4th Gen Is it too soon for Sinnoh remakes?

[starlightartist]

A pretty simple question; Do you think it's too soon for D/P/Pt remakes to come out? If so, when should they come out - or should they not be remade at all?

Personally (and I am incredibly biased towards my favourite games, so keep that in mind.) I can't wait for Sinnoh remakes. I'm actively anticipating the games, and as I felt that ORAS were fairly lacklustre (I won't go into that here though.), the next set of remakes I will thoroughly enjoy will be the D/P/Pt remakes. The region is easily my favourite, and the pokémon in that get gen are just great imo. I'd like to see Gen VI close out first though, with X2 / Y2 or Z or whatever the popular theory is right now. So in my opinion, currently it's a little too soon - though I wouldn't say no to them - but 2017 would be prime time for them to come out. Plus, that marks 10 years since their western release.

 

[Arjay]

Whilst I'm 100% with you in that Sinnoh and gen 4 are my favourites by a mile and I would be SOOOO freakin' psyched if they got a 3DS remake, I can't see it happening. I just don't know if they really need remakes. They may be nearly 10 years old but they're not exactly primitive and in need of an upgrade yet like Gen 1 and Gen 2 were when they got their remakes. And Gen 3 remakes were a huge jump from GBA to 3DS. All of those got an upgrade 2 consoles later:

Gen 1: Game Boy -> GBA
Gen 2: Game Boy Colour -> DS
Gen 3: GBA -> 3DS

 

[Apollo]

Yeah, I agree that Sinnoh doesn't really need remakes yet, as much as I love the region and the games. Probably when a new console comes out that's a huge step-up from the (3)DS, then that's when we might expect a remake happening.

 

[Lucario]

Probably they will when nintendo's new console (the 4DS?) is released. I think they are not making 3DS remakes as the 3DS is 100% backwards compatible with the gen 4 games anyway.

 

[Desert Stream~]

Theres the new 3ds now, although Idk if that counts.

 

[Adam Levine]

I think it's WAY too soon for remakes. Though the Sinnoh legends need to be more legendary (especially Arceus), I just don't see it happening for until two or three years from now. If Gen IV gets remakes, that's it. No Gen V remake.

Anyway, if they did get remakes, I'll be like "Yay new remakes of my favorite games I can't play". But the chance of getting these remakes is highly questionable, as Diamond and Pearl were already rendered in 3D. Well, sorta. But if Hoenn and Kanto can get remakes, and Johto also has one, then Sinnoh can.

 

[MudkipBoy]

I think it's too soon - I still enjoy play of DPPt and the graphics don't bother me, whereas with the GBA games and below they're a very noticeable step down.

 

[Sirenita55]

Pearl was a very special gaming experience for me, and I hold the game in high regard. I would absolutely love a remake soon :)

 

[BettyNewbie]

If you ask me, not only is it too soon, but it's also just unnecessary.

I struggle to think of anything that could really be added to Sinnoh that Platinum didn't already add. The biggest issues with DP--the Dex, the glitches, the framerate, the NPC teams, the postgame, and the story--were all fixed in Platinum, so outside of Fairies and Megas, what more is there to add? Even Gen 5-7 Pokémon wouldn't be much of a change, since none of them would even be obtainable before the postgame.

Plus, there's always the chance that remakes would just be a rehashed DP and ignore everything Platinum added. HGSS may have embraced Crystal, but FRLG and ORAS completely ignored Yellow and Emerald, so past history would suggest Sinnoh remakes being another hackjob like FRLG instead of a quality, finished product like HGSS. Would anyone really want to see that happen? I know I wouldn't.

After the NX comes out and we (presumably) lose compatibility with DS carts, I'd rather see DPP just get the RBY treatment and get a VC re-release on the NX (which I'm hoping will be powerful enough to have a DS emulator). If games as old and outdated as RBY can be made relevant, I don't see how the same can't be done with far newer games like DPP. The era of Pokémon remakes may have come to a close with ORAS.

 

[Snoopyfish]

If we're talking statistics (which were all completely thrown out of the window by the title release of Sun & Moon), I would say that the DP remakes won't be released until the 8th Generation.

The remakes of Generation 1 in Gen 3 are stricken from the list since 1 is a prime number and has no multiple, save for itself.

Gen 2 Remakes > Gen 4
Gen 3 Remakes > Gen 6
Gen 4 Remakes > Gen 8 (Estimate)

 

[Rivvon]

Is it too soon? I actually don't think so. While they may be more recent titles, the truth of the matter is that once the series made the leap into 3D, it metaphorically aged the Sinnoh games much more. Add to that all the mechanical additions of gen 6 (Mega Evolution being arguably the biggest), and gen 4 is suddenly more outdated than it has ever been. And now that Game Freak, in fans' terms, loves to throw surprises at us, I wouldn't be surprised if we got gen 4 remakes as early as gen 7. I actually wouldn't have been surprised if gen 6 gave us DPP remakes in addition to ORAS, to be honest--it would have made the lack of content in both XY & ORAS a bit more understandable, at the very least.

If you ask me, not only is it too soon, but it's also just unnecessary.

I struggle to think of anything that could really be added to Sinnoh that Platinum didn't already add. The biggest issues with DP--the Dex, the glitches, the framerate, the NPC teams, the postgame, and the story--were all fixed in Platinum, so outside of Fairies and Megas, what more is there to add?

By that logic, ORAS was unnecessary, too. But fans wanted it, and Masuda has gone on to say that that was part of the reason they chose to move forward with the games. Fans of gen 4 exist, and people who want them remade exist. Couple that with bringing Sinnoh into the newest generation, and you have enough reason to remake the games.

Plus, there's always the chance that remakes would just be a rehashed DP and ignore everything Platinum added. HGSS may have embraced Crystal, but FRLG and ORAS completely ignored Yellow and Emerald, so past history would suggest Sinnoh remakes being another hackjob like FRLG instead of a quality, finished product like HGSS. Would anyone really want to see that happen? I know I wouldn't.

I agree with you there--Platinum is, to me, one of the best games of the entire series. So if gen 4 remakes were to happen but they treated Platinum the way ORAS treated Emerald, I would be utterly devastated.

But that's a rather silly reason to not want a game, don't you think? I mean, any game has the possibility of turning out awful. But that shouldn't deter you from wanting a game at all. Instead of saying "I don't want a gen 4 remake because it could be handled poorly," say instead "I want a gen 4 remake that takes advantage of everything gen 4 has to offer--including Platinum."

After the NX comes out and we (presumably) lose compatibility with DS carts, I'd rather see DPP just get the RBY treatment and get a VC re-release on the NX (which I'm hoping will be powerful enough to have a DS emulator). If games as old and outdated as RBY can be made relevant, I don't see how the same can't be done with far newer games like DPP. The era of Pokémon remakes may have come to a close with ORAS.

In all honesty, gen 1 will always be relevant simply because it's gen 1--that's what started the whole franchise and TPC(i) thrives in its nostalgia factor. But games past that are only relevant when they're brought into the current generation--gen 3 is relevant right now because of ORAS, for instance. It would be tough to get people interested in gen 4 if all they did was port it to the Virtual Console (especially considering that it isn't one of the more popular generations). But by remaking it, people would get interested again since it would be fresh and up-to-date, and that would succeed in making it relevant again.

And in regards to supposedly losing compatibility with DS cartridges, I don't think that would matter too much, since gen 4 Pokémon can still make it into Bank, and TPC(i) has mentioned that they want to keep Bank as the relevant "transfer method" for as long as possible. The people who start with a system that is incompatible with DS cartridges probably didn't have any gen 4 games to transfer Pokémon from to begin with.

Not to mention, in addition to all of the above, that remakes are generally easier to make because of how all the source material is already created, and now it just has to be "re-crafted," in a sense. Remakes give the fans what they want--a new foray into a region/game that they love--while also allowing the developers to make a game that won't be as time-consuming to make as an all-new game that needs all-new characters, assets, levels, etc. to be designed from scratch. Like, they could make a remake while simultaneously going through the pre-production period of their next new game. So it's actually beneficial to the developers in a sense, too.

 

[blue]

Pokemon Diamond & Pearl came out 10 years ago this year, I think that's a sufficient amount of time to atleast consider Sinnoh remakes. We had Kanto remakes 10 years after their original release, same goes for the Johto remakes. I'm pretty sure we will see subtle refrences to Sinnoh in Pokemon Sun & Moon, but we might not hear of them until the end of this generation.

I'd probably say we're more likely to get Sinnoh remakes than not, it's something that has been a staple of the franchise for over 10 years now. Not only that but they would fit in with the theme of Pokemon Sun and Moon, which seems like the perfect generation for Diamond and Pearl remakes to be a part of.

 

[BettyNewbie]

By that logic, ORAS was unnecessary, too. But fans wanted it, and Masuda has gone on to say that that was part of the reason they chose to move forward with the games. Fans of gen 4 exist, and people who want them remade exist. Couple that with bringing Sinnoh into the newest generation, and you have enough reason to remake the games.

You can't really equate RSE and DPP. Before ORAS, there was literally NO way to play through Hoenn on anything newer than a DS Lite, which hadn't been in production since 2011. They were also the last games (well, besides FRLG) to lack Day/Night, the P/S Split, the Gen 4 pre/evolutions, wi-fi, and other features we've come to take for granted in the DS era and onwards.

But that's a rather silly reason to not want a game, don't you think? I mean, any game has the possibility of turning out awful. But that shouldn't deter you from wanting a game at all. Instead of saying "I don't want a gen 4 remake because it could be handled poorly," say instead "I want a gen 4 remake that takes advantage of everything gen 4 has to offer--including Platinum."

It's called being realistic. Fans got lucky with HGSS, but as FRLG and ORAS have shown, that's not the norm for Pokémon remakes. Most of the people who were clamoring for Gen 3 remakes assumed that ORAS would incorporate Emerald the same way HGSS incorporated Crystal, and those same people ended up being extremely disappointed when they instead got a 3D RS with a Mega Evolution storyline shoehorned in.

I'd love to see a quality, respectful 3DS remake of RBY, myself, but I'm also cautious about the idea since there'd be literally nothing stopping GF from cranking out another piece of crap like FRLG, instead. And, I'd rather have the old and outdated originals as they are than to see them be ruined by yet another terrible remake. You only set yourself up for pain when you don't keep your expectations low.

gen 3 is relevant right now because of ORAS, for instance.

And, why do you think ORAS were even made in the first place? RSE saw a fairly large resurgence in popularity around 2011-2013, as the fans who grew up with those games started hitting college age and becoming nostalgic, just as the games themselves were turning 10 years old. Just overnight, Hoenn became one of the most popular regions, and tons of people were clamoring for remakes.

Remakes give the fans what they want--a new foray into a region/game that they love--while also allowing the developers to make a game that won't be as time-consuming to make as an all-new game that needs all-new characters, assets, levels, etc. to be designed from scratch. Like, they could make a remake while simultaneously going through the pre-production period of their next new game. So it's actually beneficial to the developers in a sense, too.

Too bad the bolded bit was really only true for HGSS and select parts of ORAS. :rolleyes2: FRLG was hardly "a new foray" into anything and had no reason for existence outside of Dex completion for RSE.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

It is definitely too soon for Sinnoh remakes, as Gen 7(?) is going to be on the 3DS, and since this is why we didn't get ORAS on the DS, I'm expecting Sinnoh remakes, or another Kanto remake, to appear in the 3DS' successor.

 

[Hikamaru]

Pinkie has a good point. Since the new generation is going to be on the 3DS (similar to how the DS had both 4th and 5th Gen) it would be better to hold off the next remake until the next generation handheld comes out, which might be the "hybrid console" which we know as the NX.

 

[Rivvon]

You can't really equate RSE and DPP. Before ORAS, there was literally NO way to play through Hoenn on anything newer than a DS Lite, which hadn't been in production since 2011. They were also the last games (well, besides FRLG) to lack Day/Night, the P/S Split, the Gen 4 pre/evolutions, wi-fi, and other features we've come to take for granted in the DS era and onwards.

Okay, I gotcha. But I still feel as though the fans' desire to see a region they love in the most recent-possible light would be enough driving force for them to want a remake, even if the originals did have stuff like the Day/Night feature already incorporated into them.

It's called being realistic. Fans got lucky with HGSS, but as FRLG and ORAS have shown, that's not the norm for Pokémon remakes. Most of the people who were clamoring for Gen 3 remakes assumed that ORAS would incorporate Emerald the same way HGSS incorporated Crystal, and those same people ended up being extremely disappointed when they instead got a 3D RS with a Mega Evolution storyline shoehorned in.

I'd love to see a quality, respectful 3DS remake of RBY, myself, but I'm also cautious about the idea since there'd be literally nothing stopping GF from cranking out another piece of crap like FRLG, instead. And, I'd rather have the old and outdated originals as they are than to see them be ruined by yet another terrible remake. You only set yourself up for pain when you don't keep your expectations low.

Trust me, I've been there. But I feel like where I can't agree with you is on how awful you feel FRLG were. I mean, I don't think they were the pinnacle of remakes, either, but at least they kept all the originals' features and threw some new stuff in, such as the multiplayer mini-games and the Sevii Islands (and no, I don't count Yellow in this simply because Yellow is already an anime spin-off--it wouldn't be completely...appropriate, in a sense, to include a starter Pikachu that can't evolve along with a few battles with Jessie and James). So in that sense, I feel that ORAS are the odd ones out, being the remakes lacking content from the originals--and not that HGSS are the odd ones out, being the best of the bunch.

And I hate to say this, but, the truth of the matter is, even non-remakes can be treated badly, too. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's appropriate to keep expectations reasonable to prevent yourself from being let-down. But at some point you have to ask yourself: are you actually being reasonable, or are you asking for little to nothing in an attempt to excuse poor design choices? Just because ORAS (and FRLG, in your opinion) were not executed as well as they could have been doesn't make it unreasonable for fans to want something better.

And, why do you think ORAS were even made in the first place? RSE saw a fairly large resurgence in popularity around 2011-2013, as the fans who grew up with those games started hitting college age and becoming nostalgic, just as the games themselves were turning 10 years old. Just overnight, Hoenn became one of the most popular regions, and tons of people were clamoring for remakes.

Hmmm, I can't say I agree with that, either. At least, the whole "turning popular overnight" thing. Every region/gen has its niche of fans who grow in number (and in volume) as time goes on. Hoenn's popularity was definitely something that expanded--it really wasn't sudden at all. And Sinnoh's dedicated fans have already started down that path. It's really only a matter of time before they get to the point the Hoenn fans were at not long ago. I understand I'm in the minority when I say it's fine time for a DPP remake (and if you want to argue that it's too soon, I can definitely understand where you'd be coming from), but the older the games get, the more people are going to be clamoring for the remake. And then it's going to be like gen 3's popularity all over again--and once enough people ask for it, I don't see why Game Freak wouldn't make a gen 4 remake, when it would be mostly beneficial for them.

 

[BettyNewbie]

But I feel like where I can't agree with you is on how awful you feel FRLG were. I mean, I don't think they were the pinnacle of remakes, either, but at least they kept all the originals' features and threw some new stuff in, such as the multiplayer mini-games and the Sevii Islands

I'd hardly call a few useless islands a significant addition, especially since they seemed to be nothing more than a dumping ground for things that GF was too scared to give us in the main game because of "nostalgia." *eyeroll*

And, them "keeping all the originals' features" was a problem, IMO. The games literally took away things that even GSC had (like Day/Night, breeding, and newer pre/evolutions) just for the sake of being "faithful" to RBY, which did nothing but make Kanto look like a bland, dumbed-down region compared to the others. And, the games didn't exactly fix the multitude of issues that RBY had. If you ask me, I'm STILL waiting for a Gen 1 remake, because FRLG was a joke.

(and no, I don't count Yellow in this simply because Yellow is already an anime spin-off--it wouldn't be completely...appropriate, in a sense, to include a starter Pikachu that can't evolve along with a few battles with Jessie and James)

Yellow was anime-influenced, but it was never an "anime spinoff." It was always very much a main series game. Remember that the anime and the games were far more connected to each other back in the Pokémania days. It wasn't until around Gen 3 that the anime started to be treated more as a separate canon rather than an extension of the games.

And I hate to say this, but, the truth of the matter is, even non-remakes can be treated badly, too.

Oh, absolutely. See, RS, DP, and most recently, XY. However, at least RS and DP got Emerald and Platinum, respectively, to fix their many issues (even if these fixes shouldn't have been needed in the first place).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's appropriate to keep expectations reasonable to prevent yourself from being let-down. But at some point you have to ask yourself: are you actually being reasonable, or are you asking for little to nothing in an attempt to excuse poor design choices? Just because ORAS (and FRLG, in your opinion) were not executed as well as they could have been doesn't make it unreasonable for fans to want something better.

I can see what you mean, but again, the hard truth is that we're not the ones making these games. Look at how GF has essentially abandoned Gen 6 and left it unfinished, for example. When they're doing things like that, it's hard to stay completely optimistic about these games.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

I'm a pretty huge champion of remaking video games. It never hurts to make them more available and accessible to the modern populace, right?

But in the case of the fourth generation... well, I think these games are perfectly playable as is. It isn't like Generations I and II which had inferior graphics and far clunkier mechanics. And whilst I didn't really see a need for Generation III, it is difficult to get access to these older games in this day and age. And I'd pretty much feel the same way about the Generation IV games if it weren't for one thing...

The RBY virtual console releases. Now that Gamefreak has proven that it is WILLING to rerelease older games and give them the same functionalities they have, the concept of remakes become unnecessary. I want them to stop remaking games and just release them in their original form for virtual console. That way, the series doesn't have to constantly keep revisiting the past and be expected to cater to peoples' nostalgia, which really is getting tiring. I want the old to be available alongside the new - not the old to be shoehorned into the new. So I would find it perfectly acceptable if we never saw another remake again and all older games were made available on virtual console. (Especially HGSS, speaking of Gen IV. I like those games better than the originals) The cycle has to end someday. Otherwise, we'll be having remakes of remakes later on down the road and I just find that silly.

I'd also be cool with Pokémon Bank patching in compatibility with Gen IV for now rather than needing to use Gen V as an intermediary and then later on making virtual console releases when the DS cartridges become completely incompatible.

Though I would not really be bothered if they went with remakes either, as long as they were well-executed. Either way, people benefit from being able to easily transfer Pokémon rather than going through an elaborate path of generations and an annoying mini-game in Gen V.

 

[Gekogashira]

I do feel it is way too early for a remake. It would most likely come out in 2017 which I still feel is way too early. A friend of mine really wants this but I convinced him it is too early. The thing is, what can you add to games? The remakes added something not in the originals and the first remake or only remake to have it. For example, HGSS had the PokeWalker and ORAS had Mega Evolution. Just adding Mega Evo to DP does make much of a difference. We have to have new and interesting features used in games before it or brand new non-gimmicky ones.

 

[Banz]

Considering that the Sinnoh games can be played on the 3DS, I'd say it is too soon. Maybe on the next handheld.
I'd like to see remakes of FRLG instead. They're already 12 years old.