Unleashing Nostalgia: Igniting the Pokemon Black and White Remakes Revolution

With fans eagerly anticipating the next installment in the 10th generation of the Pokemon franchise, the remakes of Pokemon Black and White have become increasingly popular. As excitement grows for the possibility of returning to the region of Unova, it's important to consider how these Gen 5 remakes can stay true to the original while offering a fresh experience. Octopath Traveler, a game that skillfully combines nostalgia and innovative visuals, serves as a prime example to draw inspiration from.

Recently, Nintendo released Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, remakes for the Nintendo Switch. These games introduced a unique "chibi" visual style, bridging the gap between the modern 3D graphics of today and the original Gen 4 era. The upcoming remakes of Pokemon Black and White have the potential to employ a similar approach, perhaps even surpassing it. Octopath Traveler, a successful JRPG developed by Square Enix, provides an excellent blueprint for achieving this delicate balance.

Octopath Travel Proves That Pixel Art is Timeless

Octopath Traveler is a prime example of a modern game that flawlessly combines pixel-style artwork with a contemporary feel. The game's stunning visuals, crafted through a seamless fusion of 2D and 3D sprites and backgrounds, add a remarkable sense of depth that entices players to explore its multitude of breathtaking vistas. Moreover, the game's expansive narrative, which intricately weaves together the stories of its eight main characters, offers an overwhelming amount of content that can easily captivate gamers for countless hours.

The remarkable 2D/3D pixel-style visuals showcased in Octopath Traveler would be the ideal fit for the forthcoming Pokemon Black and White remakes. The original versions, released in 2010 for the Nintendo DS, already featured a fusion of classic 2D Pokemon sprites with visually stunning 3D backgrounds, most notably exemplified in locations like Castelia City. Although this visual style initially garnered mixed reactions upon the games' release, with some fans and critics expressing a preference for the fully 2D art style found in the earlier three generations, it has gradually gained popularity and recognition over the years, much like various aspects of Generation 5.

Pokemon Needs to Stop Cutting Corners

The 3D Pokemon games that followed Black and White have received widespread criticism for their visuals, particularly the Nintendo Switch main series games, Sword and Shield, Scarlet, and Violet. These games have failed to meet the visual standards set by the 3D Pokemon games for GameCube, such as XD: Gale of Darkness. However, this criticism presents an opportunity for the games to return to their roots while still embracing modern visual styles. An art style similar to Octopath Traveler's would strike a perfect balance.

If potential remakes of Pokemon Black and White were to be created, it is important that no shortcuts are taken. Unfortunately, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl made this mistake by only remaking content from the original Gen 4 games, neglecting the extra content found in Platinum that is beloved by much of the fan base. Considering the popularity of the Pokemon Black and White sequels, it would be a shame if the Gen 5 remakes were rushed without including content from both the original games and their sequels. Ideally, the remakes would combine both the originals and the sequels into a single title or, at the very least, there would be a clear plan announced to remake both the originals and their sequels, rather than leaving behind the additional content as was done with Pokemon Platinum.