Yes, it is. And everybody should have known that before blowing $40 on it, simply by reading the product description. The third installations of all 4 Pokemon series of games have always been remakes of the previous 2. Yellow was an enhanced version of Red and Blue; Crystal was an enhanced version of Gold and Silver; Emerald was an enhanced version of Ruby and Sapphire; and now, Platinum is an enhanced version of Diamond and Pearl.
This is how the Pokemon games have always worked, so it is beyond me why so many people are now complaining about it. Pokemon games typically get 4 1/2 star ratings on Amazon, and Platinum is now poised to have the worst rating out of any Pokemon RPG game, when in reality, it is the best.
Now that that's out of the way...
I partially gave Platinum a 5 star review to counteract some of these 2 and 3-star reviews we're seeing, but I truly think it is a great game. If you have a DS, Platinum will give you as much fun as any other DS game you have. Very casual Pokemon fans who already own Diamond and/or Pearl might not feel the need to buy this game. More serious Pokemon fans, and newcomers to the series, on the other hand, will love this game. I have played through all 13 previous Pokemon RPG games, as well as the Gamecube games, several times each, and Platinum still captivated me enough to get me playing for 5 straight hours without a break! (Not exactly the healthiest thing to do on a regular basis, but parents, think about the possibilities of getting your kids to sit quietly for a few moments...)
As mentioned above, Platinum is essentially a remake of Diamond and Pearl, but with enhancements. The storyline is tweaked a bit to keep things interesting, and there is a new legendary Pokemon for you to capture. Some places have been redesigned, and there are new characters. A very welcome addition is a new Battle Frontier, back from Emerald version. The Battle Frontier will keep you playing hours after you complete the main quest.
Besides all the new changes, the raw appeal of catching Pokemon, training them, and battling with them is ever present in Platinum version, and really, isn't that the reason these games are so loved, anyway? Ultimately I give Platinum version a heartfelt recommendation because it is fun, will provide hours and hours of gameplay, and is accessible, yet challenging. Platinum is the best Pokemon game. Newcomers, start here. Oldtimers...you know what to do.
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-New Characters: International Policeman Looker and Galactic Commander Charon-New and Improved Graphics: Some locations have new graphics(i.e. Twinleaf Town has snow, Stark Mountain has lava). Some areas are different in other ways as well.
-Improved Story Line: Rather than revolving around Dialga/Palkia, the plot centers around Giratina
-Sinnoh Pokedex includes more Pokemon
-Wi-Fi Plaza: Allows users to play minigames with players around the world
-Distortion World: A world in which time and Space are bent. Giratina lives in this world.
-Elite Four becomes stronger after each run-through
-Ability to catch Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos after obtaining the National Pokedex
-Battle Zone includes Battle Frontier, which has five different battling facilities as opposed to Diamond/Pearl's one.
-Ability to re-battle Riley, Leader Wake, Leader Candice, and Leader Volkner
Best Deals for Pokemon Platinum
Pros:+Simple, yet addictive gameplay
+Deep, strategic combat system
+Touch screen controls make battling easier
+Wi-fi improvements
+Being able to battle trainers all across the globe and being able to trade with them is fantastic
+Game can keep you busy for hours with all there is to do, easily over 80 hours worth of gameplay
+Some new additions for those who mastered Diamond and Pearl
Cons:
-You can still only save one file
-Graphics and sound were outdated even in 2007, and they're still outdated
-The formula works, but there are bound to be gamers out there who are sick of the same old storyline
-If you mastered Diamond and Pearl you probably won't have much incentive to play through Platinum. This will change from one gamer to the next
When Pokemon Red and Blue came out, Pokemon Yellow followed just a year later to expand on the games. When Pokemon Gold and Silver debuted, Crystal followed shortly thereafter. When Ruby and Sapphire came out, it wasn't long until Emerald followed. It was only a matter of time before Pokemon Diamond and Pearl also got a third version into the mix. Pokemon Platinum. Just like the previous "third" versions of the games, Platinum adds in a few new things, though it's hard to say you'll ultimately want it if you've already got Diamond and/or Pearl and you've already worked your way through them. Then again, you might find some of the extras worthwhile.
Pokemon has been doing the same thing since it came about ten years ago. The formula is so familiar to gamers that there's a "been there, done that" kind of feel all over. You choose a starter and go off from home to collect several Pokemon, collect gym badges and ultimately defeat an evil team of Pokemon Trainers that are up to no good. All the pieces of the formula are there. If you've played any of the previous Pokemon games before then you've been here before. Yet it doesn't stop Pokemon from being an overall addictive game. While some will find Platinum (as well as Diamond and Pearl) to be a little too much of the same thing, the gameplay can't be denied. Pokemon has been doing the same thing for over ten years now, and it's still fun.
Pokemon is actually really strategic and in-depth. That is to say, it requires a lot of thought, and believe me, some of these battles require a lot of your skill. Battles are turn based, where you select a command and then watch a round of combat. There's a paper/rock/scissors effect here, however. Each and every Pokemon has a type, and some of the attacks they use reflect its type. This makes up what deals massive damage, what deals no damage and what deals just normal damage. Grass may be strong against water, for example but grass is also weak against fire, but in turn, fire is weak versus water. This effect plays through with seventeen and different types, and there is no best type because every type has a weakness. It's because of this element that Pokemon is so much fun to play. Just trying to construct the perfect team will take you more than a day, and with over 100 new creatures to collect, you can form endless amounts of teams. Just catching all the Pokemon alone will keep you busy for well over 50 hours. To add to the effect you'll face several other trainers as well, and you never know what they'll throw at you. Your strongest Pokemon may very well become your weakest in certain battles just because of its type.
The battle system itself is made even simpler by the touch screen. Where as before you were scrolling through menus, battling can simply be done by touching the different options on screen. It makes battling a lot faster, especially because the icons are pretty big. Luckily, there's never really a point where you have to use the touch screen if you don't want to, and battling can still be done the old fashioned way if you so choose.
As with Ruby and Sapphire there are also moments of two on two battles. Usually they come with either two trainers taking you on at a time, and you'll send out the two Pokemon in your top roster, or you'll be with another trainer who will send out his or her Pokemon with yours. It adds to the strategic feel of the game, but the moments of two on two battles are pretty few and far between.
Pokemon Platinum adds a couple of new things, though not much. Most notable is, of course, is the distortion world. Aside from this there's not that big of a motive to get Pokemon Platinum if you mastered one of the other two versions. It's great if you don't have either one, but it's hard to want to pick up Platinum just for the Distortion World alone. There are a couple of other little goodies sprinkled about, including improvements in the online factor of the game, but it's still essentially the same game you got two years ago. And for the most part, that isn't bad.
The Pokemon games in and of themselves are full of little hidden secrets. There's so much you can do after the main quest is over. You can also enter into different contests as well as go after legendary Pokemon. Pokemon can easily keep any gamer busy for well over fifty hours.
Pokemon has never really been a game you go after for eye-candy. There are some moments where some 3D effects come out, but not very many. The sprites are more or less the same sprites they've been using since the Red and Blue versions. Ideally, the game doesn't look all that much of a step up from Ruby and Sapphire, and they were not fantastic looking games either. It's really colorful, but the DS is capable of so much more than this. Likewise, in battle is still the same. Fun to do it, but the Pokemon still only flinch to attack, and there aren't a lot of animations going on, and we're still looking over the Pokemon's shoulder. Essentially, the combat engine hasn't changed since the series first outing in 1998. There are some move animations that look really good, but aside from that it's hard to look past the simple fact that the game's combat engine hasn't really evolved since the original games came out way back in 1998. This isn't the original Gameboy, this is the Nintendo DS.
The sound is also no exception. A lot of it sounds really tinny. Most of the sound effects such as the Pokemon's cries are ripped straight from--you guessed it--the original Gameboy versions released in 1998. That's not to say all the tunes sound bad, it's just to say that a lot of what you're going to hear is recycled. While the sound effects are dated, the music certainly isn't. It's upbeat and keeps you on your toes.
In the end, the production values aren't exactly something that'll disappoint you. Though it might still be nice if someday Pokemon could get an update. It's still an improvement.
Despite the games graphics and sound, Pokemon Platinum is still an excellent title. If you don't have Diamond or Pearl, you might as well pick up this one. If there was anything to fret about over Pokemon it would be that it's just too much of the same thing. Not to Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, but to the series as a whole. There are plenty of additions, but the truth still stands: We've been doing the same thing for ten years. But it's still a fun game regardless.
Honest reviews on Pokemon Platinum
My granson is 12 and he loves this game. He has 2 other friends that have the same game and they play together and they have so much fun.They also love the Pokemon Guide.
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I purchased this game for my 8 year old grandson, but the 14 year old cousin enjoys it just as much.Good action and child level battles. I would highly recommend this game for 7 or older kids.
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