The Gen 4 remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, do a few things wrong that remakes of Gen 5, Black and White and Black 2 and White 2, should avoid. Although Gen 5 remakes have not yet been confirmed, they are a logical next step since they're the earliest Generation that has not been remade at least once. After the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releases on November 18, there will hopefully be news on the next remakes before long.
Pokémon Gen 4 takes place in the Sinnoh region, while Gen 5 is Unova. Diamond and Pearl, as well as the remakes, BDSP, saw players thwarting the evil Team Galactic, who had the lofty goal of rewriting reality. Pokémon Black and White had Team Plasma instead, who first intended to free all Pokémon before changing their goal to ruling Unova in B2W2. Both are among the most evil Teams in the Pokémon series, but are defeated by the player character of their respective games. Like most of the mainline games, the player will also challenge the Pokémon League and become the regional Champion. Like Gens 1-3, Sinnoh is based on Japan - specifically Hokkaido, the northernmost island - while Unova broke tradition by being based on the United States; most notably New York City.
Although the Gen 4 remakes were good games, they relied too much on nostalgia. Pokémon BDSP didn't do enough to separate itself from its original games and provide a new experience, which is somewhat understandable given that they were remakes and not sequels, but is still disappointing. Even the features that it contains are underwhelming, or came much too late in some cases; Pokémon BDSP didn't have Wonder Trading until six months after its release date, and Pokémon HOME took even longer. There were a lot of missed opportunities, and hopefully a Gen 5 remake would be better if it's ever confirmed.
Pokémon's Gen 5 Remakes Shouldn't Have BDSP's Art Style
One of the most memorable things about Pokémon BDSP is its art style, which is a combination of the miniaturized overworld characters of the early days of the series and the 3D ones of the later games. The result is a cartoonish chibi style that inspired a slew of memes and drew no small amount of criticism. The top-down view and squashed proportions worked with pixelated sprites, but are terribly awkward with a 3D art style. The newer art style that debuted in Gen 6's Kalos region was a vast improvement, one that lent itself well to the new innovations that the series has been embracing recently such as open worlds, which Pokémon Scarlet and Violet include. A Gen 4 remake with this style had a lot of potential that was ultimately squandered in the interest of bringing back the series' classic point of view.
A Gen 5 Pokémon remake shouldn't have the chibi style, and instead should feature 3D characters with the third-person view that the series has used for its newer games. Gen 5 was the last to have pixelated sprites, so it's possible that Game Freak will bring back the chibi style, but hopefully it won't. There's little reason for BDSP's style to make a return, and seeing Unova in a new perspective could make a great difference when it comes to the remakes' overall quality. There's only so much it can do with the world and environments while remaining a remake, but it can still feature a reworked region more in line with the current era of games.
Pokémon Gen 5 Remakes Need Updated Features
Players are able to change clothes in Pokémon BDSP with outfits, but its character customization and other features fell flat. Choosing individual pieces of clothing isn't an option, and hairstyles are tied to the different outfits. It was a step backwards from the character customization of recent games such as Sword and Shield, and particularly Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which was released soon after BDSP. In addition, cumbersome HM moves such as Rock Smash and Cut made a return - albeit without needing to actually teach these moves to players' Pokémon - and breakable TMs came with them. The few new features such as Follower Pokémon were disappointing, as players couldn't have their partners outside of their Poké Balls until they reached Hearthome City. Secret Bases were also downgraded by the removal of decorations aside from Pokémon statues, and now serve to influence the Hideaways in the Grand Underground instead of giving players their own space to customize.
Another way Pokémon Gen 5 remakes can avoid BDSP's mistakes is to avoid downgrading its various features in the same way they did. Character customization in of clothes and hair should be brought more in line with recent Generations, as should unbreakable TMs, and if Follower Pokémon make a return, they should either be available straightaway or much sooner than they were in BDSP. Taken alone, these features may seem minor, but they can make a big difference combined. The point of remaking the games is to update them with improved graphics and new features, so giving them ones that are behind the rest of the mainline series makes little sense. There are also features unique to Gen 5 that should either be left alone or changed for the better. The Hidden Grottos of B2W2 that serve to give players powerful Pokémon and items are a good example of this.
Pokémon's Gen 5 Remakes Shouldn't Ignore Mega Evolution & Other Gimmicks
Another mistake BDSP made was leaving out Mega Evolution, which lets Pokémon take on powerful temporary forms. It's been a fan-favorite feature since its inception in Gen 6's Kalos region, but sadly hasn't been in any game since Let's Go! in 2018, and even in the games it has been in - aside from X and Y - it's not available until rather late in the story. It was highly-anticipated in the time leading up to BDSP's release date, and not including it was a big missed opportunity due to the many Gen 4 Pokémon who already had Mega Evolutions and the potential for more. Similar gimmicks such as Dynamax/Gigantamax and Z-Moves were also ignored, but it's more understandable since they're localized to their respective regions, and may not have added to BDSP as much as Mega Evolution could have.
Mega Evolution could be a big plus for remakes of the Gen 5 games. With the many rumors surrounding Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's new transformation gimmick involving time and alternate Types, it's looking increasingly like Mega Evolution will not make an appearance. It's understandable that new games will have new gimmicks, but remakes of older games like Gen 5 could fit Mega Evolution very well. There is only one Gen 5 Mega form as of yet, so there are plenty of potential candidates to choose from. Pokémon like Beartic or Zebstrika could have great Mega Evolutions, in addition to the Gen 5 starters and select Pokémon from other games. Gen 5 remakes are likely a long way away, but if they come out, they should improve on Pokémon BDSP and other games.
