Pokémon BDSP celebrates director and composer Junichi Masuda’s 54th birthday with a snowy easter egg.
Today is a special day for Game Freak and the Pokémon franchise! January 12th is beloved director, producer, and composer Junichi Masuda’s 54th birthday. To celebrate, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl has brought back a feature players might recognize from previous games.
Fans were excited to discover a sparkling surprise in-game as their Switches turned the clock to Jan. 12th. The easter egg, called “Diamond Dust,” was originally teased by Masuda himself back in 2008, and Game Freak has brought it back for 2022. It’s a sweet nod to a major creative in the franchise, as well as paying homage to Pokémon BDSP‘s roots.
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JANUARY 12TH’S SPECIAL POKÉMON BDSP EASTER EGG
As with the original Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, any Pokémon BDSP players traveling to Snowpoint City today will see glittering sparkles around the town. This “Diamond Dust” is a special variation of snow that Game Freak created for Masuda’s birthday.
Though Diamond Dust replaces any usual hailstorms, it luckily has no effect on battle. This means that players can battle in and around Snowpoint City without being buffeted by hail. Even better, players will also see an increased encounter and hatch rate, just as an added bonus.
Though Diamond Dust appears today to celebrate Masuda’s 54th birthday, it was originally revealed for his 40th birthday in 2008. In a post on his personal blog, Masuda encouraged fans to pick up Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, hinting that “Snowpoint City will be just beautiful!” Of course, when fans did, they discovered the lovely easter egg that is Diamond Dust.
Additionally, Diamond Dust previously appeared in-game for other holidays like Leap Day, New Year’s Eve, and the player’s birthday. It’s a rare effect that only appears in a limited number of games, making it all the more special.
While Pokémon games have created in-game special effects for various holidays, today’s effect celebrates a notable figure in both Pokémon and game development history. Masuda, a game dev extraordinaire, worked on nearly every Pokémon game since the company’s founding.
He’s also one of Game Freak’s original three founders, and the driving creative force behind the modern Pokémon games. Following that, Masuda is now currently a composer and Director of the Board at Game Freak.
Have you spotted any Pokémon easter eggs? Let us know below!
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