Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl: version differences explained

techradar.com:

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl? If you’re coveting ILCA's recent Gen 4 remakes for Nintendo Switch, then that’s probably the tough question you’re asking yourself. 

Offering two versions of the same game is a tradition for the Pokémon series. Overall, you'll find both versions provide a largely identical experience with regards to things like story, map, characters, and price, with the differences between the versions tending to be small. But it’s these minor differences that end up mattering most when you’re struggling to make a decision. 

The recent Gen 8 releases, Pokémon Sword and Shield, had some pretty significant differences between versions – including version-exclusive gym leaders and characters – but, fortunately, things are a little more straightforward with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Like the original Diamond and Pearl, the differences largely revolve around version-exclusive pokémon. It might not seem like much but if you have a favorite pokémon, it’s always worth checking if they fall under the version-exclusive banner before you commit. 

There isn’t really a wrong choice when it comes to these games but to help you decide if Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl is more for you, we’ve detailed the version differences below, including version-exclusive pokémon and legendaries. 

Hopefully, this Nintendo Switch remaster will tide you over until the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which could be one of the best Nintendo Switch games.

As in the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl you’ll find that the main point of difference between the versions is their version-exclusive pokémon, with one version having wild pokémon the other