Pokémon Platinum

THE GOOD:
-Another Pokemon game to fill in some hours of the day
-Fills in hours of the day
-Improved Battle Tower
-New Pokemon
-New Area's to explore
-Wi-Fi

THE BAD:
-Same thing like the old games
-Same basic game, get 8 gym badges blah blah
-Poor Graphics
-New Dimension is very annoying
-No real improvements

SUMMARY:
Controls: 8/10
The controls are like every other Pokemon game except that the fifth generation is on the Nintendo DS. The D-Pad, or directional pad, is used for movement. With the D-Pad you walk around in certain areas to find certain Pokemon. A is used to click forward thing. For example, if you go to a trainer, you need to use the A button to scroll forward the text. The B button is used to cancel things. If you made a mistake, press the B button and you will be taken back before you made the mistake. If you hold B and push the D-pad you're character will start to run. If you press X, you will open up the menu. The menu will show you things like, "Pokemon, Bag, Options, Exit" and more. The Y button lets you use your selected item from your bag. You go to your bag and click an item like your bike and press Y. Then when you are on the world map you press Y and the bike is now able to be used.
The only reason why this gets an 8/10 is because there is no use of the touch screen. The only usage of the touch screen was the Poke Tech and touching the moves you want to do.
Graphics: 7/10
Well, here we are in the fifth generation of Pokemon and still same basic graphics. We have sprites for Pokemon, most of the time, and when it Isn't, it's pretty bad. Here: take a look at this screen shot:

Now I know this is the DS but now with the 3-D graphics I personally think Pokemon is trying to hard. It does look good compared to other games like Final Fantasy 4's 3-D graphics. Be what it may, I've seen better.
Plot: 7/10
Well like I said earlier: it's the same thing with the usual side story stuff. There a team somewhere trying to take over the world/make a new one. Now hurry and get all the badges now and then beat the elite four! Same thing since 1994'! Honestly, when you beat the elite four nothing happens. You need to catch even more after it and when you do you get a item you can't get by your self and that's it! No congratulations, no specials areas unlocked, nothing. It's not even worth it. The only thing that's really worth getting all the Pokemon for is trading them with Wi-Fi. And even then, mostly everyone has them already so they don't want them. It's not worth catching them all.
Team Galatic's Pokemon hardly grow stronger each time you fight them, maybe 3-4 levels and that's like, every other gym badge. I think Pokemon needs to take some time to think and look at the past. Pokemon Yellow was amazing and had the right amount of Team Rocket action. Take a break. I mean, it's a great time filler and a great RPG but it's getting repetitive.
Gameplay: 9/10
Oh where to begin. Well when your in battle, it isn't just fighting until someone "faints", there's a strategy behind it too. You can weaken the eneys defense by using moves like Tail whip and Screech. You can lower their attack by using moves like Growl. Some move may also make the opponent faint faster. These moves are called "Status Aliments." Status Aliments are things like Poison, Paralysis, Sleep and Burn.
Poisoned means each turn you lose some HP, or Hit Points. You can only cure poison by using a antidote or going to a Pokemon center. The more you walk outside of battle the HP the Pokemon loses until it faints.
Paralysis is one of the more annoying but sometimes helpful. Paralysis is when a Pokemon's accuracy of a move goes down. When your paralyzed you may be unable to use any moves. You can cure it by buying a paralyze heal.
Burn is a move where your Pokemon gets hurt little by little each move and you can cure it by buying burn heal.
The objective is to beat the opponents other Pokemon by making their HP bar go all the way down.
Music: 8/10
The music actually got a bit better. I like some of the music in the game. It fits pretty good in the place where it was put. For example, the tone of the music fits in with the battle. Here is the elite four's Cynthia's theme.

Now that sounds like a theme that will get me going for the fight Sounds like a dramatic sound track that works perfectly with the time and place.

This is the eight gym leader theme. Not as hard as the Elite four of course but nonetheless still in tone with the fight.

Overall: 39/50
Well this game is just like any of the others. Gotta Catch them all! But after that it is almost completely worthless. The Wi-Fi is great but if you don't have it then there is no point unless you collect them. There are good aspects of this game like the long hours you put into it and the new Pokemon but other then that there is nothing. I would only spend $20 on this game.