A previously unreleased internal documentary chronicling the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl has surfaced online, offering fans a rare glimpse into the creation of the Nintendo DS titles. The film, titled "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Behind the Scenes DVD — Make All," was produced by developer Game Freak and was not intended for public viewing.
A copy of the documentary was acquired by fans, ripped, and uploaded to the Internet Archive, allowing players to study its contents. The documentary showcases numerous early monster designs that differ significantly from their final appearances.
For instance, the starter Pokémon Turtwig, Piplup, and Chimchar are featured with unique early concepts. Turtwig is depicted with what appears to be a flaming posterior, and its early form may have resembled an armadillo before evolving into its tortoise-like state. Piplup's evolutionary line hints at a potential original dual Water- and Ice-typing for Empoleon, contrasting with its final Water- and Steel-typing.
The leaked footage also includes designs for scrapped Pokémon, such as a "Foam Dog" water-type starter and a gnome-like evolution for Delibird. An early iteration of what may have become Sandyghast is also visible. Some fans speculate that certain designs could have evolved into later Pokémon, with one resembling a potential precursor to Scarlet and Violet's Chien-Pao, and another black woodpecker design possibly morphing into Starly.
Pokémon archivist Lewtwo has extensively documented the findings from the "Make All" DVD on his channels, detailing dozens of early creature designs. Some of these designs were refined into the Pokémon seen in Diamond and Pearl, others were repurposed for later titles, and some were ultimately abandoned.
The full documentary is available on the YouTube channel KASHIWA 3RD, though it is presented entirely in Japanese. Lewtwo also provided a detailed overview of the documentary's contents, explaining how another copy was secured by collector Neos, who collaborated with other archivists to make the film publicly accessible. Further information on the documentary's rediscovery can be found on LewTwo.net.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were originally released in Japan in September 2006 and in North America in April 2007 for the Nintendo DS. The games received a remake for the Nintendo Switch in 2021, titled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.