Pokemon Diamond: Impressions

[Roy Karrde]

Alright I got the game for Christmas, I'm not sure if anyone else has it yet, or got it for Christmas too. Anyway I'm around 7 hours in with two Gym Badges. No I am not really sucky at the gyms, there is a reason for why it is taking so long and I will get to that.

First off I want to state that Nintendo got rid of the Stater/Swap/Trade/Restart trick, in that you cannot make a new game and save immediatly. So you are forced to keep your opening starter until you breed it or want to just trade it away.

Now as for the actual game I will say this: The Game Is Massive. While the graphics have not really been upgraded alot, and some of the parts like the opening to gym battles, the useage of Pokemon HMs, and some of the pallets, look straight out of Ruby/Saphire. The scope of the game more than makes up for it. Most gyms you have to do something special just to find the gym leader, and most of the towns I have come across do not even have gyms in them!

The towns themselves have a different feel to each of them, from a town full of flowers to a western themed town, each looks and feels different, and with Apartments everywhere it actually feels like a small to medium sized town.

Anyway I figured I would open a topic where people could ask questions to some one that actually has the game, or those that do could post friend codes so that we can trade or do stuff before the April Release of the English version.

[Chris 2.1]

So what do you mean by you cannot use the starter trick now? I'm a bit confused. Also what are the trainer types like? Any new ones? (as in Beauty, Bug Catcher, Kindler etc)

[Roy Karrde]

In the previous games you could get a starter, trade with some one else, reset, get another starter, trade it again, get the third starter, and trade the other two back. Now if you try to make save a new game over a old one right away, it stops you from doing so. There by not allowing you to enter the trade room. Also when your character goes into the trade/chat room, it shows your character dressed up, there is also a Double Battle and Pictochat function in the trade/chat room.

As for the new trainers, one that is interesting is a Pokemon Fake trainer, which is basically a trainer dressed up as a Pikachu and when you go to talk to it, it battles you. There is also a Archiologist/Treasure Hunter one, and a few others that are just not coming to mind. One cool Sprite that is in town, is a woman pushing a baby carage.

[Poryhedron]

So, what, you have to play the game for at least a certain number of hours before it'll let you save a new game over it?

[Roy Karrde]

You know I'm not sure, it could have been till the first gym, or some kind of requirement. Also just to give you guys a idea of the scope of the game. I just spent a hour walking aimlessly and got myself lost after leaving the third gym. After passing a town, mansion, and a spa, I ended up back in a old town somehow. Quite amazing.

[Blademaster]

Well, then, I'm officially screwed. My sense of direction is so screwed up, I got myself lost for 2 hours trying to find Lavaridge Town the first time I played Ruby. How the heck am I gonna handle this flippy geography? Sigh... >>'''

[mr_pikachu]

So, I take it you got a Japanese import? Sweet. Time for your interrogation!


Have you gotten the Map yet? If so, how many towns are there in total? (I assume there are still eight Gyms, so any extra towns would just be world-builders...)
How many of those towns have you visited so far?
When you say that you have to do something special to reach the Gym leader, what do you mean? For instance, do you use an HM move? Or is it something more complicated like the puzzles in Surge's Gym (from RBY/FrLg)?
How extensive is the map? Does it allow you to zoom in on specific areas? If so, how much information does it provide in terms of paths, landmarks, etc.?
Are there any areas that are easy to get lost in due to size or some other effect?
On that note, what sorts of area effects are there? Do we have misty areas, sandstorms, or anything else that migth be notable?


...I think that's enough for now. ^_^

[Roy Karrde]

Have you gotten the Map yet? If so, how many towns are there in total? (I assume there are still eight Gyms, so any extra towns would just be world-builders...)
How many of those towns have you visited so far?
When you say that you have to do something special to reach the Gym leader, what do you mean? For instance, do you use an HM move? Or is it something more complicated like the puzzles in Surge's Gym (from RBY/FrLg)?
How extensive is the map? Does it allow you to zoom in on specific areas? If so, how much information does it provide in terms of paths, landmarks, etc.?
Are there any areas that are easy to get lost in due to size or some other effect?
On that note, what sorts of area effects are there? Do we have misty areas, sandstorms, or anything else that migth be notable?


Okay here we go


I have the first map which is the detailed one, I am still waiting to get the less detailed one that you can view via the touch screen. The one I have right now you use by accessing your backpack. There are 18 Towns. 8 of them have Gyms, 1 of the Non Gym Towns has a Pokemon Daycare, 1 of the Non Gym Towns so far has a Pokemon Contest in it. 1 of the Gym Towns so far also has a Pokemon Contest in it.

I have been anywhere from 9 to 7 of those towns. The reason I say that is becuase the number doesnt add up since I have only seen 4 Gyms.

The first gym you have to get the gym leader who is at a archiological dig outside of the town. The second gym you have to defeat four girls that are hidden in the gym. And very hard to find. The third gym, the gym leader is attending a Pokemon Contest and you have to bypass her gym. The fourth one has a Lt Surge type gym where you have to move long rod like things to create a path to the gym leader. The only way to get to all of the rods is battling each person in the gym. And the most annoying thing is if you lose, they reset and you spend ten minutes re alligning them

The top screen just looks like your normal map. You can use the touch screen to zoom in to I would say 3 or 4 times the magnification. That gives you information in Japanese of all the towns and routes when you touch them.

Several, at the beginning of the game it is somewhat straight forward like the old Pokemon games, and then it slowly gets to where you can go on multiple paths and do multiple things like visit a Pokemon Tower/Ghost Tower like place. The worst hits after the 3rd/4th Gym. I say 3rd/4th becuase you have to bypass one and come back to it later. Anyway once you leave it you have several different options. Go back to the previous gym that you bypassed, go south of the town and explore this huge beach/spa/mansion that seems to go on forever. Or go West to what would be the next town.

So far the only enviromental effect is two rain storms I have gone through. Which brings out unusual trainers too! Like a woman carrying a unbrella * sp * and stuff. Also another thing is that during the second down pour, mud starts to form in areas. If you go too deep in the mud you get stuck and have to pound the A button to jump out.

[Dark Sage]

So, which would you say is the bets starter? Who did you pick?

Also, what's the deal with the Rival Factor in this game? How does he figure into this?

[Roy Karrde]

Gym wise I would say either Leaf, the gyms can be very unforgiving if you lose to them. I picked the Water one for Cuteness

The rival factor, you get two rivals in this game, your sister/brother * Depending on your gender * is a rival that helps out some times in double battles against Team Galaxy, and is a Contest Rival it seems. There is also another rival that seems to have a thing for numbers, but his appearances seem to be sparce. You really encounter your sis/bro more often than the other rival.

[Dark Sage]

I've seen pictures of the pokemon in this game. Pochama starts out cute, but by the time he evolves into Enperuto, he isn't very cute at all.

[Phoenixsong]

Yeah... hence, when I get my English DP, I will be naming mine "Penguin"... after the Batman villain, of course. Not because I'm that unoriginal.

I don't have the games yet (I really want to import a Diamond, though), but I do have some thoughts/things I've heard.

-So the other character choice/rival is your sibling? Really? That's not what I understood from what I've read, but I think it sounds like a pretty spiffy change.

-Apparently, there's also stuff like snow in certain routes. Whether that counts as Hail in battle or not, I don't know. But there's definitely snow somewhere.

-I, unlike Blade, am NOT going to be totally screwed. Not that I can read any worthwhile Japanese (I can read "flip a coin", but that won't help), and I normally prefer to figure out games myself, but with a warning like "it's easy to get lost" then you can bet I'll be glued to GameFAQs as I play. :)

-Hmm... have you messed around with the Pokétch/watch thing? I know there are guides on how it works and what the features are on places like Serebii, but I wanna hear how fun/useful it is from someone who's had a chance to fiddle with it.

[Roy Karrde]

To answer your last question, I have messed around with the Poketch. And really and truely it comes in very useful. It utalizes the Bottom Touch screen well, a whole lot better than the whole stupid choose your attack, which is just annoying since you will find yourself still using the A Button to save time. But being able to check the time, or how many steps you have gone, or your Pokemon's health at just a glance, it becomes very very helpful.

[Poryhedron]

-Apparently, there's also stuff like snow in certain routes. Whether that counts as Hail in battle or not, I don't know. But there's definitely snow somewhere.
It might not affect anything...but I thought I'd offer this: in Pokémon: Mystery Dungeon there's snow in certain areas. It's a different weather effect from Hail. What it does is double the speed of all Ice-types as though they had Chlorophyll during Sunny Day or Swift Swim during Rain Dance.

[Phoenixsong]

Well, yeah... I thought about that. But since "Snow" is not a weather condition in the mainstream Pokémon games, I just wondered if it would just translate to Hail in battle. That makes little sense, so maybe it has no effect at all. I dunno.

[Roy Karrde]

I also just got done encountering a new condition. While heading north to another town with no gym, you encounter heavy heavy fog which not only lowers visability but accuracy too. Meanwhile as your making your way through the fog you encounter a bunch of Ninja trainers that challenge you to a battle. Most of their Pokemon are poisonous which sucks with the very low accuracy.

[Phoenixsong]

I assume, then, by your comment, that their attacks are not as adversely affected as yours?

Oh, yeah... there'd have to be fog, wouldn't there? Only there's a new HM called Fog Clear or something... yeah, that makes sense.

[mr_pikachu]

I'm guessing his comment refers to the problem of one hit dealing continual damage. If Roy hits once, he does a bit of damage to his foe. If his opponent hits, he takes damage and then gets a little weaker every turn that he misses. By poisoning him when his accuracy is already low, the opponent takes advantage of the longer battles.

[Roy Karrde]

Figured I would give you guys a update, I passed the snow/blizzard town. Which was annoying as hell. First you cross this huge path of snow, to get to the town, which slows you down so much. Then when you get there, you have to go through a ice gym. Now normally the ice gym you slide around on surfaces to get to the Gym Leader. Ah but there is a trick with this one, you have to destroy all these snow balls blocking your path by sliding into them at high speeds!

Afterwards you go rescue the three Mew Pokemon, also the lakes play a big part in this game, and the best part is that the lake you go to at the opening of the game plays a major part. I think this is the only Pokemon game where a major event actually happens in your home town. Anyway I am 20 hours in, caught the Legendary and one Mew like Legendary, and am going after another, the third ran away, and 7 badges. So anyone have any questions?

[Dark Sage]

The one that ran away (Emuritto, I think his name is) is supposed to run away. He always will when you approach him the first time. But you haven't lost him. I know how you can find him and catch him.

Now his location is not in your Pokedex, but rather on the map in the Poketch. Check that, go to that area, and search the grass until you find him. This time, he will stay and fight you.

Hope that helps.

[Andrew]

Also, how soon can you trade with people in this game?

[Roy Karrde]

Thanks for the help.

Andrew: You can trade with people as soon as you start the game if you are in the same room. If you want to use the GTS or Global Trading System, then you do not get that till after the first gym. the GTS building is in the third town with the gym in the forth.

[Andrew]

Can you trade eggs?