Reader Review: Pokemon Platinum

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This review was submitted by Cameron Chu. If you’ve played Pokemon Platinum, or just want to ask Cameron more about it, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Pokemon Platinum (DS)

Pokemon Platinum is the third iteration of the current generation that is Diamond & Pearl. On the surface it is clear that Game Freak’s enormously popular franchise has hardly changed after a whole decade. Its fourteenth entry is no exception.

Loved
Slight Tweaks – Platinum is a slight improvement over Diamond & Pearl. A slightly faster battling system, a slightly more diverse variety of Pokemon in the wild, and a slight change to the storyline make for a slightly improved game.

Competitive Battling – The competitive battling scene is now more diverse than ever with the implementation of tutor moves and new forms of several pokemon. Though subtle, they have a dramatic effect. Moves such as Aqua Tail on Tyranitar and Bullet Punch on Scizor which were previously unavailable mean that there are now more options offensively. On the other hand, new forms of Pokemon like Rotom-F, for example, have also allowed for more options on the defensive side.

Hated
It’s Pokemon – The exact qualities that made the Pokemon series so good over the decade are now its flaws. The story has stagnated. The battling system is akin to incessant grinding. The thrill of ‘catching them all’ is all but over once you realise that there are a staggering 493 Pokemon to catch, a feat impossible for all but the hardcore.

Pokemon has lost its magic. Once the pinnacle of quality handheld gaming, Pokemon has fallen from glory by stubbornly sticking to those exact same mechanics that now just feel repetitive and stale. Newcomers will enjoy what made Pokemon so successful while the hardcore will enjoy the new options for competitive battling. Those in the middle however, the average gamer that played the original Pokemon Red & Blue version, will find neither appealing anymore.

Reviewed by: Cameron Chu

You can have your Reader Review published on Kotaku. Send your review to us at the usual address. Make sure it’s written in the same format as above and in under 300 words – yes, we’ve upped the word limit. We’ll publish the best ones we get and the best of the month will win a Madman DVD prize pack.

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