Super Contests – Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl guide

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you can sign your Pokémon up for Super Contests to show them off to the world. Contests have multiple aspects, including a visual and dance portion. Our Super Contest guide explains how to raise your visual and dance score and win at various contests.

How to unlock Super Contests

You can start participating in Pokémon contests as soon as you arrive in Hearthome City, after the second gym. Once you step into the contest center in the middle of the city, you’ll get a dress and the ability to sign up for contests.

Different types and ranks of Super Contests

The contests have various types, so you can enter your Pokémon based on what suits them. There’s Coolness, Cuteness, Beauty, Cleverness, and Toughness.

Beyond this, there’s also different contest ranks: Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master. To participate in higher ranks, you’ll need to win the rank before it.

There’s also Shining Contests, but you can only participate in those if your Pokémon has a Contest Star Ribbon, which you can only obtain from being the Star of the Show of all five categories in Master rank.

Improving your visual score using Poffins and Stickers

You’ll need to feed your Pokémon Poffins to improve their visual score, and the Poffin needs to improve the condition of the same type of contest you’re entering it in.

For example, if you’re entering your Turtwig into the Cleverness contest, you’ll need to feed it a Poffin that increases its Cleverness condition.

Certain berry flavors increase specific conditions, so you’ll need to craft your Poffins carefully.

Having a decorated Ball Capsule full of Stickers also helps your score.

Scoring high in the dance segment

The dance segment of Super Contests is actually just a simple one-button rhythm game. You’ll need to tap or hold A as the note approaches the target. Doing this well will increase your dance score. It’s really as simple as that. As you press the button, you’ll fill up the Heart Gauge and earn points.

Image: Game Freak, ILCA/The Pokémon Company via Polygon

Coordinating your Pokémon’s move

Move is the third category that your Pokémon is judged on. You’ll select one move to use during the dance segment. Different moves have different effects, and if you use them in tandem with the other contestants, you’ll get a bonus.

One move may increase the points gained when the “groove is positive,” meaning when you have an up arrow by your Pokémon. Other moves may boost the gains to the Heart Gauge over a short period of time.