Full disclaimer: this short-ish first impressions review was always going to be highly subjective (a full review of any main series title so soon after release would be a Herculean effort), and is heavily predicated on prior experience of the DS titles. By many accounts, those players getting stuck into the Sinnoh region for the first time are having a great time of it, and this should come as little surprise - Pokémon's core gameplay has always been rock-solid and Diamond and Pearl are remembered fondly enough as very typical playthroughs.
One of the most obvious ways in which remakes revamp their predecessor titles is through graphical upgrades. BDSP's stylised chibi art style was the subject of much debate in the game's preceding media campaign, and for the most part it works well enough with a few truly stand-out textures; this is probably the best ocean we've yet seen in a mainstream title. Furthermore, though the toddler-like character models stray headlong into the uncanny valley at a closer distance, for Yours Truly they're reasonably charming when simply navigating the map.
While this lick of paint is pleasant, it's not transformative in the way that FireRed and HeartGold were (though in fairness, this again owes much to the fact that Diamond and Pearl's bright and colourful style was well-realised the first time around). However, where veteran players will notice a significant upgrade is in battle itself. BDSP has a wide variety of attractive backdrops to bring turn-based combat to life and battling Hikers as Mount Coronet looms large in the background proved a surprisingly memorable experience. The Trainers themselves also boast more character during matches, and seeing them flail in response to a loss is endearing every time. Similarly heartwarming are the well-animated follower Pokémon attained after visiting Amity Square in Hearthome City, even if they struggle to keep pace with the player at times.
Unfortunately, this does little to change the Pokémon that the player will encounter in the overworld, whether in the wild or on AI teams, and it's here that the game once again suffers from its close relationship to the source material. The inhabitants of the grass in Sinnoh's winding terrain change disappointingly little from route to route, and the player will quickly become familiar with AI teams packed with mild variations on Geodude, Staravia and Ponyta. This is admittedly a subjective gripe, but one that was voiced by many players at the time of Diamond and Pearl's initial release, too - and one that Platinum did much to fix. The lack of the original third version's features more generally have been widely bemoaned, and though the desire to retain a distinction between the two versions is understandable it once again feels a little mean-spirited that the cherished Battle Frontier is absent.
In the final weighting then, it's once again tough to make a single, easy recommendation to a general audience. There is enjoyment to be had here and plenty of it, especially for Sinnoh first-timers. Those who have never set foot on Mt Coronet before will likely find this to be an engaging and satisfying Pokémon adventure, even if some of the species they battle become a little repetitive. For those familiar with Diamond and Pearl, it's a far tougher call; a handful of welcome gameplay additions and visual upgrades may not outweigh the fact that so much of this experience simply is Diamond and Pearl, and a buggy one at that. At a lower price point, BDSP might have been a cheap and cheerful trip down a nostalgic road. At full price for a typical Switch title, you have to be pretty sure you really like Sinnoh before you fork out.