September 3 through September 11

A Clefairy distribution is on the way, and thankfully this time I don't have to add the caveat of "but it's just Sword and Shield." I do, however, have to?? note this is Japan-only!

The reasoning? Well, you need to actually go to a Pokemon Center in Japan to snag a ser??ial code. The distribution event is "nationwide," and will run from September 3 through September 11, close of business Sunday. To get the bonus you'll need to "do something" with the Pokemon Center staff, which will probably amount to a passcode of sorts, announced publicly. You can find details of prior events like that her??e.

Curiously, Clefairy appears in tons of games, so The Pokemon Company took the opportunity to spread the event to multiple titles. There will be three serial codes listed on the event card, which grants you Clefairy bonuses for Brilliant Diamond/Sword generations/remakes, as well as a separate third code for Legends. According to the event page, the Clefairy for BDSP/Sword/Shield will be the same, while Legends will sport a different moveset.

You'll be able to access the Pokemon Clefairy distribution event with:

• Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
• Pokemon Shining Pearl
• Pokemon Sword
• Pokemon Shield
• Pokemon Legends

If you're in Japan currently and want to check it out, you can find all of the info here. Once you do get it, the serial code will expire on September 30, 2022 at 23:59 JST, s??o make sure you actually use it! Also I can't imagine this coming up, but it's a thing: "If you enter the serial code incorrectly 10 times, you will be temporarily unable to enter it. Please try again after 6 hours have passed."

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March 27 at 14:59 UTC

[Update: The Pokemon Company has provided instructions ??for the entire event here, including where to encounter Shaymin.]

If you want a free Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP, make sure you log in before March 27, bec?ause that's when the ability to nab it is getting cut off. Technically, it's via the removal of the Oak's Letter distribution, because once you have the letter, you're good. So just log in before then.

Here's all you need to d?o,?? having done it this week:

• Get to the point of the game where you've unlocked the mystery gift feature. We have a handy guide here.
• Just go to the mystery gift menu option and select "Internet." You don't need a specific code.

That's it! You'll pick up Oak's Letter, which will allow you to encounter Shaymin after finishing the Hall of Fame and grabbing the National Pokedex. In other words, you can enable it as soon as you have the mystery gift option, but it's an endgame activity of sorts. There's one Shaymin per save file, ??and Nintendo Switch Onlin??????????????????????????e isn't required to get Oak's Letter, according to Nintendo.

All of this takes place in the Flower Paradise area, which you may recall was "broken into" via a glitch around the launch of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. You can find out how to locate that area here.

The exact cutoff time, if you're a procrastinator, is March 27 at 14:59 UTC.

Free Shaymin in Pokemon BDSP rules and instructions

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Listen to your favorite tunes, or download them for your own use

The last few months have been a real big party for fans of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Some tunes are being made available for that jam too, as the Pokemon Company announced the Pokemon DP Sound Library.

Music from both Diamond and Pearl are available in this new sound library, which on one hand is essentially a radio station or ??player. Just leave it u?p in a tab, pull open playlists, or dive deep into the many noises of the Sinnoh region.

Or, if you'd rather, you can sample them. The Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Sound Library is also a potential repository?? for music and sound effect sampling. There are some caveats, though. The Pokemon Company's guidelines specifically note that this audio is usable free of charge for non-commercial purposes.

//twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1488889958505062400?

Under its examples for use cases, it cites background music for personal websites or plays, wedding parties, and sports games. So if you wanted some Pokemon Diamond and Pearl m??usic for your procession / wrestling entranc??e, all clear.

However, broadcast and TV uses, radio, or something that infringes The Pokemon Company's public policy are out. Most relevant, TPC cites use in games, apps, or software programs, so it's not open for fan games. You can find the full guidelines here.

Still, this ope?ns up some opportunities for remixes and sampling, which could be fun in its own right. A few examples are posted on the Sound Libr??ary site, and it certainly feels like the Sinnoh tunes could be ripe for remixing.

The post Pokemon Diamond and Pearl music ??is now available in a Sound Library appeared first on Destructoid.

Lull me to sleep, little guy

Just when we thought we'd seen it all, Pokémon's official Japanese YouTube channel went and released a thirty-minute ASMR video of Piplu?p giggling, singing, and snoring, among other things. Pokémon and ASMR isn't a combinati??on I think anyone outright asked for, but man, does it make for a good one.

The video is set in a cozy bedroom, where Piplup is heard and then adorably rolls into frame. The precious penguin boy then proceeds to play and flo?p about for a while, even at one point throwing a toddler-like tantrum, and subseque?ntly falls asleep on the bed.

//www.youtube.com/w?atch?v=TUS6KQOzRVA&list=PLBE2D9BnJJUrwzdmqkLGICL_ok58rTwRv

A lot of the appeal of Pokémon comes from i?magining that we get to hang out with these cute? little critters all day, and this video certainly delivers on that. By the looks of it, they'd be like normal pets in terms of providing entertainment via cuteness, but I can imagine Piplup would somehow be more annoying than my cat when things don't go his way. That's alright, we still love him no matter what.

This video in particular is actually the newest installment in a playlist on the Pokémon YouTube channel specifically focused on Piplup, where fans can watch him partake in various activities with other Pokémon, like playing a game of soccer with Raboot, or a game of musical chairs with Pikachu and Eevee. If you're a fan of those giant fuzzy Pikachu costumes, you're in for a treat, because most of the videos in the playlist are live-action and feature a Piplup costume of an identica??l style.

I was skeptical of ASMR at first, but now I actually use them to fall asleep and relax pretty often. Knowing that there's a whole category of loveable Pokémon-themed videos out there really opens up a whole new world of possibil?ities. Here's to hoping the next one features Vulpix!

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Glitches, glitches everywhere

In a race that will no doubt change the moment I write this post, speedrunner Werster, utilizing efforts from the tireless Pokemon community, managed to clear Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in 23:13. That's 23 minutes, 13 seconds. It's a Pokemon BDSP speedrun alright.

I know what you're thinking: yes, this is an any% run! In short, players can use any means necessary within the confines of the game's code to accomplish their goal of reaching the credit sequence. So in this case, they managed to warp all over the map with a Turtwig starter (which can be any of the three), ?skip through all the required trainer battles, and skip the Elite Four.

The Pokemon BDSP speedrun basically starts around five minutes in. They need to laboriously complete the tutorial/intro first, get their starter, and then they can start warping all over the map. That includes saving then shutting down the game right as the save completes; then going back in and loading that save. The main points of interest for the current any% speed??run route include getting the old rod, then buying a doll, then dying in battle and respawning at a center, then hitting the end. The speed in which some of these runners hit these glitches via menus is incredible.

One of the best parts of this particular video is how Werster talks everyone through the methods, so you can try and join in yourself. Once everything is good and cleared, they also muse on ways in which runs can be improved. So if you're a hardcore Diamond and Pearl enthusiast, it's worth checking out.

Werster believes the next barrier is 22 minutes, but to slim it down to 20 minutes would require new methods,?? including "optimiz?ed menu time." Good luck! Getting into the Pokemon speedrun scene can be competitive.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=URXI-nQ2rvA

The post The current any% Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl speedrun reco??rd is just over 20 minutes appeared first on Destructoid.

Version 1.1.2

A new Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl update is live as of now, and it addresses some glitches, both beneficial and detrimental (to people who use said glitches), according to information from both the patch n??otes themselves and the community.

So here's the full pa??tch notes for version 1.1.2, which are, naturally, vague:

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl update Ver. 1.1.2 (Releasing December 1, 2021)

• Fixed some issues that would prevent the game from progressing under certain circumstances.
• Some issues have also been fixed for more pleasant gameplay.

Vague or not though, it's likely a relief for people who are experiencing soft lock issues. On the flipside, the community contends that the daycare duplication glitch in some form has been patched with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl update 1.1.2. That said, you can still do it if you use other means.

You have to wonder if the team will focus on the "23-minute" speedrun glitch next. In this short video speedrunner Werster explains all of the community-discovered tric??ks, including warps and skips that allow them to get to the Eli?te Four and "defeat" them with just a starter Pokemon in a short amount of time.

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For Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup

As a heads up, you can now grab Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl special statues in-game. The news comes by way of Serebii.net, which located a Japanese Pokemon site questionnaire that provided the universal code. Thankfully, this one is an easy sell, as you just nee??d to put in a code in the comfort of your own home. No need to trek out to a store that may or may not exi?st in your area.

To utilize t??he giveaway, just type in the mystery gi??ft code: "BDSPUNDERGR0UND."

For your trouble you'll get statues for Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup: the starters for the game. It'll run until May 31, 2022, so feel free to bookmark this page with the code until you're good and ready to redeem the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl special statues.

If you just started, you can unlock the mystery gift feature early after the first gym battle. Just head to Jubilife City and enter the TV station on the north side of the map. Then go to the third floor and talk to the TV producer and pick "everyone happy wi-fi connection." Boom! You're good. Or you can defeat the third gym leader and just pick it up naturally. Your choice. You can find detailed instructions of that?? process here.

To actually use these Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl special statues, you'll need to access the Grand Underground and create a Secret Base: a hideout of sorts that you can revisit. You can find instruct??ions for getting into the Grand Underground here!

The post PSA: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shinin?g Pearl are giving away s??pecial statues appeared first on Destructoid.

It's tradition

Shortly after Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl launched, a Pokemon dupe glitch was discover??ed. Classic!

Spotted on Reddit days ago, and on YouTube by way of Orcastraw on November 23, the process is relatively str??aightforward, and requires no hacking or modding of any kind.

• Head to the Solaceon daycare, then pull up your boxes.
• Have two Pokemon in the same position in different boxes (so lower right-hand corner of box 1 and box 2).
• Then take one of them and put it in the battle box.
• The other Pokemon will be placed in the daycare. Select it, but before you leave the menu, press "box list," press Y and swap the slots they're placed in, then deposit the Pokemon.
• Re-open the boxes, then go to the battle box. Take a Pokemon you're going to delete and insert it, then take the Pokemon you want to clone and add it to the team list.
• Then view the summary screen of the Pokemon you added. It has been cloned.

Now that this has been widely shared on social media, it's likely that Nintendo will squash this bug sometime in the coming weeks,?? but people can still do it with the 1.0 edition of the game if they want.

The post Of course Po??kemon Brilliant Diamon?d and Shining Pearl has a dupe glitch appeared first on Destructoid.

Precious metal, or coal?

The last time we checked in on our Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl re?view, things were looking decidedly tepid. The fourth generation w??as the first time the series didn't instantly click for me, and when coupled with the presentation of the Switch remake itself, to say I was unimpressed would be an understatement.

The aesthetics grew on me. A ??few other aspects? Not so much.

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: ILCA
Publisher: Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
Released: November 19, 2021
MSRP: $59.99

Playing through Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, I encountered a whirlwind of emotions. "Oh that'??s cute." "Oh that's kind of sterile." "Yep, that's just how I remembered it." Those were my three main mantras as I journeyed through the Sinnoh region once again.

One thing I did get used to was the chibi visual style. Sure, it still looks ridiculous when you meet a menacing figure that's spouting some sort of speech about how the world deserves to pay �and he looks like a Puzzle Fighter reject. At the same time, this is Pokemon, people. Most of its aura is "warm and welcoming," so it makes sense and doesn't stray too far from the original look. Still, the DS games look fine by today's standards, so it's also just a matter of getting to the point where remakes are less essential when compared to the Game Boy through GBA e??ras.

Warm and welcoming are traits Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have in spades.? Every subsequent run in Sinnoh I notice something else, and learn to appreciate it a bit more. No matter how I feel about the lack of newness in the remakes, the fact remains that Gen 4 is still worth playing in its own right. The little upgrades like auto-HM use without a party member requirement are nice, but for the most part, this is the same narrative from 2006 with a new coat of paint.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOlZBxdrTA

Cowgirl Shelley still has a billion Bidoofs when you encounter her. You still slowly get drip-fed some items and mechanics via the Poketch, and unlock alternate routes through old areas via HMs. There's ?a sim?ple charm to Gen 4 that a few of the new games get wrong, or try and overcomplicate: coupled with the classic DS-era meaty endgame. With an extra helping of the modern party-wide XP share (which can't be turned off), of course.

Not everything lines up, as developer ILCA tries to cram all the old parameters of the DS original into this new edition. Some of that foundation does crumble when you shove new sensibilities into the same old bones. If you aren't going to spend the time hunting for an extra fire type in the Grand Underground (more on that in a moment), starting with Chimchar, or catc??hing Ponyta, you're going to press on with a weird party composition. With XP share on, you're often way over-leveled for most of your encounters without having to break a sweat or fight anyone out in the wild. NPC fights become a chore when they're far below you and you aren't really getting me??aningful gains.

So that leads me back to the sterile nature of some of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The region itself can be a joy to explore, but a lot of the activities within (including some gyms and the aforementioned trainer battles) can feel pointless or like filler. I know that's a growing sentiment among fans th??at could apply to any game, but there could have been more ??done here to prevent that in this remake, with 15 years of hindsight.

A lot of the heavy lifting in terms of "extra" features is via the Grand Underground ar??ea (including type diversity and, yes, more fire characters). An expansion of the original underground concept, players can build secret bases, earn items, and most importantly: catch Pokemon from other generations that aren't located in the core game. The map is quite extensive, and I found myself spending a lot of time down here exploring and catching creatures. You know, Pokemon stuff. By way of "hideaways," characters down here actually show up in the overworld (in lieu of random battles), so "catching them all" is a lot less frustrating. Plus, Ramanas Park (which is the new Pal Park) adds some classic legendaries back into the mix.

On the flip side, it made me wish that the Platinum features were present in tandem with this new take on what is essentially Ultra Wormholes and the Wild Area. The story was greatly enhanced via Platinum, and none of those elements are present here in these Nintendo Switch remakes. The existence of Platinum as a definitive edition of the game also removed the need to choose between versions �a marketing "feature" that feels a lot less essential with the G?en 4 re??makes.

If you haven't experienced Pokemon Diamond or Pearl yet and don't have access to Platinum, then the Gen 4 remakes on Switch might be worth exploring. Sinnoh has its own charm to it, and completionists will likely enjoy the endgame that is Grand Underground collecting. I just hope that when the time comes to remake Black and White, wh?atever team handles it is a lot less conserva??tive.

_{[This review is based on retail builds of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Shocker: Pokemon games dropping in November

Grab those Poké Balls, trainers. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced the release date for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. The two Nintendo? DS remakes will be hitting the Switch platform Nove?mber 19, just in time for the holidays.

Much like previous remakes Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, or HeartGold & SoulSilver, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl will recreate the player's trek across the Sinnoh region, hunting, catching, and training a roster of critters in tried-and-tested Poké-fashion. The twin remakes are handled by developer ILCA, as stalwart studio Game Freak is already hard at work on Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

A new twe??et from The Pokémon Company showcases the cover art for both titles, which once again feature Dialga and Palkia in all of their (literal) dazzling glory. Oh, we also get a shot of our two trainers, Lucas and Dawn, but sadly not in their hilarious and divisive chibi stylings. But don't fret, I put Dawn in the header image to ??remind you all of her huge wellie greatness.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Pokémon Shining Pearl launch on Switch November 19.

#PokemonBrilliantDiamond.#PokemonShiningPearl.
November 19, 2021.

💎✨ Preorder now: //t.co/xTW1T9xFov pic.twitter.com/zyKjJDsi54

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 26, 2021

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Did you like it?

So! The Pokemon Company showed off a lot of new franchise news recently, and confirmed two new games. Well, one brand new game and one set of remakes for Diamond and Pearl.

Although each generation has its fans, Diamond and Pearl are beloved by many, so the new remake ??style didn't r?eally grab a lot of folks. The thing is, it's not even Game Freak that's working on the official remakes; it's ILCA.

Enter fan remakes! Well, fa?n mockup trailers, at least. Content creator millenniumloops decided to take it upon themselves to deliver a new take on the series, complete with a near-two-minute reimagining clip. It even has the same intro and outro, which is a nice touch to make it all look more official.

Is it going to satisfy everyone? Probably not, but neither is the official set of remakes. Although this fan project would be a much big??ger undertaking, I do like a lot of what is shown here. Maybe we'll get there eventually?

Fan trailer by millenniumloops

Official trailer

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The Pokemon Company just announced them today

W??ell, The Pokémon Company didn't waste any time today!

This isn't like one of the more recent presentations that gave us a Pokémon MOBA that still isn't out yet. Oh no, they learned their lesson this time. The Pearl and Diamond ?remakes ??that have been rumored for the last few presentations were finally confirmed this morning via the clip below.

The new versions are called "Brilliant Diamond" and "Shining Pearl," and will release in late 2021. ILCA will be working on this, because Game Freak is busy with Pokémon Legends.

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