Pokémon fans might get four new games next year. Nintendo has already announced the new Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Unite, and Detective Pikachu 2, but the company may also release a main series remake, according to Nintendo insider Kelios.
Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Unite were announced for the Nintendo Switch in June, but they don’t have release dates yet, while the follow-up to Detective Pikachu was vaguely announced in May 2019.
Nintendo hasn’t mentioned anything in regard to a Pokémon main series remake, but Centro Pokémon Leaks also suggested this could be a possibility last month. There are four Pokémon games that could be the subject of a remake, though, and the leak hasn’t specified which one it’ll be.
The Pokémon franchise has eight games in the main series, but Nintendo has launched several upgraded versions and derivative titles based on the originals. Here are all the Pokémon games that haven’t gotten a remake yet:
- Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Launched in 2006 for Nintendo DS and received an upgraded version named Platinum in 2008.
- Pokémon Black and White: Released in 2010 for Nintendo DS and got a follow-up game in 2012 titled Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.
- Pokémon X and Y: Launched in 2013 for Nintendo 3DS and is the only Pokémon game that didn’t get an upgraded version or a follow-up.
- Pokémon Sun and Moon: Released in 2016 for Nintendo 3DS and had an upgraded version called Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon one year later in 2017.
Out of the four, Pokémon X and Y leave the most space for innovation since they’re the only games in the franchise that haven’t received any derivative titles. They feature gen six Pokémon, including Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie as the starter Pokémon.
Diamond and Pearl could also be chosen for a remake considering they’re the oldest titles on the list and the upgraded version is already 12 years old. These games feature gen four Pokémon with Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup as the starter Pokémon.
The last remakes Nintendo launched were Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! for the Switch. They completely revamped the first generation game based on Pokémon Yellow from 1998, making it 3D and adding several new features that became possible on the new console.
There are three other Pokémon remake titles: FireRed and LeafGreen from 2004, HeartGold and SoulSilver from 2009, and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire from 2014. Remakes tend to do as well as the original games from the main series, with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire beating Black and White as the biggest launch in the U.K.
