Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has recently released and with it has come graphics updates for every single character, location, and Pokémon. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl from 2006. Although Nintendo is selling effectively the same game, the appeal of a remake has brought many players to purchase the new edition. Of course, there is the nostalgia value, but there may be something more that brings players so hyped about the new release. In addition to adding more Pokémon and quality of life updates, the game has a distinct visual style in the form of Chibi’s for characters that have become iconic among fans.
For example, one of the game’s main antagonists, pictured below, is shown as a “cute” chibi character, cartoonifying his character even further and perhaps adding to the fun of the game. Pokémon has not historically been a franchise that is known for story that hits hard and perhaps this self-awareness adds to the fun of the new version of the game. No matter the reason though, it remains a fact that the game is a hit, selling more than 1.3 million copies within the first 3 days of release.
