Pokémon Diamond and
Pearl are
role-playing video games with
adventure elements. The basic mechanics of the games are largely the same as their predecessors. As with all
Pokémon games for handheld consoles, the gameplay is in a
third-person overhead perspective, If the player's Pokémon defeats the opposing Pokémon by causing it to faint, it receives
experience points. After accumulating enough experience points, it will
level up; most Pokémon
evolve into a new species of Pokémon whenever they reach a certain level. Pokémon's stats also increase every time it levels up, and they will also learn new moves at certain levels as well. If a Pokémon is prevented from evolving it will learn new moves faster. Apart from battling, capturing Pokémon returns as a critical component of
Pokémon gameplay. Also, inflicting certain status effects such as sleep or paralysis adds a multiplier to the capture rate, making it easier to capture wild Pokémon. Each species has a capture rate of its own as well.
New features As with other generations of
Pokémon games,
Diamond and
Pearl retain the basic gameplay of their predecessors while introducing additional new features. The day-night cycle makes a return and has increased from three times of day in
Gold and Silver to five time periods in
Diamond and
Pearl: morning, day, afternoon, evening, and night.
Diamond and
Pearl also introduce several changes to battle mechanics. In previous generations, Pokémon moves were classified as "physical" or "special" based on their
type; for example, all Fire-type moves were special and all Ground-type moves were physical. In
Diamond and
Pearl, however, moves are categorized into three groups. Attacks that make physical contact with the opponent are "physical", attacks that do not make physical contact are "special", and moves that do not deal damage are classified as "status". Some of the games' new features capitalize on the
Nintendo DS's features. The Pokétch, a simulated
smartwatch, resides on the DS's bottom screen and hosts various applications including a clock, calculator, map, counter, and a drawing pad. These applications are obtained throughout the game. in it, players can create and decorate secret bases, first featured in
Pokémon Ruby and
Sapphire, and participate in
minigames. The items mined in the Underground can then be transferred into the player's bag in the main game.
Diamond and
Pearl also employ support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (since discontinued), allowing players to communicate through
voice chat, trade, and battle online. The main system for trade is the Global Trade Station, which allows players to trade with people around the world. Players can search for any Pokémon that they have seen in the game and can offer their own; if another player is offering the requested Pokémon and is looking for the offered Pokémon, the trade occurs immediately. A trade does not have to be instant; an offer can be left for other players to browse and complete, even while the player is offline. Certain species of Pokémon traded internationally will have a Pokédex entry in the language of the game it originated from. According to
Pokémon art director Ken Sugimori, the Global Trade Station was the new feature he was most pleased with. Pokémon Contests are events in which the player's Pokémon compete in a show to win ribbons and, in
Diamond and
Pearl, they consist of three stages, two more than the Contests of the
Game Boy Advance games. In the Visual Competition stage, players use the Nintendo DS's
touchscreen to place accessories on their Pokémon to boost a particular trait, such as "Cool" or "Cute", and earn points. In the Dance Competition stage, the player must tap buttons on the touchscreen in rhythm with the music. The final stage, Acting Competition, is similar to Pokémon Contests of the Game Boy Advance games; Pokémon use their moves to appeal to the judges and crowd. Like Pokéblocks in the third-generation games, baked goods called Poffins can be made from berries and fed to Pokémon to boost a particular trait, and therefore, the likelihood of success in a relevant Contest.
Connectivity to other devices In addition to compatibility with each other,
Diamond and
Pearl offer compatibility with the third generation
Pokémon games,
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire,
Emerald, and
FireRed and LeafGreen. They are also compatible with
Pokémon Ranger and
Pokémon Battle Revolution. After earning the National
Pokédex in
Diamond and
Pearl, the player can "Migrate" Pokémon from the Game Boy Advance games to
Diamond and
Pearl by inserting a Game Boy Advance
cartridge into the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot of the Nintendo DS while
Diamond or
Pearl is in the DS slot. After six Pokémon are uploaded from the cartridge, they are sent to the Pal Park, an area where the player can capture the transferred Pokémon. Pokémon uploads are restricted to six every twenty-four hours per Game Boy Advance cartridge, and the player must capture the uploaded Pokémon before performing another transfer. Pokémon transferred to
Diamond and
Pearl this way cannot be sent back to a Game Boy Advance cartridge. After completing a special mission in
Pokémon Ranger, the player will be able to send a
Manaphy egg or
Riolu from
Ranger to
Diamond or
Pearl. Finally, players can wirelessly upload Pokémon from
Diamond and
Pearl to the
Wii games
Pokémon Battle Revolution and
My Pokémon Ranch. ==Story==