Just last month on the eve ofPokemon’s 25th anniversary, The Pokemon Company finally brought fans the new game announcements they were waiting for, as well as a few surprises. Along with the unexpectedaction-RPG Sinnoh prequelPokemon Legends: Arceus,fans received news of the long-rumored 4th generation remakes,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, which are slated to release later this year on the Nintendo Switch.
While fans were excited to receive an official reveal, the games were met with mixed reactions from many, withthe games' more chibi-inspired art style,which sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to the last fewPokemongames. While past remakes have incorporated new Pokemon and features from more current games,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwere announced to be taking a more faithful approach, looking to be nearly one-to-one recreations of the Nintendo DS games in full 3D.
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Even though pastPokemonremakes likeOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphireincluded new Pokemon and heavily focused on the newly introduced Mega Evolution feature, it looks like the upcoming Sinnoh remakes will not follow suit so far. And despite these new games releasing during the 8th generation ofPokemon, it seems this faithful remake approach will exclude many features from 2019’sPokemon SwordandShield.
The Wild Area
By far, one ofPokemon SwordandShield’s most defining characteristics was the addition of the Wild Area. For years, fans have been clamoring for thePokemonseries to break into the open-world genre, and it seemed that the Wild Area was Game Freak’s response, testing the waters by including a giant open-world area for players to traverse and explore while still keeping the rest of the game in line with the classicPokemonformula.
Before thereveal ofBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, fans speculated that Sinnoh’s Mt. Coronet could act as the Wild Area of the 4th generation remakes. However, with a more condensed chibi art style, it looks like the remakes will strictly feature the same routes and areas as the original games.
Overworld Pokemon
Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu!andLet’s Go, Eevee!finally gave fans the ability to see wild Pokemon in the game’s overworld, getting rid of any and all random encounters. However, to bring an equal balance between overworld and random wild Pokemon spawns,Pokemon SwordandShieldcombined the two, allowing players to see some wild Pokemon in the overworld, while random encounters were marked with “!” icons which they could interact with to start a random wild battle. Overworld Pokemon were not shown in thereveal trailer forBrilliant DiamondandShiningPearl,so like with the Wild Area, it seems that the upcoming remakes' more condensed game world won’t have room for roaming monsters.
Dynamax & Gigantamax Pokemon
Since the6th generation ofPokemongameswithXandY, each new generation of mainline games has introduced some sort of gimmick-mechanic intended to keep the series fresh. Players were first introduced to Mega Evolution, then Z-Moves, and now most recently Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, which makes fans' Pokemon giant-sized.
While Mega Evolution proved to be a hit with fans, many have not expressed the same excitement over Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing. SincePokemon DiamondandPearlhad no such gimmick mechanic to begin with, it’s safe to say that fans won’t be encountering anyDynamax Bidoofin the near future in an effort to keep the remakes faithful to the original games.
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Max Raid Battles
Pokemon SwordandShieldintroduced a new way for fans to play together like never before with Max Raid Battles.Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemonand Max Raid Battles essentially go hand-in-hand.
WhileSwordandShieldplayers can make their Pokemon mega-sized during some battles, they could also team up with other players to take out Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokemon inPokemon GO-inspired raid battles.Players could partake in these co-operative battles via the Wild Area, and since the originalDiamondandPearlgames didn’t include an open-world area like the that, it is also very likely that Max Raid Battles will not be making a return to the faithful remakes.
The Y-Comm
Just as Dynamax and Gigantamax go hand-in-hand with Max Raid Battles, Max Raid Battles go hand-in-hand with the Y-Comm,Pokemon SwordandShield’s take on a player communication system. With the Y-Comm, players could primarily reach out to others for help with Max Raid Battles, as well as PvP battles or trades. With the absence of Max Raid Battles, it is likely that the Y-Comm will not come toBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearleven though ever sincePokemon BlackandWhite’s C-Gear, online communication functionalities have been implemented via a device in every mainlinePokemongame. So, while the Y-Comm may not return, it is possible thatDiamondandPearl’s Poketch could be reworked to include online functionalities instead.
Pokemon Camp
SincePokemon XandY, mainline titles have included a way for players to interact with their Pokemon.SwordandShieldintroduced Pokemon Camp as a way for players to take a break on their journeys to sit back and enjoy spending time feeding, playing with, and cooking with their Pokemon partners, as well as watching their Pokemon interact with each other. These camps were spread out across various routes as well as the Wild Area. Thoughcamps weren’t present inPokemon DiamondandPearl,fans can be sure to see some way to interact with their Pokemon in the new remakes, as it is entirely possible that an older feature like Pokemon-Amie or Pokemon Refresh could be incorporated into the Super Contests from the originalDiamondandPearlgames.
Poke Jobs
The 7th generation gamesPokemon SunandMoonintroduced the Pokepelago, a way for players to send off Pokemon not currently in their party to complete tasks to level up and bring back rewards.SwordandShieldreworked the concept into Poke Jobs,a job-listing feature run by the Rotomi PCs which players can access from any Pokemon Center. Like the Pokepelago, players could send off their Pokemon to complete jobs for experience points and items, with sending their Pokemon off for longer periods of time allowing them to reap more significant rewards. With no Rotomi PC’s inPokemon DiamondandPearl, it’s very likely that the feature will not return in the remakes, but some fans think a similar feature could be implemented intoBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl’s Underground.
Character Customization
Character customization has been a mainstay in almost everyPokemongame sinceXandY, which placed a heavy focus on fashion and style. WhileSunandMoon, theLet’s Gogames, andSwordandShieldall included character customization,the 3rd generation remakesPokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphiredid not, leading many fans to rule out character customization as a possibility inBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl. It’s not confirmed, but it’s highly likely at this point.
Additionally, with the chibi art style approach to thePokemonGen 4 remakes, the size and design of the player characters don’t leave much room for noticeable details that justify adding character customization beyond something like skin-tone. However, likeOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire, the upcoming remakes could add a costume change for Super Contests.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare set for release in late 2021 on Nintendo Switch.
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