The most recent trailer for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl showcased a number of new and returning features. One of these is the Grand Underground, a revamped version of the original games’ Underground multiplayer area. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl‘s Grand Underground includes Pokémon Hideaways, a significant change from the originals that serves as a new method for obtaining Pokémon.
A feature not used since Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the Underground was a location trainers could visit to mine for rare and valuable items, build Secret Bases, and communicate with other players online. Pokémon Hideaways come as part of the remakes’ revamped take on this concept, which generally expands upon the features of the original.
To access Pokémon Hideaways, players must take advantage of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl‘s Secret Base mechanic, as the Pokémon species they can encounter in these areas depend on the statues they display in their Secret Bases. It’s not clear exactly how this works, but placing statues of a Water-type Pokémon, for instance, could increase the likelihood of discovering Water types in the Hideaways.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Pokémon Hideaways
Similar to Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Wild Areas, Pokémon Hideaways contain a variety of biomes; magma-filled crags, rocky outcroppings, an icy area by a lake, and a space filled with greenery were all environments showcased in the presentation. Also similar to Sword and Shield, Pokémon Hideaways forego random encounters in favor of displaying wild Pokémon in the environment. This means players can see each available Pokémon and choose which to engage, instead of having to simply hope for a desired encounter – something that will be extra helpful when looking for the areas’ exclusive creatures.
Some of the Pokémon that can be encountered in Pokémon Hideaways cannot be found anywhere else in the Sinnoh region. The Pokémon Presents event gave the example of Houndoom, which required both the National Dex and the Poké Radar to be obtained in Diamond and Pearl. The trailer also showed Munchlax, the rarest encounter in the original games, though it’s not clear if Munchlax is one of the exclusive species.
Given Houndoom’s appearance, it’s unclear which game’s Pokédex the remakes follow, though fans have speculated BDSP do indeed use Pokémon Platinum‘s Pokédex. Either way, thanks to the online functionality of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl‘s Union Rooms, players may not even need to scour the Grand Underground for the Pokémon they desire, instead opting to obtain them through trades with other players.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be available for Nintendo Switch on November 19, 2021.
Source: The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel
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