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• Reviewed on: Nintendo DS
• Also available for: N/A
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• The Good: Brilliant (and kid-friendly) online component. Still as strangely addictive as the series has always been. Cute, if not amazing, graphics.
• The Bad: Doesn't move the series on (at all) from where it reached with Pokémon Ruby/Silver. Terrible use of the DS's unique capabilities. Uninspired new Pokémon.
• The Verdict: An absolutely average installment in a franchise for children, but the online component almost makes it worthwhile for adults too.
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While many gamers may spend a lot of time crying "video games aren't just for kids" it's obvious that some games just are. While the creators of the latest Pixar film might slip in the odd sly joke for adults, there's not a sliver of a doubt that the Pokémon series of games are titles designed entirely form and enjoyed almost exclusively by, children.

The latest iterations in the series, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are no different, and if you're an adult looking to purchase a Pokémon title for a child, you'll find them unobjectionable in every way, unless you (bizarrely) take issue with the concept of evolution.

In moderation, the games are colourful, friendly and fun, and a far better purchase than many other titles on store shelves, which range from tired, poorly made children's franchise tie-ins (and while Pokémon may also be a franchise, the games are at least well made) to the violent Grand Theft Auto-a-likes the make the gamers who spend most of their time crying "video games aren't just for kids" Most happy.

Gotta Catch Them All

With Pokémon games so obviously for children, it's hard to explain why I've managed to play so many games in the series so extensively, from the original Pokémon Red and Blue, released in 1998 in North America, to Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the previous titles in the series, released in 2004.

It's almost certainly all in the famous tag-line for the series, "Gotta catch them all" Once you start playing a Pokémon title, it will become astoundingly hard to put down, and you'll keep playing even once you've reached the point where you're long bored of taking part in endless random battles to catch those last few elusive Pokémon. So it was with some trepidation that I loaded up my first game of Pokémon Diamond.

Gotta Be Disappointed

If you're a seasoned Pokémon fan, it's hard to say that the initial experience of playing Pokémon Diamond or Pearl isn't anything but intense disappointment. While the games do feature new 3D graphics and a largely new interface to take advantage of the Nintendo DS's larger screen and unique capabilities, the 3D aspects are entirely confined to the role-playing portion of the title, with the towns and fields of the world displayed in a cute, if low-tech, 3D overhead view. The battle sequences between Pokémon remain entirely in 2D and look little better than as seen in the previous iteration on the Game Boy Advance.

The titles complete failure to improve the interface in any meaningful way over the last games is perhaps their worst flaw, however. While you can use the stylus to control battles, the second screen is almost completely pointless during the majority of the role-playing portions (most players will use it for little else than displaying a clock) and many parts of the game are entirely controlled with d-pad and buttons, which is a ridiculous state of affairs. The tasks which have always been irritating to perform, such as using key items or switching Pokémon, remain as irritating as ever.

Gotta Get Online

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl add nothing to the previous titles except one crucial thing; they're the first Pokémon titles to allow online battling between Pokémon players across the world. While parents may soon be inundated with scare stories of the titles being used as "grooming" tools, it's literally impossible to abuse the system. Players can only play with others they have swapped friend codes with, something you can only do with people you already know. Players can play "ad-hoc" games using the Nintendo DS's local wi-fi, but that requires you be in the same room as the person you're playing.

While the local multiplayer is likely to be a massive hit in schoolyards across the world (it's never been so easy to battle and trade Pokémon with your friends) the online portion is likely to be of the most interest to adult players, allowing them to battle, trade, and take part in an intriguing "underground" mode, which is a underground tunnel complex in which players and their friends can search for Pokémon fossils and create secret bases. Players can also use voice-chat to converse with their friends online, either using the DS's built in microphone or the Nintendo DS Headset (sold separately) but (for any parents out there still worried) only with approved friends.

Gotta Conclude the Review

As a single player experience, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are utterly disappointing. They add nothing to the experience over the earlier titles, and in many ways, you'd be better off with the GBA Pokémon titles, which have better Pokémon designs and less unnecessary complexity. However, for players who expect to use the online component extensively with a group of friends, it's a great choice, as the social aspects of the series are easier to perform than ever before. I've found myself absolutely sucked in (completely against my will) into trying to catch them all once again for that very reason.