Numerous hints seem to indicate The Pokémon Company is gearing up to remakePokémon Black and White. Remakes are a proud tradition of thePokémonfranchise that dates back over 20 years to the release ofPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.Because many older Pokémon games were released on consoles no longer in service, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company have periodically re-released older games with refreshed graphics and new features. These remakes not only keep the older games relevant but also provide The Pokémon Company with new content to sell while developing new generations ofPokémongames.
Originally released in 2010 in Japan (and 2011 in North America),Pokémon Black and Pokémon Whiteintroduced players to the Unova region, which is based on New York City and its surroundings. The two Pokémon games were the last 2D Pokémon games ever made and were also the lastPokémongames to have a direct sequel in the form ofPokémon Black 2 and White 2. Over the past two years, The Pokémon Company has slowly teased a return to the Unova region, with the return of characters from that game and not-so-veiled references to the Unova region.
Unova References In Pokémon Legends: Arceus And Pokémon Scarlet And Violet
References To Pokémon Black And White Have Popped Up In Several Recent Pokémon Games
The 2022 gamePokémon Legends: Arceuswas set in the Hisui region, which represented the Sinnoh region in the ancient past. However, the game featured a surprise with the addition of Ingo, a minor character fromPokémon Black and White. For reasons unknown,Ingo had traveled back in time with no memory of his origins.Ingo’s story wasn’t resolved inPokémon Legends: Arceus, providing a potential plot point for a future Pokémon game.
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More Unova teases came with the release ofPokémon Scarlet and Violet. While those games were also set in a brand-new region, the second DLCThe Indigo Diskwas actually set in the Unova region. The Blueberry Academy biomes are technically located within the Unova region,with several areas modeled after iconic locations fromPokémon Black and White. Additionally, several characters (like Drayton and Lacey) have connections to Gym Leaders in the Unova region. These connections were subtle but served as a soft reintroduction to the Unova region along with being clever Easter eggs for more observant Pokémon fans.
Several Rumors Are Teasing The Return Of Unova In A Future Pokémon Game
Rumors and leaks about thePokémonfranchise are always swirling, but several have recently involved the Unova. For instance, trademark filings for upcomingPokémon TCGsets seem to suggest a tie to the Unova region of some kind. The"Black Bolt" and “White Flare"sets will be released in June and could either be a reference to Trainer’s Pokémon cards (an upcoming TCG mechanic) or a tease about upcoming Pokémon games.Notably, noPokémon TCGset leaked for 2025 has referencedPokémon Legends Z-A,which seems to further hint that these sets could be a tie-in to Unova remakes.
Pokémon GOhas also announced plans to launch a Pokémon GO Unova Tour in early 2025, with its newest Dual Destinies supporting the event. Obviously,the Pokémon GO Unova Tour will heavily feature Pokémon fromPokémon Black and White, although this is probably just a coincidence. After all,Pokémon GOhas focused on a different pair of Pokémon games every year for itsPokémon GOTour event, with 2025 just happening to be the year slated forPokémon Black and White.
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Another recent rumor suggests that anotherPokémon Black and Whitecharacter could soon be getting a prominent spot in another Pokemon-related app. According to the rumor, Bianca from thePokémon Black and Whitegames will replace Grand OakinPokémon HOMEwhen that app is updated for the Nintendo Switch 2 next year.Bianca was a rival character in the Unova games but hasn’t made any real appearances since. There’s no reason to use Bianca inPokémon HOMEbesides to remind players that she’s still around and to keep Unova fresh in players' minds.
What A Pokémon Black And Pokémon White Remake Could Look Like
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl And Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Both Provide Possible Templates
IfPokémon Black and Pokémon Whiteremakes are in the works, there are two distinct directions that the project could take. The first would be games similar toPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. These games were faithful remakes developed by ILCA instead of Game Freak, with few new features or deviations from the original games. ILCA and The Pokémon Company have recently opened a joint studiocalled Pokémon Workswith the express purpose of working on prospective games,so it’s certainly possible that ILCA could get tapped for another round of remakes.
The other possibility is that Game Freak could be internally developing a remake of some kind. Game Freak previously developedPokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Rubyas remakes, which also included new Mega Evolutions and a brand new post-game chapter focused on Deoxys and Rayquaza. Considering that Mega Evolution is set to return inPokémon Legends Z-A, it may make more sense for Game Freak to beef up any Unova remakes. Only one Gen 5 Pokémon has a Mega Evolution,so it would make sense for a new Gen 5 remake to include more Mega Evolutions.
Why Now Is The Right Time For Unova Remakes
The Unova Region Deserves A Modern Spotlight
It’s been fifteen years since the originalPokémon Black and Whitegames were released, and these classic games are getting harder and harder to find. Since Nintendo seems hesitant to releasePokémongames on the Nintendo Virtual Console, it may become necessary for The Pokémon Company to release new versions of the game before they’re missed out by a generation of Pokémon fans.
Additionally, Unova remakes would provide Game Freak with a chance to silence a frequent criticism of recent Pokémon games.Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2were the onlyPokémongames to feature different difficulty levels. If Unova remakes reimplemented this feature, it would finally give a challenge to players who feel that the more modern games are too easy.
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As thePokémonfranchise continues to grow with new regions and new Pokémon, remakes will become more and more important. These remakes showcase older characters and regions for new generations of players while also keeping the games accessible as older consoles become harder to find.Remakes also take some of the pressure off of Game Freak and The Pokémon Company’s expectation to produce new games on a yearly basis.While the games still need to be programmed and updated, much of the game design work is already complete.
Of course, the key to remakes is that they should be full games and not just facsimiles.Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearlwere largely seen as duds, even if they sold well, largely because they lacked any meaningful new content outside of a few ancillary features. If The Pokémon Company pursues Unova remakes, it should look to thePokémon Let’s Goline orPokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Rubyas examples of how to make these games feel fresh.Pokémon Black and Whitedeserve a worthy spotlight, so here’s hoping that Game Freak and The Pokémon Company deliver.
