{"id":86392,"date":"2026-09-20T09:12:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T01:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86392"},"modified":"2026-09-20T09:12:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T01:12:03","slug":"the-best-pokemon-games-to-start-with-are-still-the-classics-from-20-years-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=86392","title":{"rendered":"The Best Pok\u00e9mon Games to Start With Are Still the Classics From 20 Years Ago"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The Pok\u00e9mon franchise from Game Freak is a revolving door. Someone is always going in for the first time, while someone else is on the way out. There\u2019s a new mainline entry or remake every few years, which keeps interest levels high. Sooner or later, most of us cave and try a Pok\u00e9mon game. Then we\u2019re stuck in that universe alongside everyone else.<\/p>\n

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My own entry came with Pok\u00e9mon Pearl<\/em> and Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em>. Those titles arrived in Japan on Sep. 28, 2006, two decades ago. And although plenty of newer titles have come along with ambitious new twists, those classic Pok\u00e9mon games are still a perfect starting point, even 20 years later.<\/p>\n

My game of choice was Pok\u00e9mon Pearl<\/em>. The cover art featured Palkia, a warrior lizard with sturdy legs and an extended neck. I wasn\u2019t completely enamored with its design, but it interested me more than Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em>\u2019s Dialga, which more closely resembled a plant-eating dinosaur. I wanted the other monsters to fear my starter, not eye it as a possible addition to their lunch menu.<\/p>\n

Besides those attractions, the games added a bunch of other new Pok\u00e9mon to the mix. There were 107 new monsters in total, and players had to pick up both games if they wanted to \u201ccatch \u2018em all\u201d and complete their Pok\u00e9dex. Either that, or they needed to trade with friends who owned the other version, using the Global Trade Station feature with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.<\/p>\n

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In 2006, most of my friends weren\u2019t playing Pok\u00e9mon games. That didn\u2019t stop the fun, though. I easily could have spent a bunch of time trading and battling with strangers, because plenty of other people picked up one or both titles. In fact, Pok\u00e9mon Pearl<\/em> and Diamond<\/em> remain two of the most successful entries in the franchise, even now, with roughly 40 million copies sold between the DS and Switch versions combined. They outsold both their immediate predecessors and successors by millions of units.<\/p>\n

For the solo player, Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em> and Pearl<\/em> offered other changes besides online play. Days now consisted of five chunks: morning, day, afternoon, evening, and night. That more detailed accounting of time gave players reason to stay longer in regions, hunting for rare Pok\u00e9mon varieties instead of racing through zones on the way to the next gym. Another change related to attack types. These games featured three groups: physical, special, and status attacks. A fire- or water-based move might now fit within any of those groups, rather than always being physical.<\/p>\n

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The setting also changed. Players explored the mountainous Sinnoh region (later featured in modified form in 2022\u2019s Pok\u00e9mon Legends: Arceus<\/em>). Based on Japan\u2019s northernmost island of Hokkaido, Sinnoh is an island with a mountain running through its center. There are several lakes on the surface, as well as a network of tunnels that give exploration a unique feel compared to previous games in the series.<\/p>\n

When Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em> and Pearl<\/em> launched, players quickly took advantage of the online play, while also enjoying the improved visuals and the new Pok\u00e9mon breeds. They were followed by the generation\u2019s third game, Pok\u00e9mon Platinum<\/em>, in 2008. Platinum<\/em> further expanded the Sinnoh Pok\u00e9dex, added new characters to the story, and introduced a new dimension known as the Distortion World. It also made numerous small tweaks in other areas to improve the overall experience.<\/p>\n

To play Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em> and Pearl<\/em> today, it\u2019s no longer necessary to drag out your trusty DS and hunt down those old cartridges. In 2021, Nintendo released Pok\u00e9mon Shining Pearl<\/em> and Pok\u00e9mon Brilliant Diamond<\/em>, Switch remakes that faithfully reproduce much of what made the DS versions so compelling. You won\u2019t get a completely authentic experience, but the convenience and improved graphics make up for it, especially since complete copies of the original versions now cost so much.<\/p>\n

Two decades ago, Pok\u00e9mon Pearl<\/em> and Pok\u00e9mon Diamond<\/em> officially introduced me and many other players to the wonders of Pok\u00e9mon by providing an exciting new region to explore, robust online features, and new features that evolved the classic experience in satisfying new ways. If you\u2019re looking for a starting point on your own Pok\u00e9mon journey, you could do much worse.<\/p>\n