The original art designs from Ken Sugimori featured in Pokémon Red and Blue (or Green in Japan) are utterly iconic. Between the watercolor rendering and the surprising sense of attitude that a lot of the critters carried, it was a style that still feels distinct today. So what would a modern Pokémon game look like if it readopted that style? The Twitter account @pokeyugami, dedicated to Pokémon fan art, has offered an answer. It has reimagined Pokémon Red / Blue as a 3D game using the original Ken Sugimori art style, and the results are absolutely stunning.
As you can see below, the account has only offered a short video clip, and there is no combat. But it is more than enough to inspire awe and wonder. Bringing Pokémon Red / Blue into 3D with the original Sugimori art style creates an enormous sense of personality. It’s like walking through a painting. Granted, that’s not to say current 3D Pokémon games don’t have a nice style of their own (even if the graphical performance is horribly underwhelming), but it’s hard to argue against the merits of the style below.
これは時空の歪みによって生まれた、懐かしくも新しい『ポケットモンスター 初代』！
(トキワの森編)#pokemon pic.twitter.com/Mm7bF4M80F— 時空の歪み研究員 (@pokeyugami) May 20, 2022
On the more official front, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. While they will seemingly play closer to Sword and Shield than to Legends: Arceus, the games will be open-world like the latter. Let us know if you’re excited for Scarlet and Violet — or if you would rather play this 3D fan reimagining of Pokémon Red / Blue with the original art style slathered all over it.
