The much-awaited remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are finally out and have given the Sinnoh region a graphical facelift. Though the games don't give the original 2006 DS games a grand-scale reinvention, they capture their 2D pixel art style in their 3D equivalent.
This includes the region's various locales, with some getting a welcome atmospheric upgrade. However, these remakes also brought the chance to reintroduce classic locations that were previously walled off by physical events that required players to go redeem a Mystery Gift item.
Floaroma Town
There are certain things in Floaroma Town that make it worth exploring for gameplay purposes. This is where players can unlock the Honey Tree mechanic to encounter special species of Pokémon. And, as long as fans have saved data for either of the Let's Go games and Sword or Shield, they can find two NPCs that give them some of the best Legendary/Mythical Pokémon in Mew and Jirachi respectively.
And to the town's right, players can find Drifloon outside Valley Windworks on Fridays to capture. But Floaroma Town is also a great place to visit just for the scenery. The bright colors from flowers, soft bloom effects to the lighting, and floating petals make it quite picturesque.
Wayward Cave
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon are often highly sought-after creatures for fans. They're some of the most powerful non-legendary Pokémon in the games, and Garchomp takes that title in Sinnoh. Its first species form, Gible, can be found in Wayward Cave.
This cave is found relatively early in the games, but players will need to come back after getting the Strength Hidden Machine. With it, players can get into the lower levels of Wayward Cave where Gible can be found. Garchomp's Dragon/Ground dual-typing makes it incredibly formidable in battle.
Grand Underground
Arguably the biggest appeal to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is the Grand Underground. The original games featured this, but the remakes expand on it by incorporating wild Pokémon. On top of the Spheres and Pokémon Fossils players can find, now they can dig up statues that affect which wild species they'll encounter.
Hideaways are the underground dens that feature specific Pokémon, including ones that were only in the Platinum regional Pokédex. It's a great incentive to explore and add variety to possible team combinations. This is especially important after acquiring the National Dex, as it opens up another plethora of species to find and catch.
Iron Island
Once players reach Canalave City, they'd do well to take the ferry to Iron Island if they want to get another fan-favorite Pokémon. Visiting Iron Island starts a side quest when exploring its cave, with Riley partnering up with the protagonist to run Team Galactic off the island.
Aside from being an entertaining dungeon to explore, the classic returning character from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl gives the player a Riolu egg. Riley uses a Lucario as his ace, and the egg hatches its first form and is the only one available in the main game. Lucario is another powerhouse species, with its high Attack/Special Attack stats and dual Fighting/Steel-type making it a great mixed attacker.
Amity Square
Hearthome City's Amity Square in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl received some added benefits from their DS predecessors. One of the remakes' trailers revealed that Following Pokémon would return, which was a beloved feature that made players' teams feel more personal and immersive.
They can take their creatures out of their Pokéballs and stroll the park while even finding items like TMs (Technical Machines) to teach them new moves for battle. After players' first visit to Amity Square, they'll then be able to take any Pokémon out to walk with them everywhere else in the games.
Jubilife TV Station
The Jubilife City TV Station is a key place to visit to unlock the games' Mystery Gift function. It's also an early-game location but is blocked off by a clown promoting the Pokétch watch. After completing the story and side activities there involving Team Galactic and receiving the watch, the protagonist is free to explore the station.
On the third floor, after giving the "EVERYONE HAPPY WI-FI CONNECTION" answer to an NPC, the Mystery Gift function is unlocked. It's especially important for players in the short term, as this lets them download the limited-time Platinum outfit and receive the Legendary Manaphy Egg.
Newmoon Island
Newmoon Island is a technical entry that players should look into, as it's currently inaccessible in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. However, when the games leaked around a week before release, fans quickly discovered that the Newmoon Island Darkrai event was scripted into the games.
It's one of the most memorable Legendary Pokémon event quests, and if ILCA's approach to these remakes is of any indication, this side quest will likely become available in the same manner through Mystery Gift. Darkrai's quest was one of the eeriest, with the player being put in a nightmare in Canalve's mysteriously locked hotel before being transported to Newmoon Island.
Fullmoon Island
Completing the Lunar Duo with Dakrai is Cresselia. Currently, and unlike Darkrai, Cresselia can be found by normal means in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl on Fullmoon Island. The original games featured the same method, with players tasked to complete the Sinnoh regional Pokédex.
This only requires seeing the 150 Pokémon rather than having to catch them. A side quest then opens in Canalave where the sailor asks the protagonist to cure his son's endless sleep. Players can meet Cresselia there, which then triggers it to roam around Sinnoh to capture.
Battle Tower
Fans are understandably disappointed by the Battle Frontier's repeated exclusion from the games, but Diamond and Pearl's Battle Tower has been preserved with some added benefits. After becoming the Sinnoh Champion and going to the Battle Resort, players will find the Battle Tower.
The Tower Tycoon is none other than Barry's father, serving as one of the periodical boss fights when hitting winning streaks of 21 and 49 battles. It's an exciting way to get some post-game challenge, and fans will also find Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, etc. to battle. This is also key for gearing up Pokémon for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's refreshingly tough post-game grind of Gym and Elite Four rematches.
Ramanas Park
Ramanas Park is a post-game facility that replaces the original games' Pal Park. The latter served as a place where players could transfer their Pokémon from the GBA games up to Diamond and Pearl. The Grand Underground and Poké Radar largely replace this need, but Ramanas Park makes it a place to encounter several Legendary creatures.
Here, there are several caves where players can find the likes of Groudon, Kyogre, Ho-Oh, Lugia, and more. To unlock these caves, players need to find rare slates in the Grand Underground (Kanto Plate, Johto Plate, etc.). Ramanas Park is a good way to provide endgame content across two different locations and features.