The Pokemon franchise is seemingly more lucrative than ever. While the mainline series has always been successful on handheld consoles, Pokemon Sword and Shield on the Switch have had record sales. As of August, Sword and Shield are the third best-selling Pokemon games of all time, just behind Pokemon Red and Blue and Pokemon Gold and Silver — both about two decades old. Game Freak and The Pokemon Company are continuing to greenlight spin-off games like the Tencent MOBA Pokemon Unite and the on-rails photography shooter New Pokemon Snap. Now seems as good a time as any to also pull the trigger on remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.
Pokemon's debut entries on the Nintendo DS (disregarding gimmicky spin-offs like Pokemon Dash) are beloved by many and considerably changed the course of the series. Diamond and Pearl introduced a split between physical and special attacks that made battles more dynamic, and they set a high standard for polish and fine details. For example, select Pokemon could walk behind their trainers in Amity Square before the feature was fully realized in HeartGold and SoulSilver, and players could utilize the touch screen for everything from marking a map to making Poffins, or even shining their badges.
While there have been numerous leaks and rumors about Diamond and Pearl remakes in development, recent events for other Nintendo franchises suggest that 2021, the series' 25th anniversary, may be the best time to bring them out. That is especially true given the overarching pattern of Pokemon remakes up until now, as well as the fact that Diamond and Pearl are coming up on their own anniversary.
Pokemon Remakes Pattern
The first set of remakes for mainline Pokemon games was Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. These games brought the story and region seen in the original Red, Blue, and Green versions into the higher-quality sprite style of Generation 3 alongside new content. Most notable were the Sevii Islands, which contained the new resting place of Fire-type Legendary bird Moltres and offered places to catch monsters primarily from the Johto Region.
Next came HeartGold and SoulSilver in 2009, updating the Johto Region into the semi-3D styling of Diamond and Pearl. These are arguably some of the most robust titles in the series, as they took aforementioned improvements from Generation 4 and went further beyond. Between the two regions found in the games, as well as side- or endgame content like the Pokeathlon and Battle Frontier, there's an argument to be made that these games set a standard which has not been met since. In fact, the Internet rejoiced this week when a renewed trademark suggested HeartGold and SoulSilver may come to Switch.
Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, released as part of the sixth Generation alongside Pokemon X and Y, did not receive quite the same level of fanfare. For every interesting idea they had, such as letting trainers soar across Hoenn while flying Mega Evolved Latios or Latias, it also gutted fan-favorite features like Emerald version's Battle Frontier. Still, the games did flesh out its characters more than the originals while introducing new series lore, so it's hard to argue they were uninspired.
By measure of consistent timing, Game Freak is behind on putting out remakes of Diamond and Pearl. Instead, a second remake of the Kanto Region games called Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! released in 2019. However, the 15th anniversary of Sinnoh happens falls out on Pokemon's 25th anniversary next year, and Nintendo's recent focus on Mario suggests there's room to celebrate.
Nintendo Anniversaries
Mario is Nintendo's flagship franchise, and the red-capped plumber is recognizable worldwide. So much so that Mario helped announce that Tokyo, Japan would be hosting the 2020 Olympics — though that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, it makes sense that Nintendo put so much into Mario's 35th anniversary by releasing the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, announcing a number of other games including Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, and releasing merchandise like Super Mario LEGO sets.
The Legend of Zelda franchise is turning 35 in 2021, and it's likely there are plans in place for another big celebration of that. However, in 2019 Pokemon was deemed the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, beating out Mario as well as massive names like Hello Kitty, Star Wars, and Harry Potter. Turning a quarter-century old is no small feat in the world of media, so the creature-collecting RPG series will likely be firing on all cylinders.
Games like Pokemon Unite and New Pokemon Snap may play a part in the 25th anniversary, as will current juggernauts like Niantic's AR mobile game Pokemon GO. In terms of new mainline Pokemon games, Sword and Shield hit shelves just last year and are still going strong thanks to their upcoming Crown Tundra DLC. Once that DLC releases, there is a greater possibility for something new to come out. Perhaps a set of remakes that has been quietly in development throughout the less-taxing process of creating said DLC.
Diamond and Pearl remakes would work perfectly thanks to the meeting of fandom hype and the marketing push for a major anniversary. Those entries in particular could also thrive thanks to the Nintendo Switch's hardware. One oft-discussed feature from Diamond and Pearl was The Underground, a literal network of tunnels beneath Sinnoh where players could excavate rare materials, build secret bases, and play capture the flag with friends. Recreating this idea with a much smaller, focused, and more polished version of Sword and Shield's MMO-style Wild Area could lead to great things.
Whether or not Diamond and Pearl remakes are in development will have to be seen when the time comes. However, it's safe to say that Pokemon's creative team would be missing out on a great opportunity not to have something in mind for 2021.