Play Pokemon Pearl (v06) (J) Online

Pokemon Pearl came out for the Nintendo DS in 2006, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. It was part of the fourth generation of Pokemon games, arriving when the DS was still fairly new, and it made good use of the dual screens and touch input. The game felt like a solid step forward from the earlier GBA titles, with a bigger world and more detailed sprites.

You control a young trainer starting out in the Sinnoh region, tasked with filling your Pokedex and challenging the eight gym leaders. A lot of the game involves exploring routes and caves, battling wild Pokemon to weaken them before throwing Pokeballs, and managing your team's moves and types for advantage. The touch screen lets you quickly access your Pokemon or items, and the underground area offers a mining minigame where you dig for fossils and spheres. The pacing is steady, though some late game areas and trainer battles can be surprisingly tough. It feels satisfying to slowly build a strong team and see the world open up as you earn more badges.