Modders for Gen 4 Pokémon BDSP remakes developed by Studio ILCA. Months after their release, fans have transformed the games with extensive mods to bring them closer to 2007's Pokémon Platinum version. However, one mod has even added Shadow Lugia and Armored Mewtwo into the Nintendo Switch RPGs.
In 2005, The Pokémon Company released Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness on the Nintendo GameCube console. Despite being a non-mainline entry in the series, the Pokémon Colosseum sequel has become a cult hit due to its debut of Shadow Lugia. Ever since, the Pokémon community has been asking Game Freak to bring back the Johto Legendary's Shadow form. The special Pokémon variant is so popular, that Pokémon GO's Shadow Lugia Team Rocket event in 2021 was largely seen as a disappointment for not using Lugia's iconic design from Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
Modders desperate to see the return of Shadow Lugia have taken matters into their own hands, and have added the Johto Legendary to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl with mods. Programmer TheYisusOne shared their incredible work on Twitter and posted a video of Shadow Lugia roaring into battle in the Sinnoh remakes. The talented creator was able to import an HD model of the Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Legendary, which now looks like it's a part of the Gen 4 remakes as a DLC character. TheYisusOne was also able to add the wildly popular Armored Mewtwo from Netflix's Pokémon Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back.
When Pokémon BDSP was first released in 2021, many fans were surprised to learn that the games were made using the widely adopted Unity engine. Because of this, modders were able to quickly create impressive mods for the Sinnoh remakes as soon as the RPGs were released. Because Studio ILCA focused more on creating a faithful remake of the 2006 Diamond and Pearl versions of Gen 4, many modders have made extensive alterations to make BDSP closer to the Pokémon Platinum edition of the Sinnoh region RPGs.
Despite Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl no longer receiving any major patches from ILCA, except the May Pokémon Home BDSP update, modders are continuing to breathe new life into the Sinnoh RPGs with ambitious mod creations. With the latest mods now being able to add models from previous-generation games, the skies are the limits of what the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes could eventually be transformed into.
Source: TheYisusOne/Twitter
