Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond brings the original Sinnoh adventure to Nintendo Switch with a faithful remake built around Gyms, Team Galactic, and Dialga.
Why This One Is on My Radar
I distinctly remember my parents buying me Pokémon Diamond when I was growing up. I was so excited to play it, but my sister had a different game in mind: sending me on a scavenger hunt that felt like it lasted weeks before I finally got my hands on Pokémon Diamond. By that time, I was exhausted, frustrated, and ready to lock in.
My best friend had Pokémon Pearl, and we spent hours playing through the game together, battling, trading, and stealing each other’s Secret Base flags in the Underground. Those memories are a big part of why I was so excited for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond represents one of the most familiar kinds of Pokémon experiences on Nintendo Switch: a classic badge-collecting journey with just enough modern polish to make it easier to revisit.
There is a comfort to this kind of Pokémon game. You pick a starter, travel from town to town, build a team, challenge Gyms, run into your rival, deal with the local villain team, and slowly work your way toward the Pokémon League. Brilliant Diamond does not try to reinvent that loop, which may be disappointing if you wanted a more ambitious remake, but there is also a reason this formula has lasted this long.
The Short Version
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is available now on Nintendo Switch. It is a faithful remake of Pokémon Diamond, bringing players back to the Sinnoh region.
This is worth paying attention to if you want a traditional Pokémon adventure on Switch. Brilliant Diamond is not the boldest remake in the series, and it does not transform Sinnoh into something dramatically new, but it does preserve the structure of the Nintendo DS original in a very direct way.
The biggest question is whether that faithful approach works for you. If you want classic Pokémon with modern convenience, Brilliant Diamond can still be a comfortable return to Sinnoh. If you want a remake that meaningfully expands the original game, this may feel a little too careful.
Quick Details
Game file size: 6.9 GB
No. of players: Single system 1, local wireless 2–8, online 1–8
System: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: November 19, 2021
ESRB rating: E for Everyone
What Kind of Game Is This?
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is a traditional Pokémon RPG where players explore the Sinnoh region, catch and train Pokémon, earn Gym Badges, challenge the Pokémon League, and face Team Galactic along the way.
In other words, this is classic Pokémon. You are not exploring a giant open world, crafting items in the wilderness, or approaching Gyms in any order you want. You are following a more structured journey through routes, towns, caves, battles, and story events.
That structure is part of the appeal. Brilliant Diamond offers a familiar rhythm of Pokémon: building a team over time, slowly opening the map, finding new Pokémon in each area, and feeling your party get stronger as you move closer to the Elite Four.
Why It Matters
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond matters because it shows both the appeal and the limitation of a faithful remake. On one hand, Sinnoh did not need to be completely rebuilt to remain enjoyable. The region’s towns, routes, mythology, Gym challenge, and Pokémon roster still give players a complete and recognizable adventure.
On the other hand, Brilliant Diamond is also a reminder that faithfulness can only carry a remake so far. The game keeps the original structure intact, but that also means it inherits some of the older pacing, design choices, and limitations that a more ambitious remake might have reconsidered.
For Nintendo Switch players, that makes Brilliant Diamond a very specific kind of Pokémon game. It is not the most experimental, modern, or surprising entry on the system. Instead, it is the one to play when you want a clean return to classic Sinnoh without needing the series to become something else.
My Player Notes
What I’m excited about
I’m excited about Pokémon Brilliant Diamond because classic Sinnoh still has a strong sense of place. The journey through Gyms, caves, snowy routes, Team Galactic, Mount Coronet, and Dialga gives the region a mythological weight that still stands out in the series.
What I’m cautious about
I’m cautious about how safe the remake is. Brilliant Diamond preserves the original experience closely, but there are moments where that faithfulness feels less like restraint and more like a missed opportunity to make Sinnoh feel more alive on Switch.
What I want to know next
For players choosing between Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, I want to know whether Dialga, the version-exclusive Pokémon, or nostalgia for the original Diamond is enough to make this the better pick for them.
What would make this work
This works best if you approach it as a classic Pokémon replay. If you want a structured journey, a familiar Gym challenge, team building, Sinnoh mythology, and a straightforward path to the Pokémon League, Brilliant Diamond still delivers that experience clearly.
What could hold it back
What could hold it back is expecting too much reinvention. If someone comes in hoping for a remake that expands Sinnoh the way some past Pokémon remakes expanded their regions, Brilliant Diamond may feel too limited. It is strongest as a faithful return, not a bold reimagining.
Who I'd Recommend This To
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond is worth keeping on your radar if you like traditional Pokémon adventures, structured routes, Gym battles, rival encounters, team building, and the classic feeling of gradually working your way toward the Pokémon League.
This is also a good fit for players who prefer older Pokémon pacing over the more open-ended direction of newer entries. If you want a Pokémon game that feels familiar, readable, and easy to settle into, Brilliant Diamond offers one of the most straightforward options on Switch.
I would be more cautious if you already played Pokémon Shining Pearl or if you are looking for a dramatically different experience. The two Sinnoh remakes share the same core structure, so the choice mostly comes down to version preference, Legendary Pokémon, and which exclusives matter more to you.
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