Hello there! I've spend over 150 hours so far glued to my Platinum version and along the way I found some things that either a) I thought were pretty cool or b) were kind of fun. Here are my top 10 things to do in the "newest" versions. (I don't count HeartGold or SoulSIlver because Nintendo and GameFreak just got lazy)
10) Shiny Chains: With the invention of the Poketch comes the invention of an easier way to get yourself that shiny Pikachu you've always wanted. Although it takes skill and a bit of luck to accomplish, getting yourself a shiny has never been easier without reducing their rarity.
9)Mystery Gift and WiFi Events: This is one of the reasons I LOVE Nintendo. I personally think of them as Nintendo's little way of saying "Thanks for suffering with us for over a decade guys."
8) Migration: Move over Mexicans! Pokemon are here! Although not illegal aliens, you can now bring over your previously beloved and forgotten Pokemon from earlier versions. My personal favorite thing to do in this category: try to beat the current elite four with your old team. That and it beefs up your Nationaldex.
7) The Nationaldex and The Battle Frontier:Although both are a bit of a throw back to earlier games, building up an entirely complete pokedex and kicking butt at The Battle Frontier still hold some kind of allure no matter how many times you do it. Just a side note: you need to have fully filled your Sinnoh Pokedex before obtaining the Nationaldex and access to the Resort and Survival areas.
6) The Wifi Plaza:Here you can meet international people that you'll never see again and play random games with them. If you have nothing else to do and a WiFi point in range, I suggest you give this a try. It's actually quite fun.
5) The Legendaries:Talk about Platinum...Here you have the random access through WiFi events or the Action Replay to catch the most Legendary Pokemon I have EVER seen in once place before. As if that's not cool enough on it's own, you can catch Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos in this game.
4) Breeding:Being a Breeder myself, this always comes up on my list. With new abilities, new baby pokemon and new baby moves, breeding just got so much better. Kudos on the little egg route too by the way. Side note: If you didn't know and enjoy breeding, having a Magmortar in your party cuts the step number in half required for an egg to hatch.
3) Your Villa:After having taken the time to get your Shinnoh Pokedex complete, you gain access to the Resort and Survival Area. Located in the Resort Area, you are given your own Villa to maintain. Although the furniture is expensive, I like the challenge of it. Tip: Go through the Elite Four again with your amulet coin. It's the easiest way to make MEGA cash and fill up your new home sweet home.
2) Arceus and the Alternate Forms:This set of games brings forth the concept of alternate forms. Many pokemon species now have different colors and or shapes based on gender or environment. Perhaps the coolest one is Arceus, who changes color sets depending on what Plate it is holding. Remember all those random, inscribed plates? Yea, they actually do something cool.
1)The Underground and Secret Bases:Perhaps the most fun thing to do in Platinum is get a bunch of your friends together and just go around steeling the flags of their Secret Bases. Honest, it gets hysterical. Also, the underground is one of the most ingenious ideas to get a hold of fossils and otherwise rare items.
Happy Pokemoning! (yes that is a word....)
-Bear