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Predictions I am dreading the Pokemon Black and White remakes...

Hero of Hyrule

Hero of Hyrule

Frieren the Slayer
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Game Freak has honestly rallied over the last year and shown us they are really capable of making great games still (Legends was a revelation, and Scarlet and Violet are continuing down that road, by all accounts). So realistically, I shouldn't be that worried.

But

Pokemon Black/White arguably represents Game Freak at the top of their powers as a developer. The sheer amount of versatility, ambition, panache, and most of all, sheer perfection in execution of all those other things, these games exhibited was mind blowing. And honestly? I just don't know if that can be achieved again.

Like, what are the options here? You remake them in 3D using the current engine (whatever it is at the time)? Okay, but then the onus is on Game Freak to translate their top tier 2D route and dungeon design into 3D, what have they done in the last ten years of their working with 3D that would make you think that they are capable of doing this?

But hey, maybe they can handle this the way they handled Diamond and Pearl. Handle them how, exactly? getting rid of the gorgeous sprite art and replace it with lifeless chibi? Hewing close to the surface structure of these games, while missing the deeper nuances for why people loved them? Give the freshest Pokemon games of all time the most boring and straightforward "Remake" possible? Is that what you want a Black/White remake to be?

Hell, what about Black/White 2? How do those fit in? Do they get merged with the originals? Are they DLC/expansions released layer? Discrete remakes for them coming later? Or, and this one is the likeliest, they get ignored entirely (and maybe some of their features get pulled into B/W)?

Honestly, at this point I would prefer they not touch the Unova games, leave them as is. If you want to revisit that region, give me a Pokemon Legends Kyruem or something. But I think B/W defy remakes in the way that Game Freak would want to tackle them. I'd rather they be left untarnished.
 
If they follow in D+P's footsteps....

I'm simultaneously terrified of the outsourced remake, but enthralled at the idea of a Game Freak made pseudo-remake sequel like Arceus.
 
I would rather have them rerelease them as is. They're the last sprite games and deserve to stay that way.
 
totofogo said:
If they follow in D+P's footsteps....

I'm simultaneously terrified of the outsourced remake, but enthralled at the idea of a Game Freak made pseudo-remake sequel like Arceus.
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Oh, I would love a Unova Pokemon Legends game.

I would just also hate a Unova remake lol.
 
My dream scenario is if B/W gets a full 3D reimagining. Maybe adopt the S/V format, just transplanted to Unova.

Barring that, perhaps B/W remakes could do HD-2D. I desperately need HD-2D Pokemon.

Of course, it’s much easier and more profitable to make BDSP-style remakes, so who knows how it’s gonna go.
 
The presence of a potentially mediocre Unova remake won't ruin the originals for me, I'll always have BW and B2W2. All of these Pokémon games, they're still enjoyable but they almost always have some hangups to deal with first. So let it happen. I'm up to just wait and see how things go. ILCA remake, Legends game, whatever.
 
I’m interested to see how they go about it. Will they change the end game stuff. Leveling/evolution stuff. Only Gen 5 Pokémon. Fascinating thought

They’re weirdly structured games looking back at them today lol.

Granted. I found This Gen mediocre.
 
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I do not want to see these games remade unless it's HD-2D. The absolute last thing I want is the godawful BDSP art style for these games. If anything, at this point I'd prefer B/W and B2/W2 just get ports to modern systems. Better than seeing what terrible changes they could make.
 
I feel there's one more remake before we see BW remakes. After SV, Johto remakes vol 2. should be the next destination, after all HGSS were between DP and BW. I need to see them before worrying about BW.
 
Gen 4 is my favorite gen, and while I'd never take BDSP over Platinum, they were like, faithful and solid enough when considered as low budget remakes to the point where I didn't feel like they were necessarily disrespectful to the source material or whatever. So I dunno. Both it and Let's Go are like, not good enough to be the definitive version in any regard, but not bad enough to frustrate me.

Then again, I care way less about visuals/graphics/art design than even people in Nintendo communities seem to, so whatever. I just want my games to play nice. High quality sprites are sick when they're there but I'm not thinking about it much in the moment when I'm actually playing the game.

Also, my least favorite remake might actually be ORAS, which deliberately changed certain aspects of how the game was designed (town layouts, the rivals) to be more like X/Y. Which was like, why. I'd rather just play X/Y then.
 
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I'd play an HD 2D Pokemon.
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BW especially was going for a '3D world' look, with a mix of sprites and polygons. It all blended together well on a low-res DS screen. Would love to see this place given justice in HD.

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But what I really want is a remake where the world is realized as a fully 3D space and not 'top-down', like the mainline games since Sun/Moon. I'm not expecting it though.
 
looking back.

My favorite Gen, Gen 3, was A pretty frustrating game to play through.

Like. I enjoyed parts of it. And then really disliked other aspects.

In the end. All i think about it is “I should play emerald/sapphire again one day” which probably sums up my feelings on the remake
 
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This is kinda off-topic but I'm confused as to what the general consensus for B/W was. (I play Gold at launch, then more or less tuned Pokémon out until Go/Let's Go, so I was not aware of the reception at the time.)

I've read that Gen V had some of the most disliked Pokémon designs. But it seems the games themselves were fairly beloved. Is that right?
 
hologram said:
This is kinda off-topic but I'm confused as to what the general consensus for B/W was. (I play Gold at launch, then more or less tuned Pokémon out until Go/Let's Go, so I was not aware of the reception at the time.)

I've read that Gen V had some of the most disliked Pokémon designs. But it seems the games themselves were fairly beloved. Is that right?
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Yes, the quality of new Pokemon designs is inversely proportional to the quality of the games themselves
 
Never got too into the community, but from my limited knowledge I always gathered that B/W were more mixed with the community at launch and only until gens later they were like "oh actually this was always peak Pokemon".

Still my favorite generation tied with Sword and Shield. I don't think they would just port them which is a shame, Gen 5 is the only one with proper excellent pixel art from that Pokemon era for me, so a 3D remake handled by game freak would be the best case scenario (also cause I want their remixes), I don't like any attempt I have seen of 2D HD, so I rather not unless they show me it can look pleasing to me somehow, I'm kind of indifferent to the chibi style, Legends Unova is a scary thought.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. If their patterns aren't altered, we are at least 4-ish years away (Gen 2 2009-Gen 3 2014-Gen 4 2021) from it so who knows the state of GF and even what console they will be operating on. Will they do sprites? I highly doubt it, sadly sprite work is costly.

I am not sure about doing it in what would be their current engine because BW has one of the largest rosters of new pokemon (introduced) that have not seen recent models (SW/Arceus/SV?). Maybe that's why Creature is hiring to get all the models up to date.

In the end, its too soon to worry for something that if it happens its way way into the future. Lets just enjoy the current state and hope they continue to improve on their recent outings.
 
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Twilight said:
Never got too into the community, but from my limited knowledge I always gathered that B/W were more mixed with the community at launch and only until gens later they were like "oh actually this was always peak Pokemon".
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This is accurate. B/W2 also remedied a lot of issues people who didn't like B/W1 had (while also being a step back from the first game in terms of its story). Depending on what you're looking for, one of the two games will probably have you covered in terms of what you want (with B/W1 being probably the freshest and most novel game in the series to date, with you only being able to use new Pokemon and it having an actually good story for once, whereas B/W2 is the peak in terms of post-game and the full breadth of content offered, while also having an amazing selection of Pokemon from many different gens).
 
I've gone over this in the 2024 game thread, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if BDSP were the last remakes we ever got. The fact that they farmed them out after PLA dev started tells me they viewed it as an obligation at most and bet-hedging at least, with BDSP being reviled and PLA being beloved sealing the deal on their future plans.
 
Paxie said:
I've gone over this in the 2024 game thread, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if BDSP were the last remakes we ever got. The fact that they farmed them out after PLA dev started tells me they viewed it as an obligation at most and bet-hedging at least, with BDSP being reviled and PLA being beloved sealing the deal on their future plans.
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What about sales though? If anything, BDSP selling so well would mean outsourcing the remakes is the smarter choice, rather than just abandoning them.
 
I really should try and play BW. I’ve started White multiple times but never got very far. If I remember correctly, I didn’t like the way they changed how EXP worked, where higher level mons gained less experience than lower level mons. It made leveling up my team no fun. I remember spending a long time farming Audino because they seemed to be the most efficient way to grind.

I should try again though. These games are so beloved among Pokémon fans, I want to see what the fuss is all about.
 
Agree with and above user

Pokémon Black/White 3 with a scoope similar to Sword/Shield.

Releases on both Switch 1/2.
 
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Black & White are imo top tier that even if we get a BDSP tier remake it'll still be great. Lets be honest, Gens 1-4 all had some pretty severe design issues. Gen 5 was really the first time GF nailed everything. GF or the company they outsource the remake to won't have the chance to "not fix" B/W the way FR/LG, ORAS, and BDSP did.
 
I’ve not played them but they’re obviously beloved and I hear a lot of good stuff about the spritework. The best move they could make would be an HD-2D remake.
 
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After finishing SV (and Arceus to a lesser extent), I never want to play a traditional Pokemon game ever again. Remakes are dead to me.
 
Red Monster said:
I really should try and play BW. I’ve started White multiple times but never got very far. If I remember correctly, I didn’t like the way they changed how EXP worked, where higher level mons gained less experience than lower level mons. It made leveling up my team no fun. I remember spending a long time farming Audino because they seemed to be the most efficient way to grind.

I should try again though. These games are so beloved among Pokémon fans, I want to see what the fuss is all about.
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Same. I played them when they came out, didn't like them. After seeing all the buzz around them on the internet, I played them again a few years ago to see if I had missed something, and... I still didn't like them.

It's a mystery to me why these games are so beloved. I think maybe it's a generation thing? I know a lot of people started playing Pokémon around the time they came out (while old grandpa here was already in college). To me, they represent the point where Pokémon started to decline because it's where the trend of being extremely linear started. I can't stand that Unova is one straight line after the other until it loops back, and that kind ruined the game for me, I felt no will to explore anything and felt disingaged with the level design the whole time.

I appreciate the sheer amount of new Pokémon, but overall I don't like the designs at all, the gen as a whole feels edgy and trying to hard to make an impact. The color palette also has too much purple, brown and dark green for my tastes, it's way too dark. There are a few Pokémon I love (Emolga is my favorite Pikaclone by far), but the gen needs editing.The graphics are also kind of ugly, specially in battle. It looks extremely pixelated, it's the worst Pokémon battles have ever looked in proportion to the hardware.

People talk a lot about how much content the games have but gen 4 had a lot more. Base BW is pretty standard in terms of content, BW2 is better but gen 4 (both DPPt and HGSS) have waaaay more.

I suppose it does have the more complex story yet in a Pokémon game, but for me, personally, that's irrelevant, I don't like stories in games and I'd rather them be the least intrusive as possible.

Anyway, gen 5 remakes might even make me like them better, since the originals are whatever to me. I'm not super attached to anything in those games, so maybe they could surprise, I don't know. For that reason, I hope they aren't extremely faithful like BDSP were.
 
To me Gen 5 is where I started to lose interest, not by a lot because I still bought and enjoyed them as well as the sequels, but I started to find little gripes and issues from Gen 5 all the way to the most recent with Gen 8 that started to build up and annoy me.

I’d be down for a BD/SP situation where the base game is basically B/W and then have B2/W2 as a huge DLC expansion.

I don’t think the hardcore Gen 5 fans would go for it though as OP has stated.
 
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Phantom Thief said:
the quality of new Pokemon designs is inversely proportional to the quality of the games themselves
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I respectfully disagree here. The Unova dex is full of amazing designs! I never understood why people hated them so much.

Seriously, Gen 5 is the generation with:
  • psychic type Ectophylla alba
  • a gangster lizard who wears its shed skin like baggy pants
  • flying Aztec patrol pseudo-bird
  • what is essentially a centipede centaur
  • a three-headed dragon, which is two more heads than boring regular dragons
  • a floating electric lamprey
  • an anteater with a flickering flaming tongue
  • a giant cell with a homunculus baby as a nucleus
I can gush about them all day.

Leo said:
I think maybe it's a generation thing?
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I’ve played since gen one, B/W are my favorites. And at least to me it’s because gen 5 represents an uptick in the design quality of the mons.

Paxie said:
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if BDSP were the last remakes we ever got
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The remakes sell too well for TPC to completely discontinue them. No way BDSP is the last.
 
can i just say that i love the theme chosen for this game?

Black and White is so simple yet so cool

waaay better than diamond and pearl (that one outright tells you one is better than the other!)
 
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I just realized these might be a Switch 2 Year One release. I wonder how much Game Freak will improve the graphics from prior games.
 
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Is it controversial to say that Black & White's sprites being gorgeous is a lie Gen 1-5 romantics tell themselves to shit on Gen 6-8?

I don't wanna be controversial.

But I want a remake so we can all conclusively re-evaluate the battle animations and so I can get the shiny Haxorus I missed out on because I only found out about it after I had already transfered my living dex to 3DS.
 
Sheldon said:
Is it controversial to say that Black & White's sprites being gorgeous is a lie Gen 1-5 romantics tell themselves to shit on Gen 6-8?

I don't wanna be controversial.

But I want a remake so we can all conclusively re-evaluate the battle animations and so I can get the shiny Haxorus I missed out on because I only found out about it after I had already transfered my living dex to 3DS.
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After having replayed Gen 3, 4, and 5 games earlier this year... I gotta disagree, especially in regards to Gen 5. That spritework is so nice to look at.

Unfortunately the guaranteed shiny Haxorus is part of B2/W2, so if B/W get remade I hope for your sake it's not like BD/SP.
 
hologram said:
This is kinda off-topic but I'm confused as to what the general consensus for B/W was. (I play Gold at launch, then more or less tuned Pokémon out until Go/Let's Go, so I was not aware of the reception at the time.)

I've read that Gen V had some of the most disliked Pokémon designs. But it seems the games themselves were fairly beloved. Is that right?
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A lot of people weren't fans of the games only having new Pokémon in the wild, though the old faves were still available through a browser minigame and/or after the credits rolled, and you could always trade them in if you really wanted them. Strangely enough, outside of event distributions, Pikachu was transfer-only in both BW and the sequel, the latter of which reintegrated older Pokémon into the main storyline.
Red Monster said:
I really should try and play BW. I’ve started White multiple times but never got very far. If I remember correctly, I didn’t like the way they changed how EXP worked, where higher level mons gained less experience than lower level mons. It made leveling up my team no fun. I remember spending a long time farming Audino because they seemed to be the most efficient way to grind.

I should try again though. These games are so beloved among Pokémon fans, I want to see what the fuss is all about.
Click to expand...
BW isn't grindy, not even at the end of the game (they finally stopped putting a 10+ level span between the first Elite 4 and the Champion). If you're rotating through your team and fighting all of the enemy Trainers, you should keep pace with the level curve.

With a few exceptions, most of the early-game Pokémon aren't intended to be long-term party members; the game really wants you to churn through the available Pokémon. This isn't intuitive for people who played the older games for a number of (valid) reasons, and the beginning of the game is... unexciting.
 
Apopheniac said:
BW isn't grindy, not even at the end of the game (they finally stopped putting a 10+ level span between the first Elite 4 and the Champion). If you're rotating through your team and fighting all of the enemy Trainers, you should keep pace with the level curve.

With a few exceptions, most of the early-game Pokémon aren't intended to be long-term party members; the game really wants you to churn through the available Pokémon. This isn't intuitive for people who played the older games for a number of (valid) reasons, and the beginning of the game is... unexciting.
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Interesting. That’s almost completely antithetical to the way I normally play Pokémon games.
 
hologram said:
This is kinda off-topic but I'm confused as to what the general consensus for B/W was. (I play Gold at launch, then more or less tuned Pokémon out until Go/Let's Go, so I was not aware of the reception at the time.)

I've read that Gen V had some of the most disliked Pokémon designs. But it seems the games themselves were fairly beloved. Is that right?
Click to expand...

Gen V copped a lot of flak on release but have been largely vindicated by time I think. It also has some of the best designs in the series. It’s got some stinkers but so does literally every region.
 
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I know that I am definitely in the minority but having really enjoyed the diamond and Pearl remakes I have been hoping they use that engine to make a black and white remake.
 
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Black/White remain my favorite generation for several big reasons:

1) The best pixel art in the entire series. Animated sprites are great, and I love the world look and feel

2) NO OLD POKEMON BABY. Controversial but I loved the move to keep it to new-Pokemon-only for the entire game, and I really wish it's something they'd do again (and they won't)

3) Seasons. What's not to love about a Pokemon game set in pseudo-New York where you can change it to be permanently autumn? Such a great feature.

And I don't really want a B/W remake either, because we'd be guaranteed to lose the pixel art and sprites at a minimum, but also probably the pokedex, and it wouldn't surprise me if they mess up seasons somehow too. Basically, just put the game on NSO, please.
 
Unova is my favourite region, but its remake couldn't disappoint me as much as BDSP did, the main reason being DP are flawed games that needed TLC with their remake but got the bare minimum. BW/2 will always be enjoyable in their original copies, and IMO don't need as much help.

Still, if we're going to get one I agree with the HD-2D crowd
 
I don't even care about the content of them, they're gonna fuck up these remakes by forcing perma-EXP share and affection, because apparently a goddamn toggle is fucking rocket science for Game Freak to include
 
Red Monster said:
Interesting. That’s almost completely antithetical to the way I normally play Pokémon games.
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Pokemon is obviously an easy kids game where you can use your comically bad favorites like Onix or Farfetch'd to become champion, but the games are absolutely designed around power creep. Generally the Pokemon you find on early routes fully evolve at lower levels and have lower stat totals then Pokemon you find later in the game. Just using some gen 1 examples

You can catch Ratatta route 1 and evolve it into Raticate at level 20. It's fully evolved stat total is 413.

You can't catch Kangaskhan until you get to the Safari Zone in later on in the game. It's stat total is 590. (Edit 490 rip typo'd 🫠)

Now despite this example, I would say Ratatta is still a better overall Pokémon for a play through. It is one of your stronger early game Pokemon thanks to that early evolution, and once it falls off it's still a fairly solid hm mule.
 
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Apopheniac said:
BW isn't grindy, not even at the end of the game (they finally stopped putting a 10+ level span between the first Elite 4 and the Champion). If you're rotating through your team and fighting all of the enemy Trainers, you should keep pace with the level curve.
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I think this is the thing I miss most about pre-X/Y Pokemon games: If you evenly leveled your party, and you fought every Pokemon trainer (and mostly didn't bother with fighting wild Pokemon) then your party would be pretty well balanced on the level curve, usually being a few levels below gym leaders but nothing too drastic. I really like that flow of routes, even if they are pretty linear.
 
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