Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl received mixed reviews from critics, who praised aspects of the gameplay but were divided over certain changes made to the original, the games' visual design, and lack of features (e.g. the Sinnoh Battle Frontier) from Pokémon Platinum.

[8][9] During the Pokémon Presents, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were announced for the Nintendo Switch with a tentative late 2021 release date.

[16] Moreover, it was announced that the outfits of the protagonists Lucas and Dawn from Pokémon Platinum would be available from Mystery Gift as an early purchase bonus until February 21, 2022.

Opponents argued that the graphics were a downgrade compared to the two previous Pokémon remakes (Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Let's Go, Pikachu!

[31] Rebekah Valentine of IGN gave the games an 8 out of 10, stating: "Like the themes of its story, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are solid and enduring – leaning on the past, with all of its triumphs and tripwires."

"[32] He would go on to praise the graphics engine which was "mostly free of framerate drops or the slowdown that plagues other 3D entries in the series," and declare the games "a welcome throwback to a simpler time when I felt completing a Pokédex was a somewhat realistic task to undertake.

"[32] While the games' stylized chibi art style was mostly praised by IGN with the exception of certain story sequences meant to be taken seriously,[35] others such as Destructoid's Chris Carter felt that the visuals took some getting used to.

He said that while the region can be a "joy to explore", developer ILCA tried to stick too closely to the originals while adding a few new features on top, leading to a disjointed experience.

In addition, the inability to turn off the Experience Share feature can result in the player's Pokémon being over-leveled for the majority of the game, making battles with NPCs "a chore" rather than a legitimate challenge.

[37] GameSpot's Steve Watts praised the chibi art style and quality-of-life improvements while criticizing the franchise's lack of evolution and difficulty spike the Elite Four represented.