Pokémon‘s fifth generation kicked off 15 years ago today with the release of Pokémon Black & White in Japan.
On 18th September 2010, the world first stepped foot into Unova, a brand new Pokémon region based on North America, specifically New York City’s metropolitan area, with a mix of landmarks inspired by the area and other part of the whole country.
Pokémon Black & White changed the rulebook of the Pokédex for the first time. Introducing a mammoth 156 new Pocket Monsters, the largest amount ever in the series, trainers were forced to adapt and use only those new ‘mons. Want to whip out a Zubat in battle? Well tough; here’s a Woobat for you, though.
At the time, Black & White weren’t particularly well loved — you couldn’t use previous Gen Pokémon unless you could trade with a friend who’d beaten the game and unlocked the National Dex or beaten the game yourself. Pokémon such as Trubbish and Vanillite were criticised for being based on objects or food (as a note, this write loves the Vanillite line; it’s so stupid). Complaints about stagnant gameplay were abundant. And many features in the HeartGold & SoulSilver remakes were absent here.
Yet time has been extremely kind to Generation 5, and today, many consider it one of the best in the franchise. N, the puppet head of the villainous Team Plasma, has become a fan-favourite character, and ‘mons such as Chandelure, Zoroark, Krookodile, and Volcarona among the most-beloved.
And, if nothing else, the duo spawned direct sequels that eschewed the usual third-game formula: Pokémon Black 2 & White 2. No Pokémon Grey for you folks.
In recent years, however, there’s been much talk of a potential Black & White remake coming to the Switch — or, more likely the Switch 2 at this point. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl were the most-recent, so if we’re going in chronological order, then it absolutely makes sense.
Plus, The Pokémon Company hasn’t been shy about teasing and sharing Black & White related media; events focused on the Unova-era ‘mons have popped up in Pokémon GO and the Trading Card Game. Fans thought they spotted a tease in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, and a character from Black & White turned up in Legends: Arceus.
So, on Gen 5’s 15th anniversary, is now the time for a Pokémon Black & White remake? We’ve got Legends: Z-A, focusing on Gen 6’s Kalos, around the corner, and 2026 delivering Champions and Pokopia. But what about Unova?
Let us know if you want to see a Black & White remake in our poll below, and why not share your favourite Black & White memories in the comments, too!
