Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, is it all that its worked up to be?

I've been hearing great things about the Pokemon DS games, and how amzing they are, but how good are they? Is it really worth it? I've trusted the pokemon games for a long time and I wanted to ask if it wasas great as the past ones... so, what do you think about it?

Geez a lot of hate for our noble pokemon huh? :(

The truth of the matter is this: If you've played a pokemon game in the past you should, (sadly) know what to expect. The same gym/elite four blueprint is still present, the RPG elements are more or less the same, and you won't really develop any meaningful relationships with the characters.

Now that the negatives are aside I can state the positives: It's a longer, more enjoyable, more challenging and the biggest pokemon game that is up to date. Everything has been updated, some things more than others. (You won't exactly see N64 graphics here) The pokemon themselves now are just barely at the 500 mark for collecting (Good luck with that). And possibly the coolest feature? Online enabled trading and battling. Oh man that is sweet.

Personally I think a lot of pressure was pressed upon the Diamond and Pearl series and I believe they delivered. If you were expecting immersive storyline, fantastical graphics, or characters worth noting you will probably be disappointed. For those of us that have come to love the series, this is a fantastic upgrade into a new side of pokemon: the metagame. See my review for my full synopsis.