Nintendo Announces Two Pokémon Remakes and New Open World Pokémon Game

Nintendo has announced two remakes of Pokémon games: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are getting a remake for the Nintendo Switch. In addition, next year Nintendo will release Pokémon Legends Arceus, a new open-world RPG set in the same region.

In a presentation on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, Nintendo announced three new Pokémon titles. The first two are remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, which came out in 2006 for the Nintendo DS. The games will be brought to the Nintendo Switch and should be released by the end of this year. The third is an all-new Pokémon game for the Switch that should be released in 2022. All three games are set in the Sinnoh region.

The remakes for Diamond and Pearl have a new visual style, but according to Nintendo are still faithful reproductions of the original games for the DS. The trailer for both remakes showcases locations, characters, and Pokémon from the original titles, as well as several gameplay improvements.

Pokémon Legends Arceus is a brand new game, also set in the Sinnoh region, but far back in the feudal past. This will be an open-world RPG where Pokémon can roam and be caught in the wild, with gameplay similar to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, according to IGN. The goal of that game is to assemble Sinnoh’s first Pokedex and revolves around the legendary Pokémon Arceus.

In Nintendo’s presentation, it also revealed more details about the previously announced title New Pokémon Snap. In that game, players take on the role of a novice Pokémon photographer. Players will team up with Professor Mirror, who conducts ecological research on Pokémon in the region. That game comes out April 30 for the Switch. The presentation shows that players can track down hidden Pokémon with their camera and get points for well-photographed Pokémon. New Pokémon Snap will have several online features that will allow players to share photos with others.