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Conic's Pokemon Pearl Review

Intro

It's been 2 years since the last handheld pokemon came out. But, this time, instead of for the GBA, it's for the DS!

Graphics

We advance into a new age of handheld pokemon, as the graphics go 3-D. The older pokemon that we've come to know and love look more beautiful than last time. The new pokemon look amazing, such as Palkia. He's detailed, colorful, and has a lot of work put it. The backgrounds are luscious, although other than them being 3-D, they look almost the same as in Emerald. The trainers are great. Nintendo, great job.

Score: 10/10

Sound

The old stuff is still here, but in a slight remix. But, hey, they give a remix every time. Some stuff is new, such as the music for Rotom, Mespirit/Azlef/Uxie, and Giratina. Also, some trainer music is different. The background music can tell a story, like in Turnback Cave. It has a creepy twist, like after a soft section a sudden burst of a bass drum happens. But, mostly same old.

Score: 8/10

Controls

The second I got this game, I wanted to save. So I pushed the start button. Nothing happened. It seems the controls have slightly changed. Like usual, A is action and B is run. Instead of Start being the menu, it is moved to the Y button. Instead of Select being a registered key item, it is moved to X. During a battle, the attacks, running, items, and pokemon are maneuvered on the touch screen, while the actions happen on the bottom screen. In the overworld, everything is on the top screen. I like the changes, but sometimes I accidentaly mix up X and Y.

Score: 9/10

Gameplay

We all know how pokemon works. We got your stats (Attack, Defense, Sp. Attack, Sp. Defense, and Speed), Levels (1 to 100), evolution, and moves here. Again. Although repeating stuff isn't always fun, this system never gets old. Although it is turn based, it is also exciting. In the Elite Four, I had to use at least 20 Full Restores and Revives. If you're lucky, you gt double damage out on your attack. That's called a critical hit. The moves have a type, along with your pokemon. Depending on the type of the move and your foe's pokemon, it'll do less, more, or inbetween damage. The only thing confusing is the types of the new pokemon. Bidoof is a mole that looks like a ground type. He's a normal type. And his evolution, Bibarel, looks like a mole too. It's a Water/Normal type. Some types will be confusing, although using the internet/guides/your pokeballs, you'll figure it out eventually.

Score: 9/10

THE AVERAGE IS: 9/10