There are two main distinct eras ofPokemon: the first is the older games thatused pixel sprites and graphics, and the second is when Game Freak transitioned to 3D instead. While both have their merits, I’m distinctly in the camp that the pixel, 2D era was better than what we’re in now.
I love Sun & Moon, but they were the start of Pokemon’s descent. If you still aren’t convinced and somehow think the 3D games are the better of the bunch, I’m here to prove to you that they’re not. Yes, it may be a lot of nostalgia talking, but I’m also going to be objective.
73D Pokemon Sprites Are Lifeless, Dull, And Boring Compared To Their Pixel Predecessors
When Pokemon transitioned to 3D models instead of 2D sprites, so, so many Pokemon were done dirty. Before, their sprites were detailed, dynamic, and full of life, and then their 3D models made them look like a piece of plasticine that’s too smooth around the edges.
The most notable victim was Typhlosion - its 2D sprites showed the fire around its neck blazing and roaring, but the 3D model? Take a look for yourself. No fire, just a weirdly smooth body. This definitely wasn’t an upgrade.
63D Can’t Use Creative Angles Like 2D Can
In a 3D world where the player has complete control over the camera, there’s pretty much no room for the developers to get creative with angles and perspective. It’s boring, samey, and, honestly, pretty dull.
In a 2D world, however, developers can use the limitations to their advantage to create specific angles and scenes. Black & White used this most creatively when creating the dynamic Skyarrow Bridge - you’re never going to get an experience like that in a 3D Pokemon game, let’s be real.
5Scarlet & Violet Might Be Big And Open Compared To 2D, But There’s No Substance To Back It Up
Scarlet & Violet were the first games to take the series fully open world. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want (though the game lacks level scaling, so you might end up face-to-face with a level 70 Pokemon when yours are level 10, or vice versa). But is there much to explore in said open world?
Frankly, no. There’s a lot of grass and buildings you can’t enter. That’s about it. The 2D Pokemon games are much more restrictive in terms of how you explore, but whatisthere is worth exploring. Strange NPCs, hidden items, or even just a lovely view. You can even goinsideall the buildings in town. How wild is that?
If you couldn’t pick up the sarcasm through text, going inside the buildings is a bare minimum requirement. Yes, that was pointed at you, Scarlet & Violet.
43D Pokemon Games Have Lost Any Stylisation The Series Had
Okay, I’m not going to see here and tell you the 2D Pokemon games were the peak of stylisation. They’re not. They were often basic, especially compared to other pixel games at the time. However, the style was instantly recognisable and was, at least, original.
The style of 3D Pokemon games, though? They look like any other 3D anime game. Though generic, the character models are passable, but the real issue is with the environments. What happened to the beautiful backdrops across the regions? The Bell Tower in HeartGold & SoulSilver springs to mind. Now we have fuzzy textures and windmills struggling at one frame per second. What a downgrade.
3Performance Issues Were Never A Problem With 2D
Remember getting consistent frame rate drops, bugs, and general poor performance when playing the first five generations of Pokemon? No, me neither. Funny that. It’s almost like Game Freak is better at optimising for 2D, rather than 3D.
Starting in the 3DS Pokemon games, lag has been a continual problem for the series. Sure, things like HP bars have been slow before, but the performance has never been as bad as in the 3D games. Pop-in and frame rates are justsomeof the things you have to worry about with 3D, whereas 2D is a lot less demanding.
2Just Look At Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Sinnoh is my favourite Pokemon region. Platinum is up there with Emerald and HeartGold/SoulSiver for the title of my favourite Pokemon game. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, though? Nope. Not even close. They’re a disservice to the Sinnoh region and everyone who bought a copy of them.
They also pretty much encapsulate all the problems fans have with 3D Pokemon games. Poor performance, bad stylisation, the list goes on. You need only play ten minutes of these games to see what’s plaguing the 3D side of Pokemon.
1HD-2D Would Fit So Much Better Than 3D
What’s so infuriating about all of Pokemon’s issues with 3D graphics is that the solution already exists, and plenty of other games are already making use of it. Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, the Dragon Quest 3 remake… yes,I’m talking about HD-2D.
This style would suit Pokemon perfectly. It peaked stylistically with Black & White’s gorgeous pixel graphics, so using the HD-2D approach with this as a basis is basically a recipe for success. Game Freak seems all in on the 3D train after all these years, but I can only hope it has a semblance of sense and tries this style at least once.
