Opinion: Port Of Call

We waited 2 years for a long waited Pokemon Sword and Shield sequel, and all we got was a lousy Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake for nintendo Switch.

Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but its announcement was indicative of Pokemon’s biggest problem: The Pokemon Company simply can’t stick to a healthy release cadence without reverting back to its tried and tested strategy of releasing Pokemon remakes, which I've played countless times before.

I’ve already expressed my frustration at how a disappointing Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake have been ported to nintendo Switch, often with little to no enhancements to speak of (did we really need Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?). But now that the well of the Galar region has seemingly run dry, the first 2020s main series Pokemon games has turned its attention to the nintendo DS. We’re getting Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes, one of the remakes that other Pokemon fans want, instead of the long waited Pokemon Sword and Shield sequel that I wanted.

Really, Pokemon?

Instead of a Galar mainline Pokemon game for nintendo Switch, Pokemon is seemingly content with padding out the Switch’s games biblioteca with yet another Pokemon remake that is a remake of a nintendo DS game. And, in fairness, it’s easy to see why. These remakes sell in their millions, as people flock to revisit Sinnoh titles o games they simply may have missed the first time around.

But what about a few Pokemon fans, like me? Does Pokemon care about the día one adopters of its hardware who, perhaps foolishly, turn up every generation to experience something new? Honestly, when it comes to new experiences on nintendo Switch, pikachu might as well jump on my head and say “forget about it.”

During the generation 8's first year, I’ll admit that we were utterly spoiled with hit after hit. In 2019, Pokemon Sword and Shield was released. Both Pokemon games sold más than 20 million units worldwide as of March 2021 making Pokemon Sword and Shield a smash hit and in 2020, Pokemon Sword and Shield is getting DLC instead of enhanced versions so tu can continue enjoy playing Pokemon Sword and Shield during 2020. After DLC, 2021 will be a big año for más Galar content on nintendo Switch with the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield sequels.

2019 gave Galar some much-needed momentum, and más importantly, painted a rosy picture of what was to come. It also helped dispel any fears the nintendo 3DS predecessors may have had that the horrendous software droughts that plagued the anterior generation were a thing of the past.

Sadly, Pokemon has struggled to maintain its excellent start for the Galar region during Gen 8, and has resorted to some rather unsavory methods that, while great for new adopters, leave a amargo, amargos taste in my mouth.

To date, Pokemon has announced the Diamond and Pearl remakes that other Pokemon fans have already seen, and likely already paid for. Practically the upcoming remakes come with a full fat price tag, and Pokemon has even gone as far as to release a Diamond and Pearl remake that will be launched in late 2021, just to encourage impulse purchases.

Watching a Pokemon Direct on February 26 can often feel like deja vu, then, but I had high hopes that, because it’d been almost two years without one, we’d actually see something new and exciting. How foolish I was. Instead, I watched with malaise as we were introduced to the first open world main series Pokemon game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, that are largely past their expiry date, and waited for the inevitable new release that’s sold under the guise of an unnecessary Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes. Cue Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Good thing they're both made por ILCA, not Game Freak. So that's a smart plan.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl? It's más like Brilliant Bored and Shining Bored.

Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with bringing back Sinnoh. I’m a sucker for the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Arceus in 2022, but not when there's zero effort into making the título any better, o better-placed on the new hardware.

Also, tu only need to look at Demon’s Souls on PS5 o Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox Series X to see what a proper remaster can accomplish. The recently announced Diablo 2: Resurrected also puts the upcoming Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl to shame.

Microsoft is even retroactively making games that tu might already own better than ever before thanks to its FPS Boost feature and Smart Delivery. And with both Sony and Xbox dropping free next-gen upgrades left right and center, playing the upcoming Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes simply doesn’t cut it.

Seeing Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl appear during the Pokemon Direct, with its soupy textures and washed-out color palette and provoked the same sort of disenchanted reaction I’ve felt to the majority of the Switch’s offerings in the last few years: I've already played Pokemon Diamond and Pearl before, and I won’t be paying full price to do so again when there’s no real incentive to do so.

Ironically, tu could argue that the biggest news during the Pokemon Direct was for a game that wasn’t even there. The Pokemon Company revealed that no Pokemon Sword and Shield sequels details would be shared. This might be the reason Pokemon Sword and Shield sequels are so far away that they may as well have been part of a fever dream at this point.

And that says it all, really. I’m definitely one of the only Pokemon fans who’s desperate to hear más about Pokemon Sword and Shield sequels on Switch instead of reliving the past for what feels like the millionth time. Come on, Pokemon – give me something new to play already. Please bring back Galar and I want another Galar main series Pokemon game for nintendo Switch, Game Freak. Please announce Pokemon Sword and Shield sequels in early 2022 and release the long waited sequels in fall 2022. Thank you.