The main problem I have with this game is that it simply does not hold up to today's standards in terms of graphics, controls, and presentation. There's certainly a fun game here that RPG fans who love to level up will enjoy, but wasn't enjoyable enough to me because it feels like I'm playing a game that is ten years old.

Take a look at Bidoof and Piplup in the screenshot to the left. What you see is basically all you will ever see of them, as they are barely animated in any way, and poorly motion tweened. This is such a turn-off to me when I know that the DS, with better-than-N64 graphics, is capable of so much more. Nintendo should have created incredibly animated 2D pokémon rather than spending their time designing the new roster of freaky pokémon that aren't as interesting to catch as the original 150.

What's even more frustrating is the flow of the battle system. It's very slow, very clunky, and only one thing can happen at a time. When the entire game is based on battling your Pokémon, it's very frustrating to have to do so with a battle mode that seems to make everything twice as long as it really needs to be. There's simply no reason for it.

Instead of making the action fast, and telling you something is "super-effective" while it's dishing out the damage with the life bar draining, it all has to happen seperately. This forces what I like to call 'battle echoes.' Even though I saw something happen, it still has to tell me with text that it happened after it showed me.

What Nintendo really dropped the ball on, however, was the touch screen controls. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't any touch screen control, but the truth is that the touch controls they've added are not useful. For example, take the screenshot to the left. The touch screen on the bottom has different circular icons, which you're supposed to tap to switch the category in the bag. You're also supposed to rotate the pokéball to move up and down through the item listing up above as though you were controlling an iPod.

Well, gee, I've got an idea: wouldn't it just be a lot easier if the top screen was the bottom screen? Then I could just tap the actual items and categories instead of the "alias" icons on the bottom. Moving the pokéball clockwise and counter-clockwise just isn't as easy as pressing up and down on the D-Pad.

It's just that little things like this really start to add up.

So you're probably wondering why I don't just use the D-Pad since it's easier. Oh trust me, I do. It's just that some things would be a whole lot easier if I could use the touch screen the correct way. For example - lets say I want to give an item from one pokémon to another. Instead of simply dragging the item with my stylus from one pokémon to the other, instead I have to do the following:

•select the pokemon with the item
•select "Item"
•select "Take"
•read "received the (item) from (pokémon)"
•select the pokemon you want to give the item to
•select "Item"
•select "Give"
•select the item from the list of items
•read "(pokémon) was given the (item) to hold"

It's called "drag and drop," people. For a game that was released in 2007, you would think the controls wouldn't be so archaic. Instead, everything is about as ridiculous as this. I don't understand who thought that this kind of stuff was still allowed in video games. Oh, did I mention you can't run diagonally? Apparently Nintendo has yet to discover how to program such a feature.

I really tried hard to enjoy my time with Pearl. Pokémon has always been something I've been interested in, but never fully jumped into. I know I've only gotten my feet wet when it comes to the Pokémon series, but they will really need to update this franchise to today's current standards before I dive in.

Verdict: Nintendo should know better.