Genre: Role-Playing Game

Platform: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

Over the past 13 years, Pokemon fans have been treated to 15 main games and a selection of spin-off titles. Never in it’s history though has the RPG been more fun and complete than it has been on the DS with 493 Pokemon’s spanning Diamond and Pearl.

For those of you confused by the flow of the series, Diamond and Pearl were the same game released simultaneously but with different Pokemon to catch. Platinum is now an updated version of that same game with a few extra tweaks and treats.

But you don’t need to have previous experience with Diamond, Pearl or any of the other previous Pokemon games to play and full in love with Platinum. Nor do you need to be a child to enjoy the RPG elements and fun gameplay that lie within, despite the games cute and colourful aesthetics.

Team Galactica are trying to obtain a rare Pokemon, one with which they can destroy entire regions and then rebuild them as they please. It’s down to you to try and stop their evil plans whilst traversing Sinnoh, catching Pokemons and becoming one of the greatest trainers ever.

The brand new Distortion World is a place that focuses less on the battle side of things which serves players a refreshing slice of puzzle solving in a world in which gravity goes against all of Newton’s work.

Another section that wasn’t involved in Diamond and Pearl is The Battle Frontier that provides trainers with five new challenges, each with their own rules and criteria.

For people that have played Diamond or Pearl, there probably isn’t enough extra to warrant another play through. But Platinum provides a great place for newcomers to the series or people that haven’t played a Pokemon game in a while.

No DS owner should let the Pokemon series pass him or her by, even if it’s not necessary to catch them all.

SCORE: 8 / 10