Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl have allowed long-time fans to start their journey across the Sinnoh region over again, and players who reset their game can replay the remakes once more. A major complaint of Pokémon games for the longest time has been the lack of a multiple save files feature, forcing players to delete their character and progress if they wish to start a new game. Like many other games in the series, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have fantastic replay value.
To reset Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, return to the home menu on the Switch and head to the System Settings menu. Head to Data Management, then Delete Save Data. Every saved game on the Switch console will appear, at which point players will need to click on their copy of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl. The Switch warns players that deleted data cannot be recovered, but players who wish to continue can select Delete Save Data. Loading up Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl will begin the game anew. See those steps in action in the video from MonkeyKingHero below:
Restarting Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Players should know that resetting Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in this manner is not the same as soft resetting the game. Soft resetting is a method used to get shiny event-related Pokémon in BDSP, like starters. Soft resetting the game is a different process entirely and does not require players to delete their saved data.
Soft resetting Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl will NOT create a new game!
Instead, before encountering an event-triggered Pokémon, players will need to save their game before starting the event. Next, interact with the Pokémon to see if it is shiny. If it isn't, players can return to the home menu of the Switch, press X to close out of the game, and load up once more to try again. This will treat the game as if the event hasn't been triggered yet, allowing players to shiny hunt for certain Pokémon in BDSP.
Though the story remains the same whether you restart BDSP or not, the ability to choose a new starter and capture new Pokémon to beat the game always keeps things fresh. For example, after resetting Pokémon BDSP, Chimchar could be the chosen starter for someone who previously selected Piplup or Turtwig. Whatever the reasoning may be, there is always something new to experience by resetting a Pokémon game and starting over.