Same Old Story?

As with Diamond and Pearl, Platinum starts out by allowing players to select their gender and name. After a brief introduction, they’ll get to choose their starter Pokémon, Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup. Each of the three Pokémon has its advantages and disadvantages, so regardless of which you’ll pick, you’ll still be completing the same quest.

Early on in the game though, players travel from the summit of Mt. Coronet to a new location referred to as the Torn World. This location strays the Pokémon franchise away from its RPG roots and into the platforming genre. Platforms are rotated here similar to how they are in Super Mario Galaxy. The significance of the Torn World is to allow Giratina, the star Pokémon of the game, to transform into its Origin Form, as seen on the Japanese box art for the game.

Giratina isn’t the only Pokémon to see another form this time around though. Shaymin, a Pokémon that can only be obtained through an event in Japan, can be transformed into its Sky Form. By acquiring an item in Platinum and attaching it to Shaymin, it can become a flying and grass-type Pokémon.

Gotta Catch’em All

In total, there are 493 Pokémon in Platinum that can be obtained, excluding various forms of different Pokémon. Five new Pokémon have been implemented, all of which are various forms of Rotom. Despite being new, they’re not part of the Pokédex and carry all of the type attributes of Rotom’s main form. All five forms are based off of various pieces of machinery, such as a washing machine, a lawnmower and a toaster. Also worth noting is that each form has access to a special move, such as the lawnmower form being able to learn Leaf Storm.

More Fun and Games

In Emerald, the Battle Frontier was introduced, but unfortunately never returned in Diamond and Pearl. Thankfully, Platinum reintroduces it. Putting you against the toughest trainers in Sinnoh, the Battle Frontier adds replay value to the game. It’s almost as though the core of Platinum centers around the concept of always having something to do. Even the online has been tweaked to keep players busy.

Worth the Purchase?

Though it may not look like the greatest DS game from a visual standpoint, Platinum promises an experience that Pokémon fanatics have come to love. In Platinum, players traverse Sinnoh a little differently, completing new side quests and objectives. It’s quite clear that Nintendo didn’t want to deliver the exact same experience a third time. Selling over one million units in Japan in less than a week, Platinum could possibly be one of the first must-have DS games next year. That is, if it launches then.