The original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for the Nintendo DS kickstarted a unique easter egg tradition for the series – diamond dust, special crystalline snow, would fall in the game’s Snowpoint City on certain dates like Leap Day or the day that marks the in-universe discovery of Mew (March 31st) – but the effect was originally discovered for Junichi Masuda’s birthday in 2008. The effect has carried through to every subsequent generation, and now in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl the effect has returned, as today – the 12th – is Masuda’s birthday, meaning the diamond dust is falling upon Snowpoint City yet again.
Pretty. Diamond Dust is falling! #PokemonBrilliantDiamond #PokemonShiningPearl pic.twitter.com/wb6G3OwWXa
— Aussie Riolu (@AussieRiolu) January 11, 2022
The cute little easter egg is now both a nod to Masuda and to the original games’ past, though it remains to be seen whether or not diamond dust will fall on the other dates it did in the original DP. Maybe it’ll fall on whole new dates, even! Whatever the case, let’s use the occasion to wish Masuda, one of the greatest shapers of the whole Pokémon franchise, a very happy 54th birthday.
Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
