Fans are understandably excited at the prospect of Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl being remade, but both of those games brought some unique features to the series that are important and failing to incorporate them would be a big disappointment. That’s why today we’re breaking down our favorites that any Gen IV remake needs to include!
5. The Great Marsh
Recent games have neglected to include Safari Zones, excluding the Let’s Go titles, and it’s high time players got to explore one. The Great Marsh was a big step away from previous Safari Zones of the series and featured many Poison-type and Grass-type Pokémon. Game Freak also used its murky map to hide plenty of items throughout the zone. Unfortunately, getting through the deep mud proved to be quite a slog and there were only a total of 33 Pokémon species to catch.
A new improved Great Marsh area could offer players more Pokémon to catch, maybe some new mud mechanics and extra surprises for adventurous players. There are also plenty of new Pokémon that have been introduced that would fit the marsh aesthetic. Some original Great Marsh inhabitants, such as Carnivine, aren’t even available in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
4. Super Contests
Pokémon Contests may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it would be hard to argue that that any sort of Gen IV remake should omit them. In contrast to Hoenn’s Contests, Sinnoh’s had more stages and players had to:
- Decorate their Pokémon with accessories in a visual competition
- Participate in a dance competition
- Show off moves in an acting competition
While gameplay in Diamond, Pearl and Platinum was rather basic, there’s a lot of opportunity to enhance the way Super Contests could be played on the Nintendo Switch.
3. Ball Capsules and Seals
Rarely mentioned by fans today, Generation IV had a system in which players could customize how their Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls when sent into battle. This was accomplished by registering your Pokémon in one of the 12 Ball Capsule slots and then personalizing it with Seals. You could add sparkles, smoke or even spell out entire words. Unfortunately, Generation V removed this feature and it was never seen again.
The Pokémon series has added trainer customization, but really hasn’t done much to allow players to customize their Pokémon or how they enter a battle in recent generations. Bringing back this system would be a great way to let Trainers show some creativity in battles.
This time, however, let’s make the system less arduous when depositing Pokémon in the PC and add even more Seals for players to use!
2. The Pokétch
More than just a Pokémon watch, the Pokétch allowed players to cycle through more than 20 apps that ranged from near-useless to fun to actually helpful. It would be really exciting to see this lo-fi device reimagined to utilize some of the Nintendo Switch’s functions
I’d still like to keep the retro aesthetic though. I’m not sure if it’d feel like a Pokétch without the charm of the green hue (or other color with Platinum‘s app) and monochrome display. Some features that could be genuinely helpful throughout the course of the game were the marking map, daycare checker and counter, so let’s hope they are all included if the Pokétch is.
1. Following Pokémon
Wait, could Pokémon follow you in Diamond, Pearl or Platinum? For the most part, no, but there was one special area in which they could: Amity Square. This unique location allowed select Pokémon to be taken out of their Poké Balls and accompany their trainer throughout the park.
With following Pokémon finally coming to Generation VIII in Sword and Shield’s DLC areas, it seems possible for Game Freak to be able to bring this to all of Sinnoh. The addition would essentially expand upon the original Amity Square idea and give the remakes of Gen IV a feature that was only briefly touched upon in the originals.
BONUS: The Battle Frontier & Underground
Please don’t tease us again, just bring it back. We’re begging.
Edit: Don’t forget the Underground.
Wrapping up
These are only the features I see as must-returns, but I’m sure other fans will have their own opinions, which we’d love to read in the comments below (mobile users: you may need to exit the AMP view)! Share what you think would really make a Gen IV remake complete and your thoughts on our list above. Interested in chatting with other Pokémon fans? Join our Discord!