"This is madness!!!"

Madness?...This is Pokemon! Yes, the Pokemon craze is back and it's bigger than ever. Bigger than life even. Sure, we've all picked up a Pokemon game before, and we've all enjoyed it. So, you may be asking yourself. Why get it now? It's simple, it's not just another version. It's not just another, Gold, Silver, Black, White, Blue...well you get the point. It's a diamond. And we all know that diamonds are forever. Anyhow, the main difference now. Is that it's wifi enabled. Yes, you can trade and battle people from across the world. Trade with a guy from Japan one minute, than battle a guy in Russia the next. It's truly a revolutionary revolution that has rocked the world of pokemon forever. No longer will you be stuck battling your noob cousins who know nothing of Pokemon. Now you will battle the elite, the many, the proud, the pokemon elitists.

Gameplay

Pokemon is a fairly simple looking game on the outside. Catch a pokemon, level up, beat gym leaders, win the game. Though, in reality, it goes oh so much deeper than this. You catch a pokemon, you see it's nature. Ooh, it's nature is naughty. Oh, but that doesn't just mean just anything. It means something. Natures affect that stat growth of your pokemon. Some natures are beneficial for a pokemon, while others will hinder it. Let me give you an example. Let's say you have a Lopunny. Their best stat is speed. So it would make sense to get a Lopunny with a Timid nature for example. Though, if your Lapbunny has a Relaxed nature, then that will harm it in the long run. Then you also got your EVs...Or effort values. Certain pokemon give you certain effort points as you beat them. So, it would be wise to beat certain pokemon in order to mold your own pokemon into the perfect machine. Also, finding a good team that works together and has the right moves is also very important.

Now, how many pokemon are obtainable in this game...That's right, there's over 400!!! That's right you can get every single pokemon. From the great magicarp with the uber splash to useless pokemon like metagross with earthquake. And with more pokemon, comes more pokemon types mixes. Yes, now you have your ground/dragon your water/steel. This makes things much more complicated. Remember folks, you can't use poison attacks against steel pokemon. Even if said pokemon is only part steel. You can of course trade pokemon from older games through something called "pal park". You can only trade 6 a day though. Why you ask? We may never know...Though, you can obviously trade through wifi and through gts. What is gts you ask? Some say it's the Garchomp Tease Strip...But don't listen to them, it's just a silly fad going on at the pokemon boards. It really stands for Global Trade Station you put in lame pokemon and Japanese people (90% of the time) will swoop down and grant you uber pokemon.

Now, there's also so much more than just that. There's pokemon contests for example. These are contests in which your pokemon participate. It's quite exciting. There's also berry picking which relates to contests. It's quite simple, you plan a berry, then pick it up later. There's also breeding...Which is connected to trying to get the right moves on your pokemon. You get two pokemon that can breed...Then they do something. Of course, no one is quite sure how that egg gets there. One can only wonder. Though, legendary pokemon are unfortunately too cool to breed. It's a damn shame really. A damn shame. There's also other stuff. Stuff in which I don't remember fully, but believe me, it's there. Oh yeah, one such stuff is being able to make poffins with the berries.

Graphics

The graphics are great. Especially for a DS game. Just look at the pokemon, the land, the everything. It all looks so realistic doesn't it? It's almost as if you can reach far out to the screen and actually touch the pokemon...Feel their fur, squeeze their ears. That's how crisp and colorful the graphics are. Pfft forget FFXV, or whatever version they are on now. This is where the real party is at. There's even an amazing cutscene in this game featuring diagla or palkia. It basically blows other stuff out of the water...Even if they have already been blown. That's how good the graphics are. Oh, that's not even the best part. You see, there's *gasp* shading in the game. Very detailed shading actually. It's magically, mystical. They even change the atmosphere of the game depending on the time of the day. Which I have not seen any game do this before. Not Red, Ruby, and definitely not Gold or Silver version. This is some brand new, hardcore stuff. The graphics are crisp, fit perfectly, and are colorful. What else could you want?

Story

The story is simple, but oh so much more deep than it sounds like. It's obviously an allegory. The outside story is that you're a kid who wants to be the pokemon master. Though, your best friend is stands in your way and attempts to shut you down. Though, there's also a girl (or guy) that stalks you and helps you along the way. Team Galactic is doing what all villains do. Something bad. They attempt to destroy the world, then create a new one. Why? Apparently people are bad. It's a bit cliche, but it's alright. Of course, in the end, the hero is victorious.

Now time to analyze the game's story on an allegorical level. You see, the main character symbolizes a person who wants to get on top of a crime organization. He uses people (pokemon) in order achieve his goals. His "best friend" is really a high dude that's been betraying him the whole time. The stalker person that helps you is really a stalker person that is trying to help you. Team Galactic is a group of people in that organization that's trying to get the organization to go legit. Of course, if they do that, then you, the main character, will be unable to get on top of it. So, you strike them down. In the end, you defeat the champion and become the top trainer (boss) in the land. As you can see, the story is much deeper than it looks out to be.

Sound

The sound is awesome too. It's too awesome perhaps. The pokemon make little sounds whenever they appear in the wild, or when you select them in their party. These sounds...sound like chimes, on a winter evening in Russia. ven in the dreadful soviet Russia...They still sound like chimes. Oh yes, chimes indeed. Anyhow, let's take a look at other sounds. Well, the background music is amazing as always. It's crisp, colorful, and fit the game perfectly. It is practically like music to my ears. Forget songs like "oops I did it again". Listen to the music of today, tomorrow, and forever. The themes of pokemon Diamond and Ruby. These themes will forever linger in out hearts, our minds, and our very souls. This is what makes a pokemon game a pokemon game. The music. The sweet melody ringing in my ears. Like chimes ringing in my ears on a winter day in California. Which wouldn't be much different from chimes ringing in my ears on a summer day in California...Either way, it sounds like chimes.

Overall

Pokemon...A choice, or a lifestyle? It's a choice everyone has to make. This my friends I say unto you. A man without pokemon is just a man, but a man with pokemon...Is a man who has spirit. If you don't currently have the game, this is what I want you to do. I want you to run, yes run...Not walk, or use your car, but run. Anyhow, I want you to run to the nearest store that sells Pokemon games. I want to guy one. Then scream "Gotta catch them all" at the top of your lungs after you buy the game. Why? The game is just that good. It's got gameplay that is matched by no other, except for the other version of this game. It's got graphics that would make monkeys learn how to teach an old dog new tricks. It's got a story on an allegorical level that teaches everyone an important lesson. It's got music and sounds that sound like chimes banging against other chimes during a thunderstorm. The sheer amount of replayability will have you poking yourself furiously. If you buy one game this year, make sure it's this game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/07