Next week’s Pokémon Presents has a lot of fans excited for new games in the series, as well as new ways to play older games. Most fans are expecting to see the classic Game Boy RPGs hit the Switch via the NSO service whereas others are hoping for a new entry in the Mystery Dungeon subseries. Even Scarlet and Violet DLC are expected to be there.
While having all of those confirmed would be nice, it wouldn’t make next week’s presentation feel special. If next week’s event is going to be one to remember, The Pokémon Company is going to need some blockbuster game announcements.
Though expecting Nintendo Direct-level announcements from The Pokêmon Company is readying oneself for disappointment, we don’t mind shooting our shot. Just because next week’s Pokémon Presents might not have what we want doesn’t mean the next one won’t. But what would make this presentation project?
Well, how about Pokémon Black and White Remakes as well as Let’s Go, Johto!?
After Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl disappointed some fans, The Pokémon Company needs to step up with its remakes. Giving fans superior remakes of Pokémon Black and White, some of the most acclaimed entries in the franchise, would make plenty of people happy, especially if the remakes are more in the vein of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have their fans but most would agree that they’re disappointing remakes. The lack of major gameplay mechanics to make them more in line with Sword and Shield was disappointing, as were the simplistic graphics. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire looked up to par with X and Y, while Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl feel more dated than Sword and Shield, lacking the style (and substance) of their Gen 8 predecessors.
In order to build hype for the eventual Black and White remakes, The Pokémon Company will need to make some major changes this time. Graphics on par with Scarlet and Violet, alongside faster-paced battles and the Terastal transformations, would do a lot to get fans excited. Expecting an open-world might be too much, but having Pokémon out in the wild, an open area to explore and picnics to breed Shinies would be ideal.
Even if they don’t do any of that, having a way to play Pokémon Black and White on Nintendo Switch would be enough for some. These games already have some of the series’ best stories and going through them again would be fun. We’re not sure if they should remake Black 2 and White 2 but that’s a different topic.
Considering all of the love Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee received, we’re surprised that we haven’t gotten received Let’s Go, Johto games yet. Inspired by Pokémon Go, this single-entry subseries made catching Pokémon feel fun again, prior to Arceus’ more exploration-led design. In fact, some fans didn’t even miss the traditional random battles!
It also helps that the Johto games are some of the longest and best in the series. Gold and Silver, along with their DS remakes, are jam-packed with content for players to go through. Having all of them, plus the Let’s Go-style gameplay that’s reeled in Pokémon GO players, would be a recipe for success.
Admittedly, it’s hard to think of the perfect starters for a Let’s Go, Johto. With the previous Let’s Go games, it was easy to pick Pikachu and Eevee since that’s what the player and their rival chose in Pokémon Yellow. It’s much harder to choose which Pokémon would take their places, though some fans have volunteered Pichu and Togepi.
Fans would obviously prefer having Unova remakes on Switch and we’re inclined to agree. However, there’s no denying that the Let’s Go formula has legs, and bringing that style of gameplay to Johto would be really fun.
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Of course, it’s not just remakes that would make next week’s Pokémon Presents a good watch. We would love some off-the-wall announcements to coincide with these games, like a new Pokémon Colosseum-style RPG or even a brand-new spin-off. Whatever happens, we just hope it’ll look nicer than Scarlet and Violet.