2021 was a somewhat tense year for the Pokemon fandom. While New Pokemon Snap was a nice distraction, all eyes were on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus around the end of the year. There were concerns about the visuals and gameplay of both titles, for different reasons. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl looked like awkward adaptations of the beloved generation 4 Pokemon titles, and had minimal improvements compared to the remakes of the first three generations. Pokemon Legends: Arceus only appeared to have general stylistic and performance issues, but there was some cautious hope that it could sufficiently shake up the decades-old Pokemon formula.