Charge up your Pokedexes, because Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes are heading to the Nintendo Switch in 2021, apparently.
2020 has been a bit of a shocker all around, if we’re being honest. From Covid and lockdowns to games and gadget releases being delayed, I think everyone is looking forward to a fresh start in 2021.
A new Sonic game has already been teased by Sega, and Nintendo fans are waiting patiently for a new Zelda game to drop.
Plus, with characters and franchises celebrating birthdays next year, at least gamers will have something to do if more lockdowns happen.
Many readers are still working their way through the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra DLC content for Pokemon Sword & Shield. This new Pokemon game announcement, however, has the Retro Dodo team quivering with excitement.
Here’s everything we know about the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes for the Nintendo Switch and even how to get a Master Ball in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl!
Dialga & Palkia, the two legendary pokemon available to capture in Pokemon Diamond And Pearl
We first got wind of the possibility of these Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes back in May 2020. An anonymous forum member who correctly guessed the name of Pokemon Sword & Shield also stated that Pokemon ‘Time Diamond’ and ‘Space Pearl’ were on the horizon.
In September, a reported GameFreak leak (that’s fun to say) stated that these names would in fact be changed to Pokemon Max Pearl and Max Diamond. This builds on the Gigantamax feature born in the Galar region and would assumedly bring it to Sinnoh.
Any fans of the original game can take a few minutes to think about that possibility. Seeing Luxray and Infernape Gigantamax would be something special!
Table of Contents
What Is Pokemon Diamond and Pearl?
What New Features Will The Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Remakes Have?
Do The New Pokemon Games Have A Release Date?
UPDATE (15/01/2021)
What Is Pokemon Diamond and Pearl?
From left to right -TURTWIG the turtle (GRASS), CHIMCHAR the chimp(FIRE) and, Piplup the penguin (Water)
I guess that’s a good question to answer before I get carried away!
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl released on the Nintendo DS back in September 2006. Both adventures follows the same pattern as the classic Red and Blue games for the original DMG Gameboy.
Defeat eight trainers before becoming the Pokemon Champion. It’s a tried and tested method, and it works every time!
The player controls a trainer who must train a starter Pokemon and catch other pocket monsters on their journey around Sinnoh. Sinnoh is classed as one of the best Pokemon regions too, and hopefully the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes will really do them justice!
What New Features Will The Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Remakes Have?
If we had to guess, then we’d say these games will be more like Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu & Eevee and less like Pokemon Sword & Shield.
That’s not a bad thing at all; those remakes were fantastic on the switch and felt very special for fans of the original series.
Battles will be the areas that see most change. Gigantamaxing brought forward from Sword & Shield and the return of Mega Evolutions from Pikachu & Evee. That’s what we’re hoping for!
Again, it is unlikely that the Pokedex will have as many entries as Pokemon Sword & Shield. Gamers will most likely encounter critters native to Sinnoh in this game rather than catching Pokemon from every region.
Do The New Pokemon Games Have A Release Date?
Leaks suggest the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes have a November 2021 release date. This doesn’t sound too unrealistic given that the new Pokemon Snap game is also set for a release next year.
Word on the street is that we’ll hear an announcement about these remakes before the year is out, which doesn’t give Nintendo long!
UPDATE (15/01/2021)
A reliable Pokemon leak page under the name @Centro Leaks on Twitter has recently put out a tweet stating that Pokemon Pearl and Diamond are “confirmed” for Nintendo Switch release THIS year.
Many outlets claim this, but Centro Leaks have in fact had a track record of leaking Pokemon information that actually comes to fruition. For example, they leaked information about Pokemon Sword and Shield before its launch which ended up being true.
They also did this with the Crown Tundra Expansion too, so its not like this information is coming from a nobody with a large following, this could potentially, be real.
We can now confirm that Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl are coming this year to Nintendo Switch. https://t.co/QB66iVt75t
— Centro Pokémon LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) January 14, 2021
This rumour started when Centro Leaks found out that Nintendo themselves accidentally made the domain “http://diamondpearl.pokemon.com/” live. Although it had nothing on it, they checked when it was “enabled” and it showed that it went live on the 12th January 2021. Soon after, it was taken down, but nonetheless, Nintendo now have the domain, ready to do something with it.
Centro Leaks stated “somebody at Nintendo screwed up”. Not only that on Centro Leaks website they have said “sources close to the Pokemon Pearl and Diamond project have confirmed that it has started development”. They also stated the following:
The Pokémon Company plans to officially reveal the remakes of Pokémon Diamonds and Pearl for Nintendo Switch in February, according to sources close to the company. In addition, this new installment will be different from Pokémon Let’s Go, the remake of Kanto released in 2018, maintaining the classic Pokémon capture style, according to the Pokémon Center.
As always, this will be a Switch exclusive. The Nintendo DS is long gone, but we may see backwards compatibility with the Nintendo Switch Pro for 4K Gigantamax action.
Take this information with a grain of salt, but as mentioned these guys have a reputable history when it comes to Pokemon links, so it could be true!
Would you enjoy playing on these Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes? Join the conversation over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!