Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill release this November, bringing fans of the creature-collecting franchise an opportunity to return to the Sinnoh region first seen on the Nintendo DS. However, the remakes have been contentious due to their art direction. Rather than remakes in the style ofPokemon SwordandShield,Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlare sticking closer to the source material with toy-like designs in non-battle segments akin to 3D versions of the original sprites.
Some are okay with this decision, especially in light ofBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlbeing handled byPokemon HOME-developer ILCA as Game Freak preparesPokemon Legends: Arceusfor 2022. Others have railed against the remakes for seeming “lazy” in comparison to prior titles likeHeartGoldandSoulSilverorOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire,which completely reimagined the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions alongside the trainers living there. However, theSwitch OLED reveal trailer shows graphical improvements for thesePokemonremakesare ongoing. Even if quibbles continue over graphical styles, one part of the remakes that will likely be enjoyed by all, but has not been fully showcased, is the soundtrack.
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Fans got their first taste of the remake soundtrack in theBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlreveal trailer this February, which opens up with the tinny, twinkling sounds that kicked off the original games' intro sequences before transitioning into an abridged version of the new track. Some will still prefer the audible constraints of the DS system, like with the original sprite graphics, but it’s hard to argue that the more dynamic range of instruments in the remake aren’t also appealing.Pokemonhas long prided itself on its music, and that may still be a stand-out reason to invest in the next titles.
Pokemon’s Musical History
Junichi Masuda is a founding member of Game Freak, and the original composer for thePokemonseries who also helped develop individual Pokemon cries inRedandGreenversions. He went on to become the series' director as early as 2000’sPokemon Crystaland would keep that title throughPokemon XandYin 2013. Even after Shigeru Ohmori took over directorial duties withOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire, Masuda has remained a supervisor over the franchise. Many more individuals have had a hand in composing music and sounds for the series, from mainstays like Go Ichinose and Hitomi Sato to guests likeUndertalecreator Toby Fox.
As much asPokemonis known for its colorful creatures and groundbreaking multiplayer RPG mechanics, it is also known for its music. Across all eight Generations of games released thus far, main titles all include a variety of casual, somber, and energetic tracks to fit most situations. In-game towns and routes mostly have their own unique atmospheres, and major trainers typically have special tracks when battled. That’s not to mention any of the countlessPokemonspin-offswhich have their own musical identities thanks to different gameplay goals.
This music has been carried forth thanks to a series of soundtrack releases as part of the Pokemon Super Music Collection. The first soundtrackbased onRedandGreenwas released in April 2016, giving fans access to all the music and sounds from the original games via a physical release and on streaming services such as iTunes. With figures like Masuda running the series and so much of its music being made widely available, it’s clearPokemon’s creators have a deep reverence for the sounds that fans grow attached to as much as the monsters.
Pokemongame remakes date back to 2004’sFireRedandLeafGreenon the Game Boy Advance (GBA), though these titles weren’t particular groundbreaking in terms of their soundtracks. It was a great novelty to have the original Game Boy music reimagined on stronger hardware, but not much more. It wasn’t untilHeartGoldandSoulSilveron the DS that a reverence for the series' music became clear.
As adaptations ofGoldandSilver, the DS remakes included the full range of music from the Johto and Kanto regions; maintaining the postgame that brought players back to Kanto so they could collect an additional eight Gym badges. Music based on Hoenn and Sinnoh could also be heard inHeartGoldandSoulSilverthanks to the radio feature of the Pokegear, which allowed players to attract new monsters similar toDiamondandPearl’s dual-slot GBA compatibility. However, they took things one step further: After getting all 16 badges, players can unlock a Key Item called the GB Sounds that turns every track into chiptunes like the original games.
Pokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphiredid not do quite as much to give players access to classic music, but the games' core conceit did lead to some fun Easter eggs. Thepostgame Delta Episode centering around Zinnia and Rayquazasuggests thatOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphiretake place in an alternate universe from the originals, explaining why there are new characters and mechanics like Mega Evolution not available on the GBA. Flashes of this history can still be found in moments like the battle with Groudon or Kyogre. They take on Mega Evolution-adjacent forms called “Primal Reversions,” and the remakes offer a nod to the original titles by blending their GBA battle theme into the Primal Reversion track.
Beyond the entries that are specifically remaking older titles, manyPokemongames include returning or remixed music tracks.DiamondandPearl’s Champion Cynthia has made a number of appearances, and is always battled with a new version of her iconic battle music.Pokemon Black 2andWhite 2took this a step further with the Pokemon World Tournamentthat let fans battle Gym Leaders and Champions from every region through Unova. Even though just one snippet of theBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearlsoundtrack has been revealed thus far, it’s safe to assume the games will offer audible delights in-line with the series' storied musical legacy.
