At this point, a ton of Pokemon games have gotten remakes and remasters from the Kanto region returning in Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee to the recently out Pokemon: Brillant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Even games that are spinoffs have been getting remakes such as Pokemon Snap and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. With this major remake trend ongoing, it is curious why one of the most interesting of the Pokemon spinoff games has yet to receive a remake or remaster, and that is Pokemon: Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
The two titles were generation three spinoffs for the GameCube and took place in the Orre Region, a region inspired by Phoenix, Arizona. The region is mostly desert wasteland with a couple of lush green areas such as Agate Village and the Pokemon HQ Lab. What makes the region most unique, though, is that wild Pokemon are rare to find.
Why The Orre Region Should Be Revisited
Pokemon: Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness were bursting in personality and new ideas about what a Pokemon game could be. Unlike other games, the Orre Region had no routes, just settlements and landmarks. Settlements are few as well, with just five in total. However, each settlement was very rich in its own culture. There was the lively seaport town of Gateon Port, the lawless underground of The Under, an oasis in the desert called Phenac City, a Celebi worshipping village of retired trainers, and Pyrite Town, which is full of criminals and rogues.
Criminals in the Orre Region were everywhere and wild Pokemon were a rarity, giving the Orre Region a rougher outlook on the world. With Shadow Pokemon being a large part of the story in both games, the criminals were not the only thing that made the games feel hard and jaded. This was especially true in comparison to other Pokemon games, where wild Pokemon are incredibly plentiful and criminals are contained in the bubble of a specific organization like Team Rocket.
The GameCube games had very unique mechanics as well, with all battles being double-battles, which allows for more strategy and changes the dynamic of most battles. Due to the rarity of wild Pokemon, players had to actually put down bait to attract them and check back later. Most of the Pokemon a player would obtain would either be given to them or rescued from being a Shadow Pokemon. This system often made the players feel a deeper bond with the Pokemon they had.
What Revisiting The Orre Region Could Look Like
While the old GameCube games can be remade, there is also room for new stories in the Orre Region which could explore its past and/or future. Perhaps players can go on a mission to bring more wild Pokemon to the region, or create an Elite Four with Gyms, or they can have a Celebi-centered time travel story since Agate Village is connected to Celebi. The Orre Region could even get an influx of new Pokemon. The possibilities are endless, and players would be hungry to see how the region has changed since their adventures on the GameCube.
Even if the Orre region was revisited just by making a remake or remaster of the old GameCube titles, the games would still feel incredibly different with updated graphics, moves, and Pokemon. New Pokemon from generations beyond three can be added to the old games, including more Eevee evolutions which would be big since players start out with an Eevee in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is available on the GameCube.
