Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021, Switch)

Four rounds in, the tried-and-true Pokémon remake formula has started to show its seams. Remakes of the first two generations were revelatory, setting new highwater marks for the series. Go figure: Both combined the nostalgia factor (and go-go-go pacing) of older games with the expanded features and Pokédexes of newer ones. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the 2021 remakes of the gen-IV games, which were first released in 2006, quite possibly bring the least to the table.

Read More: The New Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Are Barebones, But I’m Still Having A Blast

Sure, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are done up in a delightful chibi art style. A “grand underground” area, in which Pokémon roam freely, outside of random encounters, spices things up. But for the most part, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are Diamond and Pearl with a brilliantly shining respray—a blast, if that’s the specific itch you’ve been looking to scratch after several entries that have deviated from form. But these remakes feel too much like their source material to stand out as special games in their own right.