate for future games.
They can also mess up EV training in annoying ways.
 
Please note: The thread is from 8 months ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom