Pokemon Fan Art Imagines X and Y Starters in OG Art Style

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A Pokémon enthusiast recently created amazing artwork reimagining the starter Pokémon from Pokémon X and Y as if they were designed for the original Pokémon Red and Blue games. The artwork includes both pixel art versions, showing how the Pokémon might have looked on the Game Boy, and watercolor-style concept art.

As a longtime Pokémon player, I’ve definitely noticed how the art style has evolved over the years. So many different artists have contributed to the games, and it’s cool to see how they’ve each put their own spin on things. While I appreciate the newer designs, I gotta admit, I get a little nostalgic for the classic Pokémon artwork – it just hits different!

Pokemon Fan Shares Gen 1 Stylized Versions of Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin

A Reddit user named octoberoclock reimagined the starter Pokémon from Pokémon X and Y as if they were designed for the original Pokémon Red and Blue games. While you can still clearly identify Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin, their artwork has been updated to feel more realistic and proportionally accurate. Chespin is now drawn with a stockier build, larger black eyes, and more prominent spikes – it even looks a bit like Sandslash. Fennekin’s ears are much smaller, its body is better balanced with its head, and its colors are more subdued browns and reds, giving it a serious look. Finally, Froakie now resembles a real frog more closely, with a wider face and body, dark eyes, and no bubbles on its nose.

Pokémon fans are loving a recent post showcasing both watercolor and pixel art versions of the creatures, and it’s already received over 10,000 upvotes. Many commented that the artwork reminded them of the classic style from original Pokémon artist Ken Sugimori. Some also wished the starter Pokémon from Pokémon X and Y had looked more like these designs. While the in-game pixel art was well-received, some fans felt it was a bit too polished for the first generation of games, and more closely resembled the pixel art from Pokémon Gold and Silver. The original Pokémon Red and Blue games, particularly the Japanese versions, often had noticeable differences between the concept art and the final pixel designs – some fans even jokingly described the early Game Boy sprites as ‘derpy’.

Many Pokemon fans have expressed disappointment with the shift in art style and the more fantastical designs of recent Pokemon. Several artists, including octoberoclock, have responded by reimagining later-generation Pokemon in the classic style. This artist previously created artwork of Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, and Mimikyu in the style of Ken Sugimori, which also received a lot of positive feedback from fans.

Look, I get it – not everyone wants Pokemon to go back to how it used to be. You’ve probably heard the term “Genwunners” thrown around for those super nostalgic fans. But honestly, even I sometimes cringe at how they’ve been evolving the starter Pokemon lately – everything just ends up walking on two legs! It’s wild to think Pokemon Red and Green are almost 30 years old. There’s no way they’ll ever make a game that everyone loves, but judging by how popular Pokemon still is, most of us are clearly okay with where the art style is heading.

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2025-12-13 21:04