A video game remake is a game that is made again, in a new and updated style.

In Pokémon terms, four pairs of games are remakes:

The names of the first three remakes are derived from the names of the original source games, with a modifier word attached to the front. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! are a pair of games based on a single upper version game, so only the title of one of them (Let's Go, Pikachu!) is derived from the original game's title.

Changes

In addition to graphical updates, each pair of remakes also includes all Pokémon in the National Pokédex at the time of release (with the exception of Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee!) and introduced new features, including new ways to find wild Pokémon. The script is also retranslated for localizations.

FireRed and LeafGreen

  • The Sevii Islands expand the main story and allow the player to obtain Pokémon native to Johto.
  • The new stat system, Abilities, and updated movesets are carried over from Ruby and Sapphire.
  • Genders, friendship and breeding are carried over from Generation II.

HeartGold and SoulSilver

Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

  • Walking Pokémon once again return, for the first time since Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
  • A new Pokémon catching mechanic, similar to that used in Pokémon GO, replaces wild Pokémon battles.
  • Compatibility with Pokémon GO and the Poké Ball Plus is added.
  • Two new Pokémon, Meltan and Melmetal, are introduced.
  • Master Trainers, individual trainers who each specialise in a single Pokémon species, can be found across Kanto after entering the Hall of Fame.
  • PCs are removed, with Pokémon storage now being relegated to the Pokémon Box found within the players bag, allowing the player to switch out their party at any time.
  • Pokémon can now be sent to Professor Oak in exchange for candies, in the same vein as Pokémon GO, with received candies being kept in the Candy Jar in the players bag.
  • The berries from Pokémon GO have been added, with some of their effects being altered.

Impact on other media

Anime

 
Steven Stone in the XY series and specials

Due to the release of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, in the Advanced Generation series, Ash and his friends traveled back to Kanto to compete in the Battle Frontier (also a reference to Pokémon Emerald) and Kanto Pokémon Contests. However, its influence can be seen as early as Grass Hysteria!, where May befriended and caught a Bulbasaur.

Due to the release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, several references to those games appeared in the Diamond & Pearl series, such as the Pokéathlon in A Marathon Rivalry!, the Johto Festival introducing several in-game Key Items, Ash's main rival being Paul who resembles Silver in many ways, Lyra temporarily journeying with the gang and her attempt in participating in the Johto League, about half of the Johto Gym Leaders reappearing with their redesigns, and several main characters obtaining Pokémon in the Johto Pokédex like Dawn's Quilava or with a cross-generational evolution line like Ash's Gliscor he caught as a Gligar.

With the debut of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, several references appeared during the XY series. Sawyer, originally from the Hoenn region, was introduced as Ash's new rival and is first shown to have a Treecko and a Bagon. A Mega Audino and its respective Mega Stone also made an appearance in A Giga Battle with Mega Results!, under the ownership of Nurse Joy.

Many newly introduced Mega Evolutions were seen in Mega Evolution Special II. Steven Stone, in his new design, and his Shiny Mega Metagross also made an appearance along with Mega Rayquaza in the aforementioned special. Both Pokémon reappeared in Mega Evolution Special III with the inclusion of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Rustboro City made a reappearance in the aforementioned special but was first mentioned in the former. Ahead of the games' release, Mega Diancie debuted in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction. Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre also made an appearance in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages with Mega Latios, Mega Latias and a Shiny Mega Rayquaza. Also, a Mega Glalie, Mega Steelix, Mega Salamence, Mega Beedrill, Mega Pidgeot, Mega Swampert, Mega Camerupt and Mega Sharpedo made an appearance in Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel. Steven reappeared in the main series in a flashback in Coming Apart at the Dreams! and in person in The Right Hero for the Right Job!, Rocking Kalos Defenses! and Forming a More Perfect Union!. Steven helped Ash, Alain, Diantha and the Kalos Gym Leaders defeat Team Flare's Giant Rock, first appeared in Mega Evolution Special II as a huge stone that contains huge amounts of Primal energy. At the end of the XY series, Serena decided to travel to Hoenn and compete in Pokémon Contests to improve her skills.

Several references to Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! appeared in the Sun & Moon series. In A Plethora of Pikachu!, before the games' release, several of the Pikachu that appeared within the Pikachu Valley sported hairstyles similar to the ones players could give their partner Pikachu and Eevee. From Lillier and the Staff! to Bright Lights, Big Changes!, a series of shorts called Where Are You Going, Eevee? aired, which focused on a wild Eevee and its journey, before finally meeting Ash and his friends. In We Know Where You're Going, Eevee!, which was broadcast after the games release, the wild Eevee was captured by Lana, who nicknamed it "Sandy". Furthermore, she cut its unruly hair into one of the styles used on the partner Pokémon in the game. A group of Meltan, a Pokémon species introduced in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, debuted in SM106, with one of them getting caught by Ash in SM112.

Manga

Generally, only long-running Pokémon manga series are affected by remakes, considering most series begin and end within the time frame of one generation.

In the Pocket Monsters HeartGold & SoulSilver Go! Go! Pokéathlon manga

A manga titled Pocket Monsters HeartGold & SoulSilver Go! Go! Pokéathlon was created at the time of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver's Japanese release. It features the Pokéathlon, a new feature added to the remake games.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga

A single-volume manga, Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure, was released concurrently with the games Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which it takes its name from. It features the adventures of a Trainer named in his travels through the Johto and Kanto regions, following the storyline of the games.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc return the focus of the story back toward characters introduced in older chapters (the Red, Green & Blue arc/Yellow arc, Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, and Ruby & Sapphire arc/Emerald arc, respectively). However, instead of focusing on the whole region like the originals, the main plot of the remake chapters generally focuses on events and places which were new to the enhanced remakes of their game counterparts. FireRed & LeafGreen focuses on the Sevii Islands, HeartGold & SoulSilver focuses on the Pokéathlon, the new Johto Safari Zone, and the Sinjoh Ruins, and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire focuses on the events of the Delta Episode.

In the Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪ manga

In the Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪ manga, there are several bonus chapters focusing on characters from Magical Pokémon Journey. As a Generation III sequel of the Magical Pokémon Journey series, this manga was being speculated by fans as a first hint for the remakes of Pokémon Red and Green (later was named as Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen).

In the Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire manga

In the Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire manga, which is based on the Generation III games of the same name, some of the chapters in Volume 3 revolve around Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. This includes a character named Red, who is designed based on Red's appearance in the remakes; and a character named Blue, who is based on Green's appearance.

Following the Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire series, the manga began a trend of rebooting its numbering and naming system with the release of each core series game. After the end of Generation III and the Ruby-Sapphire series, the manga's story continued with Pocket Monsters DP, which led the main characters to Sinnoh. When the Generation II remakes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released, the series once again rebooted with Pocket Monsters HGSS, which led the main characters back to Johto; which they had previously visited during the original Pokémon Pocket Monsters series.

In the Pokémon 4Koma Encyclopedia manga

The Pokémon 4Koma Encyclopedia manga was released around the time of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. It is five volumes in total and has comics featuring each Pokémon in the National Pokédex up to the end of Generation III. The volumes feature artwork of Red as he appears in FireRed and LeafGreen.

TCG

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the EX FireRed & LeafGreen and EX Team Rocket Returns expansions were inspired by and released concurrently with the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen video games.

Likewise, the HeartGold & SoulSilver, Unleashed, Undaunted and Triumphant expansions correspond with the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver video games.

Primal Clash was the primary expansion that corresponds with the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire video games. Roaring Skies, Ancient Origins, BREAKthrough, and BREAKpoint featured Mega Evolutions introduced in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and also introduced Hoopa.

The Team Up expansion corresponds with Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, primarily featuring Generation I Pokémon.

Trivia

  • Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are the only remakes to originally be released for a platform that could also play their original versions via backwards compatibility.
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the only remakes to not gain any new types that weren't available at the time of their original versions. FireRed and LeafGreen gained the Dark and Steel types, that did not exist in Generation I, and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! gained the Fairy type, that did not exist in Generations I or III.
  • Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are the only remakes:
    • To which Pokémon originally obtained in their original versions could be transferred over. Players are capable of migrating Pokémon originally obtained in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire all the way up through subsequent generations using their respective methods of migration.
    • That were not bundled with an accessory. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were originally bundled with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were bundled with the Pokéwalker, and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! were available bundled with the Poké Ball Plus accessory.
      • The accessories included with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver serve as precursors to a feature found in their respective following generations. The Generation IV games used the Nintendo DS's wireless play for communication, while Generation V's Dream World was somewhat similar to the concept of the Pokéwalker.
  • Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! are the only remakes:
    • To not have every Pokémon revealed at the time programmed into the game.
    • To not be compatible with any other core series games.
    • To introduce new Pokémon.
  • Each set of remakes uses unique Pokémon artwork on the boxart. This artwork differs from the official standard Pokémon concept artwork that is usually released with the games.
  • Generation I is the only generation to have multiple remakes of its core series games.
  • While Pokémon Yellow is the only upper version to be remade, several features introduced in Pokémon Crystal and Pokémon Emerald were incorporated into the remakes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, respectively.

External links


  This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.