For the people that have been kidnapped by Team Rocket and so have never played the series before, the premise of the game is very simple. As a trainer, the player must capture many different types of creatures called Pokémon and nurture them into strong and fierce warriors, able to defeat and humiliate other inferior trainers, the evil enemy corporation and the Pokémon they own. As things progress and experience is earned in battle, the trainer’s pocket army will level, evolve and gain new skills. It’s the looking after Pokémon as virtual pets, making them as strong as possible, that’s the hook which keeps people playing. Adventuring is fun, discovering new critters is fun, collecting things is fun, hence the presence of the tag line.

What will be apparent to anyone who’s played a Pokémon game before, is Diamond and Pearl are virtually identical to every previous game. Those looking for something revolutionarily different in the new titles are likely to be disappointed. It’s the usual story. Team Galactic (generic bad guys) plan on taking over the land of Sinnoh (generic land mass), leaving the generic hero to step in and save the day, whilst also having to battle their generic rival along the way.

With a little more prying amongst the long grass, there are some new elements added to the mix, the most significant of which is ushered in via the DS's Wi-Fi ability. The new Pokémon duo allows friends, both locally and across the net, to battle each other at their leisure, so get those long digits ready. Sadly though, this doesn’t extend to random battles (ironic given the number of them experienced in the single player game).

Wi-Fi also allows players to trade their Pokémon via the Global Trade Centre at each of the Pokémon shops; trainers can search through the worldwide bulletin boards for monsters others have made available, which might not have been caught along the way. Whilst it might sound a great way of collecting those rare beasties, only those Pokémon that have been listed in the local Pokédex can be bartered.

There are around a hundred new Pokémon in Diamond, including Lucario, Munchlax and Weavile as first glimpsed in the Pokémon movies. Unfortunately a number of these creatures are either baby or evolution forms of existing Pokémon. If this sounds a touch on the slim side, Diamond and Pearl can utilise the DS's dual slots to transfer Pokémon from the GBA Pokémon games, once that tech is gained later in to the journey when the National Pokédex is completed. It does seem like the ideas for new pocket friends are beginning to be – if not have become already – a little on the thin side.

Diamond and Pearl retained the simplistic nature of battles as experienced historically. Battles are glorified Paper/Scissors/Rock type affairs. Water cancels fire, fire burns grass, electricity zaps water, etc. This is a double edge sword. On the one hand it’s an easy system to learn and understand. On the other it has become a little staid and could perhaps use a revamp. Battles are still excruciatingly slow to start and complete, particularly if the animations are left on, and it’s easy to get into the habit of over leveling one particular character because it’s less hassle than swapping them out. Fortunately the experience share item makes a return, enabling one other Pokémon to take half of anything gained in battle, but getting a well round team does take some additional effort.

Battles make use of the touch screen for selecting moves or healing items and it does help navigation over traditional menus. Stylus implementation is far from overused though. So that the second screen isn’t redundant whilst wondering around Sinnoh, Pokétech items are gained by talking to the land’s NPC residents. These tools are a little like USB toys, they’re fun but often not of much use. Expect to receive digital clocks, step counters, a Pokémon soundboard and other items, some less frivolous than others.

The series' visuals have been enhanced, giving an attractive and vibrant pseudo-3D world, yet somehow it leaves the distinctive look and feel intact. There’s no real noticeable advance in detail of the new Pokémon or their animation, and neither has their lack of melodic yapping had an overhaul.

The common theme here is that there is little core change to the meat of game. However, Nintendo and Game Freak have managed to include all that was great in previous iterations into a single package. The trainer will fight at a series of Pokémon gyms to advance the story, while real time night and day shifts return to the game. Weather changes make an appearance, the Safari is there to explore and beauty and obedience competitions are available to be entered.

It is the same Pokémon game that millions of Nintendo fans have played before, that millions of fans have enjoyed, and that millions of fans will buy again. Despite its foibles, this simplified RPG is accessible to anyone, and remains as engrossing as it ever was. You’ve still gotta catch 'em all, right?