An appearance by Cyrus before I even get the Pokédex? A random appearance by the Looker before I even get to the first gym? Awesome! I love the ongoing plots and recurring characters in Pokémon games, so the more that the overall plotline intrudes on the regular grind of getting badges, the better. Even if it's little cameo appearances of later characters.
Plus, as a fan of any and all villainous teams, I applaud Platinum for having the earliest appearance of a bad guy in a game to date.
And my Piplup is female. Is there a higher ratio of female-to-male starters in Platinum, or were the three of us that commented on it so far just lucky? (Or unlucky, depending on your preference. I'm thinking "easier breeding," so I consider it good luck.)
The OWs are better, too. The male sprite doesn't look like he's about to topple over from that monstrous hat when he's got heavier clothes on.