I received the original Pokémon Diamond (2006) for my fourteenth birthday. After years of enjoying the franchise through the anime, cards, and toys, I finally was able to begin my digital journey. It started with a Turtwig I named Train.

Years later, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (2a021) may not have me jumping off the walls in excitement, but I still felt warm with nostalgic comfort. Therefore, regardless of any critiques in this review, my overall experience was pleasant, and it was a joy to see my chibi character walk down memory lane.

Once again, I chose Train the Turtwig and we began our new adventure with a slight twist this time.

I attempted my first Nuzlocke challenge! Unusual for a player such as myself, who traditionally never cared for battle tactics and strategies. The Pokémon themselves and the unique regions were the biggest draw for me. However, after failing to finish the latest games in the series, I figured I was starving for a new direction in play style. So, invigored by the YouTube Nuzlocke community, I took the challenge’s rules to heart.

Which go as followed:

1.The first Pokémon encountered on every route must be captured. If unsuccessful, no new Pokémon can be caught in that route.

2.If a Pokémon faint, it dies. It must be boxed and cannot be used again.

3.Every captured Pokémon must be named in order to form a bond.

Sounds like a recipe for heart break if one isn’t careful enough.

It’s a good thing I didn’t have the chance to bond with my first victim. A female Bidoof I named Pearl. I had been hoping for a Shinx. However, I had warmed up to Bidoof over the years, thanks to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky (2009). She may not have been what I was searching for, but I was going to make the effort to –

– she was killed in the first battle against my rival. Oops.

Needless to say, when I eventually won against my rival Barry, it was a hollow victory. As he was dashing away, vowing to become a stronger trainer, I was burying the body of my Bidoof. Train was understandably shaken up. That could have easily been him. I felt even worse when the next Pokémon I found was a Shinx anyway (who I named Simba). I swear I didn’t lose my Bidoof on purpose.

From there, I had a few close calls as I travelled through various towns and won some badges. I added Bruce the Zubat to my team. All this time I had considered Zubats with little beyond annoyance; their tiny screaming faces bombarding every cave encounter. But now, I have to say, the Zubat line is quite underrated. Bruce was a reliable little dude and when he evolved into a Crowbat, his increased his cuteness by 100%.

I also caught a Magikarp who I called Delta. Gyarados is a highly recommended Pokémon for Nuzlockes because it’s strong and has the ability Intimidate which lowers the opponent’s attack stat. I had hoped my Shinx would be able to do this but instead, he came with the ability Rivalry – double the attack against the same sex, half for the opposite sex… a frustrating ability let me tell you. But the game gave me a sexist Shinx so I had to roll with it, I guess.

Soon, I added Layla the Swablu while exploring the Underground. She would eventually evolve into Altaria and due to this Pokémon’s brutal reputation among the Nuzlocke community, I figured she was worth adding to the team. It was then I realised how a Nuzlocke challenge forced me, as a player, to take on Pokémon I would normally never bother with.

I am, unfortunately, a shallow player. With strategy low on my list of priorities, I chose team members based on how much I liked their design. I usually favoured the pretty and the pink and the utterly adorable. I would tough it through with a weak Pokémon if they were fluffy enough. With this Brilliant Diamond playthrough though, I was working with newcomers and progressing through a character arc about the importance of not judging a book by its cover.

I then experienced the moral of Icarus. Aside from the early loss, I was getting by with only a few close calls. It was nerve wracking, but I liked the added excitement to battling. I completely understood why this challenge had developed a devoted following. The highs had you shooting through the sky, but the lows? Well.

In Hearthome City I was gifted an egg. A Happiny hatched a few minutes later, who I named Naminé. Soft, egg-shaped, and pink. My kind of Pokémon. Plus, she would eventually evolve into Chancey and then Blissy – another highly recommended team member for Nuzlockes. It was all going well. I was training the little gal. She was boosted from the experience points gained by her stronger team members at the water gym. After a few battles, we took on another Gyarados from a regular fisherman.

And. She was killed.

A brand-new baby. Slaughtered by a snarling water dragon.

I am a horrible mother.

What’s worse is that I took on the following gym. The leader’s Gengar successfully shot down Layla, my Altaria. Dude. That one really hurt as I had invested a lot of time training her up to evolve and she had become a staple attacker. Brilliant Diamond also had the best feature in any main-line game that is strangely sparingly utilised – your Pokémon following you outside their Pokéballs. I particularly thrived on Layla flying behind me, her white cloudy wings made her look like an elegant ballerina.

That Gengar successfully ended her career.

I was left heartbroken after two significant losses.

I almost lost a third when I explored the Underground again, searching for fossils. Oh Simba – though your ability is weird and annoyingly sexist – I most certainly don’t want to see your mangled body.

By the skin of my teeth (and a dozen healing potions) I made it out. As I healed my team at the Pokémon Centre, I reflected on how much more time I spent in the Underground in this game compared to the original Diamond (2006). I recall being introduced to the system, spending a few minutes venturing the tunnels, then continued my journey in the outside world, never to return.

Although I didn’t appreciate it back then, the Underground is an impressive feature to Diamond (2006) and its expansion in the remake found me returning frequently. The major difference between the original Underground vs. the new Grand Underground, were the sectioned hub spaces dotted across the overall map that spans across the entire region. There you’ll find Pokémon existing in a natural habitat and you confront them by bumping into their 3D models (or they collide into you like a territorial cat). Not only is this great for catching uncommon Pokémon but it’s handy for levelling up your team members.

Which is exactly what I needed to do to make up for my murdered Pokémon. I examined the storage box to collect two previously caught Pokémon, quickly noting how handy it is to have quick access to the box in the remake, compared to only accessing it via a computer at a Pokémon Centre in the past.

I brought to the team a Ponyta named Spirit and Tinker Bell the Cleffa. Both were significantly lower level than my team. A few dedicated hours later training up my new members, I progressed to the next chapters of the game. A few badges here, some team-up battles there, defeating the main villain team in their tireless efforts to destroy the world harnessing the power of a Legendary Pokémon, adding more catches to my storage box; you know, the usual.

By usual – I mean it in a good and bad sense. Good in that I fell comfortably back into the routine of playing a Pokémon game. Even with the challenge I’d taken, it’s a fun past time and hours fly by before I know it. However, I say ‘bad’ because there were no more deaths to my team. Sounds like a contradictory statement but I was able to dodge death with ease due to the game itself being significantly easier than what I remember of the original.

After years defending the franchise, I do finally concede with a commonly shared view among the older Pokémon fan community that the latest games are too easy. I’m not a good gamer and battling is my Achilles heel. Therefore, I expected a few more tragedies to befall me during my playthrough. While I experienced some losses, I was left feeling like I had been wrapped in cotton by an over-protective parent.

I’m not against Pokémon being easy for its mainly child demographic.

I simply believe Nintendo needs to also attend to its older fan base (who they have no problem acknowledging to encourage buying the merchandise.) Incorporating different levels of difficulty could be a means of providing meaningful gameplay to all age groups and types of players. Adults and kids who want an easy fun time can do so, and those who want more of a challenge can get that opportunity too. Feels like a win-win situation and I don’t understand why it isn’t be added to the series.

I love Pokémon and I’m one of the more forgiving fans. In hindsight, I have perhaps been more kind than it deserves when it comes to gameplay. However, I also don’t regret distancing myself from certain ‘fans’ that dismiss the latest Pokémon generations because they personally disliked a design element. On that note, yes. I will happily take a set of keys with a cute chibi face over a rock with arms.

That all being said, playing Brilliant Diamond did bring to the surface all of my frustrations with the franchise due to the game reminding me how much I love it. The region of Sinnoh was fun to explore again, like returning to my hometown after travelling away. It was pleasant to hear old favourite tunes with improved sound and instruments. And though many despaired over the art style of the game, I personally much prefer the chibi aesthetic. It gave the impression I was looking down at an immersive toy display like those impressive LEGO sets.

Admittedly, I’ve never gelled all that well with the 3D art style introduced in X and Y (2013). To me, the peak of Pokémon’s graphics and art style was Black/White and Black/White 2 with bright colourful pixel art. Though I dearly miss the visuals of those games, if Pokémon must continue the 3D direction, then Brilliant Diamond is heading down an eventual rewarding path. But while the graphics aren’t terrible, they aren’t as stunning as they could be, which is what holds the chibi style back. If Brilliant Diamond was spruced up with graphics on par with the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Links’ Awakening (2019) then I think it would have garnered a more positive response.

Like previous Pokémon games, I found myself straying away soon enough. Other games captured my attention, especially Hades (2018) which I have sunk SO many hours into. I couldn’t reliably sum up the energy to finish the game until a close friend of mine promised me that the final battle against Sinnoh’s champion Cynthia would dash away all concerns about the game being easy. With that in mind, I shall return to Brilliant Diamond to make the final dash through Victory Road and then the Elite Four. My adventure and battles there will be posted on a later date.

All and all, although I did enjoy myself playing Brilliant Diamond, I do understand a good majority of the grievances it received. I definitely disagree with certain comments suggesting it is one of, if not, the worst thing the Pokémon franchise has delivered in years – because I did have fun. So, if you’re not bothered by the issues mentioned, perhaps check it out when it’s on sale?