Games

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are getting remakes for Nintendo Switch

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl will be remade for the Nintendo Switch. The Pokémon Company announced the news today during a special broadcast of Pokémon Presents. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021.

Diamond and Pearl were launched in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. The game introduced the Sinnoh region, home to Pokémon like Bidoof, Luxio, Drifloon and Arceus. The updated versions look cute and chibified, although both are “faithful remakes” of the originals. A trailer released along with today’s news brings familiar locations and faces in the Switch version, as well as some quality of life updates. Pokémon Home developer Ilca is working on both games alongside Junichi Masuda, longtime director of Game Freak.

There have been rumors of Diamond and Pearl remakes online in recent weeks. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the games, along with the general 25th anniversary of Pokémon. The company has celebrated with virtual shows with Katy Perry and Post Malone.

The remakes are being developed by ILCA, the company behind the Pokémon Home storage system, and appear extremely faithful to the 2007 Nintendo DS originals. You will choose between Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup at the beginning of your adventure, which takes place in the Sinnoh region.

The Pokémon Company also announced an open-world RPG, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, for the Switch today.