While the core fundamentals of the franchise's gameplay have remained the same, Pokemon games have evolved exponentially since their arrival on the Game Boy back in 1996. From major technical upgrades to significant visual overhauls, the series has long since abandoned the 8-bit sprites that dominated the likes of Pokemon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, offering experiences that boast AAA spectacle.
However, one avid Pokemon fans seems to be interested in a world where the franchise stuck to its roots, with Japanese YouTuber Hayate Keiunji showcasing a version of Pokemon Sword and Shield that replicates the style of the series' early outings. According to the creator, they were originally listening to the Postwick Town backing music when they came up with the idea, deciding they were going to recreate the tune in the style of the original Game Boy classics.
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It seems the project eventually became something much more, as the video showcases both their retro take on the Postwick backing music and an original story complete with locations from Sword and Shield rendered in the franchise's original 8-bit style. The dialogue for the game is in Japanese, however, the YouTuber has provided English subtitles, which can be turned on using the captions setting. The footage ventures to several of the Sword and Shield campaign's opening locations, including Postwick, Monostoke, and Wedgehurst.
Along the way, the fan-reimagining does a great job of showcasing many of Sword and Shield's finer details in its retro style, including putting Wooloo on the sides of certain paths and including several main NPCs in city locations. The YouTuber even goes the extra mile and shows what the game's cartridges might look like, slotting them into a Game Boy Color. It's a nostalgic visualization of how far Pokemon has come over the years and a fun glimpse at what Sword and Shield might've looked like had they released back in the late 90s rather than 2019.
It's an especially apt video considering Pokemon is celebrating its 25th anniversary later this month, organizing a virtual concert hosted by Post Malone to celebrate. The month will be filled with other fun Pokemon events to continue the celebration, with McDonald's continuing to give away Pokemon cards in Happy Meals and Sword and Shield offering fans a free singing Pikachu. That's not all for 2021 though, with New Pokemon Snap launching in April and fans speculating a potential Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake could be on the cards later in the year. Regardless, it's a great time to be a Pokemon fan.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now on Nintendo Switch.
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