This is a list of the new features and differences from the original versions of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (BDSP). Read on to learn what's new and see all changes made in the Diamond and Pearl Remakes!

New Features

List of Differences from Originals
Ramanas Park replaces Pal Park Gym Leader and Elite Four rematches Jirachi and Mew Gifts Fairy Type Pokemon Hideaways Character creation and customization New Pokemon allowed in Amity Square Pokemon Nursery replaces Day Care HMs replaced with Hidden Moves Union Room replaces Nintendo WFC Grand Underground greatly expanded Shorter Super Contest Shows

Ramanas Park: New Post-Game Area

Replacing the Pal Park from the original games, Ramanas Park is a new post-game area containing rooms where Legendary Pokemon can be encountered. In order to encounter these Legendaries, players must dig up Mysterious Shards in the Grand Underground and trade them for Slates, which will trigger an encounter with the Legendary Pokemon when placed in the right room.

Legendary Pokemon in Ramanas Park

Brilliant Diamond Only
Entei	Suicune	Raikou	Ho-Oh
Shining Pearl Only
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres	Lugia
Both Versions
Regirock	Regice	Registeel	Latios
Groudon	Kyogre	Rayquaza	Latias
Mewtwo

Ramanas Park Guide

Gym Leader and Elite Four Rematches

You can now rematch all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four once you've obtain the National Dex after becoming the Champion. The Gym Leaders and Elite Four members will have high-leveled Pokemon and Pokemon from the National Dex on their teams, so don't take them lightly!

Rematch Guides
All Gym Leader Rematch Teams	All Elite Four Rematch Teams

Jirachi and Mew Gifts

Players with save data from previous Pokemon games for the Nintendo Switch can receive Jirachi and Mew for free in Floaroma Town.

If you have Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield save data, you can get a Jirachi Gift, and if you have Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu or Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee save data, you can get a Mew Gift.

Fairy-Type

Fairy Type Pokemon and Fairy Type Moves are present in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The Fairy-type was introduced in Generation 6, thus it did not appear in the original Diamond and Pearl games, which are part of Generation 4.

Pokemon Hideaways

Pokemon Hideaways are a new feature of the Grand Underground in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and appear to replace the cartridge feature in the original games.

These hideaways come in different terrains such as verdant forests, volcanic landscapes, and arid deserts and are home to Pokemon here are found nowhere else in the Sinnoh Region!

Hideaways Locations
Fountainspring Cave[/align]	Stargleam Cavern	Dazzling Cave
Grassland Cave[/align]	Spacious Cave	Big Bluff Cavern
Riverbank Cave	Volcanic Cave	Sandsear Cave[/align]
Rocky Cave[/align]	Bogsunk Cavern[/align]	Still-Water Cavern[/align]
Whiteout Cave	Icy Cave[/align]	Glacial Cavern[/align]
Swampy Cave	Typhlo Cavern	Sunlit Cavern

Pokemon Hideaways Guide

Character and Outfit Customization

Change Your Character's Appearance

New to the Sinnoh Remakes is the ability to change your character's appearance at the start of the game!

Dress Your Character Up

Additionally, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl now allows players to dress up their characters. The Metronome Style Shop has been added to Veilstone City, where the Gaming Corner used to be in the originals.

How to Change Clothes

Walking Pokemon

Walking Pokemon are Pokemon outside their Pokeball that follow you around on your adventure. In the past, this used to be limited to Amity Square but the remakes confirm that you can walk your Pokemon around the map.

In Amity Square, where you used to be able to walk with 1 of your Pokemon, you can now walk with your whole party of 6!

How to Have Pokemon Follow You and Walk With Pokemon

New Pokemon Allowed in Amity Square

Additionally, you are now allowed to stroll with more species of Pokemon inside Amity Square! The Pokemon allowed inside Amity Square are the following:

Pokemon Allowed in Amity Square
Pikachu	Clefairy	Jigglypuff	Psyduck
Eevee	Vaporeon	Jolteon	Flareon
Espeon	Umbreon	Torchic	Shroomish
Skitty	Turtwig	Grotle	Torterra
Chimchar	Monferno	Infernape	Piplup
Prinplup	Empoleon	Pachirisu	Drifloon
Buneary	Happiny	Leafeon	Glaceon

Pokemon Allowed in Amity Square Guide and Map

Day Care Replaced With Pokemon Nursery

The original Diamond and Pearl had the Pokemon Daycare where you can leave your Pokemon to breed and level up. However, starting from Pokemon Sun and Moon, the Pokemon Daycare has been replaced with the Pokemon Nursery. The leveling up mechanic was removed and it is now solely for breeding Pokemon.

Pokemon Nursery Location and Guide

Revamped Features

HMs Replaced With Hidden Moves

In the original games, you acquired HMs as move-teaching items at various points throughout the story. These Hidden Moves still exist in the remakes, but instead of teaching the moves to your Pokemon, you unlock the feature directly onto your Poketch. This way, you don't need to sacrifice a move slot of your party Pokemon or make use of an HM slave.

All HM Locations (Hidden Moves) and How to Use

Union Room Replaces Nintendo WFC

In Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, players used the Nintendo DS' native Wi-Fi functionality supported by the Nintendo WFC to battle and trade online with other players, as well as make use of The Underground.

With the WFC's discontinuation back in 2014, the Union Room will now function as the hub where you can battle other trainers through local and online communication!

Global Union Room Replacing the GTS

Choosing the Global Room through the Union Room, players can trade Pokemon with other players online, as well as participate in battles and other activities.

How to Trade Locally and Online

The Grand Underground

Grand Underground Features	Solo or Online
Digging for Treasure	Solo and Online
Building a Secret Base	Solo
Farming Diglett	Solo and Online
Underground Man Missions	Solo
Unlocking Spiritomb	Solo

In Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Underground feature returns as the greatly expanded Grand Underground! Capture the Flag and decorating your Secret Base with Goods have been removed and you're now also able to unlock Spiritomb without going online.

Grand Underground Guide and Available Features

Arrange Statues in your Secret Base!

Additionally, the Grand Underground has been greatly expanded to include Pokemon Hideaways, Statues, and a farming Diglett minigame to help find more Statues.

Pokemon Statues are unique items that you can find by digging up fossils and have an expanded role in the new Grand Underground. When arranged in a certain order or combination, you'll encounter different kinds of Pokemon in the Pokemon Hideaway!

List of Statues and Effects

The Super Contest Show

Pokemon Contests have been revamped into Super Contest Shows. You now win Super Contest Shows by succesfully filling up the Hype Meter as a team of 4 Pokemon and by becoming the Star of the Show by having the Pokemon that earned the most points.

Additionally, Ball Capsule decoration and Stickers replace Accessories in the Visual Evaluation, as well as the Dance and Move Evaluation being more streamlined so that each show has a shorter runtime of approx. 2 mins, as compared to the previous approx. 10-min shows.

Super Contest Show Guide and New Features

Pokemon BDSP News

News and Game Info

Pokemon HOME News

All Latest News

All News Categories

All Other News

Game Features
Everything We Know	New Features & Differences
Version Exclusive Pokemon	Multiplayer and Online Features
National Dex	Mega Evolutions
Platinum Content	Fairy Type
Removed Features	Pal Park
Battle Frontier	Dynamax and Gigantamax
Sword and Shield Compatibility	Sinnoh Regional Variants
Available Editions