A lot of fun, but it's still the same old Pokemon.

User Rating: 8.5 | Pocket Monsters Pearl DS
Another fun adventure in the world of Pokemon. As always, there are some new twists to keep you on your toes, along with an array of new capturable Pokemon to add to your team. The new Pokemon for the most part are just further explorations of the sorts of themes that have been seen in Pokemon from previous editions, whether we are talking about new evolutions or baby-forms. Some of the new characters are more unique in what they bring to the table for battles. The type-system seems to be getting even more balanced as time goes on, which is a good thing. Any gamer who has been around since Blue/Red/Green wiil remember the huge imbalance of power between certain types of Pokemon and the rest. Graphically, there are no major changes to the look of the series, just a cleaner look with some nice in-battle animations. New Wi-fi features allow for a much more interesting and usable Pokemon trading system. As always, the game experience can range from mild amusement to an in-depth addiction depending on how actively you engage the in-game world. If you liked other Pokemon games, you'll probably like this one too. Newcomers to the series will have no problems getting into it, as the interface is as user-friendly as always.