Pokemon Platinum first launched 16 years ago in Japan, but it wasn't until March 22 2009 that it made its way on consoles in the United States, and slowly after that in the rest of the world. While Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are often considered mid-tier titles in the series, Pokemon Platinum is arguably one of the best games in the franchise thanks to a plethora of quality-of-life changes compared to its predecessors as well as new features that made it more replayable. But this was no bed of roses for Pokemon Platinum, which after 15 years realized its full potential only halfway through.