Pokémon Platinum Version (2008). Play online

Summary

In Pokémon Platinum the Sinnoh region twists into something almost alien. Early on I slip through the new Distortion World, a glossy ant‑matter realm that reshapes the landscape and the plot‑twist with Giratina’s Origin Form. The game also spruces up familiar Pokémon: Shaymin flips to its sky version, Rotom can host an electric house, and the classic trio of Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres returns alongside the Regi legends.

Beyond the story, the DS feels alive. The Pokétch gains a drawing pad and calculator, while the Underground lets me sift for spheres, fossils and craft Poffins to boost contest stats. Multiplayer finally shines: the Wi‑Fi Plaza hosts up to twenty players in quick minigames, the Vs. Recorder stores battle footage, and the expanded Battle Frontier offers tougher challenges than ever. The Global Trade System even pings me with email‑style alerts when a trade is accepted, and I can send Pokémon straight to Wii titles like Battle Revolution.

Critics praised the deeper mechanics, and the title raced to the top of Japanese charts, eventually selling over seven million copies worldwide. The US pre‑order even threw in a Giratina figurine, a nice reminder of the game’s ‘antimatter’ charm.

Storyline

Pokémon Platinum is set in the Sinnoh region, now featuring snow‑covered ground in spots that were clear in Diamond and Pearl. The player’s avatar and rival wear colder‑weather outfits to match the wintry scenery.

Familiar towns such as Twinleaf, Pastoria City, and the Resort Area return with design tweaks, and many beloved characters make a comeback—including Champion Cynthia, the Elite Four (Aaron, Bertha, Flint, Lucian), and Gym Leaders Roark, Gardenia, Fantina, Maylene, Crasher Wake, Byron, Candice, and Volkner.

The game adds two new faces: Charon, a Team Galactic scientist who becomes the fourth commander, and Looker, a detective probing the organization. Giratina takes center stage, and players can encounter it several times, with the chance to capture it after each battle. Both Dialga and Palkia become obtainable after the main story concludes.

A fresh cutscene has the player sneak into Team Galactic’s headquarters with Looker, witnessing Cyrus’s speech about reshaping the world using Dialga and Palkia without spirit.

Starter choices remain Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, which evolve into Torterra, Infernape, and Empoleon.