The recent announcement of Pokémon Unite… didn’t go so well. The Pokémon Company announced a broadcast for June 24, 2020 a week in advance. As you might expect, fans went crazy speculating the broadcast’s contents. A Let’s Go-styled game set in the Johto region was a common guess… but what everybody really wanted was the announcement of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes! Of course, we didn’t get them (yet), and in hindsight, it would’ve been too soon. Especially considering that, at the time of writing, Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Crown Tundra DLC pack remains unavailable.
The desire for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes is real, though, and now’s as good a time as ever to talk about what made the originals so special. Pokémon Pearl was the first video game I ever owned, and it holds a special place in my heart to this very day. Today, we’re going to look at everything. Its presentation, soundtrack, Pokémon inclusions… everything. This game is special to me for a reason, and I’m going to do my best to outline what makes these entries so unique.