Pokémon Pearl / JAP

In Pokémon Pearl, you start your adventure in the impressive Sinnoh region - inspired by the Japanese island of Hokkaidō - with the aim of collecting all Pokémon and becoming a champion. Your journey in Pokémon Pearl begins by choosing one of three starter Pokémon: Chelast (plant), Panflam (fire) or Plinfa (water). At the same time, a thrilling conflict unfolds against the mysterious Team Galactic, which is seeking to control space with the help of legendary creatures such as Palkia in the Pearl edition.

The real-time switching between morning, daytime, evening and night is based on the internal clock of your Nintendo DS - not only atmospheric, but also relevant to the game: Some Pokémon only appear at certain times of day, and some attacks change their effect depending on the time of day.

You can see your Pokétch on the touchscreen in Pokémon Pearl - a clever, smartwatch-like application with many options such as a clock, calculator, item finder, pedometer or Pokémon mood display. As you progress through the game, you can unlock more useful apps in Pokémon Pearl - up to 20 different ones.

Graphically, Pokémon Pearl offers a combination of lovingly drawn 2D sprites and subtly interwoven 3D for environments such as bridges or buildings. This provides depth and a visual freshness that many fans have noticed positively.

The battles in Pokémon Pearl use the classic Pokémon principle, but have been strategically expanded: Moves are no longer defined by type, but as "physical" or "special" based on movement - this requires finely tuned teams. You can also expect new abilities and dual-type combinations that will also delight competitive trainers.

Another clever feature of Pokémon Pearl is Pal Park: If you insert a Game Boy Advance game (such as Ruby, Sapphire or LeafGreen) into the GBA slot of your DS, you can release six Pokémon there and then catch them in Pal Park. If you're quick, you'll receive valuable rewards - ideal for collectors of old Gen 3 Pokémon.

Pokémon Pearl is a solid and in many ways groundbreaking chapter in the main Pokémon series: Pokémon Pearl combines a classic role-playing game feel with modern improvements, including the first-ever Wi-Fi function, a clever touchscreen system, a detailed world full of new Pokémon and tactically challenging battles. Staged with a lot of heart and rounded off with new features such as GTS and Pokétch - a game that not only evokes nostalgic feelings, but is still fun to play today.