The release of new Pokemon games is always exciting, but remakes are a whole other beast. Since FireRed & LeafGreen, Pokemon remakes have evolved into hype-worthy events that celebrate nostalgic eras of the franchise. While new generations push the franchise in new directions, the ongoing tradition of remakes keeps fans excited for even more content.
With fourth-generation remakes Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Game Freak not only remade the beloved Diamond & Pearl but also released the spin-off title Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Fans can only speculate what the company will do when they inevitably remake the fifth generation game, Black & White.
10 Larger Areas To Explore
One of the benefits of remaking Pokemon games is to give these beloved games a chance to shine with better hardware. The original Pokemon Black & White was released for Nintendo DS, limiting the possibility of graphical capabilities. On Nintendo Switch (or perhaps a future Nintendo console), they can do the Unova region justice.
Since Unova is based on New York City (and parts of New Jersey), Gen 5 remakes could let players explore a more fleshed-out region. They can even take inspiration from games like Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Sword & Shield. Players getting to explore this urban region would be an experience unlike other Pokemon remakes.
9 Updated Art Style
One of the main criticisms of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl is the choice of art style. The game features cartoonish, chibi-like graphics that resemble the original sprites of the DS games. Hopefully, considering Black & White's darker subject matter, the art style will reflect that tone accordingly.
Particularly with franchises like Xenoblade, it's easy to see how to combine the anime aesthetics of the Pokemon series with a more adult, urban environment. This would certainly be an appealing feature to older fans of the original games. It would also provide something fresh for newer fans looking to see what they missed in Gen 5.
8 Unova Regional Forms
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl remains a near-faithful recreation of their original games, and Black & White remakes will likely be as well. However, something that may entice fans is newer content that doesn't detract from the overall experience, instead of enhancing it. That would be the objective of adding in new regional forms.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus shows that fans are very receptive to new forms of older Pokemon, especially ones that aren't native to the Unova region. It would also be a great way to include Pokemon from more recent generations. Previously-revealed regional forms like Hisuian Basculin could also be available for players to catch.
7 Encountering Zorua And Zoroark
Zorua and Zoroark were the first Pokemon revealed for Gen 5, though catching them in the games is not a simple process. To encounter these Pokemon in Black & White, players had to transfer over certain Event Pokemon from Gen 4 games. Having these Legendary Pokemon in your party triggers the encounters with both Dark-types.
In Black 2 & White 2, the process was more streamlined, with players given a Zorua by an NPC which they could then evolve and breed. Hopefully, with remakes of Black & White, players can find Zorua and Zoroark (as well as their Hisuian forms) with ease. Better yet, make them available to encounter in Lostlorn Forest, the home of Zoroark.
6 Black 2 & White 2 Expansion
Rather than receive a single expanded game like Pokemon Emerald or Pokemon Platinum, Black & White received a sequel split into two versions: Pokemon Black 2 & White 2. These games take place two years after their prequels, and function with the exact same game engine. It expands the Unova region both in geography and story.
Ideally, fans would probably not be pleased having to buy Gen 5 remakes twice. Game Freak could surprise fans by making Black 2 & White 2's content accessible via post-game features, or through DLC. After completing the Black & White remakes, players can create a new, separate save file to play through the game's respective sequel.
5 More Cinematic Pokemon Musicals
One of the features of previous generations, Pokemon Contests, was replaced in Gen 5 by Pokemon Musicals. The two features function in similar ways, with players getting to dress up their Pokemon to dance and perform rather than battle. However, given the DS's graphical limitations, the performances could end up underwhelming.
With the graphical capabilities of Nintendo Switch, Pokemon Musicals could be a more theatrical event. This would make each Musical more unique, as players can see how different Pokemon in different costumes affect the animations. Unfortunately, it's most likely that Game Freak will just recreate the simplistic format from the original games.
4 Online Matchmaking Modes
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl impressed many fans, though one way it disappointed them was in the lack of an online matchmaking mode. Participating in Pokemon battles over the Internet is still possible through sharing codes. Still, there's no official support to allow players to battle with random strangers.
Hopefully, Black & White remakes can satisfy competitive players by adding this feature back in. Matchmaking could even be incorporated into features that already exist in the game, such as the Battle Subway or the GTS. With recent games lacking support for competitive players, this would be nice support from Game Freak.
3 Dream World Accessibility
Pokemon Black & White was released alongside a feature called Pokemon Dream World. By sending your Pokemon to the Dream World via C-Gear, players could meet up with their Pokemon via Internet browsers. The main functions involved collecting berries and encountering Pokemon that aren't available elsewhere in Black & White.
Unfortunately, the Dream World was closed down in 2014 after the start of Gen 6. While many players didn't bother to explore the online service, it would be nice to see aspects of the Dream World brought back with Gen 5 remakes. Perhaps it could be through a mobile device app that has connectivity with Pokemon GO.
2 Pokemon Legends In Ancient Unova
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was released shortly after Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl as an addition to the much-anticipated fourth-generation remakes. In this game, players get to explore an ancient version of Sinnoh, exploring open-world areas and catching Pokemon. Hopefully, this will become a tradition with Gen 5 remakes.
There are many possibilities for a game set in ancient Unova. Memorably, the lore of both Black & White and their sequels tell of the Heroes of Truth and Ideals, who split one dragon into both Reshiram and Zekrom. Perhaps a Legends game could take place in this era, finding players amid a Pokemon war.
1 Pokemon Black 3 & White 3
There are mountains of content in every generation's remakes, so there's usually no room to add in anything completely new. However, Black & White's story is more complicated and deep than any other Pokemon game. Perhaps this generation deserves special treatment when its remakes come around.
It might be nice for longtime fans to get an update on what's going on in the Unova region, years after the conclusion of Black 2 & White 2. Turning this generation into a proper trilogy could be not only nostalgic but a thrilling way to re-experience the fifth generation through remakes. Unfortunately, this may be another case of ideals butting heads with the truth.