Summary
Pokemon Platinumfirst launched 16 years ago in Japan, but it wasn’t until May 28, 2025 that it made its way on consoles in the United States, and slowly after that in the rest of the world. WhilePokemon Diamond and Pearlare often considered mid-tier titles in the series,Pokemon Platinumis arguably one of the best gamesin the franchise thanks to a plethora of quality-of-life changes compared to its predecessors as well as new features that made it more replayable. But this was no bed of roses forPokemon Platinum, which after 15 years realized its full potential only halfway through.
Gen 4 has undoubtedly received a lot of attention lately, and that’s thanks to the release ofPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlin November 2021 and thenPokemon Legends: Arceusin January 2022, giving Sinnoh (and thus Hisui) a fair share of time in the spotlight. However, Gen 4 remakes were not received well by fans, to the point that many were worried that the same developer, ILCA, would work on the rumored Gen 5 remakes. A prominent reason why Gen 4 remakes were received so poorly is the change in direction compared toPokemon Platinum, especially considering that the game’s content was completely cut.
Pokemon Platinum’s Cut Content From Gen 4 Remakes is Sorely Missed
Why Pokemon Platinum’s Innovation Didn’t Fully Pay Off in Modern Games
Pokemon Platinum’s popularity should have warrantedPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlto include its content, especially seeing how some quality-of-life features introduced with the third Gen 4 game were sorely missing from the remakes. Not only that, but some of the new content introduced inPokemon Platinumdidn’t make it into the Gen 4 remakes, including some pretty significant features. These include:
As such,Pokemon Platinumhas a lot of unrealized and untapped potential that only came to fruition when the game was originally released between 2008 and 2009, but not much so after that. That doesn’t mean thatPokemon Platinum’s content was forgotten, however, and other games in the franchise did adopt some of it as well as Gen 4 remakes themselves.
Pokemon Platinum’s Content and Legacy Explained
How Modern Pokemon Games Pay Homage to Pokemon Platinum
An example is the fact that Rotom was capable of changing forms and retained its newPokemon Platinumforms in all mainline games after that, to the point that some Rotom forms are even used inPokemonVGC tournaments to this day. Another example comes from the general form-change mechanics regarding Giratina, Shaymin, and other pocket monsters.Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Origin Forme Dialga and Palkiaalso used form-change items like the ones introduced inPokemon Platinum, and they still do in more recent games likePokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Overall, there is a lot of good thatPokemon Platinumcan be remembered by, but it does stick out like a sore thumb considering that some of its most relevant additions didn’t make it in Gen 4 remakes, and those may have been the last remakes of the series if Gen 5 doesn’t follow suit. It’s also unlikely thatPokemon Platinumwill get a standalone remake, which has never been the case with third-version games likePokemon Yellow,Pokemon Crystal, andPokemon Emerald. Fans will have to wait and see, butPokemon Platinum’s legacydoes have a place in modern titles on its own.
Pokémon Platinum
WHERE TO PLAY
Packed with many brand new features, including the Distortion World, Pokemon Platinum Version follows on from the success of Pokemon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version. The mysterious Distortion World is governed by neither Time nor Space, but to succeed in your mission you’ll have to enter it and overcome the tricky challenges it holds. Along the way you’ll cross the huge Legendary Renegade Pokemon, Giratina in its new Origin Forme, and face other Legendaries like Dialga and Palkia, as well as the Lake trio of Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit. On top of that, if you get your hands on the elusive Shaymin for your copy of Pokémon Diamond or Pokemon Pearl, you may transfer it to Platinum and witness it taking on the brand new Sky Forme. (Click here to find out more about getting Shaymin). Of course, building up a collection of rare Pokemon is fine, but success in Pokemon Platinum Version depends on how you direct them in Battle! The latest installment in the Pokémon series puts your skills as a Trainer to the test like never before, with challenges coming thick and fast. The Battle Frontier is an area that houses all kinds of rock hard challenges. Victory within five different facilities of the Battle Frontier is rewarded with Battle Points that can be exchanged for well-earned prizes.
