What are the differences in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are nearing their release date of November 19, 2021, and you may be wondering which game to get. To make that decision, knowing the differences in each game would be helpful. Each iteration of the Pokémon core series has some minor differences, and you can see the differences in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl below.

The original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl released back in 2006, had very little differences. This may remain true for the remakes, but until release, this is not known. The primary and most obvious difference between the two games is the version exclusive Pokémon. This means that some Pokémon cannot be caught in one game and must be traded from the other.

Related: All confirmed exclusive version Pokémon in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

While this is the primary difference, a few differences can be assumed if Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remain faithful to their predecessors. There may be some difference in the encounter rates of Pokémon throughout the various environments of the Sinnoh region.

There may be additional differences in the remakes that players won't know until they are released. This could include different NPCs, battles, and outfits for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl separately.

Another obvious difference is in the names and box art. Diamond and Brilliant Diamond feature Dialga as well as a blue background while Pearl and Shining Pearl feature Palkia and pink background. While these are small differences, they seem to have affected the original releases as Diamond sold better than Pearl.

For more information on Pokémon, check out How to pre-order Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl? and How to get the Pokémon Platinum outfits in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl? on Pro Game Guides.