Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare the Generation 4 remakes fans have been waiting for, and with the recent Pokemon Presents, fans are in for a treat. WhenPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwere first announced, there wasn’t much in the way of new information aside from how the games looked, but now fans have a better idea of what these remakes will offer. There are numerous features returning such as the Grand Underground or the Super Contests Shows, but one feature that doesn’t seem to be returning is Veilstone’s Game Corner. This is because, from the latestPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearltrailer, the new Metronome Style Shop has replaced it.
TheMetronome Style Shop will take over where Veilstone City’s Game Cornerbuilding used to be, which makes sense as the Game Corner is a feature that has not been included in Pokemon games since Gen 4. The Style Shop will allow players to purchase unique outfits for their characters, a feature that has now become a staple of Pokemon games. This gameplay mechanic started in Gen 6 withPokemon XandYwhere players could purchase individual articles of clothing to really mix and match what their trainer looked like. This carried onwards throughPokemon SunandMoonand its sequel, as well asPokemon Swordand Shield.
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Trainer Customization in Pokemon Games
One of the first-ever instances of the player being able to change their appearance in a mainlinePokemongame was actually in Gen 4, though it was quite limited. InPokemon Diamond, Pearl,andPlatinumthe player would have their outfit changed to a tuxedo or a dress when they took part in the Pokemon Super Contest.InPokemon Heart GoldandSoul Silver,the player would change into a Team Rocket outfit during a brief moment in the story where the player has to infiltrate the Radio Tower. They cannot wear the Team Rocket outfit after this event, but they can take a picture of themselves wearing the outfit alongside their Pokemon.
The ability for players to change their clothing wouldn’t make a return untilPokemon XandYwhen players could customize their characters like never before.ThroughoutPokemon XandY’sKalos region, the player can visit a number of boutiques and salons where they can purchase clothing or hairstyles. As the Kalos region takes inspiration from France, it makes sense that fashion and trainer customization would be one of the central game mechanics. Players can select from numerous clothing options such as hats, shirts, pants, socks, shoes, and bags. Not only was the level of customization for the player rather extensive, but the player could also change their hairstyle and hair color, making for a truly unique look.
InPokemon SunandMoon, the level of customization for players was more or less the same, with similar categories of customization only with new selections depending on the game version. Much like inPokemon XandY,players could choose their skin tone at the start of the game after picking their gender, with the option to change their eye color later.Pokemon SunandMoonfeatured a number of Apparel Shopswhich carried many of the same types of clothing such as bags, hats, and shirts, with a new option of dying white clothing. Next to each boutique was a salon where the player could change their hairstyle and color making customization easily accessible.
Pokemon SwordandShieldcarried character customizationeven further with more options presented to the player. Along with the option to select skin tone at the beginning of the game, players could once again visit the many boutiques that were featured in many of the cities in the Galar region. In these boutiques, players could purchase a variety of clothing like before such as hats, glasses, socks, and more with many more selections than seen in past games. On top of this, players inPokemon SwordandShieldcould customize their makeup including eyebrow type and eye colors. If that wasn’t enough, players could also select the outfit they wore when riding their Rotom Bike which was an option new to the series.
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Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Player Customization
It wasrevealed in the latest Pokemon Presents on August 18that players will be able to have some element of customization for their trainers inPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.Much like the last few generations of Pokemon games, players can once again choose their skin tone for their trainer at the start of the game. This wasn’t a first for Pokemon remakes becausePokemon Let’s Go Pikachuand Eevee also had this feature, butPokemon HeartGold,SoulSilver, Omega Ruby, andAlpha Sapphiredid not include this as a feature. It is very possible thatPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill allow players to also customize their hair and eye color like previous Pokemon games, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
The Metronome Style Shop has been showcased in theBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearltraileras having various outfits available for the player to purchase. Though, unlike previous games, it seems players will only be able to purchase full outfits rather than individual articles of clothing. This makes sense as not only are the outfits worn by the player in battle but the player is also seen wearing their outfit in their chibi form when running around the world. This means each piece of clothing would have to be modeled for both models of trainers, making the choice to only have full outfits available the best option.
From the trailer and the screenshots onPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’swebsite, it seems the outfits will be themed around a specific style such as the Winter or Leather Jacket styles, or around specific Pokemon such as the Eevee and Gengar Jacket styles. Though it doesn’t seem like players will be able to select the shirts, hats, socks, or shoes that they can wear, the themes across each outfit seem diverse enough that players can still feel unique. This is a good enough compromise for players who wanted to enjoy whatPokemon DiamondandPearlhad to offerwhile offering some level of customization options, making the remakes feel fresh to their modern counterparts.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill release on July 29, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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