More than a decade on from the original European release and Pokemon is still going strong. Platinum, the latest edition to the evergreen franchise, offers some Wi-Fi tweaks and minor improvements, but this is essentially business as usual.
Players can expect the same compulsive mix of exploration and collection as you roam the landscapes looking for rare Pokemon species. The rock-paper-scissors combat, which sees you battling to win ownership of the Pokemon, is as addictive as ever – although any gamers who played 10 years ago will probably wince at the lack of gameplay progression. The innovation, such as it is, comes in the connected options. Players can battle through a new location together and trade Pokemon online.
The latter has a nifty messaging system on the Wii that lets you know when a trade is complete. Back-story and graphics were never the series's strongpoints and nothing has changed here. The visuals in particular are in dire need of a makeover. But by offering some neat new connectivity features, Pokemon Platinum does just enough to keep the fans happy.
