Pokemon Platinum continues the trend of great monster-catching games--made even better with some cool new features.
Just like in past Pokemon games, you're a Trainer (boy or girl, your pick) on a quest to be the greatest Trainer of all time. In this case, you're conquering the land of Sinnoh--a land filled with secrets and mystical Pokemon of every size and measure. In Platinum, you will enter the Distortion World where the elusive (and extraordinarily powerful) Giratina Origin Forme exists. The story surrounding this Pokemon is an intriguing one at that, and the best part is--you can catch it. In fact, every Pokemon you come in contact with has the potentiality of being caught by a Pokeball; provided it isn't already owned by a Trainer. This is the tried-and-true formula that has always worked with Pokemon games, and it continues to work here.
Adding to the formula is the much-desired online Wi-Fi capability. Just like the Diamond and Pearl games that first introduced it to the Pokemon series, Platinum allows you to battle human opponents over Wi-Fi and, as you can well imagine, trade Pokemon with players from all over the world. With past Pokemon games, you had to resort to either buying two Pokemon cartridges to complete your Pokedex and having a local buddy with a Game Boy in hand help you out (not to mention the cumbersome link cable--that is SO old school) The Wi-Fi Global Trading Station eliminates the middle-man entirely, so it is possible to finish your collection with only one DS card and a competent Wi-Fi connection. Platinum also brings back the Battle Tower from Pokemon Emerald, as well as the all-new Wi Fi Plaza, where you can mingle with other trainers, make new friends, and play some interesting multiplayer minigames.
The goal of the game is to defeat the Gym Leaders and earn their badges so you can participate in an epic battle against the Elite Four. You can expect some interesting plot twists along the way, and of course, lots and lots of Pokemon battles. Leveling Pokemon can be serious work, but well rewarding of the effort you put into doing so. Think of raising Pokemon as a life lesson; with enough hard-work, dedication and commitment, the victories you pile up will have all been worth the sweat and tears. Needless to say, Pokemon Platinum, as with earlier games, rewards hard work and punishes anything less than a half-baked effort. And with effort comes strategic preparedness, for you will come across situations where you need to find the achille's heels of your opponents by using specific types (water vs. rock, fire vs. water, etc.) against them to your own advantage.
With lots of new modes, new ways of playing and, of course, new Pokemon to discover, there's a lot to like in Pokemon Platinum. Pokemon's marketing popularity may no longer be at the peak of its dominance amongst the younger set, but if there's one thing that has endured, it's been the video games that have inspired the worldwide craze. The game can be enjoyed by just about anyone of any age--it's certainly runs far deeper than just cute looking cartoon monsters. Whether you ARE a Pokemon fan or just someone looking for something different for their DS, you can't go wrong with Pokemon Platinum.