Why Pokemon Sprites Are BETTER than 3D Models

3D Pokemon Models usually get shafted due to the love for Pokemon Sprites.. is it warranted?
Pokemon Sprites usually are mentioned as the best Pokemon Art Style compared to the modern era for Pokemon, which are the Pokemon Models, but how did we get to this point? Was it the incompetency of Gamefreak with the New Pokemon Games in Pokemon fan eyes? Or getting used to Pokemon Sprites always showing up in Pokemon Fan Games and Pokemon Rom Hacks? ..or is it just nostalgia that's clouding our judgement yet again? Well, let's revisit every Mainline Pokemon Game and see every Pokemon Art Style for a final conclusion: Is the hate for Pokemon Models justified? And are Pokemon Sprites as good as people keep saying they are, atleast compared to what we got now?
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-Edited by: / bofadien
#videoessay #pokemonsprites #pokemon

[@overloadedoptimist]

I prefer how a lot more vibrant and colorful the sprites are compared to the current 3d ones.

[@RetroNC]

Yeah, saturation plays a suprising big role in how the designs are percieved!

[@theomegabat2184]

I agree so much. For example, shiny gliscor is one of my favorite shinies as a sprite, but the 3D model version has its color so unsaturated that you could barely see the blue compared to the sprite.

[@Twerpt]

Another cool thing that they could add is specific models/sprites for pokemon depending on their nature. Idk how to explain it but like maybe 3 models and a certain amount of natures would fit that model. Like serious could just have a Pikachu with a serious face.

[@RetroNC]

Yeah, like a serious Pokémon would be more fierce looking and slower, while a jolly Pokémon could be smiling and wiggling around on the spot - why does that actually sound kind of cool?

[@someguy7874]

This concept was vaguely applied in Emerald, certain natures would either speed up or slow down their normal animations to some extent, and some natures would even affect how they react to receiving a Pokeblock. For example, a Timid nature would shy away at first, and a Jolly nature would hop around when receiving Pokeblock

[@nellewoodruff6337]

@@someguy7874 That sounds so cute, I'm sad they dropped it

[@thecod2345]

I think part of the problem is that they understood 2d pixel art and 2d art in general really well, making it look fairly good for most pokemon. They clearly don't understand 3d art/modeling nearly as well. To their credit, they're not outright incompetent with it, instances like lucario and mega lucario I have never seen done better than in 3d, but to point out the amount of pokemon done dirty in the recent games by comparison would be a very long list. Personally, I'd love if they did just straight up animated 2d drawings for the pokemon or actually took the time and effort to fully fix all the pokemon in 3d, until then, guess I'll be satiated with fangames.

[@RetroNC]

Also the transition to 3D was rough, since they needed to create 700+ 3D models from scratch, which definitely had moments where some corners needed to be cut for such a big workload..

[@thecod2345]

@@RetroNC Definitely, I mean beyond the flying Pokémon that were done dirty, there’s raichu, nidoking, typhlosion, haxorous, houndoom, and so many others. I just wish they took the time off to really polish both the models and the games, I mean the fact it took until legends arceus to fix some Pokémon is telling.

[@islandboy9381]

@@RetroNC That was excusable in the transition to 3DS, but not to the jump on a home console, especially when their justification for Dexit was adding more ''high quality animations'' but it was just ripping the rough models from the 3DS era. It's gotten somewhat better by S/V but they need to stop the insane, yearly crunch. They can have all the budget in the world but that won't put out quality with short time.

[@Hufflepuff528]

I find this topic really difficult to form a solid opinion on. On one hand, the 2d sprites are vibrant and lively; but on the other, I want so badly for Pokémon to continue looking more realistic and the step towards that is 3D. To me, the happy medium is giving the 3D models their true vibrant colors, without washing them out, as well as giving them more vibrant idle animations. Still allows for a push towards more realistic feel, while fixing the lifeless feel the current models have.

[@ellytrabread]

The short answer to the 3d vs 2d debate is bc its a lot easier to be lazy and hide it when everything is pixel art. When its a triple A game 3d open world suddenly the monsters just moving in the plane closer to the other one looks way worse

[@ktvx.94]

I kinda disagree a bit. In Pokemon Stadium the models were impressive for the time and restrictions, and their animations were full of personality. In Collosseum/ XD and later on PBR, they were also stunning. It really just comes down to the fact that the animations are lacking in personality, colors were weirdly washed out until recently, and shading style was meh. It's not an intrinsic 3D issue.

[@thevioletbee5879]

I don’t consider it a matter of inherent superiority / inferiority. Rather, it’s execution.

[@GreatRaijin]

3D models can definitely work, look at the pokemon stadium games, every pokemon model and animation are full of life, gamefreak just doesn't have that heart and soul anymore

[@agentomecha634]

This was a great video. Even though I prefer the newer 3D Pokémon models introduced in PLA and SCVI to the older game’s 2D sprites, this video did help me grow to appreciate the 2D sprites more overall.

[@RetroNC]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! As for the newer models in games like Scarlet/Violet, I do have to agree that they have gotten better! The best example for this in my opinion is Persian - the change between SwSh and SV is so big that it cannot go unappreciated, finally the best Gen 1 cat has gotten his justice in the 3D era :D

[@teen17]

Tbh as cool as the sprites were I’d never wanna go back to a world where I’d have to play 2D Pokémon.

[@N_IRL]

I actually prefer the Crystal animations to the BW ones

[@RetroNC]

To each their own! In some cases less is more :)

[@totallyemerald2200]

Hell yeah me too bro!

[@kefkapalazzo1]

@@RetroNC crystal has more frames of animation lol bw just loops the same shit over and over

[@islandboy9381]

@@kefkapalazzo1 The mons in B/W do have a idle animation within the loops, just less noticeable then Crystal of course

[@Panikedhehe-ed7sz]

The hatred I have for gen 6+ is so blazed in my body I just want to back in time and delete all the 3d games

[@Dr.Stein_]

Great video. I just happend to get this in my recommendations, and really anjoyed it. Keep up the good work

[@TotodileisBetter158]

Completely unrelated to 2d sprites vs 3D models, but I would LOVE to see sprites outside of the video games. Like for example, the tcg has used almost every art style for the card arts, and I think it would be sick to get a few cards that use sprites to represent the Pokémon.

[@MaxEdrox]

The main problem with 3D models it's that Game Freak don't portray personality on their idle animation, in Pokémon Stadium that wasn't a problem and neither in PBR, so they should allow them to work on the 3d aspects of Pokemon

[@zememerr2329]

One thing not mentioned here is that Gen 3’s sprite dimensions are 64x64. Even still, rom hacks have been able to accurately recreate Gen 4 and 5 sprites of Pokémon on the GBA, palette and all

[@eeveefennecfox]

I was already so used to 3d models since I watch alot of cartoons and alot of them were starting to stay with 3d models only so by the time pokemon got 3d models I was already used to it XD

[@hv433]

It bothers me that Game Freak never bothered to return the Pokemon Stadium animations... Because that was definitely the way to do 3D Pokemon animations. So much expressiveness for every move, like Kangaskhan using Mega Kick has the baby fall out from the pouch, or Electrode having explosive eyes when fainting! But I definitely would prefer the nice, vibrant colors of the spritework, and would've loved to see B/W animated sprites but with different spritesets for the other releases, akin to the previous generations rather than one, singular animated sprite.

[@gaffgarion7049]

As a 30 yr old boomer I miss the sprites

[@DuckJohnn]

3D can be good if done right, but GameFreak screwed this up giving pokemons a greyish color tone, and emotionless boring animations. One of the reasons I prefer 2D sprites is that those resemble Pokemon anime more.

[@DaPhenomAce]

This why I just play fan made games. Sprites just do it better

[@themudkipninja5772]

Personally I feel pokemon should’ve done an artstyle similar to octopath traveler, where worlds are fully 3D but NPCs are pixel sprites.

[@M37rrr]

Wooooow 12m ago :0

[@apdroidgeek1737]

except wobbuffet sprite. they look better in 3D. 2D sprite of wobbuffet just couldnt capture that blubberness.

[@polarguy9]

My bro retro you're very based on this vid.

[@RetroNC]

Thanks for hearing me out :D

[@waywardway9845]

Nice

[@survey9728]

I always like sprites. I prepare starcraft BW over wc3 graphics for instance

[@ProfessorTakatoPalm]

I truly miss the 2D era of Pokémon. I’m not gonna say that the new games are bad, but it really is a huge change.

[@ieatIegos]

You believed the tropicana rebrand was smart and a good choice.

[@RetroNC]

I mean, the orange fruit looking cap was kinda cool :o

[@elilawrence7166]

Nice work!

[@CadeB2001]

So...the beta designs look good in 3d, but not the official designs??? Ok.

[@isaiahpadilla3588]

Can you make Tinymon sprites?

[@gregparker8604]

The more real the better. We need VR POKEMON games

[@Leapering]

First

[@hipstersephiroth3722]

For God so loved the world he gaved his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16