Children's Video Game Review:

The Pokemon franchise has yet another video game out on the market. Is this upgraded version worth the cost? This review discusses the upgrades and its value to players.

The Japanese Pokemon craze has obsessed audiences for years with card trading, anime cartoons, comics, and video games. The Nintendo DS Pokemon Platinum Version is the latest in a long and lucrative line of role-playing games set in the Pokemon universe. This game is an upgrade of the Diamond and Pearl Pokemon video games, with added features and experiences.

The basic goal of the game is to explore, collect Pokemon creatures, and pit them against other Pokemons you encounter. The player chooses the gender of their character and is given a Pokemon before setting off on a grand adventure through the countryside, finding more Pokemon and thwarting the plots of the evil Team Galactic. As the player wins battles with wild and trainer-controlled Pokemon, they’ll collect more of the creatures and add them to the Pokedex. Each Pokemon has basic elemental properties, like water and fire, and they expand in abilities as the game progresses.

Pokemon Platinum is in essence a redone version of Diamond and Pearl, with several additional features. One addition is the level Distortion World, a brand new game zone where the perspective is all upside down and there’s a new boss to defeat. Battle Frontier is another addition, allowing the player to play with or against others using wireless internet through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Platinum also offers the Vs Recorder, which allows the player to record a battle, though it will save only one battle at a time. These battles can be uploaded online or shared with friends. There are numerous refinements to many small aspects of the game, an expanded Pokedex with almost 60 Pokemon, and added mini-games, enhancing this version from the previous games.

This game is rated E for everyone, so even very young gamers can explore the Pokemon world with ease and enjoyment. The game starts slow, since the player starts with just a few Pokemon who have limited abilities, so those players who are looking for quick battles and action from the beginning may be disappointed. However, this game takes at least 40 hours to progress all the way through, and there are so many extras and game features to replay that this game can keep a player occupied for a very long time. The upgrades are interesting, but for experienced players who are champions of the Pokemon world and especially those who have already played Diamond and Pearl, this game may not be worth more than a rental to explore. But newcomers to Pokemon and diehard fans will find the Pokemon Platinum version a delightful adventure.

 

Pros:

• Hours of entertainment, with great replay value
• Lots of fun, new bonuses to the 4th generation of Pokemon games

Cons:

• May not be very exciting to those who have worn out their copies of Pearl and/or Diamond
• Starts off a bit slow for those who want immediate excitement

Our Rating:

A

more information:

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Pokemon Platinum