Pokémon Diamond & Pearl vs. Pokémon X & Y: Full Comparison

Pokemon is one of if not THE best franchise of all time. The series is always improving on itself, depending on who you ask, and out of every single game you can argue reasons to play that specific one over the others. In this article, we’re comparing my favorite game of the 2D era of Pokemon with its first real foray into the 3D space for its mainline entries.

Polish Vs Novelty

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are my favorite games of the series. These were the first games in the series released on Nintendo DS and they arrived at generally favorable reviews. The games currently sit in the mid-80s on Metacritic but I don’t need a critic to tell me just how amazing these games are. They introduced many new features and polished old ones. The day and night cycle made a return with new mechanics, The Poketch is another new feature that capitalized on the Nintendo DS’s features.

Pokemon X and Y are good too but not everyone is a fan of the new visuals. On October 12, 2013, Pokemon X and Y were released on 3DS and arrived at favorable reviews as well. They are the first Pokemon games to be 3D and to include 3D functions from the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. Critics praised the game’s visuals and transition to 3D but the game was heavily criticized for being too easy and too linear. This didn’t affect sales though because it still went on to sell 16 million.

Regions 

Pokemon X and Y are set in the Kalos region, a region inspired by France. The region is known for its star shape and its culture around beauty. This setting takes a lot of inspiration from the real world with landmarks such as Prism Tower and Lumiose Art Museum being based on the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre respectively.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are set in the Sinnoh region, based on the Japanese island Hokkaido. It is known for its large, snow-covered mountains. Sinnoh is also known for its three main lakes that form a triangle. Only 30 percent of Sinnoh’s landscape comprises waterways. It seems they really wanted to get away from the water region of Hoenn.

Features

Pokemon X and Y brought many new features to the series:

• The game features 3D models for characters, creatures, and buildings. This is unlike past titles that were 2D or 2.5D and used character sprites for Pokemon.
•  Eight-directional walking was implemented, adding more movement to the usually four-dimensional grid. 
• 72 new Pokemon were added, bringing the total number of Pokemon to 721. Kalos has the largest regional Pokedex with 457 catchable Pokemon. 
• The Player Search System (PSS) allows players to battle, trade, and connect through the internet. Other Trainers can be found locally or around the world.
• Trainers can interact with their Pokemon more through Pokemon-Amie. Feeding or petting your Pokemon builds a strong bond. 
• Flying Pokemon that use Levitate can compete in Sky Battles.
• Several wild Pokemon can be fought at once in Horde Battles, offering more challenge and experience. 
• Fairy-type Pokemon were created to balance out strong Dragon-Types. 
• Mega Evolutions allow Pokemon to gain an increase in stats and power during battle. 
• Players can change their appearance in-game instead of having a pre-selected character.   

Diamond and Pearl is an older set of games that are just as impactful. The fourth generation of Pokemon was pivotal to what makes the series great today. Diamond and Pearl introduced many features like:

• Pokemon moves for the first time were categorized into Status, Physical, or Special classes. 
• With the Nintendo DS, the two screens could now be used instead of the standard one screen from past Game Boy devices. 
• Players could now use wifi to connect, trade, and battle instead of using the link cables. 
• Double Battles were expanded and focused on more. 
• When Pokemon get knocked out, new Pokemon no longer receive an incoming attack. Instead, the turns reset and start from the beginning. 
• A new Elite Four team was introduced and located in the Pokemon League. Cynthia is often considered one of the hardest Pokemon Champions to defeat. 
• GTS (Global Trade System) was created for Trainers to trade Pokemon by putting them up for other players to see. With the search function, players could search for Pokemon around the world.

Gym Battles

Both games include the standard eight Gym Battles, Elite Four, and the final showdown against the Pokemon Champion. There are some slight differences between the titles, like Team Exp. Share and battle order. In Pokemon X and Y, players can battle the Elite Four in any order, a feature first introduced in Black and White. 

The Team Exp. Share in X and Y, which is not included in Diamond and Pearl, can be obtained after the first Gym Battle and make the game easier if players uses it. Having your Pokemon team receive experience after every battle makes leveling much easier and faster, but it can mean they are over-leveled by the end of the game.   

Diamond and Pearl is known for being harder than other mainline titles due to its level curve and intelligent AI. Couple this with leveling up Pokemon individually, and the Elite Four and Pokemon Champion become much harder.

Pokemon X and Y Gym Leaders

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Gym Leaders

Pokemon X and Y Elite Four

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Elite Four

Pokemon

The featured Pokemon in Diamond and Pearl are some of my favorites. X and Y has the largest regional Pokedex in the franchise and added over 70 new Pokemon. The following lists only include the new Pokemon added to these games.

Diamond/Pearl Pokemon

X/Y Pokemon