Remakes have been a part ofPokemon’s identity since almost the beginning. Even if one doesn’t count the Kanto region reappearing inPokemon Gold,Silver, andCrystal,FireRedandLeafGreenofficially remade the Generation 1 titles for Game Boy Advance (GBA) after just eight years. Older titles have returned in release order alongside new adventures (with a brief stop back inKanto forPokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu!andEevee!), thusPokemon BlackandWhiteare next on the docket.
Though the initial Generation 5 games were somewhat controversial owing to their status as soft reboots prioritizing over 150 new monsters with parallels to classic lines like the Geodude family, today they are often seen as the pinnacle of Game Freak’s 2D design. Pixel art sprites were more complex, moving consistently during battles, and theUnova region carried a strong narrative into its direct sequelsBlack 2andWhite 2. Games this bold deserve modern reimaginings akin toOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire, rather than the safer approach ofBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl.
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Where Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Fall Flat
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, released in 2021, hold an interesting distinction as the first “mainline” titles handled by a developer other than Game Freak. ILCA, which also createdPokemon HOME, was given the reins as the franchise’s primary studio worked onPokemon Legends: Arceusas well asPokemon ScarletandViolet(though Generation 9 had yet to be revealed).
It makes sense the dev team might have leaned in a safe direction, perhaps usingBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlas testing grounds. The Switch releases include an almost 1-to-1 recreation of the original Sinnoh map using a toy-like aesthetic to capture the original DS sprites. It’s a charming idea in concept, one that worked wonders forNintendo’sLink’s Awakeningremake in 2019, but details like a lack of facial animations left many players underwhelmed given its full $60 price tag.
That’s not to sayBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare unoriginal. Sinnoh’s Underground is revamped to give players a shot at catching rare monsters, for example. Quality-of-life adjustments abound, like players having 360-degree movement (with Pokemon followers outside Amity Square) as battles run smoother than their infamous Gen 4 counterparts. While many of these changes are enough to make the Switch versions a definitive Sinnoh experience, one could argue Game Freak’s take inLegends: Arceuswas more in-line with its prior endeavor for Hoenn.
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Why Pokemon Black and White Need More of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s DNA
Pokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphirechanged almost everything about their predecessors, which was arguably as controversial as remakes that change almost nothing. The 3DS games, released in 2014, were so different from the GBA that the discrepancies were written into the plot: a result of new Hoenn being in a parallel universe affected by the existence of Mega Evolution. By contrast,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearldid away withSwordandShield’s Dynamax Phenomenonentirely.
Players can explore the region in a full-range of motion, and Hoenn gets a facelift befitting its transition to 3D - as do important characters like Gym Leaders. Perhaps the biggest improvements come to Team Magma and Aqua, with their leaders and admins all becoming far more than what amounted to palette swaps in the originals. New references betterincorporateOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphireinto the wider franchise, such as a replica of Kalos' Prism Tower appearing in Mauville City.
They were missing pivotal features fromEmeraldlike the Battle Frontier, similar toBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlignoring elements fromPlatinum, but had their own ideas to reinvent older content. Latios and Latias are a part of the main plot, unlocking a more immersive fast-travel system called Soaring. After defeating the Elite Four, players also get theDelta Episode; giving Rayquaza additional narrative importthat incorporates the once-exclusive Mythical Pokemon Deoxys.
One could arguePokemon BlackandWhitedon’t need such thorough remakes given how well their visuals, designs, and narrative hold up. YetOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphirestand out for how they used new systems to enhance the old. Unova could similarly benefit from fitting a contiguous open world akin to Paldea. A Mythical likeGenesect could tie intoPokemon ScarletandViolet’s time-travel themeswith a new narrative arc akin to Deoxys in the Delta Episode. These were the touches missing fromBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, which are so familiar they become rote.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare available now on Nintendo Switch.
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