Pokémon Gold and Silver remakes are more than just an entitled fan request

03.04.2024 - 16:57 / radiotimes.com / Nintendo

This year's Pokémon Day has come and gone, and there's something about it that's still making me grumpy.

I'm not normally one to make a big stink about the games that I want companies to make, or to grumble when I don't get my way.

I'm aware that Nintendo, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company are huge operations, and they have a habit of surprising and delighting fans rather than kowtowing to their every whim.

But still, prior to Pokémon Day, I had seen the rumours that Pokémon Gold and Silver would be getting a remake.

I try not to get sucked in by 'leaks', because I know some of them turn out to be wrong, but this time I couldn't stop myself from getting excited. Allow me to explain why...

I played Pokémon Silver when it first launched on Game Boy Color, back in 2001 for UK-based fans, and it has remained one of my favourites in the franchise ever since.

While new generations and gimmicks come and go, something about this one was special to me.

Maybe it's the fact that Lugia is one of the coolest-looking legendaries, and the starters were pretty loveable as well (Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile, if you were struggling to remember).

Maybe it's the fact that it added new mechanics, like held items, and new features like the Pokégear communication device.

Maybe it's the fact that, while later games would move towards 3D graphics, Gold and Silver stuck faithfully to the nostalgic top-down view of Red and Blue — but still managed to feel new and exciting.

Most of all, I think it's the fact that Pokémon Gold and Silver had some of the best moments in the franchise to date. Even after you've completed the eight new gyms, the game still has surprises in store, including a twist that felt massive at the time.

Once you've beaten the main game and conquered the Pokémon battling scene of the new Johto region, you can travel to the Kanto region from Red and Blue and revisit all your old haunts from the previous game!

I remember this realisation being properly thrilling at the time, and it had a top pay-off as well.

It was great to pop back to iconic Kanto locations and see how they've changed, but the big finale was something utterly special — you got to battle the main character from Red and Blue, essentially going toe to toe with your younger self.

This felt epic at the time, and that whole Kanto jaunt still feels like one of the coolest ideas ever to be plumbed into a Pokémon game.

It is, I fear, also part of the reason why Gold and Silver haven't been remade yet — the developers would also have to remake the Kanto section, essentially making this a double-length project compared to remaking any other Pokémon title (as none of the others have region-hopping twists).

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