ThePokemonfranchise may be filled to the brim with turn-based RPG action, but it also has a lot of fun distractions. InPokemon HeartGoldandSoulSilver,players could compete in athletic competitions with their Pokemon, whileRuby, Sapphire,andEmeraldpremieredthe fashion-centric Pokemon Contests. InPokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl,fans can compete in similar Super Contests with their Pokemon, but there’s another much more relaxing distraction that players can opt into. Just north of Hearthome City, gamers can find Amity Square, a quaint little park where they can walk around and hang out with some of their cutest Pokemon.
Amity Square is frankly pretty easy to miss. It’s not a part of the plot inDiamondandPearl,and it’s hard to even call Amity Square a minigame, since strictly speaking there’s very little to do there. It’s just a calm place where players can hang out with their Pokemon. There’s definitely some mechanical benefits to the park, though. What’s more, it looks like ILCA is enhancing these benefits in the upcomingBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlremakes of the original Generation 4Pokemongames. As such, anyone interested in picking upBrilliant DiamondorShining Pearlshould ensure to check out Amity Square.
RELATED:Gardenia’s Gym in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Suggests Less Pokemon Platinum Adaptations
The Benefits of Amity Square
The concept of Amity Square is simple. When players arrive, they can take their Pokemon for a stroll, so long as the Pokemon belongs to a certain list of cute Pokemon. Most of these Pokemon are native to the Sinnoh region:the three Sinnoh starter Pokemon, Drifloon, Pachirisu, Buneary, and so on. Notably, whileDiamondandPearlonly allowed players to walk around with one Pokemon, theBDSPremakes allow up to six Pokemon to join the player in Amity Square. In the original version of the square, Pokemon could find items and gift them to the player. It seems likely that this mechanic will return as a valuable source of Berries.
That’s because Amity Square actually serves a new purpose inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.Visitors to the square can now find a pot where they can bake Poffins, a Berry-based treat that comes in a range of flavors and raises certain Pokemon stats relevant to Super Contests.DiamondandPearlintroduced Poffin makingpreviously, but cooking them with one’s Pokemon is new toBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.It sounds like a great way to unwind in-game and bond with Pokemon.
RELATED:Australia Could Be the Perfect Setting for a New Pokemon Game
Diamond and Pearl Nostalgia
It’s worth noting that, in a way,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearldon’t really need Amity Square. The site’s main attraction isthe ability to walk around with Pokemon, but in theBDSPgames, players can have one of their party members follow them around in the overworld. Even so, it’s a good thing that ILCA kept Amity Square in the game. Fans who played the originalDiamondandPearltook a liking to the novelty of the park, so lots of fans playing the remakes will surely want to return to Amity Square out of nostalgia. The square was one ofDiamondandPearl’s most unique bonus features, so the remakes wouldn’t feel complete without it.
Still, it is hard not to wonder if ILCA has any more Amity Square upgrades in store. Aside frombaking Poffins alongside Pokemon, there’s definitely a few ways that theBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearldeveloper could spruce up the place. For instance, mayne it has expanded the list of Pokemon that players can take into Amity Square, or maybe there’s some rare new items that Pokemon can find while wandering around with their trainers. Regardless of any secret changes, it’s just great to know that Amity Square will be inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, as it’s a piece of the Sinnoh region that’s more than worth revisiting.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlrelease on June 18, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
