By Alex Calvin, Friday, January 15, 2021 12:08 GMT
Retouched versions of the 2006 DS games will be announced next month.
Looks like Pokémon Diamond and Pearl can be remade for the Nintendo Switch.
This is according to the Pokémon Center fan site, which reports that updated versions of the two titles are scheduled for release this year. Apparently, the games will be announced in February, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon series. It was also discovered that the diamondpearl.pokemon web address was enabled. Visiting this site returns a 403 error, which means that access to the site is currently blocked.
The updated version of Diamond and Pearl will be released sometime during 2021. The site also claims that they will feature classic capture mechanics, instead of the updated systems introduced in Pokémon Let’s Go.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were originally released for the Nintendo DS console in Japan in 2006, before coming to the rest of the world in 2007 and 2008. Although there is no confirmation that the remake rumors are still true, this works well with The Pokémon Company’s strategy to redo previous series entries. Pokémon Red and Blue, Gold and Silver, as well as Sapphire and Ruby – the first three generations of the franchise – received the remake treatment, so it stands to reason that Diamond and Pearl are next. In fact, it is so aligned with the company’s previous strategy that Alex Donaldson of VG247 has already postulated that the remakes of Diamond and Pearl could be available.
The last entry in the franchise was Pokémon Sword and Shield of 2019.
Earlier this week, The Pokémon Company announced a year of celebrations to mark the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The company teamed up with pop star Katy Perry for this anniversary party.
Meanwhile, the new Pokémon Snap will be released for the Nintendo Switch in April.