Pokemon's 25th anniversary this year has fans on the edge of their seats for what's to come, and if the franchise's 20th anniversary in 2016 can serve as an accurate model for what fans should expect this year, it's likely that they'll be in for all kinds of surprises. While it was announced last summer that spinoff titles like the long-awaited New Pokemon Snap and unexpected Pokemon Unite MOBA would be coming soon, all kinds of rumors have had fans speculating as to what else they could see in 2021. From debunked rumors of a Pokemon Master Collection to speculation of a sequel to Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Eevee taking place in Johto, one rumor has steadily gained the most traction and seems to be the most likely for 2021.
Over the years, the Pokemon series has established a rather loose pattern of releasing remakes of previous mainline series games, and seeing as the first 3 generations have had their chance at remakes, it seems like 2006's Pokemon Diamond and Pearl could be up next. If remakes of the 4th generation games were to release this year, it's almost guaranteed that they'd be a part of the 8th generation of Pokemon games, and since Pokemon Sword and Shield brought a plethora of new features, there are quite a few of them that would make great additions to Diamond and Pearl remakes.
The Wild Area
This year, Pokemon Sword and Shield's Wild Area gave Pokemon fans their first glimpse at what an open-world game in the series might play like. Although the games still contained classic routes and many other mainstays in the series, the experimentation of the brand new Wild Area was a change welcomed by many, providing players with a plethora of biomes to find all sorts of Pokemon. Since it is likely that Game Freak could want to keep experimenting with the open-world elements of the Wild Area, it could be interesting to see how the mechanic might be implemented in the Sinnoh region, since it was not originally designed for such a feature.
Diamond and Pearl's Sinnoh region is vast, while it contains the typical snow-laden areas, forests, and beaches, one defining feature of the region sets it apart from all others: Mt. Coronet. The massive mountain range that is Mt. Coronet almost completely splits Sinnoh straight down the middle, separating the western and eastern parts of the region. Since the Wild Area was used as a sort of world hub in Sword and Shield allowing players to use it to access different parts of the Galar region, turning Mt. Coronet into a Wild Area could act as the Diamond and Pearl remakes' hub between the western and eastern parts of the Sinnoh region, while also giving players access to a more diverse variety of Pokemon.
Regional Variants
The introduction of regional variants in Pokemon Sun and Moon completely redefined the idea of forms, which were previously mostly reserved for legendary Pokemon or Mega Evolutions, by making them much more accessible to all kinds of Pokemon. While a lot of regional variants have gone to Pokemon originally discovered in the Kanto region, Sword and Shield opened up the door for regional forms of Pokemon from other regions like Johto, Hoenn, and Unova. While it's unlikely that any 4th generation Pokemon would receive regional variants in the Sinnoh region since it is the native region of these Pokemon, there are some other possibilities for regional form in the Diamond and Pearl remakes.
Sinnoh region variants of Pokemon from other regions could keep some older monsters feeling fresh. New forms of Pokemon from Kalos, Alola, and Galar could further shake things up, since no Pokemon originally discovered those regions have officially received regional forms yet. This could be a great way to introduce some newer Pokemon into an older region with a twist. Another approach could be to expand upon the regional evolution concept introduced in Sword and Shield by adding new Sinnoh-specific evolutions for older Pokemon, or even new evolutions for 4th generation Pokemon.
Max Raid Battles and Dynamax Adventures
Since Pokemon X and Y, most mainline Pokemon games have set out to introduce some sort of new gimmick mechanic, such as Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, and most recently, Dynamax/Gigantamax. Although Sword and Shield heavily pushed the new mechanic and Gigantamax forms brought some interesting new designs, it was widely received as rather underwhelming. From a lore standpoint, the mechanic may not work in the Sinnoh region regardless because it is said to be a phenomenon only present in the Galar region. However, the Max Raid Battles that came along with the new mechanic would be a welcome addition to Diamond and Pearl remakes.
Being able to team up with friends for Max Raid Battles made Pokemon feel like a truly collaborative game for almost the first time, as opposed to a game in which players' only options to play with friends were to either trade Pokemon or battle them. Dispersing Max Raid Dens throughout a Mt. Coronet Wild Area could keep the region feeling fresh, always holding something new to discover during exploration. Additionally, the recently added Dynamax Adventures from Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC were a clever way to introduce older legendary Pokemon into a new region. Adding the feature to Diamond and Pearl remakes could go a long way by keeping multiplayer options and replayability at an all-time high.
DLC Expansions
Pokemon fans were thrown a bit of curveball this year with the release of the first ever DLC expansions for mainline series games, as opposed to a third version, sequels, or a remake. Adding expansive new areas to Pokemon Sword and Shield kept the games feeling fresh, not to mention the addition of new legendary Pokemon and Galarian forms. The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra Expansions cost roughly half the price of a full game, which goes a long way when considering the ever-increasing costs of video games. DLC expansions could allow Game Freak to further explore previously overlooked lore from the original Diamond and Pearl games, as well as potentially add features like brand new Battle Frontier facilities.
One danger in the possibility of DLC expansions for Diamond and Pearl remakes could be that Game Freak opts to exclude content from the base game in order to add it in later as DLC. If something like older Pokemon or the Battle Frontier feature were excluded from the base game but later added as DLC, it would likely induce unrest from fans, which has been a theme in the realm of Pokemon lately. However, if any DLC were to focus purely on new additions to Diamond and Pearl remakes, it is almost sure to be a welcome addition, extending the games' lifespan greatly like with Sword and Shield.
Overall, there are plenty of features that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes could bring over from Sword and Shield. While it is still uncertain whether these remakes will happen as they mostly exist in the form of rumors and potential leaks, it does seem to be the most likely option at the moment. As 2021 brings Pokemon's 25th anniversary, it will be interesting to see how the franchise decides to surprise fans in the new year.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are available now for Nintendo Switch.