Nostalgia Remade: The Past and Future Connections of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl

It is February 26th, 2021, and I am screaming at my laptop. Not the usual I-am-trying-to-graduate-in-a-pandemic-without-losing-my-mind screaming, but screaming filled with an emotion I haven’t felt in a long, long time: excitement.

The numerous messages and notifications on my phone indicate that my friends share my sentiments; we all never thought that we’d see this moment. Today, the Pokémon company announced Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, released in 2007. After years of rumors, false leaks, and begging, these remakes are finally real.

But why? How could a duo of fifteen-year-old games cause so much excitement? How could one announcement cause me and many others to feel more than the past five Christmases’ combined?

Pokémon Pearl was my very first Pokémon game, and it was a turning point for me as well as a turning point for the series. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were the first non-spinoff Pokémon games to arrive on the Nintendo DS, meaning updated graphics, music, and even the ability to connect with players across the world through Wi-Fi connections. Diamond and Pearl established a new precedent in the console Pokémon games and brought joy to many children who played them (myself included). Pokémon Pearl was the first game that I would play for months, spending countless hours catching pokémon and battling friends. This game, a gift from father to daughter, would introduce me to the genre of role-playing games and shape me into the person that I am today.

My father doesn’t remember buying Pokémon Pearl for me or why he did it. (I assume he probably saw the pearl pink of the game’s cover matched the color of my Nintendo DS, and bought it based on that.) He never was into video games, but ever since I was a child, he somewhat supported my gaming habits. When I was in preschool, we spent our Saturdays going to a pop-up CD shop held at a nearby hotel, where I would choose which CD would be mine. Often it would be a Freddie Fish game, or a Scooby-Doo one if they were available. The office of my childhood home would become the shared space between my father and me, either with him working or me playing computer games. These were the olden days before Google and Youtube could help solve problems with ease; if I was stuck on any game, I’d have to ask him for help. Our back and forths would go something like this:

Me: Dad, I’m stuck.

My Dad: I thought your name was Adanna.

Me: Not like that! I don’t understand what I need to do. Can you help me? Please?

He’d then take a break from whatever work he was doing, sit down next to me in his big, black office chair that I’d commandeered during my game time, and click through the different minigames while I explained (in great, great detail) where I was and why I was stuck. Then, when the seemingly impossible puzzle was completed, I would regain my place on the black, squeaky throne of the office and get back to playing.

He didn’t understand how the simple pixels could keep me enthralled, but it kept me out of trouble and he enjoyed helping me whenever one of the puzzles was too difficult. Video games were a common ground, a way for a Trinidadian immigrant to bond with his second-generation daughter.

Pokémon Pearl was no different. It was much more than a game for me; it was an experience. Specifically, it was my own experience. I could wander around instead of continuing the game’s plot as much as I wanted; I could choose my Pokémon team and my strategy to win. (It wasn’t much of a strategy besides hit the other Pokémon with my Pokémon until they fainted, but it worked and I enjoyed every minute of it.) The experience stretched beyond the pixels, too: by playing Pokémon Pearl, I was able to connect with other people better.

See, I was very shy as a child… Unless you were someone I was comfortable around. Then, I could talk for hours. But to ninety-nine percent of the population? I was a ghost, a tall and skinny one that preferred books to people. It didn’t help that I was a second-generation Trinidadian (a country that none of my elementary school friends had even heard of), or that I didn’t know what Spongebob Squarepants and Power Rangers were. It was difficult for me to connect with other peers until I started playing Pokémon. I didn’t just know Pokémon, I played Pokémon. A Nintendo DS in my hands or anyone else’s was a silent introduction that would lead to the pivotal question of “Do you play Pokémon?” and just like that, a new friendship was formed. In school, on trips, even in grocery stores, Pokémon could transform a stranger into a friend for however brief the moment.

When you start Pokémon Pearl, the first person you meet isn’t your in-game character – it’s Professor Rowan, a man who acts as the guide before the game starts. He gives the player a short introduction about the world of Pokémon, before asking you for your name. I remember being astonished at being allowed to use my own name in a game – my name is Adanna, after all. It’s a name I like, but it’s also a name never seen on tourist trap cups or video game protagonists. 

Giving my name to the female in-game avatar made her feel more like… Me, even if our skin tones weren’t the same. I wouldn’t get that pleasure until preordering Pokémon X and Y six years later. He then asks you to name your friend, a non-playable rival boy that challenges you repeatedly throughout the game. Though I can’t remember what I named my rival, I do remember that it started with a J (as my closest male friends also had names that started with J’s). I loved the feeling of building a world in the game that was tailored to me specifically – I didn’t have to explain that no, my name isn’t Alanna. It’s Adanna. Three A’s. Two N’s. One D. Think of Madonna without the M, with an A instead of an O! This game gave me the agency to exist as my authentic self, without having to worry about the gaze or misconstructions of anyone else.

After Professor Rowan’s introduction, you’re warped to your room. It’s simple enough; it has a bed, a TV, and a PC. Pokémon Pearl didn’t look like the other games I played, like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass or Kirby Squeak Squad, set in clearly fictional lands – it looked like my life. It looked like something I experienced; it looked like I wasn’t as alone as I thought I was. Your friend barges into your room and demands that the two of you explore the nearby lake for rare Pokémon, so you set out on your quest. Even though your rival doesn’t have much of a personality outside of rushing into things and challenging you, there’s a warm familiarity of seeing him in every town you go to as the story progresses. Through vibrant cities and fun seaside towns, your rival will always appear to battle you the second you run out of healing items.

When you arrive at the lake with your rival in tow, you see Professor Rowan chatting with his assistant and holding his briefcase – before he leaves it behind. When you and your friend try to receive it, you’re attacked by wild Pokémon, and the game really begins.

Of the many choices you make in the game, this is one of the most important. Your first or “starter” Pokémon is the one you will likely spend the longest with, and will be the centerpiece of your team. Any of the three is a viable choice, and I chose the fire type, Chimchar, my first and favorite Pokémon. 

Turtwig and Piplup looked cute to me, but Chimchar, a small chimp with fire for a tail, would be my partner for life. I can’t remember what I named my first Pokémon (shameful, shameful, I know,) but it was definitely something fire-related. (Blazey, maybe – names were not a strong suit of my younger self.) Blazey was my steadfast companion, my red ranger. He would lead my team into every battle I fought, the only constant in the constantly shifting state of my Pokémon team. He would celebrate my wins, mourn my losses, and evolve by my side during our journey.

After defeating the wild Pokémon, you and your rival are worried – how will Professor Rowan react to you using his Pokémon without permission? After some deliberation, you decide it would be best to travel to the following town to his lab to explain the situation. When you arrive at the lab, you are given the Pokédex, the magical contraption that encourages you to complete the ultimate task of “catching em all.” Unlike most players, I had little interest in completing the entire Pokédex – though I did manage to do it eventually.) I was much more interested in exploring the areas around me, and just existing within the digital environment.

One of my favorite areas to do this was the lake area where you first receive your starter Pokémon. The music is a calming tune, and even though the lake is impossible to cross until later on in the game, you’re told of an island and mythical Pokémon just waiting to be caught. I knew that there was so much beyond my DS screen, and this world was vast despite the little screen it was contained in.

The pivotal aspect of the Pokémon games is the variance between playthroughs. When I was younger, my team was shaped around aesthetics and recommendations of friends (“You have to have a Luxray!”) rather than a proper strategy. Now, I’m a bit more cognizant of the synergy between Pokémon to cover my bases. In addition, the game is very linear – even though you can explore as much as you please, you’re often blocked by people or hazards until you defeat gym leaders or any of the evil Team Galactic. Despite this, I enjoyed the game immensely, exploring every city as much as I could before traveling to the next. 

Another delight is the wide cast of characters you meet along the way: Cynthia, the legendary Pokémon champion, who encourages you on your journey. The nefarious Team Galactic, who have been stealing and experimenting on Pokémon for their evil deeds and must be stopped by you, the player. Pokémon Pearl is many pleasant little pieces put together to form a masterpiece I like even today. 

So, the remakes of the games have been announced. The impossible hurdle has been cleared. So, what now?

After Bright Diamond and Shining Pearl were announced, I decided to blow the dust off my 3DS (my original Nintendo DS was tragically lost to time), to see if the game was truly as good as I remembered. To preserve my copy of Pokémon Pearl, I started playing Pokémon Platinum instead, an enhanced version of the game with the same premise but a few upgrades.

I’m happy to report that, at least to me,, the games still stand the test of time. It may be the nostalgia, but after spending a year indoors due to an unprecedented pandemic, I think I’m allowed to indulge in some childhood pleasures. The music is still as soothing as it once was, and I again found myself absorbed in the vast world of Pokémon. I felt the memories flowing back – of wandering through route 214, my horrible luck playing the Veilstone slots, and mashing the A button in hopes of catching the elusive Mesprit. I picked the same starter as I did previously (#TeamChimchar5EVER), and actively searched for specific Pokémon to add to my team instead of catching and using whatever ran into me. Even though I’ve only made it about a quarter through my playthrough, I’m still excited to move forward and experience it all over again.

I’ve already watched numerous analysis videos of the Bright Diamond and Shining Pearl trailer, highlighting what has changed and what has stayed the same. Many of the core aspects of the game are unchanged, but with the sixty-dollar price tag, I’m hoping that there are many new goodies in store.  I’m excited to play this game again with updated graphics, music, and the ability to play it with friends both near and far. This time, I actively want to complete the Pokédex – I have to get some bragging rights. I’ve also already started discussing with friends what our teams will look like, and see who will be able to beat the game first.

Once again, I will be playing Pokémon Pearl to feel less alone. I’ll be remembering fond memories and connections I had with the in-game NPCs while creating new ones with the friends I’ve made over the years. I’m elated to experience one of my favorite games for the first time again – winter 2021 cannot come soon enough!