Released in 2009, Pokemon Platinum holds a special place in many player’s hearts, and for years it’s been the definitive way to experience the Sinnoh region. But more than a decade on, it could do with a facelift.
Enter Thomas Durgetto and Sebastien Musetti Royer, Pokemon fans who are remaking the entirety of Pokemon Platinum in Unity. After just a year of working on the project, the pair already have numerous iconic locations to show off, as well as a battle system that’s been completely recreated in 3D.
Speaking to TheGamer, Thomas shares why he’s taking on such a mammoth task for no return. “Pokemon Platinum is easily my favorite Pokemon games along with HeartGold/SoulSilver”, he shares. “I loved how the story explored the mythology of the universe and all the mysteries that surrounded the game.”
Thomas further explains the process of developing this remake, “As time passed, I kept wondering how Platinum would look like on modern hardware and decided that I could try to recreate it with Unity. At first it wasn't supposed to be a full game with all the gameplay loops but a friend helped me program and the goal has since evolved to be a complete remake.”
Unfortunately for anyone interested in trying it out themselves, this Platinum remake will not be available to the public. Nintendo is notoriously vigilant when it comes to shutting down fan projects such as this, something which Thomas wishes the company would reconsider.
While he understands why Nintendo can be reluctant to allow fan creations, he highlights how they could actually help the company. “We've seen with Sega that letting fans develop games can benefit both the company and the fans. But Nintendo has always been very protective of its IPs, even when they don't seem to threaten their business.”
Announced well into the development of the fan made remake, the upcoming Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remasters of the first titles in the fourth generation. Fans of Pokemon Platinum will have to wait and see to find how much Game Freak borrows from the later game, or if it will just remake the content from the first two titles.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are set to release late 2021, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
You can follow the rest of Pokemon Platinum Remake’s development on Thomas’ YouTube channel.