But not everything's come up Roserades. While the move to 3D is a nice one, your character moves pretty slowly as a result, especially compared to previous games. The DS interface also feels half-done - while movement requires the D-pad and face buttons, battles are best played using the touchscreen, which is an awkward combination.

For those of you that have done this before, you know the drill, and you're probably going to do it again. But those of you that haven't? Well, there isn't a better time to start than now - while marketing's kept the Pokemon machine going, it wouldn't still be around if the games weren't good, and online battle and trading will help you get so much more out of the game. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are not only the best Pokemon games yet, but some of most enjoyable on the DS.