The Art of Pokemon - Graphics

As technology advances, so too has Pokemon's graphics... to a point... if they had to start all over, what techniques would elevate Pokemon's graphics and animations?
Music:
“Moon & Star” and “Prototype” by Wintergatan
These tracks can be downloaded for free at www.wintergatan.net
0:00 Intro
0:51 Graphics... Is Less, More?
4:10 Animation Alternatives
Extra Research
Jocat - How Do You Design A Pokemon?
• So I wanna talk about ...
Extra Credits - In Defense of Imagination
• In Defense of Imaginat...

Пікірлер: 37

  • @Godric10
    @Godric102 жыл бұрын

    I really like your first idea for static but dynamic poses with the more abstract battle style to let the player fill in the rest with their imagination. I can also fondly recall just imagining the dynamic movement and battles of Pokémon with the earlier generations, and this sounds like an awesome idea to rekindle that feeling!

  • @AlbeyAmakiir

    @AlbeyAmakiir

    2 жыл бұрын

    I was thinking I liked that idea, but wanted it for 2D, not 3D. But that would be so much work. But then again... what if you could make it look 2D while actually being 3D? So! This reboot now needs to use similar techniques to Guilty Gear Xrd and Strive, except with less animation. With only the *smallest* hints that these are not actually static sprites, but 3D poseable models. I think that would get the best of both worlds. 🤩

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Of the two ideas I put forward, although I would prefer 2D, in terms of production cost, as a game dev I would go with the 3D idea, especially since we already have the models!

  • @TrvisXXIII
    @TrvisXXIII2 жыл бұрын

    An HD-2D Pokémon game would be incredible, similar to Triangle Strategy, Octopath, Etc. Gen 10 or maybe a spin off game would be amazing if they did that Edit: loved your idea btw of the static movements while selecting an attack, similar to what FF7R did when going through menu’s during battle

  • @seanakinskywalker2619
    @seanakinskywalker26192 жыл бұрын

    I have to admit this channel is super underrated and deserves way more viewers

  • @sebasculin3739
    @sebasculin37392 жыл бұрын

    5:40 I love this exchange. This is a whole motion comic. You could definitely do a lot with these, but I feel it's too big a "downgrade" for most. If it could be combined with 2.5d pixel art that would be fantastic.

  • @blakdeth
    @blakdeth2 жыл бұрын

    Your first idea is good, bit I think it could be improved upon. Imagine if each move had a comic book like layout, that had on average 2-3 panels (one for the attacking pokemon, one for the pokemon receiving the attack, and maybe one for the move itself if it's a projectile), and for the animation, a panel would appear, the 3d model of a pokemon does its standard attack animation with maybe some elemental flare, then the moment it reaches the end of its animation, the panel becomes a 2d illustration. Not pixel but maybe something in the style of their official art. Then the same would happen with each panel in sequential order. After the attack is over the screen would be a page of drawn panels before transitioning to the next attack, then ending the turn. For extra variety each move could have its own layout.

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    2 жыл бұрын

    Love it! If they were to really lean into the comic page idea, then I would want to see elements of that in other parts of the game too. Such as the environment, NPC interactions, etc. (which I think would be rather enjoyable if it gives similar vibes to the Pokemon manga)

  • @THEDEY2
    @THEDEY22 жыл бұрын

    Your battle animation idea sounds incredible! I would love to see something similar in Pokémon... but, we already now that... something like that isn't likely to happend haha Let's see if we get something like a Stadium or Online Battle Arena, using mobile phones and Pokémon Home... something like this could be the way to have it without asking too much power for mobiles, neither too much money to make the game a reality xD BTW i don't know if you tried Nexomon Extinction, but the idea of 2D with more lively animation is really well done on it, you should give it a check or a try ^^

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah if there is some random game that needs to be made from scratch and smaller then maybe they will consider such animations. I have not played Nexomon: Extinction but I have had a look at it. You are right, the animations are very good. For a 2D game with a smaller budget, I think they took a very good approach!

  • @liliflower1376
    @liliflower1376 Жыл бұрын

    I think gen 5's battle animation was perfect, I want to live in the world where the gen 5 art style was used for just one more game at least

  • @PuppetSquid
    @PuppetSquid2 жыл бұрын

    oh, damn, I love that first idea. As an animator I can see how much more liberating it would be- you are still creating a lot more individual assets so the work load wouldn't be too dissimilar to the current method, but it would be a far sight easier than matching what the majority of fans want to see.. I've been thinking of making a video about my ideal pokemon game and I might steal this. With credit, of course. Also, fwiw, I miss the 2.5D too. If a fan game came out using that style and was moddable I would lose a lot of time to it.

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! If you make that video, tell me about it, I'll watch it!

  • @tonyplaysguitar101
    @tonyplaysguitar101 Жыл бұрын

    Oh man selecting the move at any point during the action would make life so much better for tera raids 😂 I've legit gotten bored while the tera pokemon buffs itself like 5 times with all of the loading and didn't even realize it was my turn 🤦

  • @ilngsisfh
    @ilngsisfh2 жыл бұрын

    Most fans want Idle poses because of the B2W2 sprites.

  • @GintokyoGaming
    @GintokyoGaming2 жыл бұрын

    I'd really like for them to go back to BW type of sprites and graphics. I've done a blind nuzlocke run on my channel playing Pokémon Black and I was amazed when I first walked to Sky Arrow Bridge! The constantly animated sprites were fire though. I like what you suggested too, about having mons freezing before receiving commands, it seems pretty cool. I love this series of yours. All the vids are really well made and entertaining :)

  • @chloukscolor7905
    @chloukscolor7905 Жыл бұрын

    Oh that key-frame idea is genius! That would be a great compromise between animation and imagination !

  • @signalshift6676
    @signalshift66762 жыл бұрын

    I would love to see them going back to 2D.

  • @ilngsisfh

    @ilngsisfh

    2 жыл бұрын

    MFs begged for 3d

  • @liliflower1376
    @liliflower1376 Жыл бұрын

    THIS IS BRILLIANT!!

  • @freddiet.rowlet525
    @freddiet.rowlet5259 ай бұрын

    I think ideally for me, any future reiterations of the first 5 generations would remain 2D with Gen5 level detail and animated sprites, while I'd enjoy keeping 3D for future titles, though I wouldn't say that this means the battles need to also be 3D and/or constantly animated given how much more goes into making fully 3D, fully animated battles work

  • @tonyplaysguitar101
    @tonyplaysguitar101 Жыл бұрын

    I feel like the camera zooming into the pokemon doing the move, and then shifting to the enemy taking the hit is similar to pokemon xd/Colloseum.

  • @Justanotherlifeform-xx8lq
    @Justanotherlifeform-xx8lqАй бұрын

    I would LOVE if this was real! Especially the 2.5D animation! Black and white had some of the best graphics and animation in the series

  • @eeveefennecfox
    @eeveefennecfox2 жыл бұрын

    0:59 then why do I suffer from artblock if my mind is supposed to be chalk full of imagination? I should be drawing non stop with ideas

  • @ShadrachsGuitar
    @ShadrachsGuitar2 жыл бұрын

    Great series you got here! I'm happy i've become your 300th subscriber!

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cheers! Welcome aboard!

  • @kappakiev9672
    @kappakiev9672 Жыл бұрын

    Imagine when the players are picking their moves the two opposing Pokémon are either slowly circling each other looking for an opening, or dashing around the battlefield avoiding nameless and non despript attacks. A punch, kick, tail smack up close, a few energy blasts or projectiles from afar

  • @RadioactiveMagicGames

    @RadioactiveMagicGames

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes! I like the idea of bringing more life and movement into the battles, even if it is only cosmetic struggles.

  • @kappakiev9672

    @kappakiev9672

    Жыл бұрын

    @@RadioactiveMagicGames when one has a big advantage over the other, say a stat boost or a significant Hp gap, one Pokémon could be looming over the other as it curls up in defense

  • @No__direction__
    @No__direction__ Жыл бұрын

    I’d love the 2D sprites to come back. Especially if they’re like gen 5

  • @VocalEyes102
    @VocalEyes1023 ай бұрын

    I would love 2.5D art style, especially if it means they can go for more intense environments. I would have been fine with BDSP being in a "chibi" style if it at least used something along the lines of Octopath Traveler's style. EDIT: though I will say, I do like being able to see Pokemon in the wild like in modern games, and wouldn't want to go back to them popping out at random times with no way of knowing what we'd be facing until the battle begins

  • @AA-Ashley
    @AA-Ashley7 ай бұрын

    My favorite game, Factorio is 2D, so yes I am a fan of going back to 2D!

  • @andresmarrero8666
    @andresmarrero86662 жыл бұрын

    If you are in the minority then so am I. Pokemon switching to full blown 3D was perhaps the worst mistake the franchise ever made. The 3D aspects are better utilized in the overworld to provide fantastical and awe inspiring environments. I also think it was stupid for pokemon to throw away the route system instead of evolving it by adding the third dimension to it and taking cues from the interconnected puzzle box philosophy found in Dark Souls 1's game world design and the divine Beasts in Breath of the Wild. Make it a three by three grid with three horizontal paths and three vertical paths that are interconnected at various points and in a variety of ways. We already saw how complex and interesting routes can be with one path in Gen 5. Making it a three by three puzzle box grid would have been a much more sensible evolution of route design than throwing it away for open world of which they have no experience with. At least one route in X and Y had aspects of what I am talking about here.

  • @metleon
    @metleon7 ай бұрын

    I've been watching people do WiFi battles in SV, and I'm pretty sure at least on one of the battle fields, there are a bunch of Rotom Phones flying around presumably taking the dynamic shots. So why don't the trainers or Pokemon look at the camera while it's flying past them or pose for it? Most Pokemon could probably just do one of the animations they already have. I honestly don't care if the trainers and Pokemon are just waiting between turns as long they're doing something other than standing there. Battle Revolution had the Pokemon do their ranged attack animations during the down time 15 years ago, so there's no reason they can't do it in the modern games.

  • @GiubileiFernando
    @GiubileiFernando9 ай бұрын

    Instead of using sprites in a modern 2D game they could just use actual drawings, like the official artwork. Sprites were a product of hardware limitations that modern machines are not constrained by, particularly now that the series isn't on handheld anymore.

  • @Joel-qo6gt
    @Joel-qo6gt8 ай бұрын

    I want shorter games with worse graphics made by people who are paid more and I'm NOT KIDDING. Jokes aside, this is somewhat of a legitimate concern of mine. I had to play about 70 hours in Tears of the Kingdom to get to the ending, and I'm at about 140 hours to where I feel like I've had most of the fun I can get out of the game. While it was one of the better games I've experienced in recent memory, it's also something I don't want to do over and over. Pokemon games, also, are becoming exponentially more difficult for the developers to make with scope creep. I would not mind stepping back to graphics like Octopath, which, frankly, are beautiful. Even if we stick with the 2D arts or 3D equivalents, it's a brilliant set of creatures (notwithstanding art style concerns, you'd think they'd sharpen it up a bit for Arceus where they're legitimately more scary) and I want to see these good creatures represented well.

  • @jessegartung294
    @jessegartung2942 жыл бұрын

    Temtem claimed it has better animation until you realize the animation are unskipable and long. Also it’s time consuming and costly for each animations