Why Pokemon Let’s Go Sinnoh wouldn’t be so bad

The Pokemon community was whipped into a frenzy when an official tweet seemingly hinted at the possibility of Diamond & Pearl remakes being a Let’s Go sequel. While many fans hated the idea, here are five reasons why it wouldn’t be as terrible as some may think.

A social media post from the official Pokemon Company account on February 24 sent fans into a panic. The simple phrase “Let’s go, Sinnoh!” was enough to worry the community so much that the series even trended worldwide on Twitter.

While players have been dreaming of a full blown remake of Gen IV for years, we are going to list a few reasons why Let’s Go Diamond & Pearl wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world – even if it’s not exactly what many want.

Pokemon Let’s Go Sinnoh?

In 2018, Game Freak reimagined the Kanto region with Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee. The Nintendo Switch titles had a largely mixed reaction from fans, as many have criticized them for being “too easy.” Ditching wild battles for a more in-depth catch mechanic, the games were aimed at bringing Go players over to the mainline series.

So it should come as no surprise that when a February 23 tweet featured both “Let’s go” and “Sinnoh!” in the same sentence, many players lost their minds. While it’s unclear whether the innocuous tweet used those specific words for a reason, the sheer thought of Diamond & Pearl being like the Gen I remakes was enough to send the community into a frenzy.

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Users took to the social media platform in droves to voice their disgust at the idea, exclaiming that it would be a “waste.” Though, would Let’s Go Sinnoh really be that bad? Here are five reasons why it could actually be good.

#5 – Incredible graphics

When Pokemon Sword & Shield was first revealed in 2019, the Gen 8 title was met with backlash from fans who claimed that the graphics were lackluster. Some players to this day are not happy about the title re-using animations and textures and argue that Galar is not the true HD release expected.

For all the criticisms Let’s Go has faced, most agree the graphics are pretty gorgeous. The 2018 RPGs struck a nice balance of capturing the original series’ retro art style while featuring crisp high-definition assets. Not to mention it truly nailed the feeling of Pokemon being integrated in the world with characters walking around the map.

Go back and play the games now and many of the complaints lodged at Sword & Shield are largely resolved. For instance, battle animations have far more depth, making attacks actually thrilling. Pikachu and Eevee’s unique moveset in particular would be amazing with Sinnoh characters.

#4 – Catch mechanics

When most players complain about Let’s Go’s catch mechanics, the feature itself isn’t the problem. The source of the criticism often stems from the fact that wild battles themselves were removed in favor of the Pokemon Go-style gameplay.

But what if Game Freak simply brought back wild battles, while also including the catch mechanic after you defeat the ‘mon? For decades, the one thing that never evolved was the catching gameplay, and the 2018 titles finally brought some depth to it.

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Considering the fact that the whole point of being a Trainer is catching Pokemon, it’s odd that there hasn’t been more to it than simply throwing a Pokeball. The Let’s Go design is criminally underrated and should be included in the mainline series’ at least once moving forward.

#3 – Pokemon Go integration

Despite launching in 2016, Pokemon Go had its most popular year in 2020. Millions of players around the world are still hooked on Niantic’s title. One of Let’s Go’s best features created a bridge between the mobile title and the RPG.

While the Home app technically allowed Trainers to move their monsters over to the Galar region, Let’s Go’s Safari Zone-style was much neater. If expanded correctly, a Diamond & Pearl re-imagining could really integrate the two titles.

Sword & Shield felt like a step removed, which makes sense since Let’s Go was specifically designed around appealing to mobile players. If Let’s Go Sinnoh was a real thing, there would probably be more emphasis on the feature, which wouldn’t be so bad.

#2 – Personal touch

While it may seem like a gimmick, Let’s Go’s feature that allowed starter Pokemon to sit on the protagonist’s shoulder and have special animations outside of its Pokeball added a lot of charm, as well as a personal touch that was missing from Gen 8.

The bond between a Trainer and their starter should be special. Let’s Go really nailed that aspect, and even allowed fans to dress up their partner with various clothing items, and even style its hair. Come on – imagine being able to style Piplup.

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It’s true that they did eventually add ‘mon walking outside of its Ball with The Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs, but it was pretty clunky. Not only were the animations weaker than the 2018 title, it didn’t include the starters’ features.

#1 – It’s still a Diamond & Pearl remake

Look, at the end of the day, we all want a full-blown remake of Diamond & Pearl. We fully admit that if Game Freak ends up making a Let’s Go Sinnoh, it would be a massive misreading of what the overall fanbase wanted. For years, the community has been clamoring to go back to Gen IV with a proper remake.

While it would be disappointing, it’s still another chance to play Diamond & Pearl with a stunning new coat of paint. Getting to explore Sinnoh all over again with an expanded map and reimagined locations in HD would be a treat on its own.

Plus, let’s be fair, the Let’s Go franchise does have fans that adore it and it would be inaccurate to say everyone hates it. At the end of the day, Game Freak never promised anyone anything. Any new Pokemon title in 2021 will still be fun.