5 features a Pokemon Diamond & Pearl remake will need

The Pokemon community is abuzz with Diamond & Pearl remake leaks, so we’ve covered five things we want to see added to the Sinnoh titles. 

While Pokemon trainers around the world continue to battle and trade their favorite critters in Sword & Shield, many players are hungry for what awaits them. So far, the only official news we have regarding a new game in 2021 is that of Pokemon Snap. However, there have been rumblings online about a Diamond & Pearl remake. 

Rumors surrounding the 2006 title have been cropping up since last year, but The Pokemon Company has yet to make an announcement. Of course, this has led to numerous leaks and poorly-edited fakes appearing in the wild. There have even been numerous fan-made creations that have cropped up in games like Minecraft. 

While there may be no solid news about the Diamond & Pearl remakes, that hasn’t stopped us from taking a look at five things we wish to see from the supposed remakes.

5. Inclusion of difficulty options

From EXP. Shares that level up all your party Pokemon to battle indicators that show which moves will be effective, there’s no denying that Pokemon games have gotten easier over the years. While Pokemon has always been marketed as a child-friendly series, it is also one that has a great deal of depth. You only have to take a brief gander at ranked play to see how competitive things can get. 

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Of course, expecting the same level of difficulty from Diamond & Pearl’s various in-game NPCs is verging on the ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be devoid of a challenge. A difficulty option would give every player a choice, allowing both casual and hardcore fans to enjoy their adventure the way they want. Whether the Diamond & Pearl remakes will include this option remains to be seen, but we have our fingers crossed.

4. More end-game content

While catching the post-game Legendaries and taking part in Diamond & Pearl’s Battle Tower was fun, it would be great if there was more to do outside of jumping into online matches. Let us rechallenge gym leaders or take part in various mini-games both solo or with trainers online. 

Another addition that would help freshen up Diamond & Pearl’s end-game is the addition of the Wild Area. Sword & Shield’s vast open-world segments were arguably one of the best features, so it would be great to have segments where we go on Raids and catch various Pokemon.

3. Better battle animations

Despite the Switch offering much higher performance, many Pokemon fans were left disappointed by Sword & Shield’s stilted battle animations. In fact, the majority of moves see Pokemon simply sitting on the spot, unleashing attacks that offer little to no impact. The defending Pokemon then simply stands there and takes the incoming hit as if it were nothing more than a gentle tap to the face. 

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This comes after Producer Junichi Masuda famously stated that Game Freak were creating Sword & Shield “with much higher fidelity with higher quality animations.” Well, outside of Dynamax battles this doesn’t seem to ring all that true. Not only do Sword & Shield’s battle animations look dated, they also lack any weight when they actually connect. This makes Pokemon battles look static and devoid of any excitement. 

Both Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Battle Revolution demonstrated just how beautiful these battles could be. Monsters actually ran up to their opponent, while moves had unique animations that both staggered and knocked back their foe. We’re not asking for a complete overhaul of the iconic turn-based battle system, but we are hoping Diamond & Pearl makes battles feel more fluid.

2. The National Dex

Perhaps the biggest complaint of the most recent Pokemon generation was the omission of the National Dex. While Gamefreak has helped alleviate this issue with the addition of the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra expansions, it still didn’t go down well with fans. After all, not being able to trade over your most prized Pokemon is a mighty blow for trainers that want to catch ‘em all. 

It’s hoped that the Diamond & Pearl remakes will enable players to trade Pokemon to and from the previous games. Sinnoh Pokemon were greatly unrepresented in the Galar region and only a handful returned as part of the game’s DLC, so it’s hoped the rumored remake will avoid this issue.

1. Return to Kanto

Pokemon Gold and Silver are some of the most popular games in the Pokemon series. Not only did the second generation introduce a plethora of new mechanics, they also enabled players to revisit the Kanto region. The exhilarating feeling of beating Johto’s Gyms and Elite Four, only to find you have a whole other region to battle in was incredibly exciting. 

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This feature is certainly plausible, given Sinnoh is located just north of Kanto. There’s also the fact that Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee share a lot of similarities to Sword & Shield’s current game engine, so many Kanto assets could be reused in the Diamond & Pearl remake. It’s certainly an exciting prospect and one that would make a lot of trainers happy. 

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So, there you have it, five things we want to see from the Diamond & Pearl remakes. Make sure you check out our dedicated Pokemon hub for all the latest news and updates.