When Nintendo’s Pokémon Platinum was released in Japan several months ago under the (roughly translated) name “Pocket Monsters Platinum”, the game sold an impressive 1 million copies in only two days. Even more impressive, legendary Japanese game review magazine Famitsu, gave the game an almost unprecedented perfect score. Now, gamers here in North America can finally get their hands on the latest addition to the now iconic Pokémon series.



Platinum however, is not an entirely new addition to the series and is in fact, actually an enhanced port of the two previous Pokémon games: Diamond and Pearl. In terms of the story, the game once again takes place in the “Sinnoh Region”, an area teeming with over 493 different species of Pokémon. Players take control of a young Pokémon trainer who must travel across the Sinnoh region catching, training and battling with an increasing collection of Pokémon characters on their journey to become a Pokémon Master, not to mention putting a stop the plans of the evil “Team Galactic”. It’s not exactly world-class storytelling, but it’s still the same level of fun, fast-paced plotting fans have come to expect from the series.



Although Pokémon Platinum is an enhanced port of two already existing games, that’s not to say that it’s not without its share of new features. In fact, the game is loaded with new bells and whistles including new characters such as Dawn - the popular female hero from the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl television series - and Looker, a member of the International Police who is in pursuit of Team Galactic and provides the player with plenty of clues and assistance throughout the game. What die hard Pokémon players want however, is new Pokémon forms, and Platinum doesn’t disappoint, offering two new forms to choose from, including Giratina who appears in its new origin form with enhanced features and attributes beyond those the character had in Diamond and Pearl. The game also features new locations, including the Battle Frontier, with four new battle facilities to choose from in addition to the Battle Tower for new and experienced trainers to challenge. While the content alone is worth the price of admission, there’s also a variety of new modes available including Global Terminal matches and the Platinum exclusive Wi-Fi Plaza, which is ideal for online and multiplayer gameplay.



The end result is a game that lives up to the series’ impressive reputation, and where players will once again find themselves furiously mashing buttons and desperately looking for that next Poke Ball.



Bonus Features: New characters, forms, game modes and areas for players to battle, challenge and explore.



The Good: If you’re a die hard (or closet) Pokémon fan you won’t be disappointed by the game’s new features, characters and polished gameplay.



The Bad: As an enhanced port of the two pre-existing Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games, Platinum covers some ground already familiar to fans of the series.


Final Rating: If you’ve never played a Pokémon game before or haven’t touched the series in a while, Platinum is definitely worth picking up. It’s fast, fun and challenging and if nothing else offers gamers the perfect excuse to pick up a Nintendo DSi to see if they still have what it takes to catch them all.





5 out of 5 Blocks





By: Michael Ogle