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How to Save and Load in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Use the Switch user tied to your progress to save or continue BDSP. Learn where the save is stored and how to check cloud backup safely.
WorldPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To save or continue Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, launch the game using the Nintendo Switch user associated with your progress, then follow the save or continue prompt shown in-game. The save file is stored in the console’s system memory—not on the game card or microSD card. Cloud backup availability for BDSP must be checked for the specific title; a Nintendo Switch Online membership alone does not confirm support.

How to save your progress

  1. Open Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Pokémon Shining Pearl on your Nintendo Switch.
  2. Open the in-game menu and choose the save command shown by your installed version.
  3. Confirm the on-screen prompt if one appears, and wait for the game to finish saving before closing it.

The exact current menu wording and button sequence are not established by the available official documentation, so follow the prompts on your own game rather than relying on a specific button sequence.

How to load or continue a saved game

  1. From the Switch HOME Menu, start BD or SP under the Switch user that created or last played the save.
  2. Choose the continue or load option presented by the game.

Nintendo says save data is generally associated with a Switch user. If your progress is missing, first close the game and relaunch it under the other user profiles that may have played it. For the same user, Nintendo says the save is unaffected by whether you launch from a physical game card or a downloaded copy. Nintendo’s save data FAQ

Where BDSP save data is stored

Nintendo Switch game save data is stored in the console’s system memory. Nintendo states: “Game save data cannot be saved or copied to a microSD card.” A microSD card may hold software-related data, updates, downloadable content, and screenshots, but it is not a backup location for your BDSP save. Nintendo’s Data Management FAQ Nintendo’s microSD card storage guidance

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#1 Best Overall
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - Nintendo Switch Brilliant Diamond Edition
  • Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Diamond Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
  • The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond game brings new life to this remade classic with added features
  • Explore the Grand Underground to dig up items and Pokémon Fossils, build a Secret Base, and more.
  • Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show
  • A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system

How to check cloud backup support and restore safely

Do not assume BDSP supports Save Data Cloud just because your console has a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo advises checking the game’s listing in Nintendo eShop under Software Details or using the game’s HOME Menu Software Options and selecting Save Data Cloud. Unsupported titles are identified in those checks. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required if cloud backup is supported for that title. Nintendo’s cloud save backup guidance

Before downloading a cloud save, compare the displayed dates and times for the console save and cloud backup. Restoring downloads the backup over the console’s existing save; Nintendo warns that overwritten data cannot be recovered. If a Nintendo Switch Online membership expires, Nintendo says prior cloud backups can be accessed again by resubscribing within 180 days. This is a general cloud-service policy, not confirmation that BDSP has cloud backup support. Nintendo’s cloud save backup guidance

Rank #2
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond: Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Diamond Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
  • The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond game brings new life to this remade classic with added features
  • Explore the Grand Underground to dig up items and Pokémon Fossils, build a Secret Base, and more!
  • Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show
  • A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What Pokémon HOME can—and cannot—do

Pokémon HOME’s documented BDSP feature lets you transfer eligible Pokémon between HOME and the selected game. The console version of Pokémon HOME is required; during the process, you select the game and the user whose save data to access. Pokémon currently in your party cannot be transferred. This moves Pokémon, not the complete BDSP save file, and is not a full-game save backup or restore method. Pokémon Support: transferring Pokémon between HOME and BDSP

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - Nintendo Switch Brilliant Diamond Edition
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - Nintendo Switch Brilliant Diamond Edition
Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show; A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
$58.49
Bestseller No. 2
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond: Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond: Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show; A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
$59.88
Bestseller No. 3
Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond (Nintendo Switch) (European Version)
Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond (Nintendo Switch) (European Version)
Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
$51.95
Bestseller No. 4
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - For Nintendo Switch
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - For Nintendo Switch
Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
$51.95
Bestseller No. 5
Pokemon Shining Pearl - For Nintendo Switch
Pokemon Shining Pearl - For Nintendo Switch
Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
$49.85
Best Value
Pokemon Shining Pearl - For Nintendo Switch
  • Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
  • Embark on an adventure through the Sinnoh region with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl on Nintendo Switch, coming on 19th November, 2021!
  • Adventures in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will take place in the Sinnoh region. Rich in nature and with towering Mount Coronet at its heart, Sinnoh is a land of many myths passed down through the ages. You’ll visit many different locations in the Sinnoh region, while striving to become the Champion of the Pokémon League.
  • The original story has been faithfully reproduced, and the sense of scale in the originals’ towns and routes has been carefully preserved. People who played Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl can revisit familiar places and relive familiar scenes once more. For those setting out through Sinnoh for the first time, plenty of new encounters and surprises await.
  • These remakes include easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences of the modern Pokémon series, plus up-close-and-personal Pokémon battle scenes.
Rank #4
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond - For Nintendo Switch
  • Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
  • Embark on an adventure through the Sinnoh region with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl on Nintendo Switch, coming on 19th November, 2021!
  • Adventures in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will take place in the Sinnoh region. Rich in nature and with towering Mount Coronet at its heart, Sinnoh is a land of many myths passed down through the ages. You’ll visit many different locations in the Sinnoh region, while striving to become the Champion of the Pokémon League.
  • The original story has been faithfully reproduced, and the sense of scale in the originals’ towns and routes has been carefully preserved. People who played Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl can revisit familiar places and relive familiar scenes once more. For those setting out through Sinnoh for the first time, plenty of new encounters and surprises await.
  • These remakes include easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences of the modern Pokémon series, plus up-close-and-personal Pokémon battle scenes.
Rank #3
Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond (Nintendo Switch) (European Version)
  • Journey to the Sinnoh region in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl!
  • Embark on an adventure through the Sinnoh region with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl on Nintendo Switch, coming on 19th November, 2021!
  • Adventures in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl will take place in the Sinnoh region. Rich in nature and with towering Mount Coronet at its heart, Sinnoh is a land of many myths passed down through the ages. You’ll visit many different locations in the Sinnoh region, while striving to become the Champion of the Pokémon League.
  • The original story has been faithfully reproduced, and the sense of scale in the originals’ towns and routes has been carefully preserved. People who played Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl can revisit familiar places and relive familiar scenes once more. For those setting out through Sinnoh for the first time, plenty of new encounters and surprises await.
  • These remakes include easy-to-understand, player-friendly conveniences of the modern Pokémon series, plus up-close-and-personal Pokémon battle scenes.

If your progress is still missing

  • Confirm that you launched the game under the Switch user associated with the save.
  • Check BDSP’s Save Data Cloud status and compare the console and backup timestamps before attempting a restore.
  • If the problem remains, contact Nintendo Support. Pokémon Support directs technical questions about Nintendo console games, including Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, to Nintendo Support. Pokémon Support: contacting Nintendo about a console game

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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