Pokémon, the multi-billion dollar property, is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. In celebration of the occasion, Game Freak, the developers of Pokémon announced their two newest games: Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. 

Any good Pokémon fan is aware of the original 2006 games “Diamond” and “Pearl.” These two games, designed for the Nintendo DS, hold a special place for millions. These nostalgic games were announced to be made and released in early 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, the newest Nintendo console that was released in early 2017. 

The trailer for the new games showed how the Pokémon games would be designed, and the viewers were able to see that there was a distinct difference in style from prior games. Pokémon “Brilliant Diamond” and “Shining Pearl” stay faithful to the original Nintendo Gameboy and DS games, unlike the more recent Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch. Some fans find delight in the recreation of style, but others don’t seem to care much for it. The game itself seems to keep the same mechanics and world as the original, but with much better graphics. Hopefully, this game meets the desires of most Pokémon fans. 

The other announced title was “Pokémon Legends: Arceus,” an original game that surprised many fans. The game is said to take place in ancient Sinnoh (a region within the Pokémon World). The most interesting and shocking part of the game comes from its mechanics: unlike the turn-based combat that Pokémon had used for decades, “Legends: Arceus” will have the players roam around in an open world while sneaking around to catch wild Pokémon.

Pokémon’s 25th anniversary is unquestionably going to be a huge success with these new releases and their already-announced sequel to “Pokémon Snap” coming later this year. It’s amazing that even after decades, Pokémon continues to be a well-loved and well-received property.

by Nathan Park