#kanto remakes

[bradley-herondale]

Feelings on the new Pokemon games?

Are they a side game? Main story?  Because if it’s a side project, Sinnoh and Gen 8 are still gonna happen. They look sweet as hell to me, I just hope it includes more than gen 1. 

[gmax-centiskorch]

awfully bold of people to say we don’t need another set of Gen 1 remakes when I, a local simpleton and fool who has lived through 20 years of Pokémon, as well as others, can’t properly play or enjoy the Gen 1 games or Fire Red/Leaf Green because of (a.) the terrible mechanics and graphics of RGBY (b.) the outdatedness/obsolescence of Fire Red/Leaf Green given the introduction of several hundred new Pokémon, moves, and miscellaneous features since the 90s/early 2000s, and (c.) the inaccessibility of all of the Kanto games - sans Yellow - with their being confined to Game Boys, older model DS systems, or PCs that can run emulators

[pokemon-go-live]

Pokemon and the Nintendo Switch

Bear with me, Trainers, this is going to be a bit of an opinion piece.

We’ve sure had a fun last couple of years in the Nintendo franchise.  We saw the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon games pass us by in 2016, along with a whole year of events and the release of Pokemon Go.  There was a limited showing around the U.S. of “The First Movie,” a Mythical Pokemon every month for the XYORAS games, and a whole new focus on the world that we know and love.  We saw the release of Sun and Moon, issuing a whole new generation of Pokemon to love - not to mention Alolan forms of some of the original species, and a nod to the original protagonist and rival of the RBY series, Red and Blue.

Cue the year 2017, and we know there’s another important 20th anniversary coming up -- the anniversary of the Pokemon anime, which began in Japan on April 1, 1997.  And this year, 20 years later, the film focuses on an apparent retelling of Ash’s first adventures with Pikachu. The concept of the movie has the Pokemon fandom in a bit of an uproar -- is this just a retelling in modern-style animation as a homage?  Is it just going to gloss over Ash’s original adventure to make the current child watching the XY/Sun and Moon anime series up to speed on his history?  Is it a true relaunching of the anime?

Also, today is March 3rd -- the release date of Nintendo’s new promising console, the Switch.

I only bring up the 20th anniversary of the games and anime to highlight a point that some people are quite adamant about (me included), and some are horribly against.

What would everyone think about revisiting the worlds of Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal as combined HD 3D remakes on the Switch?

“But, Lacey,” I hear you argue, “RBY and GSC both got remakes already!”

I hear you.  But remember, Red and Blue were remade during the Game Boy Advance era -- Gen 3, the era of Ruby and Sapphire and Emerald, which has already been remade on the 3DS.  These games are 13 years old, having come out in 2004.  There is no current, accessible way to play Fire Red or Leaf Green unless you’re running an emulator.  The GSC remakes are not much better -- having come out on the original Nintendo DS in 2009 -- 8 years ago.  Also, keep in mind that Pokemon also focuses on kids, and kids in the target demographic were likely not even born or were too young to play when the remakes were released.

“But,” you say, “RBY came out for the Virtual Console last year.  GSC probably can, too.  So you can play those games.”

As much nostalgia as I enjoyed when I listened to the old Game Boy music and watched the dated pixels, children (and adults without nostalgia glasses) nowadays are less likely to be interested in the Virtual Console releases.  The demographic here is clearly the people who played the original games on Game Boy in 1996+.  

So you’ve got an entire two generations of Pokemon who have never received full 3D graphics, which have aged likely too much for Pokemon’s target demographic.

Let’s also keep in mind that Nintendo has everything to lose this console generation, and everything to prove.  The Wii was a success in itself, but the WiiU was a comparable failure.  It sold fewer units, and had a much smaller library.  Nintendo is clearly doubling down with the Nintendo Switch and the response by the community has already seemed fantastic with sold-out preorders and hyped midnight releases.  I haven’t heard much else from Day 1 Switch’ers, however, because I assume they’re all playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which got amazing reviews.

Even GameFreak stated, back when the Switch was still the fabled “NX,” that if the console was truly a home/portable hybrid, “We would absolutely make games for that system.”

A Few Reasons These Remakes Makes Sense:

Pokemon Go relaunched the franchise into general public, not just among gamers, anime watchers, or longtime fans.

Nostalgia is obviously a moving force that Nintendo heavily capitalizes on.

Pokemon sells consoles.  

It seems like there’s an even split between the fandom, at least among vocal members, on loving or hating the idea of Kanto remakes on the Switch, based on the Pokemon subreddit communities.  The main argument against Kanto remakes themselves tend to be the following:

- Fire Red and Leaf Green exist (which I debated why this matters less, now)

- The Virtual Console games are out (again, more of a moot point)

- Kanto is boring*

- Kanto is poorly designed**

- I believe that GameFreak can only make so many games, and I don’t want them to remake a game I’ve played when they can make new content+

* Woah!  Let’s think about that for a second -- the world we know as Kanto as made in the simple engine of Pokemon Red/Blue and Yellow on the Game Boy is certainly simple.  Heck, your character doesn’t even move on the screen - the background actually moves around them.  This was an effort to save space during development.  Remember, the Game Boy is ancient in technology standards -- and the Game Boy Advance is still worlds away from the Switch’s power.  GameFreak can have all the creative license it wants to change up and add flavor to the region when especially technology limitations kept them back in the past.

** Again, see my above point -- Kanto is a product of its generation.

+ I can see this point, I really can.  However, Nintendo did something unprecedented when it came to its system -- they have now condensed the need for having essentially two development teams on separate handheld or home consoles -- they now have the one.  And yes, GameFreak isn’t necessarily a part of this, but certainly some equal ground must exist here.  Also, in developing the 3D engines in the first place, assets are more “recyclable” in this form than the old sprites, which needed to be redone EVERY. SINGLE. GAME.  Remember how often Assassin’s Creed games came out?  Call of Duty?  Madden and Fifa?  Why can’t GameFreak produce a steady stream of Pokemon games every year as they mostly have in the past?  Especially with Pokemon Bank, it becomes more valuable to have more and more iterations that touch different parts of the world and the PokeDex because the “generation gap” is not necessarily going to be more pronounced.  Collectors already pride themselves on having generation-specific movesets or rare Pokeballs on Pokemon -- this only adds more flavor as well and opens the games, past and present, to more individuals.

My proposition is to combine both Kanto and Johto into one (or two, if editions are made) games that gives you an option in which region to start.  If you pick Kanto, you select from the Kanto starters, go through the Kanto storyline, with Johto post-game.  If you pick Johto, you go through the GSC storyline, with Kanto post-game.  Of course, plenty more features could be added to supplement perceived gaps in quality.

What do you think?  Would you want to revisit Kanto and Johto on the Switch?

[irisviel101]

A Kanto Region Redesign

Compared to the later mainline games in the Pokemon series, teh Kanto games don't have much of a story beyond the Gym challenge and the run-ins with Team Rocket. Sure, that in itself is a plot, but it isn't that much in the grand scheme of things.

And I suppose Kanto doesn't really need a complex, over-the-top plot like Gens 4 and 5, but it does leave Kanto feeling rather small and even slightly empty imo. Heck, even the legendary Pokemon don't have much lore beyond Mewtwo in games. Like, the birds are just chilling in random locations with no worldbuilding, and Mew is only mentioned as the Pokemon Mewtwo was cloned from (barring the events since I never got to play them).

And it's not like we don't have remakes changing story elements from their original counterparts like how ORAS incorporated mega evolution and primal reversion, and added cutscenes to enhance the characters.

So, here's how I would go about redesigning the Kanto region and its story if I were to make a Gen 1 remake in a similar fashion to ORAS. (Note: I will consider 3DS graphics for the game design, since Alpha Sapphire is the latest Pokemon game I have played, but really, any 3D console could work theoretically. I am also limiting myself to what I think is realistic to expect from a game, so I won't go too haywire with the changes to the point of wishful thinking.)

Lore

The original Gen 1 games had only 5 legendary Pokemon: the legendary birds, and Mew and Mewtwo. However, considering how closely Johto and Kanto are tied together, I decided to take Lugia and Ho-oh as the regional legendaries as well. (Note: this does not include the legendaries you get from the other games for Pokedex completion e.g. Hoopa's rings making legendaries from every generation prior available in ORAS. I'm talking about the world building aspect.)

Mew and Mewtwo

Right off the bat, I think Mew and Mewtwo are fine as they are presented in lore, except that I would make the Faraway Island a post-game location not exclusive to an event. I would make Mewtwo the focus of the game's main plot because that's the one the mainline games give us the most information about.

Ho-oh and Lugia

Ho-oh and Lugia are counterparts, one being "the guardian of the skies" and the other being "the guardian of the seas". Their lore remains mostly unchanged, except I would make them catchable in the post-game by making the Rainbow Wing and Clear Bell, and Silver Wing and Tidal Bell available in-game (tied to one of the rival's plot but I will get into that later).

Much like how Ho-oh is tied to the lore of the legendary beasts from Johto, Lugia would be tied to the legendary birds of Kanto because 1) it would make them feel more like counterparts, and 2) because that one movie was the closest we ever got to lore for the legendary birds, but more on that later.

The story would be something like this:

(Image would depict a mural painting of Ho-oh and Lugia in the formation of a Yin and Yang, which can be seen in )

"In ancient times, people used to worship two Pokemon. One was called Ho-oh, the guardian of the skies. It was said to roam the world, quelling whatever conflict it found and granting life to those it deemed worthy. Some people used to say that it would appear only in front of those with a pure heart and grant them eternal happiness, while other claimed that the rainbows that appear after storms are actually the light reflected off of Ho-oh's wings as it soothes the skies and brings an end to calamity."

"The other Pokemon was called Lugia, the guardian of the seas. If Ho-oh is the one to end the storms, then Lugia is the one who brings them. Together, they keep the world in balance. Lugia is said to have the power to wipe out the world by powerful storms with just a flap of its wings, and thus is resides in the depths of the ocean to protect the world from its own power."

They would both be available in Navel Rock in the Sevii Islands in the post-game, although the cave would open into a lake with a waterfall where the player can dive, or they can go over the waterfall to reach a cave similar in design to the spiral staircases of Unova's Celestial Tower. On the top of the tower, the player can encounter Ho-oh.

In the diving portion, the player will eventually come across underwater ruins similar in appearance to the Abyssal Ruins of Unova which will open into a cave where the player can summon Lugia.

Legendary Birds Trio

The legendary birds are what I really changed though, by giving them actual lore similar to the legendary beasts of Johto.

It would go something like this:

"In ancient times, shortly after Lugia was first appointed as the guardian of the seas, three birds appeared in the world. Their mere presence was enough to warp the climate around them and they wreaked havoc in the world while fighting each other.

Seeing the world in distress, Lugia appeared before the three birds. Its storms cut through the birds’ fight and its song soothed their warring spirits. Then, the guardian of the seas sealed the power of the three birds in one elemental orb each and gave them each territory to rule over.

These days, it is said that the birds roam around the world and stabilize the climate with their presence, only to retire to their abodes when their work is done."

Articuno and Moltres will be in the same locations as they were in Firered and Leafgreen, but Zapdos will have a new location called the Storm Tower, because it always felt silly to me that Articuno and Moltres have these exclusive areas hidden from the world and Zapdos is just chilling in a Power Plant. The Power Plant would still be relevant in the story, but more on that later.

The orbs mentioned in the story (inspired by the spheres used in the movies) would be given to the player eventually as held items exclusive to the birds, named the Thunder Orb, Fire Orb and Ice Orb respectively.

They would have a segment in the Team Rocket plot and would be catchable in the post-game. I would also change their abilities (Snow Warning for Articuno, Drought for Moltres, and Electric Surge for Zapdos) to fit with their lore better.

Region Design

Kanto's biggest problem imo is how linear the routes are with very little to do in them. It makes sense considering the hardware limitations at the time of the games' release, but for my remake, I would revamp some locations while adding a couple more. I will also be adding some background to the cities and towns because the world building is an aspect of the later games I really enjoyed.

The routes and locations not mentioned below would just be slightly expanded but would otherwise remain unchanged. With updated graphics of course.

Pallet Town

Pallet Town would largely remain the same, except I would add another house for the third member of the Kanto Trio, Leaf/Red depending on who you choose, who will actually be a character this time around. And I would add some small details like some windmills and solar panels for Oak's lab and maybe a couple of Pidgey resting on rooftops.

Viridian City

Viridian City is described as "enveloped in green year-round" and the Earth Badge is designed like a plant, so I would add a lot of flowers and trees at the end of Route 1 to transition into the city.

Since Viridian City is described primarily by the nature that surrounds it, I decided to make it an agriculture city that started as a small farm and grew eventually as the fertile land provided opportunities to make it Kanto's biggest source of agriculture. To showcase this, I would add a designated area for the farms, blending the modern areas like the Gym and Trainer School with the more village-like areas. The Trainer School will also have a backdoor battlefield and will give the player access to Miracle Seed, Charcoal or Mystic Water depending on which starter they choose.

Route 2 would have the Daycare added to it which would be accessible after getting the HM Cut (or whatever mechanic the newer games have replaced HMs with). The trees would slowly begin to get denser as the player moves closer to the Viridian Forest.

Viridian Forest

Viridian Forest would be expanded with more trainers to fight, and would have a Flower Shop from which the player can get berries and a watering pail. There would also be a moss rock to obtain Leafeon and a couple of lakes here and there for the aesthetics and so that players can catch Pokemon and get some previously inaccessible items after getting Surf.

Pewter City

The streets of Pewter City would have a darker shade like in Gen 4. There would be an added area near the museum which serves as a reserve for the fossil Pokemon that have be revitalized in the museum, though none would be catchable because I doubt such Pokemon would be accessible this early in the game.

Inside the museum, there would be tidbits added from the newer generation games similar to how ORAS did with the Oceanic Museum.

The city would overall have a more rocky, mountainous appearance, with some buildings being placed on rocky platforms. Some NPCs would mention how exporting minerals is the city's major source of income because of how it's nestled between mountains.

Mount Moon

Route 3 would have more of an inclination, giving the impression that the player is climbing higher and higher. Same with Route 4 but in the opposite direction, making it feel like the player is climbing down.

Mount Moon would have an area added in the deepest part with a giant obsidian rock where the player can encounter Clefairy dancing around it at night.

Cerulean City

Cerulean City will have a lake with the Gym on top of it, accessible with a bridge, to fit with the water theme. The Cerulean Cave would also be relocated to the end of Route 25, which would have an expanded location accessible by Surf. If the player were to enter before completing the main story, they would be pushed back with a voice saying "LEAVE!!!" while the camera shakes for a moment.

Some NPCs would mention that Cerulean City used to be a barren area in the past. Then, a massive project was initiated to create artificial lakes, and the area was turned into a rest spot for travelers going through Mount Moon. It eventually began to thrive as people settled there, giving rise to the city we see in the game.

Because of this backstory, the water bodies near Mount Moon would not be connected to the ocean surrounding the region.

Vermillion City

In Route 5, since the Daycare has been relocated, it would contain a park with some Pokemon available that cannot be caught anywhere else (like a mini Safari Zone). I would also add the Power Plant to this location and create a new area dedicated to Zapdos called "Storm Tower" on Route 9 instead.

Vermillion City will have more ships and ports to give it more of a port town feeling, and an International Trade Center that deals with the imports and exports of the region. It would also have a small path that leads to the Kanto National Park (inspired by the Johto one) where the player can play games with their Pokemon similar to Pokemon Amie in Gen 7 and also fight trainers. Another path would lead to the Kanto Power Plant.

As for the worldbuilding, Vermillion City is obviously the main trade center of Kanto and the place that connects it to the other regions.

Lavender Town

Lavender Town would have custom purple tiles similar to the Let's Go games. It would also have the Pokemon Tower, the Volunteer House, and the Name Rater. Off to the side is a route that leads to a forest covered in a pasty purple hue, dubbed "The Forbidden Forest". It is home to various ghost types and contains a haunted mansion in the depths of it.

It is said that the vengeful spirits haunt the forest and they are stopped from entering the city by the spirits of the dead Pokemon who protect the people of Lavender Town even in death.

Celadon City

I would expand Route 7 by adding in tall grass and a few hidden items.

It already has a lot of content in the form of the game corner, the department store and the move tutor, not to mention the Gym. One thing I would add is the Weather Institute where the player can learn the lore about the legendary bird trio.

Saffron City

Saffron, too, already has a lot of content with the Fighting Dojo, Silph Co., Sabrina's Gym, fan club and the train station connecting it to Johto (I doubt we will ever get a multi-region game like Gen 2 and the Gen 2 remakes, but adding it would be a nice homage to those games, I think.)

I would add one NPC mentioning that Saffron City became the biggest city in Kanto thanks to Sabrina, who uses her psychic powers to determine the best investments for the city.

Fuchsia City

Fuchsia City contains the Safari Zone, the move reminder and the move deleter, along with Koga's Gym. I wouldn't change much about the content of the city, but I would give it a more traditional appearance (new buildings with old architecture) to play into its description as "a historic village that has become new". I would also have NPCs point this out, mentioning Koga's love for traditions. The Safari Zone would also be mentioned to house Pokemon who are considered to be in need of protection (mostly due to Team Rocket poaching them for being rare).

Cinnabar Island

Cinnabar Island would be expanded to be a larger island town located at the foot of a volcano. The ruins of the Cinnabar Lab would be located on the outskirts of the town, with some townspeople speculating about the place.

We would also get a post-game story about the eruption of the volcano that Blue mentioned in HGSS, and it would tie into his arc of becoming more responsible as he takes over as one of the Gym Leaders.

Sevii Islands

I haven't decided on how much to change about the Sevii Islands in terms of appearance. But in addition to the Team Rocket plot from Firered and Leafgreen, I would create a key item called "Map Piece". Seven of these would be scattered across each island, which the player can collect. Once all of them have been collected, the player will join the map to create the Old Sea Map, giving the player access to the Faraway Island where they can catch Mew.

I have already discussed the new designs for the Navel Rock.

--

For now, this is how I would redesign the Kanto region if I were to make a Kanto remake. I tried to make things fresh while also not taking away from the original design too much. I'll add the story and character details in a separate post since this already became so long.

Let me know what you guys think.

[fifipii]

My biggest Thing for Let’s Go is that so many people are >:( and that’s :0!!! Kanto is good, I know we have been there a lot but,,, it’s so good,,, im lov kanto it feels like Home <3

catch me getting Let’s Go, Pikachu, though, I thought I was 100% Eevee until I saw the trailer,,, I didn’t like Pikachu because he is the mascot,,, how Foolish... pikachu is a Good Boy <3

[tng-puddle]

While you all complain about sinnoh/kanto remakes I sit here and think how I'll never play a new pokemon game again because the switch is £200-£300

[prussian-up-daisies-blog]

"We already got Kanto remakes". Yes. Like 11yrs ago. Kanto is the only region that you CAN'T play on the current handheld. "But we got Kanto in HGSS", yes but it's so insanely watered down. Besides, how could they live with a 20th anniversary where the mascot's evolution doesn't get a mega.

[sapphicbtch]

Kanto Remakes

Is it so wrong that when the next remakes comes with the next Generation that I want it to be Kanto Remakes not Sinnoh remakes?