With 2 million copies already sold in Japan, Pokemon Platinum was a smash hit within a week of its initial release, well before it launched itself across the ocean to North America. As the latest game in Nintendo's well-known Pokemon series, it's a juggernaut of epic proportions, WoW for handhelds and, needing no introduction to the thousands of Pokemon fans eager to get their hands on it. From younger gamers to the hardcore and both boys and girls, Pokemon has somehow managed to reach everybody. There are hundreds of sites, dozens of guides, tutorials, walkthroughs and cheats scattered across the web. Pokemon has an online presence like being in a closet with a grizzly bear - you can pretend it's not there, but there's no escaping it.

With so many people already pre-ordering the game and so many younger players clamoring for it, so a review hardly seems necessary. But there are still some questions that need answering. For the newbies, what's the deal with Pokemon games? For the veterans, what does this game bring to the existing world of Pokemon?

Let's start with the basics for new folks. If you're a seasoned Pokemon vet, go on and skip ahead to the next page.

Pokemon Platinum throws you into a world full of Pokemon, little monsters ranging from cute and friendly, to wild and dangerous.  Pokemon are scattered all over the world from the highest mountain to the deepest ocean. Humans live ordinary lives by coexisting with Pokemon around them, sometimes befriending the creatures like you would a pet, or using them as research subjects; apparently, humans spend a lot of time and money studying Pokemon to gauge their behaviour and harness their magical powers.

There are also Pokemon Trainers, people who collect Pokemon by beating them into submission, cramming them into semi-magical Pokeballs and using them to battle other Pokemon. Somehow, Pokemon enjoy this. The concept is a bit strange and I recommend watching an episode or three of the cartoon if you want to see a more kid-friendly take on things. Pokemon Trainers are like famous athletes with TV shows, gyms and tournaments devoted to their battles, training techniques and the friendships they have with their Pokemon. Michael Vick wishes he had it so good.

Launching into the game you assume the role of a young Pokemon fan (boy or girl) and set off on a big adventure that starts when you are given your very own Pokemon. You start battling other Pokemon immediately, capturing them with Pokeballs when you can and earning experience for your Pokemon with each victory. You the trainer don't have any levels or stats, but your Pokemon gain levels and increase a variety of stats - HP, Speed and two forms of Attack and Defense. Pokemon also learn different moves as they gain levels, gaining more powerful attacks, defenses or other special tricks. A Pokemon can only have four moves at any time so as you learn more, you're able to forget other moves to make room for them. Getting a set of moves that work well together is one of the hallmarks of a good Pokemon Trainer.

Also, at certain levels most Pokemon do one of the things this game is famous for - evolve! Evolution generally transforms the Pokemon into a larger, stronger creature. Most evolutions are easy to get simply by leveling up, but some of them require bizarre sets of circumstances, from it happening at night to needing special items or even that your Pokemon like you. These harder evolutions make certain Pokemon rare and hard to find so if you get one, showing it off to your friends is a must.

So, as you play, you encounter Pokemon across the world, capturing them with Pokeballs to fill your Pokedex with information, build your collection and assemble a team of up to six Pokemon that travel with you to kick butt at your command.

When a Pokemon battle breaks out, you're stepping into the most complicated game of Rock-Paper-Scissors in the world. Rather than the simple three types of Rock, Paper or Scissors, there are seventeen different types to match up, from Fire to Dragon, Water, Steel, Psychic and more. The Pokemon itself, Pikachu for instance, is Electric type and that determines what attacks it is resistant or vulnerable to. Each Attack has a type as well and matching your attack to the vulnerability of the Pokemon you're battling is key. Attacks also use your Pokemon's Attack (for physical moves) or Special Attack (for lasers and the like) rating and challenge your opponent's Defense or Special Defense to see how much damage they do. Each Pokemon can make one attack per turn, in order of the highest Speed and reducing your opponent's HP to zero knocks them out. Finding the right combination of Pokemon to build your team so it can defeat any opponent is a surprisingly deep strategic challenge, especially as you reach higher levels.

Those are the basics of Pokemon. There is so much more to the game, but trying to cover it would take a dozen strategy guides so let's call it here and move on.