Pokemon fans have been asking for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes for years, and The Pokemon Company has finally delivered. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are in active development for release later this year on the Nintendo Switch, and while many fans were excited by the announcement, others have expressed disappointment in the games' art style. However, one small change to the art seems to improve it quite a bit.
It's unclear exactly where these images originated from (they have been shared on Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and elsewhere), but a Pokemon fan and arist has shown what the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl graphics would look like with the characters outlined. The adjustment makes the characters in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl really pop, both in their overworld chibi form as well as their normal-sized appearance that shows up during battles.
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The reaction to this proposed change has been largely positive wherever it's been posted, though it seems unlikely that it will be adopted by Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl developer ILCA. After all, the games are already deep in development with release dates coming later this year, and while this may seem like a simple change, it would likely take a significant amount of time to actually implement in the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl games.
And while many fans have reacted positively to the proposed art style change, it may not be enough to persuade those who have been against the chibi art style to begin with. It seems many fans were expecting the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes to use an art style similar to Pokemon Sword and Shield, and so those fans have expressed their disappointment and the different direction the remakes are going in. However, the games should still provide the same gameplay as the original Diamond and Pearl (or more accurately, perhaps Pokemon Platinum), so it seems like a safe bet that people that enjoyed the originals will like the remakes.
Those who are still vehemently opposed to the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl art style still have Pokemon Legends: Arceus to look forward to in early 2022. A new core Pokemon game that takes the franchise in some bold new directions, Pokemon Legends: Arceus looks to be the proper open world Pokemon game that fans have been waiting to play for years. Whether or not it lives up to those lofty expectations remains to be seen, but Pokemon fans will find out next year.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl launch late 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.