Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl may follow the same story and have many similar Pokémon available to catch, but each version has its own lineup of exclusive Pokémon. The presence of a favorite Pokémon in one game instead of the other is a common reason for players to take their pick between the two, and version exclusivity has been a part of Pokémon since the first games.
Pokémon BDSP are remakes of Nintendo DS titles Diamond & Pearl. Returning to the Sinnoh region, players will once again be building their team by capturing the Pokémon present in the region. These Pokémon are subject to several differences, with each game housing a selected set of exclusives that cannot be contained in the opposite game.
Each player will have their own preferences on which BDSP version exclusives are better. Players who prefer Misdreavus over Murkrow will likely feel more inclined to choose Shining Pearl over Brilliant Diamond for those exclusives. However, player preference isn’t everything, and when a closer look is taken at the Pokémon available in both versions, one shines above the other in regards to the most wanted Pokémon and their availability.
Brilliant Diamond’s Exclusive Pokémon Are More Desirable Than Shining Pearl’s
Between the two games, Brilliant Diamond’s exclusive Pokémon are both more elusive and more desirable. For example, Pinsir and Scyther are two Bug-type Pokémon that specialize in physical attacks, with Pinsir being exclusive to Pearl and Scyther to Diamond. Scyther has the added benefit of a trade evolution in the Sinnoh Pokédex, evolving into the very desirable Bug/Steel-type Pokémon Scizor. Additionally, Brilliant Diamond touts many fan-favorite Pokémon as exclusives, including the always-popular Fire-types Growlithe and Arcanine, as well as powerful pseudo-Legendary Pokémon like Tyranitar, the Dark/Rock-type Pokémon. When compared to Pokémon such as Shining Pearl’s Ninetails (which is outperformed by Arcanine) and Salamence (a Dragon-type outperformed by both Tyranitar and overshadowed by Sinnoh’s own Garchomp), it’s clear which title provides the better exclusives.
Brilliant Diamond‘s version exclusives are only shown up by its exclusive Legendary Pokémon. Upon defeating the Elite Four, players gain access to Ramanas Park, replacing the original games’ Pal Park. In Ramanas Park, players get access to Legendary Pokémon from past games, such as Mewtwo and Rayquaza, with some being exclusive to one game or the other. In Brilliant Diamond, players get access to Johto’s Legendary beasts trio of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.
Conversely, in Shining Pearl, players get access to Kanto’s legendary bird trio of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Although both trios are powerful, the Legendary birds just aren’t as elusive as the legendary beasts. Not only were they available to any players who played Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee! on their Nintendo Switch, but they also featured new Galarian forms in The Crown Tundra DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield. This has led to some oversaturation of the Legendary birds of Kanto, making them comparatively more difficult to come by and the Legendary beasts trio much more desirable.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond may have the more desirable exclusives, but Shining Pearl owners shouldn’t feel buyer’s remorse over it. Between the game’s very desirable Lugia exclusive and the inclusion of powerful ghost-type Mismagius, there’s still plenty to enjoy in that version. Players who want the best Pokémon the fastest should steer toward Brilliant Diamond, but owners of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl can always trade with one another to get the exact Pokémon they desire, regardless of which BDSP version they chooose.
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