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| Title | Pokémon Platinum Version ポケットモンスター プラチナ |
| Platform | Nintendo DS |
| Developer | Game Freak |
| Publisher | Nintendo (The Pokémon Company in Japan) |
| Director | Takeshi Kawachimaru |
| Producers | Junichi Masuda, Shusaku Egami, Hitoshi Yamagami, Hiroaki Tsuru |
| Composers | Hitomi Sato, Satoshi Nohara, Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose |
| Art director | Ken Sugimori |
| Players | 1–5 (DS Wireless) · up to 20 online in the Wi-Fi Plaza |
| Generation | Generation IV – the third Sinnoh version |
| Sinnoh Pokédex | 210 (up from 151 in Diamond & Pearl; 493 in the National Pokédex) |
| Predecessor | Pokémon Diamond & Pearl |
| Successor | HeartGold & SoulSilver |
| Released (Japan) | 13 September 2008 |
| Released (North America) | 22 March 2009 |
| Released (Australia) | 14 May 2009 |
| Released (Europe) | 22 May 2009 |
| Released (South Korea) | 2 July 2009 |
| Rating | CERO A · ESRB E (Everyone) · PEGI 3 · PG (Australia) |
| Cartridge | Nintendo DS Game Card; the Game Boy Advance slot is used for Pal Park and dual-slot encounters |
| Sales | 7.6 million – a million of them in its first three days in Japan |
Overview
Pokémon Platinum for the Nintendo DS is a Generation IV title that acts as the ‘third’ or sister title to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Like most third-game Pokémon set-ups, the gameplay is largely similar to that of its sister games but contains enhancements and new features. Of particular note would be the introduction of the Distortion World and an update of the local Sinnoh Pokédex. The Legendary mascot for Pokémon Platinum is Giratina, which is a Ghost/Dragon-type Pokémon.
The first the world saw of Pokémon Platinum was when a leaked cellphone image from a yet-to-be-released issue of CoroCoro magazine got circulated around the internet on the 11th of May 2008; four days later that issue of CoroCoro was officially released, and on that same day (May 15th) Nintendo and The Pokémon Company officially announced Platinum as the next title in the Pokémon series for the Nintendo DS.
Later that same year Platinum had its initial release in Japan, which came on September 13th, 2008, then in the US on March 22nd, 2009, Australia on May 14th, 2009, Europe on May 22nd, 2009 and finally in South Korea on July 2nd, 2009.
Another world has emerged in the Sinnoh region… A world where time and space are altered! Catch, train, and battle your favorite Pokémon, and discover ancient, mythical Pokémon in this exciting new adventure!
— Official description, North American packaging
Quick Answers
The questions people ask about Platinum, answered first and explained further down the page.
What is the difference between Pokémon Platinum and Diamond and Pearl, and which should I play?
Play Platinum if you only want one. It keeps Sinnoh but adds the Distortion World and Giratina’s Origin Forme, a 210-strong Sinnoh Pokédex, single-type Gyms in a new order, faster Surfing and battles, the five-facility Battle Frontier, the Battleground, the Villa and the Wi-Fi Plaza. Diamond and Pearl keep only 14 species that Platinum lacks. More →
How do you catch Giratina in Pokémon Platinum?
Giratina is part of the story. After it drags Cyrus from the Spear Pillar, follow it into the Distortion World, beat Cyrus and face it in Origin Forme at Lv. 47. If it faints or you flee, it returns to Turnback Cave in Altered Forme after your next Hall of Fame entry, where a portal leads to the Griseous Orb. More →
Can you catch both Dialga and Palkia in Platinum?
Yes. After the main story, collect the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb from a cave in the snowy upper reaches of Mt. Coronet, which needs Waterfall, and talk to Cynthia’s grandmother in Celestic Town. Then return to the Spear Pillar, where Dialga and Palkia appear one at a time at Lv. 70, so both can be caught on one cartridge. More →
How do you unlock the Battle Frontier and beat the Frontier Brains?
Get the National Pokédex, sail to the Battle Zone and head north from the Fight Area, where Barry partners you against Flint and Volkner. Each facility’s Brain appears in single-battle challenges at set streaks, such as the 21st and 49th battles at the Arcade and Castle; beating them earns Silver, then Gold, Prints. More →
How do you get Rotom’s forms, Shaymin’s Sky Forme, Darkrai and Arceus in Platinum?
Only through events that have long ended. Rotom’s appliance room needs the Secret Key, distributed in 2008 and 2009; Darkrai and Shaymin need the event-only Member Card and Oak’s Letter; Arceus’s Azure Flute was never released. An event Shaymin earns the Gracidea in Floaroma Town. Tweaking cannot reach them in Platinum, so trading is the realistic route today. More →
How do you get the National Pokédex in Platinum?
See all 210 Pokémon in the expanded Sinnoh Pokédex, then return to Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town for the upgrade. Battling the Elite Four helps, since their teams include entries such as Rhyperior, Gallade and Magmortar; Giratina is logged in the Distortion World, and Manaphy is registered from a picture in a book at the Pokémon Mansion. More →
How do you rematch Gym Leaders in Pokémon Platinum?
At the Battleground in the Survival Area, which Buck opens to the player after the Stark Mountain episode with Charon. Up to four Trainers wait there each day and each can be fought once, with five Pokémon at Lv. 61–66. The pool is the eight Gym Leaders plus Cheryl, Mira, Riley, Marley and Buck, and each win pays ₱7,800. More →
Is Pokémon Platinum on Nintendo Switch?
No. Nintendo Classics has no DS library, and in June 2026 Nintendo’s president would say only that the company is working to make its back catalogue playable on current hardware where possible. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remake Diamond and Pearl rather than Platinum, so the Distortion World story, Charon and the Battle Frontier are absent from them. More →
How long does it take to beat Pokémon Platinum?
It is a long adventure: eight Gyms, the Team Galactic plot, the Distortion World and the Pokémon League, with Volkner’s Electivire at Lv. 50 and Cynthia’s Garchomp at Lv. 62. The post-game is bigger still, adding Stark Mountain, the Battle Frontier, League rematches at Lv. 65–78 and a weekend Barry whose final team reaches Lv. 85. More →
What does the Villa do in Pokémon Platinum?
It is a holiday home in the Resort Area, offered by its previous owner when you arrive. You furnish it from a catalogue, with pieces such as a ₱220,000 TV and a ₱187,000 bed, and characters including Rowan, Barry, your mother, Cynthia and several Gym Leaders drop in at random. Buying certain furniture brings a particular guest. More →
Plot / Story
While watching TV the player finds out that Professor Rowan is back in Sinnoh. Their best friend Barry bumps in, and both go to Route 201 to try to snatch a Pokémon from the Professor; he and his assistant, who is either Dawn or Lucas depending on the player’s chosen gender, see them. He doesn’t have kind words for the pair, as they’ve both put themselves in danger, but the Professor gives them the choice to pick from among three Pokémon, the Sinnoh starters:
Barry picks the type-advantage Pokémon and changes from best friend to rival! As expected they battle, and after the battle they go to Lake Verity, where they meet Cyrus. Once they go back to Twinleaf, the player’s mum gives them a pair of Running Shoes so the player can dash to Sandgem Town. Rowan gives the player a Pokédex and their journey starts right away, exploring Sinnoh in order to defeat all the Gym Leaders to earn the right to challenge the Elite Four, thus becoming the Champion of Sinnoh after defeating them.
Team Galactic is on the lookout, though: Cyrus, its leader, is trying to overwhelm Sinnoh with the power of Dialga and Palkia. However, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf appear, and Giratina pulls Cyrus down to the Distortion World; after facing Cyrus there, the player is then forced to battle Giratina.
After defeating the Elite Four, the player has many things to do, such as expanding their Pokédex by getting Pokémon that were previously unavailable, the use of the Poké Radar, exploration of the Fight, Survival and Resort Areas, and the mighty tall Battle Tower and the rest of the Battle Frontier, where the player will be exposed to harder battles. Looker will be back to ask the player for help to arrest Charon and put a stop to Team Galactic’s plans once and for all.
The whole journey, spoilers and all
Platinum opens with a television report on Professor Rowan’s return from Kanto. The player’s restless neighbour Barry drags them towards Lake Verity, but Rowan and his assistant, Lucas or Dawn, stop the pair in the tall grass of Route 201 and let each choose a partner Pokémon. Barry deliberately takes the one with the type advantage, and the first battle follows at once. At the lake the friends cross paths with a cold, softly spoken man: Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic.
The journey then follows the familiar Sinnoh road with new turns. Looker, an undercover agent of the International Police, introduces himself in Jubilife City and hands over the Vs. Recorder. Team Galactic drain power from the Valley Windworks, occupy their Eterna building and descend on the three lakes, now joined by a fourth Commander, the scientist Charon. Fantina’s Gym in Hearthome City becomes the third stop, ahead of Maylene in Veilstone and Crasher Wake in Pastoria, and every Leader now fields a single type.
At the Spear Pillar, Cyrus summons Dialga and Palkia together, until a shadow tears through the summit: Giratina, which seizes Cyrus and pulls him into the Distortion World. With Cynthia beside them and Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf lighting the way, the player crosses a realm where gravity bends, beats Cyrus one last time and faces Giratina in its Origin Forme. Cyrus chooses to stay behind, still dreaming of a world without spirit.
The Pokémon League follows, where Flint now uses only Fire types and Cynthia has added Togekiss. After the credits the Battle Zone opens up: Charon tries to exploit Heatran’s volcano at Stark Mountain until Buck, the player and Looker stop him; the Battle Frontier replaces the Battle Park; the Gym Leaders gather for rematches at the Battleground; and a Villa waits in the Resort Area. Turnback Cave leads back to the Griseous Orb, Mt. Coronet hides the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs that call Dialga and Palkia back, and the Kanto birds, Mesprit and Cresselia roam the region.
Every story difference from Diamond & Pearl
- The opening television programme covers Professor Rowan’s return from Kanto instead of a special about a red Gyarados.
- Rowan stops the player and Barry in the tall grass of Route 201 and offers the starters himself; there is no wild Starly attack.
- The very first battle is against Barry, who picks the starter that is strong against the player’s.
- Cyrus is met at Lake Verity at the very start, and can also be found by the statue in Eterna City.
- Looker, an International Police agent, joins the story, first meeting the player in Jubilife City and giving the Vs. Recorder.
- Team Galactic gain a fourth Commander, Charon, and their schemes change: different headquarters layouts, power drained from the Valley Windworks and a bomb threat at the Great Marsh.
- The Gym order changes: Fantina becomes the third Leader, Maylene the fourth and Crasher Wake the fifth, though the Badge Case keeps the old slots.
- Every Gym Leader now uses only Pokémon of their speciality, and the Eterna, Hearthome and Veilstone Gyms have new interiors and puzzles.
- Strength now comes from Riley on Iron Island and Defog from the Solaceon Ruins, rather than the Lost Tower and the Great Marsh.
- At the Spear Pillar, Dialga and Palkia are summoned together before Giratina emerges and pulls Cyrus into the Distortion World.
- The Distortion World is a playable area, explored with Cynthia, where Cyrus is fought again and Giratina is battled in Origin Forme.
- Rotom and Giratina are both available before the Pokémon League, and Cynthia gives a Togepi Egg in Eterna City in place of Diamond and Pearl’s Happiny Egg.
- Barry partners the player in a Tag Battle against Flint and Volkner at the entrance to the Battle Frontier.
- First-time Elite Four and Champion teams are lower in level than in Diamond and Pearl, but rise to Lv. 65–78 after the Stark Mountain episode.
- In the post-game Charon seizes Stark Mountain to awaken Heatran and extort money; Mars and Jupiter walk out on him, and Looker arrests him and two Grunts.
- The Battleground opens in the Survival Area for Gym Leader rematches, and Barry’s weekend rematches move to the Survival Area from the Fight Area.
- Dialga and Palkia can both be caught after the story once the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs are found in Mt. Coronet and Cynthia’s grandmother has been visited.
- The Battle Frontier replaces the Battle Park, and the Villa can be bought in the Resort Area.
Your rival, Barry
Barry battles you more often than ever, and his final team is the strongest rival team of its era:
- Route 201 (first battle): his starter at Lv. 5 — Chimchar if the player chose Turtwig, Piplup if the player chose Chimchar, Turtwig if the player chose Piplup (₱500).
- Route 203: Starly Lv. 7 and his starter Lv. 9 (₱900).
- Route 209: Staravia Lv. 25, two of Roselia, Buizel and Ponyta at Lv. 23, and his starter’s middle stage (Monferno, Prinplup or Grotle) at Lv. 27 (₱2,700).
- Pastoria City: Staravia Lv. 34, two of Roselia, Buizel and Ponyta at Lv. 32, and his starter’s middle stage at Lv. 36 (₱3,600).
- Canalave City: Staraptor Lv. 36, Scizor Lv. 37, two of Roserade, Floatzel and Rapidash at Lv. 35, and his fully evolved starter (Infernape, Empoleon or Torterra) at Lv. 38 (₱3,800).
- Spear Pillar: Barry is the player’s partner in a Multi Battle against Commanders Mars and Jupiter, with a team including Munchlax and Roserade at Lv. 40, Staraptor and Scizor at Lv. 42 and his starter at Lv. 44.
- Pokémon League: Staraptor Lv. 48, Heracross Lv. 48, Snorlax Lv. 49, two of Floatzel, Rapidash and Roserade at Lv. 47, and his starter at Lv. 51 (₱5,100).
- Battle Frontier entrance, Fight Area: Barry partners the player in a Tag Battle against Flint and Volkner, with Staraptor and Heracross at Lv. 53, Snorlax Lv. 54, two of Floatzel, Rapidash and Roserade at Lv. 52, and his starter at Lv. 56.
- Survival Area, after the Stark Mountain episode (weekends only): Staraptor and Heracross at Lv. 61, two of Floatzel, Rapidash and Roserade at Lv. 59, Snorlax Lv. 63 and his starter at Lv. 65 (₱6,500).
- Survival Area, after 20 Hall of Fame entries: the same team 20 levels higher, from Lv. 79 to Lv. 85 (₱8,500), the highest-levelled rival team in the core series until Red’s team in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Looker and Charon
Platinum adds two characters who shape its subplot. Looker is an agent of the International Police who goes only by his codename; his Japanese name, Hansamu, simply means ‘handsome’. He first appears in Jubilife City, handing over the Vs. Recorder, then shadows Team Galactic in a Grunt’s uniform through the Eterna building and the Veilstone headquarters, never battling himself. Charon is the fourth and most junior Commander, a laptop-carrying scientist more interested in discovery than in Cyrus’s ideals, to the irritation of Saturn and Jupiter. He drains the Valley Windworks with Mars and stands beside Saturn at the headquarters. With Cyrus gone he takes command and uses the Magma Stone at Stark Mountain to wake Heatran, planning to hold the region to ransom with eruptions. Mars and Jupiter walk away, and Looker makes the arrest.
The Distortion World
The Distortion World is Giratina’s realm, a warped reverse side of Sinnoh where time stands still and ordinary physics give way. The player enters it from the Spear Pillar with Cynthia, chasing Giratina after it seizes Cyrus. Floating platforms meet at right angles, so the player walks and even surfs up walls and climbs waterfalls without the HM, while the camera swings between viewpoints and trees and rocks rise from the ground before vanishing. Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf guide the way through a Strength puzzle. Giratina is the only Pokémon that lives there, so fishing turns up nothing. In the depths Cyrus is beaten for the last time, and Giratina waits in Origin Forme at Lv. 47 to Hitomi Sato’s eerie theme. Its treasure is the Griseous Orb, reached later through Turnback Cave, which lets Giratina keep its Origin Forme outside its own world.
In the anime and movies
Platinum arrived as the anime’s Diamond and Pearl series reached its Galactic climax, so Looker, Charon, Rotom and the Frontier Brains all crossed straight onto the screen.
In the anime
Anime seasons which loosely tie in with Platinum (in terms of locations, NPCs such as Gym Leaders and Pokémon):
Season 12: DP Galactic Battles2008–2009Covering DP105 to DP157, aired in the US from May 2009 to May 2010, this season runs alongside Platinum’s release. It introduces Platinum’s Looker and Charon, brings Rotom and Palmer to the screen, and ends Team Galactic’s story at the Spear Pillar, where Cyrus summons Dialga and Palkia in The Battle Finale of Legend! (DP152).
Season 13: DP Sinnoh League Victors2010The final Diamond and Pearl season follows Ash to his last Badge from Volkner and the Lily of the Valley Conference. Platinum’s influence lingers in cameos: Charon’s last anime appearance is a brief role in Team Rocket’s daydream in DP191.In the movies
Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior2008Released in Japan in 2008, shortly before Platinum, the eleventh film introduces Giratina’s Reverse World, the anime’s counterpart to the Distortion World, and stars Shaymin, which takes the Sky Forme that Platinum unlocks with the Gracidea.
Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life2009Dialga, Palkia and Giratina, the three dragons that Platinum unites at the Spear Pillar, are caught up in Arceus’s return, and Tower Tycoon Palmer cameos in the opening battle against Cynthia.The Platinum episodes
The Platinum episodes – where its new characters turn up in the anime:
- DP105Get Your Rotom Running! – Rotom, whose appliance forms Platinum introduced, gets an episode of its own.
- DP130Frozen on Their Tracks! – Looker’s anime debut, meeting Ash and friends on a train.
- DP136Gateway to Ruin! – Looker returns and Charon searches for the Spear Pillar.
- DP141Challenging a Towering Figure! – Barry enters the Festival Battle Challenge, and Ash loses to Palmer.
- DP150Unlocking the Red Chain of Events! – Charon completes the Red Chain at the Fuego Ironworks.
- DP152The Battle Finale of Legend! – Cyrus summons Dialga and Palkia at the Spear Pillar in the Galactic finale.
What Platinum changes
Pokémon Platinum introduces various changes and additions, similar to all the third games of each generation. These changes and new features are applied to the graphics, sounds, plot, gameplay and areas.
Changes and additions to the graphics and sounds
- The most notable feature would be that the Pokémon back sprites are now animated when they enter combat. The front sprites for the fourth-generation Pokémon also received a few tweaks.
- While on the title screen, Giratina’s cry will be played as the player presses the Start button.
- The player characters and their friend have a visual update, as they now wear winter clothes, since the climate in Sinnoh has changed.
- The Mystery Gift theme has been changed to a livelier version of Diamond and Pearl’s tune.
- Some Trainers now use Seals on their Poké Balls. These Seals display a special effect when a Pokémon comes out of the Ball.
- The Pokétch, Pal Pad and battle menu have all been redesigned.
- Several move animations have been updated to look smoother and faster.
- A few Trainers, such as the Gym Leaders, gained animated sprites.
Changes and additions to the plot
- As the game starts, the show the player sees on the television will be about Professor Rowan’s return from Kanto. They’ll then meet Professor Rowan on Route 201 while trying to get to Sandgem Town, accompanied by their rival. Professor Rowan will offer each of them a starter and they’ll battle together, this being the very first battle in the game.
- A new Commander has been added to the Team Galactic executives. He’s named Charon and has the look of a researcher or a professor, unlike the other three Commanders. Charon will appear many times throughout the story, with the most important appearance being when he takes control of Stark Mountain with the help of Team Galactic Grunts. This results in his scheme being foiled by the player and his arrest by the newly added policeman character, Looker.
- As mentioned, Looker is the second character introduced to the game’s plot, as he tries to spy on Team Galactic and aims to arrest them.
- Team Galactic’s leader, Cyrus, will be met early, at the beginning of the game, at Lake Verity.
- The player will tag with their rival in a Double Battle against Volkner and Flint.
- All of the creation trio will appear on the Spear Pillar.
Changes and additions to the gameplay and areas
- The player can now own a Villa once they visit the Resort Area, which they can decorate in a similar manner to the third generation’s Secret Bases. Some NPCs, including the player’s mum, Professor Rowan and the Gym Leaders of Sinnoh, will occasionally visit it.
- The Gyms will now feature Pokémon of their speciality only.
- The Distortion World area is introduced in Platinum. It’s a very unique place that doesn’t abide by the laws of physics, and it’s where the player will fight Giratina.
- The Battle Park feature of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is now replaced with the Battle Frontier, which once appeared in Pokémon Emerald. The Battle Frontier includes five facilities in which the player can test their skills, and they are: the Battle Factory, the Battle Tower, the Battle Castle, the Battle Arcade and the Battle Hall. There are also Battle Shops, where the player can exchange the points earned for different rewards.
- A new building has been added to the Survival Area where the player can battle different characters daily. The available opponents may include the Gym Leaders and the Double Battle partners of the player along the story.
- A new Wi-Fi function has been added, the Wi-Fi Plaza, where up to 20 players can gather and play three mini-games with random people on the net.
- Several areas have been tweaked, whether slightly or completely, like Amity Square, which now holds Warp Panels within its building and has a new pond, levels and paths.
- The Spear Pillar got enlarged, as all three legendaries, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina, would appear there, thus requiring more space.
- The Vs. Recorder is another new implementation to the game, which allows the player to record their battles and share them with other players online.
- Both Palkia and Dialga can be summoned and caught. To do so, the player will require the Adamant Orb and the Lustrous Orb. These can be found in a cave in the snowfields area of Mt. Coronet, instead of being found on the Spear Pillar.
- The player’s rival can now be re-battled at the Survival Area, with their Pokémon getting stronger after enough Hall of Fame entries.
- Having an even Trainer ID will now allow the player to find Armor Fossils in the Underground, while an odd one allows Skull Fossils to be found.
- An e-mail feature has been added to the Global Trade Station (GTS), allowing the player to receive a notification once a trade request is found.
- A few Gyms got their layout changed, with the Hearthome City Gym having a maze now and the Veilstone City Gym incorporating puzzles.
In depth: everything Platinum adds
The headline additions, one by one, with the fine print.
The Battle Frontier
North of the Fight Area, the Battle Frontier replaces Diamond and Pearl’s Battle Park and gathers five facilities around a central plaza: the Battle Tower, Battle Factory, Battle Hall, Battle Castle and Battle Arcade. Battles there earn Battle Points rather than experience or prize money, and the Exchange Service Corner trades BP for vitamins, held items and TMs, with a Scratch-Off Corner at 1 BP a go. Legendaries such as Mewtwo, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus are banned, and with no Pokémon Center the Frontier cannot be reached by Fly.
The five facilities
Each facility bends the rules a different way. The Battle Tower runs straight rounds of seven three-on-three battles in Single, Double or Multi format. The Battle Factory hands out rental Pokémon, so the player’s own team stays at home. The Battle Hall pits one Pokémon of Lv. 30 or higher against opponents type by type. The Battle Castle awards Castle Points that are spent between battles on support such as healing. The Battle Arcade spins a roulette board before every fight, and where it stops can help or hinder either side.
The five Frontier Brains
Each facility has a Frontier Brain: Tower Tycoon Palmer, Factory Head Thorton, Hall Matron Argenta, Castle Valet Darach and Arcade Star Dahlia. Brains appear only in single-battle challenges; the first win earns a Silver Print and the second a Gold Print, which work like Badges and match Emerald’s Frontier Symbols. Each victory over a Brain is worth 20 BP. Their Gold teams are formidable: Palmer brings Regigigas, Heatran and Cresselia, Darach adds Entei and Dahlia leads with Zapdos.
Tower Tycoon PalmerBattle Tower · Tower Print
Team: Silver Print: Milotic (Shell Bell), Rhyperior (Focus Band), Dragonite (Lum Berry). Gold Print: Regigigas (BrightPowder), Heatran (Focus Sash), Cresselia (Leftovers). Levels follow the challenge class, with Lv. 50 in Level 50 challenges.
Barry’s booming father already ran the Battle Tower in Diamond and Pearl; Platinum gives him an animated sprite whose hair and coat-tails blow in the wind and swaps his music for the Frontier Brain theme. In the anime he beats Ash in Challenging a Towering Figure! (DP141), and he cameos in Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
Factory Head ThortonBattle Factory · Factory Print
Team: No fixed team: three rental Pokémon from the Factory’s pool, with all IVs at 12 for the Silver Print battle and at 31 for the Gold Print battle, when legendaries can appear.
A bookish genius who claims to have invented a machine that analyses his opponents’ Pokémon. In the English and Japanese releases of Platinum a slip swaps his Silver and Gold sets in some challenge classes. He has no anime role, but he battles Platinum in Pokémon Adventures and later appears in Pokémon Masters EX.
Arcade Star DahliaBattle Arcade · Arcade Print
Team: Silver Print (21st battle): Dusknoir, Medicham, Ludicolo. Gold Print (49th battle): Zapdos, Blaziken, Togekiss.
A carefree dancer whose motto is ‘No need to worry’, echoing the Japanese ‘Que sera, sera’; Fantina admires her dancing. She has no anime appearance, but in Pokémon Adventures a roulette mishap forces her and Platinum to swap teams mid-battle.
Castle Valet Darach & CaitlinBattle Castle · Castle Print
Team: Silver Print (21st battle): Houndoom, Empoleon, Staraptor. Gold Print (49th battle): Entei, Empoleon, Gallade. Each Pokémon has two possible movesets.
Darach is the devoted butler of Lady Caitlin, who appears beside him in his sprites but never battles in Platinum; he handles the Castle Points on her behalf. Caitlin later joins the Unova Elite Four in Black and White, and in Black 2 and White 2 Darach is said to tend her Undella Town villa.
Hall Matron ArgentaBattle Hall · Hall Print
Team: Chosen at random from the Battle Hall’s groups, based on the base stats of the player’s Pokémon; for the Gold Print she draws from the strongest group, with levels always matching the player’s.
Argenta waits longer than any other Brain: the Silver Print challenge comes at the 50th win and the Gold at the 170th, after every type has been beaten ten times. She has no anime appearance; in Pokémon Adventures her borrowed Dragonite falls to Platinum’s Froslass.
Battle Points, Prints and the Vs. Recorder
Every win at the Frontier pays in Battle Points. The Exchange Service Corner in the plaza sells vitamins for 1 BP each, held items and TMs for 32 to 80 BP, and the Scratch-Off Corner takes 1 BP a card. Beating a Brain is worth 20 BP and a Print, and the Vs. Recorder that Looker hands over in Jubilife City is upgraded on your first visit so that it tracks your BP and Prints as well as recording battles to share through the Global Terminal.
The VS close-ups that open every Frontier Brain battle:
Where Platinum takes you
Fourteen places that are new, rebuilt or simply different in Platinum, each with a map or a screenshot.
The Distortion World
Beyond a rift that opens at the Spear Pillar lies the Distortion World, Giratina’s home, where no other Pokémon is known to live. Time does not pass there, yet the game clock keeps running and Eevee can still evolve by day or night. Its eight levels, from 1F to B7F, are built of drifting islands set at odd angles, with waterfalls that can be climbed without the HM and lakes that can be surfed up a wall. Trees and boulders sprout and disappear as the player passes. At the deepest point Cyrus makes his last stand before Giratina appears in Origin Forme, and the battle message calls it ‘the Distortion World’s Giratina’. A second entrance later opens in Turnback Cave.
Pokémon of note: Giratina (Origin Forme, Lv. 47), Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf (as guides), Cyrus’s Weavile (Lv. 48). Items: Griseous Orb (reached later through Turnback Cave).
The Battle Frontier
The Battle Frontier stands north of the Fight Area on the land that held Diamond and Pearl’s Battle Park, entered through a gatehouse where Barry and the player take on Flint and Volkner in a Tag Battle. Five facilities ring a central plaza, each guarded by a Frontier Brain, and the Exchange Service Corner and Scratch-Off Corner sit in the middle. There is no Pokémon Center, so it cannot be reached by Fly. Battles here earn Battle Points but no experience, and Pokémon seen in them are not added to the Pokédex. Its counterpart in HeartGold and SoulSilver, west of Olivine City, reuses the same five facilities and Brains.
Pokémon of note: Regigigas, Heatran and Cresselia (Palmer’s Gold team), Zapdos (Dahlia’s Gold team), Entei (Darach’s Gold team), Rental Pokémon (Battle Factory). Items: Vitamins (1 BP each), TMs (32–80 BP), Silver and Gold Prints, Scratch-Off Corner cards (1 BP).
The Battleground (Survival Area)
In Diamond and Pearl this Survival Area building was an ordinary house; in Platinum it becomes the Battleground, a club owned by Buck whose door stays shut with a ‘Members only’ sign until the Stark Mountain episode is over. Inside, up to four Trainers gather each day, drawn from the eight Gym Leaders and the partners who fought alongside the player during the adventure. Each can be challenged once a day with full five-Pokémon teams in the low to mid 60s. Outside on weekends, Barry waits for his own rematches, after asking Crasher Wake to help him get in.
Pokémon of note: Tyranitar (Roark, Lv. 65), Lucario (Maylene, Lv. 66), Glaceon (Candice, Lv. 65), Metagross (Riley, Lv. 62), Blissey (Cheryl, Lv. 65). Items: ₱7,800 per win (₱7,920 from Maylene).
The Villa (Resort Area)
The Resort Area’s grand Villa is offered to the player by its previous owner on arrival, and only Platinum lets the player own it; the description hints that the owner was Steven Stone or his father. It starts almost bare, with just a table, and is furnished from a catalogue whose prices run from ₱50,000 for a Music Box to ₱220,000 for a TV. The pieces stay where they are placed. On most days a visitor drops by, whether Professor Rowan, Barry, the player’s mother, Cynthia or one of the Gym Leaders, and certain furniture tempts particular guests.
Items: TV (₱220,000), Guest Set (₱208,000), Bed (₱187,000), Audio System (₱160,000).
The Wi-Fi Plaza
Reached through the Wi-Fi Club, the Wi-Fi Plaza was a themed online park where up to 20 players from around the world mingled for 20 to 30 minutes. Rooms came in Fire, Water, Grass and Electric styles, with a rare Mew room, and changed with the seasons. Visitors stamped their Pokémon’s footprints, played with Tap Toys and gathered round the Plaza News, then left on parade floats as fireworks marked closing time. It closed with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, though fan-run servers later revived it.
Pokémon of note: Swalot (Swalot Plop), Mime Jr. (Mime Jr. Top), Wobbuffet (Wobbuffet Pop), Mew (secret room). Items: Tap Toys (upgraded by winning mini-games).
Stark Mountain
Stark Mountain, the Battle Zone’s volcano, has more crags and lava pits in Platinum, and it becomes the stage for Team Galactic’s last stand. With Cyrus gone, Charon leads Mars, Jupiter and a band of Grunts into the mountain to take the Magma Stone and awaken Heatran, intending to blackmail the region with eruptions. Buck joins the player, Looker hides among the rocks disguised as a boulder, and his Croagunk wins back the Magma Stone. Mars and Jupiter walk out on him, and Looker and two officers lead Charon and two Grunts away. Heatran then waits in the depths.
Pokémon of note: Heatran (inner chamber, after Charon’s arrest), Numel (now close to the area’s levels). Items: Magma Stone.
Turnback Cave and the Sendoff Spring
Turnback Cave lies at the north end of the Sendoff Spring, reached by the Spring Path, and opens only after the Hall of Fame. Its rooms shuffle every time a door is used: the player must find three rooms with a central pillar, and the room after the third always holds the goal, but taking more than 30 rooms sends them back to the entrance. In Platinum the final room contains a portal back to the Distortion World and the Griseous Orb, or a returning Altered Forme Giratina if it was not caught the first time.
Pokémon of note: Giratina (Altered Forme, Lv. 47, only if not caught in the Distortion World). Items: Griseous Orb (through the portal), Reaper Cloth (reached in three rooms), Rare Bone (4–15 rooms), Stardust (16–30 rooms).
The Spear Pillar
The ruined temple on Mt. Coronet’s summit is larger at the back in Platinum, to make room for three legends at once. Barry partners the player against Mars and Jupiter, then Cyrus calls down Dialga and Palkia together, until Giratina breaks through from its own world and drags him away. After the story, with the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs in hand, the player can return to meet Dialga and Palkia one at a time. Above the summit, the Hall of Origin awaits a player with the Azure Flute.
Pokémon of note: Dialga (post-game), Palkia (post-game), Giratina (story appearance), Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. Items: Azure Flute (never distributed).
Mt. Coronet’s Orb cave
Platinum moves the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb from the Spear Pillar to a hidden cave in the snowfields of Mt. Coronet’s upper levels, reached only by climbing a waterfall. The Orbs are the keys to the post-game summoning of Dialga and Palkia: with both in the Bag and Cynthia’s grandmother visited in Celestic Town, the summit calls the two legends back one at a time. It rewards players who return to explore the mountain that splits Sinnoh in two.
Pokémon of note: Dialga and Palkia (summoned once both Orbs are found). Items: Adamant Orb, Lustrous Orb.
Team Galactic HQ, Veilstone City
Team Galactic’s Veilstone headquarters is redesigned for Platinum, with a new layout for the player to fight through, and the nearby Galactic Warehouse holds HM02 Fly. Looker slips in disguised as a Grunt to eavesdrop on a meeting, and Charon is seen beside Saturn at the controls that keep Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf captive. Here the player confronts Cyrus before his flight to the Spear Pillar. Veilstone itself is refurbished as well, and its Department Store basement now sells Poffins, Berries and Lava Cookies.
Pokémon of note: Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf (held captive). Items: Storage Key, HM02 Fly (Galactic Warehouse).
The Global Terminal, Jubilife City
Diamond and Pearl’s Global Trade Station is enlarged, redesigned and renamed the Global Terminal in Platinum. Besides worldwide trading on the GTS, which could now send an e-mail notice when a trade went through, it handled Battle Videos recorded on the Vs. Recorder and photographs of PC Boxes. Jubilife City itself is refurbished with new paths and lights on the rooftops, and it is here that Looker first introduces himself and hands over the Vs. Recorder that feeds the Terminal’s Battle Video service.
Items: Vs. Recorder.
Fullmoon Island, Newmoon Island, Flower Paradise and the Hall of Origin
Sinnoh’s mythical corners are the same as in Diamond and Pearl, with trees on the twin islands now casting shadows. After the Hall of Fame and the National Pokédex, the sailor Eldritch’s son falls into an endless sleep, and a trip to Fullmoon Island meets Cresselia, which flees and roams, leaving a Lunar Wing that wakes the boy. Newmoon Island, home of Darkrai, needs the Member Card; Flower Paradise, home of Shaymin, needs Oak’s Letter; and the Hall of Origin above the Spear Pillar, where Arceus waits, needs the Azure Flute.
Pokémon of note: Cresselia (Lv. 50, then roams), Darkrai (Member Card), Shaymin (Oak’s Letter), Arceus (Azure Flute). Items: Lunar Wing, Member Card, Oak’s Letter, Azure Flute.
Snowpoint Temple and the Regi ruins
Snowpoint City’s ancient temple opens only after the Hall of Fame and the National Pokédex. Its six floors, down to B5F, are glassy ice-sliding puzzles, and at the bottom sits Regigigas, which in Platinum is found at Lv. 1, the lowest level of any wild legendary. It stirs only if Regirock, Regice and Registeel travel in the party. Platinum adds three ruins for those titans, Rock Peak Ruins on Route 228, Iceberg Ruins and Iron Ruins on Iron Island, but they respond only to a Regigigas received at an event.
Pokémon of note: Regigigas (Lv. 1), Regirock (Rock Peak Ruins, Lv. 30), Regice (Iceberg Ruins, Lv. 30), Registeel (Iron Ruins, Lv. 30).
Rotom’s Room and the Old Chateau
Rotom haunts a television in Eterna Forest’s Old Chateau at night and, in Platinum, can be caught before the Pokémon League. The redesigned Team Galactic building in Eterna City hides a sealed room that opens with the event-only Secret Key once the building has been cleared. Inside are five appliances, a refrigerator, washing machine, fan, lawnmower and microwave oven, that Rotom can possess, and Professor Rowan appears on the first transformation to explain its history. A notebook signed ‘Char…’ hints that Charon studied Rotom here.
Pokémon of note: Rotom (Old Chateau, at night), Heat, Wash, Frost, Fan and Mow Rotom. Items: Secret Key (event only), Charon’s research notebook.
Can I catch them all?
Similarly to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the game features the Pokémon up to the fourth generation, with the addition of 59 to the Sinnoh Pokédex, which now counts 210 Pokémon that the player needs to encounter in order to unlock the National Pokédex. Moreover, Pokémon Platinum also has Pokémon which are exclusive to it, along with the addition of new forms for a few special Pokémon. The Swarm and Roaming Pokémon features are still available, with a change to the roaming ones. Last but not least, the game mascots of Diamond and Pearl, along with Giratina, can all be captured, with the addition of a few other legendaries.
Only in Platinum, and only in Diamond & Pearl
Pokémon exclusive to Platinum: among the three Sinnoh games, these Pokémon can only be obtained in Pokémon Platinum.
Exclusive to Platinum
Articuno#144
Zapdos#145
Moltres#146
Tangela#114
Tangrowth#465
Tropius#357
Regirock#377
Regice#378
Registeel#379
The three legendary birds roam Sinnoh at Lv. 60 after a word with Professor Oak in Eterna City; Tangela, Tangrowth and Tropius join the Sinnoh Pokédex; and the three Regis sit in new ruins at Lv. 30, but only answer to a Regigigas received at an event, so most players never see them. HeartGold & SoulSilver later added the birds and Tangela too.
In Diamond or Pearl, but not in Platinum
Murkrow#198
Misdreavus#200
Trapinch#328
Vibrava#329
Flygon#330
Clamperl#366
Huntail#367
Gorebyss#368
Mismagius#429
Honchkrow#430
Glameow#431
Purugly#432
Stunky#434
Skuntank#435
Fourteen species drop out: the Murkrow, Misdreavus, Glameow and Stunky lines that were version exclusives, plus the Trapinch and Clamperl families. All of them trade in from Diamond or Pearl.
New Pokémon forms
The forms concept allows a Pokémon to change its visual appearance, Abilities, skills and even its stats.
- Rotom: Rotom now has five new forms, which can only be unlocked with the help of a Secret Key obtained through an event. If the player manages to get it, they can head to the Team Galactic building in Eterna. There, they can use the key to unlock a secret room containing five appliances Rotom can possess to gain a new form. The appliances are a fridge, a washing machine, a lawnmower, a fan and an oven, and they change Rotom’s form respectively to Frost Rotom, Wash Rotom, Mow Rotom, Fan Rotom and Heat Rotom. Each of the forms allows Rotom to learn a new, powerful special attack that is only kept as long as it stays in that form. Shifting to another one will force Rotom to forget the move and learn a new one from the respective form. The Pokémon can also be returned to its original form by reselecting the place where the appliance it possessed once was.
- Shaymin: Shaymin has a new form, known as the Sky Forme. It can only be obtained by showing Shaymin to a character in Floaroma Town, who’ll give the player the Gracidea flower. Using the flower on Shaymin will transform it into the Sky Forme, granting it the Flying type and changing its Ability to Serene Grace. This form, though, can only be used during daylight, as Shaymin will revert to its normal form during the night and lose the extra stats and type.
- Giratina: the Origin Forme is Giratina’s new form. It can be obtained by attaching the Griseous Orb to Giratina. This will also change its Ability to Levitate and change its stats.
Roaming Pokémon
These are the legendaries that start roaming the Sinnoh map after their respective events are triggered. They will be encountered randomly in the tall grass.
- Cresselia: upon unlocking the National Pokédex and entering the Hall of Fame, the player can travel to Fullmoon Island from Canalave City. There they’ll encounter Cresselia, which will fly away and start roaming the tall grass across the region.
- Mesprit: Mesprit will be available at Lake Verity after the fight with Giratina. Yet it will fly away once the player talks to it and start roaming random areas of the region, in the tall grass.
- Moltres / Zapdos / Articuno: once the player has the National Pokédex, they have to talk to Professor Oak in Eterna City, who’ll inform them that the three legendary birds have started roaming the region and will appear on the Marking Map.
Swarm Pokémon
Similar to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the player can talk to the Professor’s assistant’s sister in Sandgem Town in Platinum, who’ll inform them each day of a different Pokémon swarming a certain area. Within Sinnoh these Pokémon can only be caught in the wild through this method. The swarm list has changed a little since the previous versions: there are 22 swarms rather than 28, Pinsir and Larvitar are new, Delibird has moved to Route 217, and Pidgey, Magnemite, Lickitung, Swinub, Smoochum, Surskit, Nosepass and Absol no longer swarm.
DelibirdRoute 217
PhanpyRoute 207
Farfetch’dRoute 221
DoduoRoute 201
ZigzagoonRoute 202
DrowzeeRoute 215
KrabbyRoute 226
SlakothEterna Forest
VoltorbRoute 218
MakuhitaRoute 225
CuboneRoute 203
LarvitarRoute 206
SkittyRoute 222
NatuRoute 224
ElectrikeValley Windworks
DunsparceRoute 208
SpoinkRoute 214
SnubbullRoute 209
SpindaRoute 227
PinsirRoute 229
CorsolaRoute 230
BeldumRoute 228
Mansion Pokémon
The unique Pokémon that can only be obtained at the Mansion on Route 212. The Pokémon available and the process used to acquire them are the same as in Diamond and Pearl, with one swap: Ditto takes the place of Porygon, which is now a gift from a man in Veilstone City instead.
Clefairy#035
Jigglypuff#039
Marill#183
Azurill#298
Meowth#052
Chansey#113
Plusle#311
Minun#312
Eevee#133
Ditto#132
Castform#351
Bonsly#438
Cleffa#173
Igglybuff#174
Mime Jr.#439
Happiny#440
What Platinum still leaves out
Sixty-five species cannot be obtained in a single copy of Platinum without Pal Park, events or trading: the Kanto, Johto and Hoenn starters, Mewtwo, the legendary beasts, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Latias and Latios, Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza all need Pal Park or another game; Mew, Celebi, Jirachi and Deoxys are event Pokémon; the fourteen Diamond and Pearl species above need a trade; Manaphy comes from Pokémon Ranger and Phione from Manaphy; the Regis and Regigigas need an event Regigigas; and Darkrai, Shaymin and Arceus wait behind the Member Card, Oak’s Letter and the Azure Flute. At most 428 of the 493 can be caught on one cartridge, and fewer still once trade evolutions are counted.
Starter Pokémon
The Sinnoh starters, with how each one fares in Platinum’s reshuffled Gyms:
TurtwigGrass · Grotle (18) → Torterra (32)
ChimcharFire · Monferno (14) → Infernape (36)
PiplupWater · Prinplup (16) → Empoleon (36)
- Turtwig: Barry takes Chimchar. Torterra’s Ground typing now shuts out Volkner’s all-Electric team, but Candice’s Ice types, Flint and Barry’s Infernape all punish it.
- Chimchar: Barry takes Piplup. Monferno’s Fighting moves cannot touch Fantina’s Ghosts at the new third Gym, but Fire burns through Gardenia, Byron, Candice and Aaron’s Scizor.
- Piplup: Barry takes Turtwig. Piplup handles Roark, and Empoleon’s Steel typing shrugs off Dragon and Flying attacks from Cynthia’s Garchomp and Togekiss, but Volkner’s Electric team and Barry’s Torterra are real threats.
Legendary and Mythical Pokémon
GiratinaDistortion World
DialgaSpear Pillar
PalkiaSpear Pillar
UxieLake Acuity
MespritRoams Sinnoh
AzelfLake Valor
HeatranStark Mountain
RegigigasSnowpoint Temple- RegirockRock Peak Ruins
- RegiceIceberg Ruins
- RegisteelIron Ruins
CresseliaRoams Sinnoh- ArticunoRoams Sinnoh
- ZapdosRoams Sinnoh
- MoltresRoams Sinnoh
DarkraiEvent only
ShayminEvent only
ArceusEvent only
RotomOld Chateau
ManaphyPokémon Ranger
PhioneBred from Manaphy
Giratina – Lv. 47, Distortion World (story); Turnback Cave (rematch). Battled in Origin Forme after Cyrus in the Distortion World. If it faints or the player flees, it reappears in Altered Forme in Turnback Cave after the next Hall of Fame entry. The Griseous Orb, found through the Turnback Cave portal, keeps Origin Forme outside the Distortion World.
Dialga – Lv. 70, Spear Pillar, Mt. Coronet. After the story, collect the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb from the cave in Mt. Coronet’s snowfields (Waterfall needed), speak to Cynthia’s grandmother in Celestic Town and return to the summit; Dialga and Palkia appear one at a time.
Palkia – Lv. 70, Spear Pillar, Mt. Coronet. As Dialga: both can be caught in the same game.
Uxie – Lv. 50, Acuity Cavern, Lake Acuity. Waits in its cavern after Team Galactic’s defeat at Mt. Coronet; Rock Climb is now needed to reach Lake Acuity.
Mesprit – Lv. 50, Roaming Sinnoh. Meet it at Lake Verity after Team Galactic’s defeat at Mt. Coronet; it flees and roams, tracked with the Marking Map. In Platinum it knows Swift rather than Confusion.
Azelf – Lv. 50, Valor Cavern, Lake Valor. Waits in its cavern after Team Galactic’s defeat at Mt. Coronet.
Heatran – Lv. 50, Stark Mountain, Battle Zone. Appears in the depths of Stark Mountain once Charon has been arrested and the Magma Stone recovered.
Regigigas – Lv. 1, Snowpoint Temple B5F. The temple opens after the Hall of Fame and the National Pokédex; Regirock, Regice and Registeel must be in the party. It returns after the next Hall of Fame entry if defeated.
Regirock – Lv. 30, Rock Peak Ruins, Route 228. Only after the Hall of Fame, with a Regigigas received at an event in the party.
Regice – Lv. 30, Iceberg Ruins. Only after the Hall of Fame, with an event Regigigas in the party.
Registeel – Lv. 30, Iron Ruins, Iron Island. Only after the Hall of Fame, with an event Regigigas in the party.
Cresselia – Lv. 50, Fullmoon Island, then roaming. After the Hall of Fame and the National Pokédex, help the sailor Eldritch’s sleeping son in Canalave City by sailing to Fullmoon Island; Cresselia flees and roams, leaving the Lunar Wing.
Articuno – Lv. 60, Roaming Sinnoh. After the National Pokédex, talk to Professor Oak in Eterna City.
Zapdos – Lv. 60, Roaming Sinnoh. After the National Pokédex, talk to Professor Oak in Eterna City.
Moltres – Lv. 60, Roaming Sinnoh. After the National Pokédex, talk to Professor Oak in Eterna City.
Darkrai – Lv. 50, Newmoon Island. Needs the Member Card, an event-only key item, to sail from Canalave City.
Shaymin – Lv. 30, Flower Paradise, via the Seabreak Path off Route 224. Needs Oak’s Letter, an event-only key item. Showing an event Shaymin in Floaroma Town earns the Gracidea for its Sky Forme.
Arceus – Lv. 80, Hall of Origin, above the Spear Pillar. Needs the Azure Flute, which was never distributed; Arceus arrived only through event distributions.
Rotom – Lv. 20, Old Chateau, Eterna Forest. Appears in the television at night and, in Platinum, can be caught before the Pokémon League. Its appliance forms need the event Secret Key.
Manaphy – Lv. 1 (hatched), Pokémon Ranger (Egg transfer). Complete the special mission in Pokémon Ranger to send a Manaphy Egg to Platinum.
Phione – Lv. 1 (hatched), Day Care, Solaceon Town. Breed Manaphy with Ditto; the Egg hatches into Phione.
Gift Pokémon and in-game trades
Pokémon you are simply handed:
- Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup – Route 201 (Professor Rowan). Chosen at the start of the game, at Lv. 5
- Togepi (Egg) – Eterna City (Cynthia). Given after Team Galactic are driven out of their Eterna building; replaces Diamond and Pearl’s Happiny Egg
- Eevee – Hearthome City (Bebe). Lv. 20, available before the National Pokédex
- Porygon – Veilstone City. Lv. 25, given by a man in the city; new to Platinum
- Riolu (Egg) – Iron Island (Riley). As thanks for clearing Team Galactic off the island; Riley now hands over HM04 Strength here too
- Cranidos or Shieldon – Oreburgh Mining Museum. Revive a Skull or Armor Fossil dug up in the Underground; which one appears depends on the player’s Trainer ID rather than the version
- Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Lileep, Anorith – Oreburgh Mining Museum. Revive fossils found in the Underground after the National Pokédex
- Manaphy (Egg) – Sent from Pokémon Ranger. Special mission in Pokémon Ranger
Tradable Pokémon: the list of the Pokémon acquired through in-game trades is still the same as in Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl.
| You give | You get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Machop | Abra (Kazza) | Oreburgh City |
| Buizel | Chatot (Charap) | Eterna City (Eterna Condominiums) |
| Medicham | Haunter (Gaspar, holding an Everstone) | Snowpoint City |
| Finneon | Magikarp (Foppa, from the foreign Trainer Meister) | Route 226 |
Interaction with other games
Pokémon Platinum is compatible with the third- and fourth-generation core Pokémon games. Inserting a GBA game into the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS while playing Pokémon Platinum allows it to receive Pokémon from games such as Pokémon Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, LeafGreen and FireRed. The transfer, though, goes only one way, as the Pokémon can only be transported from the third-generation games to Platinum, while the opposite process is impossible. As for the fourth-generation games, Platinum will connect to Pokémon Pearl and Diamond and HeartGold and SoulSilver, allowing the transfer of Pokémon from and to the games. It is important to note that if the player trades one of the unique Pokémon while it’s in one of the new forms featured in Platinum, it will revert to its normal form in games like Diamond and Pearl. Furthermore, and just like the previous versions, the game can be linked to Pokémon Battle Revolution on Wii, yet only the Japanese edition of My Pokémon Ranch can connect to it.
Locally, Platinum links over DS Wireless with Diamond, Pearl, HeartGold and SoulSilver to trade and battle, and its new Spin Trade swaps Eggs at random between players. Online, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection carried the Global Trade Station, now housed in the Global Terminal and able to send an e-mail when a deal went through, along with Battle Video sharing, Wi-Fi Multi Battles at the Battle Frontier and the 20-player Wi-Fi Plaza, until the service closed on 20 May 2014. After the National Pokédex, Pal Park brings Pokémon from Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed and LeafGreen through the Game Boy Advance slot of a DS or DS Lite, strictly one way. The Manaphy Egg arrives from Pokémon Ranger, and Pokémon can later move on to Black and White through Poké Transfer. On Wii, My Pokémon Ranch only supports Platinum in its Japan-only Platinum-compatible edition of 5 November 2008. Because non-Korean copies lack Korean characters, Korean and non-Korean games could only trade through the GTS.
Characters
Platinum’s cast: the heroes in winter coats, a rival who never stops, two newcomers who turn Team Galactic’s story on its head, and the people who help you take Sinnoh apart afterwards.
Lucas
Lucas is the boy player character and, when the player chooses Dawn, Professor Rowan’s assistant. Platinum gives him a new cold-weather outfit in place of his Diamond and Pearl clothes, matching the snow that now dusts Twinleaf Town, along with fresh official artwork. As the assistant he arrives with Rowan on Route 201, helps out along the journey and may later turn up as a visitor at the player’s Villa.
Dawn
Dawn is the girl player character and, when the player chooses Lucas, Rowan’s assistant. For Platinum she swaps her Diamond and Pearl look for a warmer winter outfit, shown in new official artwork. As the assistant she joins Rowan on Route 201 at the very start, offers support through the adventure and can turn up as a visitor at the player’s Villa, which only Platinum offers.
Barry, your rival
Barry is the player’s impatient neighbour and rival, son of Tower Tycoon Palmer. Platinum gives him a winter outfit and an animated battle sprite, and his first battle comes on Route 201 straight after the starters are handed out. He partners the player at the Spear Pillar and again against Flint and Volkner at the Battle Frontier gate, then waits outside the Battleground on weekends with a team that eventually reaches Lv. 85.
Professor Rowan
Professor Rowan, Sinnoh’s evolution expert, returns from Kanto at the start of Platinum and meets the player and Barry in person on Route 201 to offer the starters. He later explains Rotom’s history the first time it changes form, and drops in at the Villa.
Cynthia
Cynthia, Sinnoh’s Champion and a scholar of its myths, has a much bigger part in Platinum. After Team Galactic are driven out of their Eterna building she gives the player a Togepi Egg, and at the Spear Pillar she follows the player into the Distortion World, helping them through it. Her Champion team swaps Gastrodon for Togekiss and starts lower, from Lv. 58 to Garchomp at Lv. 62, before rising to Lv. 78 in rematches. Her grandmother in Celestic Town must be visited before Dialga and Palkia return, and Cynthia herself may call at the Villa.
Cyrus, leader of Team Galactic
Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic, believes emotion and spirit spoil the world and plans to remake it with the power of Dialga and Palkia. Platinum introduces him early, at Lake Verity in the opening scenes and by the statue in Eterna City. When he summons both legends at the Spear Pillar, Giratina drags him into the Distortion World, where the player beats his team, led by a Lv. 48 Weavile. Rather than return, he stays behind, still determined to build his own world, and Charon takes over Team Galactic.
Charon, the fourth Commander
Charon, new to Platinum, is Team Galactic’s fourth Commander and the most junior of them, an elderly scientist with mauve hair who is rarely seen without a laptop. Laid-back and arrogant, he cares more about discovery than Cyrus’s vision, which irritates Saturn and Jupiter. He drains the Valley Windworks with Mars, attends Saturn at the headquarters and, with Cyrus gone, seizes Stark Mountain to awaken Heatran and extort money. He never battles. Looker arrests him while he protests that he is a harmless old man. His Japanese name, Purūto, refers to Pluto; Charon is Pluto’s largest moon.
Looker
Looker, introduced in Platinum, is an International Police agent known only by his codename; his Japanese name, Hansamu, means ‘handsome’. He meets the player in Jubilife City, gives them the Vs. Recorder and spends the story tailing Team Galactic, usually disguised as a Grunt, through the Valley Windworks, the Eterna building, the Veilstone Game Corner and the headquarters. He never battles, though his Croagunk recovers the Magma Stone at Stark Mountain, where he arrests Charon. He went on to appear in Black and White, X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Sun and Moon, and his anime debut was Frozen on Their Tracks! (DP130).
Buck
Buck is a fiery young Trainer who lives in the Survival Area with his grandfather. In Platinum he helps the player storm Stark Mountain against Charon’s Grunts and then opens his Battleground, where he battles too, with a Lv. 65 Claydol as his strongest Pokémon.
Lady Caitlin
Caitlin is the young aristocrat who owns the Battle Castle, where her valet Darach battles on her behalf; she stands beside him in his sprites but never fights in Platinum. She would later join the Unova Elite Four in Black and White as a Psychic-type specialist, with Darach tending her villa in Undella Town.
Gym Leaders
Platinum keeps Sinnoh’s eight Gym Leaders but reshuffles them: Fantina moves up to third, every Leader now uses only their own type, and three of the Gyms have been rebuilt. After the Stark Mountain episode all eight gather at the Battleground for rematches in the 60s.
The Platinum badge route – the new order, with each Leader’s ace, a sensible team level and the TM they hand over:
- Coal BadgeRoark · Oreburgh CityRock · ace Cranidos Lv. 14Aim for Lv. 14–16 · TM76 Stealth Rock
- Forest BadgeGardenia · Eterna CityGrass · ace Roserade Lv. 22Aim for Lv. 22–24 · TM86 Grass Knot
- Relic BadgeFantina · Hearthome CityGhost · ace Mismagius Lv. 26Aim for Lv. 26–28 · TM65 Shadow Claw
- Cobble BadgeMaylene · Veilstone CityFighting · ace Lucario Lv. 32Aim for Lv. 32–34 · TM60 Drain Punch
- Fen BadgeCrasher Wake · Pastoria CityWater · ace Floatzel Lv. 37Aim for Lv. 37–39 · TM55 Brine
- Mine BadgeByron · Canalave CitySteel · ace Bastiodon Lv. 41Aim for Lv. 41–43 · TM91 Flash Cannon
- Icicle BadgeCandice · Snowpoint CityIce · ace Froslass Lv. 44Aim for Lv. 44–46 · TM72 Avalanche
- Beacon BadgeVolkner · Sunyshore CityElectric · ace Electivire Lv. 50Aim for Lv. 50–52 · TM57 Charge Beam
The eight Sinnoh Gym Leaders in Platinum
Roark
Team: Geodude Lv. 12, Onix Lv. 12, Cranidos Lv. 14
Rematch: Battleground: Aerodactyl Lv. 62, Probopass Lv. 61, Golem Lv. 61, Rampardos Lv. 63, Tyranitar Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: None: the same team, Gym and first place in the order.
The fossil-loving mine supervisor is untouched by Platinum, but his Battleground team shows off the new Sinnoh Pokédex with Probopass and Aerodactyl. Water and Grass starters still make short work of his first Gym. Reward: TM76 Stealth Rock.
Gardenia
Team: Turtwig Lv. 20, Cherrim Lv. 20, Roserade Lv. 22
Rematch: Battleground: Jumpluff Lv. 61, Cherrim Lv. 62, Bellossom Lv. 61, Torterra Lv. 63, Roserade Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Cherubi becomes Cherrim and her team gains a level; the Gym is rebuilt around a central clearing with rotating blades that turn as each Trainer is beaten.
Eterna’s Leader now makes challengers think before they fight her, and her Roserade at Lv. 22 is a real wall for an early team. Chimchar players have a clear advantage, while Piplup players will want a Flying or Poison type. Reward: TM86 Grass Knot.
Fantina
Team: Duskull Lv. 24, Haunter Lv. 24, Mismagius Lv. 26
Rematch: Battleground: Banette Lv. 61, Mismagius Lv. 63, Drifblim Lv. 61, Dusknoir Lv. 62, Gengar Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Moved from fifth to third Leader, available on the first visit to Hearthome; her team drops from Lv. 32–36 to Lv. 24–26, and the Gym becomes a darkened maze.
The flamboyant Contest star is the biggest Gym change in Platinum. Coming so early, her Ghost types are immune to the Fighting moves that Monferno relies on, so Chimchar players should lean on Fire. Reward: TM65 Shadow Claw.
Maylene
Team: Meditite Lv. 28, Machoke Lv. 29, Lucario Lv. 32
Rematch: Battleground: Hitmontop Lv. 62, Medicham Lv. 63, Breloom Lv. 62, Machamp Lv. 64, Lucario Lv. 66
Since Diamond & Pearl: Now the fourth Leader rather than the third, with levels raised by one or two; her Gym is redesigned around punching bags that are knocked aside to open the way.
Veilstone’s young martial artist keeps her Lucario ace, now at Lv. 32. In the Battleground she is the only Leader whose team reaches Lv. 66, and she pays slightly more than the others. Reward: TM60 Drain Punch.
Crasher Wake
Team: Gyarados Lv. 33, Quagsire Lv. 34, Floatzel Lv. 37
Rematch: Battleground: Sharpedo Lv. 61, Quagsire Lv. 61, Floatzel Lv. 63, Gyarados Lv. 62, Ludicolo Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Now the fifth Leader rather than the fourth, so the team rises from Lv. 27–30 to Lv. 33–37; the rising-water Gym is unchanged.
The masked wrestler’s Quagsire shrugs off Electric moves and takes four times damage from Grass, so Grass attacks are the safest answer. Barry later asks him for help getting into the Battleground. Reward: TM55 Brine.
Byron
Team: Magneton Lv. 37, Steelix Lv. 38, Bastiodon Lv. 41
Rematch: Battleground: Skarmory Lv. 61, Magnezone Lv. 62, Steelix Lv. 61, Bastiodon Lv. 63, Aggron Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Bronzor is replaced by Magneton and the levels rise by one or two; the lift-filled Gym is unchanged.
Roark’s father loves fossils as much as his son does. Fire and Fighting moves, and Ground attacks against Magneton, carry the day; his anime Gym battle with Ash comes in DP108. Reward: TM91 Flash Cannon.
Candice
Team: Sneasel Lv. 40, Piloswine Lv. 40, Abomasnow Lv. 42, Froslass Lv. 44
Rematch: Battleground: Weavile Lv. 62, Mamoswine Lv. 61, Abomasnow Lv. 61, Froslass Lv. 63, Glaceon Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Snover and the Fighting-type Medicham are dropped for Piloswine and Froslass, making the team pure Ice; the snowball-sliding Gym is unchanged.
Snowpoint’s upbeat Leader now ends with the new Froslass. Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel moves all serve well, but Torterra users should beware: Ice hits Grass and Ground four times as hard. Reward: TM72 Avalanche.
Volkner
Team: Jolteon Lv. 46, Raichu Lv. 46, Luxray Lv. 48, Electivire Lv. 50
Rematch: Battleground: Jolteon Lv. 61, Raichu Lv. 61, Luxray Lv. 62, Lanturn Lv. 63, Electivire Lv. 65
Since Diamond & Pearl: Ambipom and Octillery are replaced by Jolteon and Electivire, making the team all Electric; the Gym itself is unchanged.
Sinnoh’s bored strongest Leader now has no answer to a good Ground type, which makes Torterra and Garchomp ideal. Later he and Flint team up against the player and Barry at the Battle Frontier gate. Reward: TM57 Charge Beam.
The Elite Four & the Champion
The Elite Four and the Champion have new rooms and new teams, and for once they start lower than in Diamond and Pearl: Lv. 49 to 62 on the first visit, rising to Lv. 65–78 once the Stark Mountain episode is over. Flint is finally all Fire.
Aaron
Team: Yanmega Lv. 49, Scizor Lv. 49, Vespiquen Lv. 50, Heracross Lv. 51, Drapion Lv. 53 (rematch: Lv. 65–69)
Since Diamond & Pearl: Dustox and Beautifly give way to Yanmega and Scizor, and levels fall from Lv. 53–57 to Lv. 49–53.
His room is redesigned with logs and foliage. Fire and Flying moves deal with most of the team, though Drapion still needs a Ground attack.
Bertha
Team: Whiscash Lv. 50, Gliscor Lv. 53, Golem Lv. 52, Rhyperior Lv. 55, Hippowdon Lv. 52 (rematch: Lv. 66–71)
Since Diamond & Pearl: Quagsire and Sudowoodo are replaced by Gliscor and Rhyperior, which becomes her strongest Pokémon.
The kindly grandmother’s room is now strewn with rocks. Water and Grass attacks hit most of her team hard, but Gliscor is immune to Ground moves and fears Ice above all.
Flint
Team: Houndoom Lv. 52, Flareon Lv. 55, Rapidash Lv. 53, Infernape Lv. 55, Magmortar Lv. 57 (rematch: Lv. 68–73)
Since Diamond & Pearl: Steelix, Drifblim and Lopunny are dropped for Houndoom, Flareon and Magmortar, so his team is finally all Fire.
Volkner’s friend now battles from a room ringed with lava pits. A strong Water or Ground type clears his whole team.
Lucian
Team: Mr. Mime Lv. 53, Espeon Lv. 55, Bronzong Lv. 54, Alakazam Lv. 56, Gallade Lv. 59 (rematch: Lv. 69–75)
Since Diamond & Pearl: Girafarig and Medicham give way to Espeon and Gallade, which replaces Bronzong as his ace.
The bookish last member battles among glowing orbs. Dark, Ghost and Bug moves suit most of his team, while Bronzong needs a different plan.
Cynthia
Team: Spiritomb Lv. 58, Roserade Lv. 58, Togekiss Lv. 60, Lucario Lv. 60, Milotic Lv. 58, Garchomp Lv. 62 (rematch: Lv. 74–78)
Since Diamond & Pearl: Togekiss replaces Gastrodon, and the team starts three to four levels lower than in Diamond and Pearl, where Garchomp was Lv. 66.
Her chamber has a new colour scheme and a partly enclosed lift. Spiritomb has no weaknesses in Generation IV, and Garchomp still demands an Ice attack, while Togekiss brings a sturdy Flying-type special attacker.
Glitches, exploits and oddities
Platinum closed the Generation IV void, but it has quirks of its own, from a Giratina that forgets its own stats to a Frontier Brain who fields the wrong team.
Tweaking and the void
Tweaking, also known as holepunching, exploits the way the Generation IV games load their map in sections. Riding the Bicycle in its fastest gear in precise step patterns makes the game load or drop a section at the wrong moment, leaving invisible walls, black gaps or misplaced scenery. In Diamond and Pearl it could carry players through the void to event-only islands. Platinum shuts that route: the void is lined with invisible walls that stop the player a few steps in, and Darkrai and Shaymin do not appear on their islands without the proper event item. Players can still strand themselves, and a save made in the void can freeze when loaded.
Giratina form change glitch
In Platinum, and in HeartGold and SoulSilver, moving or swapping the Griseous Orb through the PC’s item options changes Giratina’s appearance without recalculating its stats. The wrong figures then persist through saving, trading and link battles, so an Altered Forme Giratina can fight with Origin Forme stats or the other way round. When the game later recalculates stats from the correct form on a level-up, some can actually fall, a rare example of negative stat growth anywhere in the series.
GTS level display oversight
Early North American copies of Platinum shipped with a fault on the Global Trade Station’s search screen, which failed to show the level range of the Pokémon a player was asking for. Players hunting for a particular Pokémon therefore could not see what levels were on offer before choosing a trade. Nintendo offered a fix to affected players, and the problem does not exist in the Japanese release or the other localisations. With the official GTS closed since May 2014, the oversight is now a historical curiosity.
Thorton’s swapped battle sets
In the Japanese and English releases of Platinum, Factory Head Thorton draws on the wrong battle set in two of his four print battles. In the Level 50 challenge, his 49th-battle team uses the weaker set meant for the 21st battle, while in the Open Level challenge his 21st-battle team uses the stronger set meant for the 49th. Players chasing the Gold Factory Print at Level 50 therefore face an easier final test than intended. The slip is absent from other language versions of Platinum and from HeartGold and SoulSilver.
The ‘Member’s Card’ name error
When the Poké Mart deliveryman hands over the Member Card from an event distribution, Platinum’s text calls it the ‘Member’s Card’, a small inconsistency in the name of one of the game’s rarest key items. The card is the ticket to Newmoon Island and Darkrai, and since it was only ever given out through events, the slip appears only on copies that received it. The same key item also exists in Diamond and Pearl, where it was never distributed at all.
HM05 Defog shown as a Water-type machine
Defog is a Flying-type move, yet in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum the HM05 disc appears in the Bag with the colouring of a Water-type machine. The move behaves exactly as it should: in battle it lowers the target’s evasion and clears barriers, and in the field it lifts fog, which in Platinum now hangs over three of the Lost Tower’s five floors as well as Route 210. The error is purely cosmetic, and Platinum also moves the HM itself from the Great Marsh to the Solaceon Ruins.
GTS trade Evolution oversight
All five Generation IV games share a Global Trade Station loophole that lets a Pokémon which normally evolves by trading do so without a real trade partner. The trick relies on depositing the Pokémon with any required held item, setting up a trade request that can never be met, and then retrieving it after another exchange, at which point the game treats it as freshly traded and the evolution triggers. With the GTS offline since 2014, it survives only on fan-run servers.
Cloning
Several duplication methods work across the Generation IV games, Platinum included. Trade cloning involves switching off one handheld at exactly the right moment during a trade so that the Pokémon ends up in both parties, though it is hard to time and often corrupts a save. A corrupted save can also keep its Pokémon data, which can then be traded out with help from a second system and game. The notorious GTS cloning glitch, however, is listed only for Diamond and Pearl, so it does not apply to Platinum.
Videos & media
Check out these Pokémon Platinum videos, including the intro video, the US launch commercial and a speed run of the game.
The intro video for Pokémon Platinum.
The launch commercial for Pokémon Platinum.
A speed run of Pokémon Platinum by YouTuber Werster, in 2 hours 49 minutes.
Trivia & facts
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Pokémon #493, Arceus. In the Pokémon Platinum instruction booklet it says “there are 493 Pokémon to be discovered” – this was a bit of advance planning, as Arceus, Pokémon #493, hadn’t been revealed yet when Platinum came out.
- Platinum contains the first Pokémon battle with an NPC that takes place in a Pokémon Center.
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Pocket Monsters Platinum, the first solitary version to reach South Korea. Of all the ‘third’ games in the core series (i.e. the ones that weren’t released in a pair and usually followed a pair for that generation), Platinum was the first to be released in South Korea.
- The audio system you can obtain for the Villa in the Resort Area plays Lilycove City’s theme music (from the Ruby and Sapphire versions).
- Because of PEGI’s rules on gambling, European versions of Platinum have had slot machines replaced with ‘game machines’. In non-European versions of the game you have to play the slot machines to obtain TM64, whereas in the European versions you may be rewarded with the TM when you speak to the receptionist in the Game Corner.
Further trivia
- Although Fantina moves to third place in the Gym order, the Badge Case keeps Diamond and Pearl’s layout, so her Relic Badge still sits in the fifth slot.
- Platinum’s Regigigas is found at Lv. 1, which makes it the lowest-levelled wild legendary in any Pokémon game; only Magikarp shares that level among wild Pokémon outside glitches.
Snowpoint Temple’s lowest floor, home of a Lv. 1 Regigigas. - Barry’s final Survival Area team, at Lv. 79–85, was the highest-levelled rival team in the core series until Red’s team in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- A Pokémon.com FAQ from 1999 mentioned a ‘Platinum’ version almost a decade before this game existed.
- Platinum was the last solitary core series game until Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January 2022, and both are set in Sinnoh.
- Platinum was the last core series game released in North America with a slot machine minigame.
- The Distortion World Giratina battle is the only Generation IV battle with no platform graphic under the Pokémon, and fishing in the Distortion World never finds anything.
- Registeel’s front sprite in Platinum is the one used in European copies of Diamond and Pearl, and the Battle Arcade is the only Generation IV location where the screen flashes while saving.
Legacy
What came after
- Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver – 12 September 2009. Not a re-release, but Platinum’s successor: the Johto remakes carried over Platinum’s Battle Frontier, Frontier Brains and Global Terminal almost unchanged.
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl – 19 November 2021. Nintendo Switch remakes of Diamond and Pearl rather than Platinum. They follow the original story, so Platinum’s Distortion World adventure, Charon and the Battle Frontier are left out, although a Distortion Room in Ramanas Park lets players battle a shadowy Giratina, which is why many fans still hope for a Platinum remake.
Where to play Platinum today
As of October 2026 Platinum has never been re-released: there was no Virtual Console version, and Nintendo Classics on Switch Online has no DS library. When a shareholder asked in June 2026 whether DS and 3DS games would come to Switch 2, Nintendo’s president said only that the company was working to make its back catalogue playable on current hardware where possible. Original cartridges still work on DS, DSi and 3DS systems, though Pal Park needs a DS or DS Lite and official online play ended in May 2014.
How it was made
Platinum was directed by Takeshi Kawachimaru, with Junichi Masuda among its producers. The Pokémon Company and Nintendo announced it on 15 May 2008, first through Japanese magazines and then on the official website, promising a release later that year; Giratina’s new Origin Forme had already been shown, and early details stressed a reworked story in which Giratina appears at Mt. Coronet and new outfits for the heroes. Kawachimaru’s approach was to change only what mattered most so the game would not drift too far from Diamond and Pearl, while Masuda felt that, since those games had been built as the ultimate Pokémon titles, Platinum had to be stronger still. The Sinnoh Pokédex was enlarged so that Gym Leaders could field single-type teams, the Battle Frontier returned from Emerald, the Wi-Fi Plaza was added, and Surfing and battles were sped up. It launched in Japan on 13 September 2008 and reached South Korea on 2 July 2009, the first solitary core series version released there.
Platinum in other media
The Japanese and English title screens:
Sales & reviews
Sales figures
Pokémon Platinum sold a total of 7.6 million units.
In Japan Pokémon Platinum was credited with invigorating sales of the Nintendo DS console in September 2008, after selling over a million copies there in just three days. This made Platinum the fastest-selling video game in Japan at the time; a further 315,000 units were sold in the second week, bringing the total to 1.3 million copies in just nine days in Japan. By October 23rd of that year Platinum’s sales totalled around 1.75 million in Japan, and it was still second in the weekly chart. By the end of that year Pokémon Platinum had sold more than 2.12 million units in Japan.
In the United States, Platinum placed 2nd in the top 10 best-selling video games chart after selling more than 805,000 units between the 22nd of March and the 4th of April. At the end of March it had become the second best-selling Nintendo DS game at the time, and held on to that second place throughout April and May. In June Platinum still held a respectable 4th place among DS games, and even into July stood strong in 5th. More than 2 million units of Pokémon Platinum were sold in 2009, making it the 10th best-selling game in the USA for the year.
In the UK Pokémon Platinum enjoyed an initial rush of sales, which resulted in it being the second best-selling DS title for the week ending June 11th, 2009. The following week, however, sales abruptly dropped, and by the week ending June 20th, 2009 Platinum had fallen out of the UK’s top 10, although sales did pick back up in July, with Platinum being the second best and then the 4th best-selling DS game for the weeks ending July 9th and 23rd respectively. By the end of March 2010 global sales totalled 7.06 million, and the lifetime total now stands at 7.6 million.
Nintendo’s own milestones fill in the gaps: about 1.48 million worldwide in the third quarter of 2008, the fourth best-selling game anywhere in that period; 5.66 million by August 2009; 6.39 million by the end of October 2009; and 7.60 million lifetime in CESA’s 2023 white paper. US pre-order customers received a Giratina figurine, and the North American launch was celebrated at the Nintendo World Store in New York.
- 7.6mworldwide, lifetime
- 1mJapan in three days
- 2.12mJapan by the end of 2008
- 2m+United States in 2009
Review scores
Whilst generally Platinum wasn’t QUITE as well received as its sister games Diamond and Pearl, its reception was still generally positive.
- Where Diamond and Pearl sit at scores of 85% / 85.07% on the aggregate sites, Platinum is only just behind at 84% and 83.14% on Metacritic and GameRankings respectively.
- Craig Harris from IGN scored Platinum 8.8/10 and added: “for those who haven’t jumped into the Pokemon adventure yet, Platinum is the one to back. Even though it’s not a huge advancement over Diamond and Pearl”.
- GameSpot’s Shiva Stella scored Platinum 8 out of 10 and commented: “Pokemon Platinum’s gameplay is much more refined than that of its predecessors, Diamond and Pearl. The focus is still on classic, addictive battling, but Platinum also incorporates several new areas and an impressive array of subtle changes, making it the best of the bunch despite heavily recycled content.”
- Nintendo Power magazine scored the game 9 out of 10 and called it “everything a Pokemon experience should be, and more”, but their review is unfortunately lost to the histories of the interweb.
Critics broadly agreed that Platinum was the best version of Sinnoh yet, while noting how much it shared with Diamond and Pearl. Its aggregate scores sat just below those games, at 84 on Metacritic. Reviewers at Nintendo World Report and Official Nintendo Magazine went as far as calling it the finest or ultimate Pokémon game, and GameSpot judged it the best special edition so far, praising its refinements and new areas despite recycled content. IGN felt the adventure and online features were more fully developed, though the advance over Diamond and Pearl was modest. Newcomers were the clear winners, with Game Informer calling it the way to go for anyone new to the series, while 1UP.com, RPGFan and GameZone suggested Diamond and Pearl owners had less reason to buy it, RPGFan pointing to the online mode as the main draw. Famitsu thought it offered plenty for the money, but found restarting a Pokédex from scratch a slog.
Awards and honours:
Media & artwork
- Official artwork gallery from Pokémon Platinum – a gallery featuring many of the Pokémon from the game
- Official artwork gallery from Pokémon Platinum – a gallery featuring characters, items and supporting artwork
- Box art from Pokémon Platinum, including numerous regional variations and editions
- Screenshots from Pokémon Platinum Version
Further reading
Our Sinnoh guides, plus the games either side of Platinum: