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Differences and exclusive Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Get ready for a new adventure in the Sinnoh region and find all the exclusive Pokémon you will find in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Differences and exclusive Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is available on Nintendo Switch, with fans of the franchise showing their love and anger as they've discovered the remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS RPG games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl .

Many players are wondering about the differences between both titles, as The Pokémon Company tends to provide exclusive features to all their versions to impulse its community to trade, interact, or even buy the two remakes.

If you are one of those too, here we will take a look at all things that differ in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Differences and version-exclusive Pokémon

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Uncover the mysteries of the Sinnoh region and become the champion. (Picture: ILCA / The Pokémon Company)

As players have pointed out through early gameplays, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be very faithful to their DS releases from 2006, and this will be reflected with their version-exclusive Pokémon as well.

To begin with, its first difference will come with their legendary Pokémon available in-game, as both titles will have just a bunch of the entire roster from the first to the fourth generation, with the cover Pokémon, Dialga and Palkia, being exclusive for their respective titles.

As for the rest of the legendaries, players will have the chance to fight against them and catch thanks to a new facility known as the Ramanas Park, where, using a new kind of ancient slates that resemble a game cartridge, you will activate a guaranteed encounter with a legendary Pokémon.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Search for legendary Pokémon at the Ramanas Park. (Picture: ILCA / The Pokémon Company)

The slates that will appear in each game will vary, so in order to complete your last Pokédex entries, you will need to either do trades with another player, look for them through the game’s trading system, or transfer them from the Pokémon cloud-storage service, Pokémon HOME.

Last but not least, there are also some other Pokémon that will be version-exclusive, resembling the original games in terms of appearance. This includes the fossils you can find through the Grand Underground.

So, without further saying, here is the complete list of Pokémon exclusive to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond

  • Aggron
  • Arbok
  • Arcanine
  • Aron
  • Butterfree
  • Caterpie
  • Cranidos
  • Dewgong
  • Dialga
  • Ekans
  • Electabuzz
  • Electivire
  • Elekid
  • Entei
  • Gligar
  • Gliscor
  • Growlithe
  • Ho-Oh
  • Honchkrow
  • Kecleon
  • Lairon
  • Larvitar
  • Mawile
  • Metapod
  • Mightyena
  • Mime Jr.
  • Mr. Mime
  • Murkrow
  • Nuzleaf
  • Poochyena
  • Pupitar
  • Raikou
  • Rampardos
  • Scizor
  • Scyther
  • Seedor
  • Seel
  • Shiftry
  • Skuntank
  • Solrock
  • Stunky
  • Suicune
  • Tyranitar
  • Zangoose
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Lots of adventures await at the Grand Underground. (Picture: ILCA / The Pokémon Company)

Pokémon Shining Pearl

  • Articuno
  • Bagon
  • Bastiodon
  • Beedrill
  • Glameow
  • Houndoom
  • Houndour
  • Kakuna
  • Lombre
  • Lotad
  • Ludicolo
  • Lugia
  • Lunatone
  • Magby
  • Magmar
  • Magmortar
  • Misdreavus
  • Mismagius
  • Moltres
  • Ninetales
  • Palkia
  • Pinsir
  • Purugly
  • Sableye
  • Salamence
  • Sandshrew
  • Sandslash
  • Sealeo
  • Seviper
  • Shelgon
  • Shieldon
  • Slowbro
  • Slowking
  • Slowpoke
  • Spheal
  • Stantler
  • Teddiursa
  • Ursaring
  • Vulpix
  • Walrein
  • Weedle
  • Zapdos

Aside from these exclusive Pokémon, most of the features on both titles will be the same with the only big change being around the game’s story, as Brilliant Diamond will be mostly focused around Dialga, and Shining Pearl will have Palkia as its protagonist during the Team Galactic’s plot.

While we wait for the games’ launch, here is the first look at everything that awaits you in the Sinnoh region, courtesy of Nintendo.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released this 19th November, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

You can find more news, guides, announcements and updates in our section dedicated to the Pokémon franchise.

Featured image courtesy of Nintendo.