It has been almost three decades since thePokemonseries began. The initial games played very differently from the modern ones, however, the core concepts are still alive and well. Start in a humble town, get a cool starter Pokemon, and then train to become the very best. Graphically and mechanically, these games have changed a lot though.
RELATED:Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Complete Guide & Walkthrough
The most modern entries are much morestreamlined and easierto get into. However,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlhave regressed a little in terms of gameplay tweaks that were seemingly resolved inPokemon Sword & Shield. It’s time to patch these games into the modern RPG scene.
6Add Auto-Battle
One of the nicest features added to turn-based RPGs was the auto-battle system. Classic RPGs without this mechanic can make them feel dated. That’s exactly the case inthese two games. The entire series is built around fighting and catching as many Pokemon as possible.
Shouldn’t there be ways to lessen the time of the grind? An auto-battle option would be much appreciated. Alongside that battles should also have a fast-forward button. Another Switch RPG from 2021,Bravely Default 2, had both of these mechanics in the game. It’s never too late to patch one or both of these features into games.
5Skip Scenes
The stories in thePokemongames are never that exciting. They are there primarily to help players keep a steady pace. They aren’t bad but they can be it educates is. These are made for younger audiences primarily. For those only in it to become Pokemon Masters, these story bits should have a skip option.
RELATED:Pokemon Console Variations You Never Knew Existed
Most modern games allow players to skip cutscenes. If a skip button is not implemented then a compromise would be a fast-forward option. If fast-forward is added into battles then hopefully it could be available for the text as well. It also wouldn’t hurt if players could skip opening Poke Ball animations. Theanimations for movescan be turned off in the options so why can’t Poke Ball animations?
4Improve Random Battles
The latest games in the series have generally improved random battles. The wild area inPokemon Sword & Shieldwas a great idea. However, the latest remakes stick through the original’s formula and return to the standard of running through the tall grass, although there is a new area in the games calledthe Grand Underground. This area can be accessed once players get to Eterna City.
In this new area, Pokemon roam freely without the threat of random battles down there. It’s a nice addition but there should be ways to alleviate the stress of randomness when playing aboveground. Some RPGs have given players the option toadjust how often battles trigger. The firstBravely Defaultactually did these. Repels are an expensive item that should have been gotten rid of a long time ago. Putting in an adjustable meter would benefit players more and help them save money.
3Save Adjustments
There are two ways to save inPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. First, there is the traditional manual save. This is one of the best features this series has had since day one. More RPGs, or games in general, could learn a thing or two fromPokemon. Both games also feature auto-saves which trigger fairly regularly.
The downside to this is that auto-saves and manual saves share the same slot. This is bad for several reasons. For example, let’s say players fight a rival Pokemon Trainer but wish they did things differently. That battle might get auto-saved afterward and that’s that. These two saves should be able to be selected from a title menu. That’s something else that needs to be added to the games:a starter menu.
2Add More Character Customization
One of the best additions to the series was allowing players to select their gender at the start of their journey. That option is alive and well inPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlsince it was also available in the original Nintendo DS games. Players can choose how their Pokemon Trainers look from four pre-made male and four pre-made female designs.
RELATED:Super Weird Pokemon Fan Games That Are Worth Checking Out
These eight options are more than some RPGs have but these games could be better too. It would be great if there was an actual set of adjustable meters. Customizing hair length and style to a greater degree are two good examples. To the credit of these games,new clothing optionsdo become available later on in their campaigns. WhilePokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlaren’t completely devoid of customization, more options are always better.
1TMs And Move Upgrades
This series is long overdue for some upgrades when it comes to Pokemon moves. It would be nice if these games added in one or two more slots for abilities. Four has been the max amount since the very beginning. Five slots or six slots does not seem like it is asking a lot. Something the series did fixwas the TMs.
In the recent games, TMs were made to be infinite. These remakes have remained through to the original games by making TMs a rare commodity again. WhilePokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s faithfulness is admirable, the infinite TMs option is a change that should have been implemented.
Finally, for special abilities like Rock Smash, there should be a way to tie them onto a button without the need of asking players if they want to use the skill or not. Just getting rid of the text would be nice enough.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwas released on August 03, 2025, and is available on theNintendo Switch.
