Nintendo DS Pokémon Art Styles - DPP/HGSS Vs BW/B2W2

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Nintendo DS Pokémon Art Styles - DPP/HGSS vs BW/B2W2

• Thread starter Paper Cheese
• Start date Feb 25, 2021

• Discussion
• Gaming Forum

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Which Pokémon DS Game Art Style Do You Prefer?

• Diamond/Pearl/Platinum/Heart Gold/Soul Silver

  Votes: 149 53.8%

• Black/White/Black 2/White 2

  Votes: 128 46.2%

• Total voters 277
• Poll closed Mar 4, 2021.

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Paper Cheese

Member Oct 9, 2019 583 So, all this talk of Pokémon Gen 4 remakes has me thinking about the DS games. I adored Gen 4 in my youth, and I love the way those games look. There's a really crisp style to the overworld and the sprites that I think has aged really well. On the contrary, I was really disappointed by the visual design of Gen 5 when they first released. I thought Black and White actually looked quite ugly at times, from the weird way that character sprites in Pokemon centers morphed as you moved away and toward them, and even the Pokemon srpite animation in battle, which I did not like at the time. In the (many) years since, I've come to appreciate how Black/White/Black 2/White 2 look at little more, but I do often see people talking about how much Gen 5 improved the graphics of Gen 4. I get that it was more technically advanced, with animations for every Pokémon and greater use of 3D models, but its never clicked with me the way that the more basic and clean design of Platinum or Soul Silver did. This is in no way me shitting on Gen 5, by the way, it's slowly become one of my favourite gens, I'm just super curious as to which style people prefer and why. So, vote in the poll, and please let me know your thoughts! Edit: Adding some screenshots (thanks NintendoLife) as suggested for those whose memories of the game are a bit hazy! Gen 4 Gen 5 Last edited: Feb 25, 2021

Efejota

Member Mar 13, 2018 3,750 I really liked how gen 5 played more with the camera, but from gen 4 to 5 you could notice how Sugimori started drawing everyone much more thinner. I liked the thicker humans from 3 and 4 in that sense since it fit the kids bodies better imo, and it was simply nice seeing adults with varied bodies as well. I did like the work on the enviroments overall in gen 5 since they felt more varied and had you approach them from different angles. They really felt like they couldn't have been done on the gba. Aparts from that, they're not that different. I liked gen 3's orange tint better as it made all the Pokémon feel more cohesive, but with these gens and onwards they wanted each Pokémon to have very clear local colors.

PlayBee

One Winged Slayer

Member Nov 8, 2017 7,375 The only thing I don't like in Gen 5 is how the sprites look when you zoom in on them. The camera stuff is a cool idea, though.

Noppie

Member Oct 27, 2017 15,391 Something something useless without pics.

GamerJM

Banned Nov 8, 2017 16,242 When Black and White originally released I was lukewarm on the art style but as time passed and I played it more I realized it was a definitive upgrade over gen 4. The animations are absolutely gorgeous. I will say, gen 4 feels more "Pokemon" to me. When I think of Pokemon I tend to think of visual styles from the first four gens. Gen 5 almost feels like what Pokemon would look like if another developer made a clone that also used sprites.

PAFenix

Unshakable Resolve

Member Nov 21, 2019 22,619 I preferred my time with HG so much more than my time with Black. So I can only assume that the art was a part of it.

Melpomene

One Winged Slayer

Member Jun 9, 2019 19,493 Gen IV games look much neater and, as you say, cleaner to me overall - Gen V is really running up against the limits of the DS and it shows, though I think certain elements go over great, like the animated sprites (highly pixelated though they may be).

TheChungusAmongUs

Member Oct 25, 2017 15,503 What artstyle are we talking about?

JINX

Member Oct 25, 2017 8,410 HG is still the best looking game in the series.

Astandahl

Member Oct 28, 2017 9,647

JINX said: HG is still the best looking game in the series Click to expand... Click to shrink...

No lies detected.

Aleh

Member Oct 27, 2017 22,689 HGSS have a much better artstyle even though BW2 improved the graphics themselves, especially for indoor environments since they too became 3D. But HGSS is still king. ...DPP looks like unwashed ass though

defaltoption

Plug in a controller and enter the Konami code

The Fallen Oct 27, 2017 12,794 Austin

JINX said: HG is still the best looking game in the series. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Yup easily

Lelouch0612

Member Oct 25, 2017 21,200 It is clearly HeartGold/SoulSilver artstyle. Gen 5 is too pixelated for my liking.

Subnats

One Winged Slayer

Member Nov 13, 2017 1,424 Ireland Gen 5 ends up looking pretty weird on og hardware since it tended to play around with the camera more which screwed up sprite scaling, playing at a higher resolution via emulation really benefits it though and definitely helps to show its improvements over Gen 4.

Phellps

Member Oct 25, 2017 14,287 HGSS are the peak of the series' visuals.

Aleh

Member Oct 27, 2017 22,689 SO beautiful OP OP

Paper Cheese

Member Oct 9, 2019 583

Aleh said: SO beautiful Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Oh hell yes

Alex840

Member Oct 31, 2017 5,453 Easily Gen 4. I've always despised when the players' Pokemon sprites are zoomed in. It looks so ugly.

Leo

Member Oct 27, 2017 9,014 The gen 5 battles are very ugly. I really like gen 4's look, it was peak Pokemon aesthetic for me.

Aleh

Member Oct 27, 2017 22,689 Sun and Moon slightly edge out even HGSS for me but I can see how people think this is the best, sprites have their own charm

VorpalNonsense

Always blame King James I

Member Oct 25, 2017 15,721 the sprite scaling in gen5 made the pokemon look ugly gen 4 everything was pixel perfect HGSS was the peak of classic 2d pokemon

Gumshoe

Member Oct 31, 2017 544

JINX said: HG is still the best looking game in the series. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

Completely agree.

Truno

Member Jan 16, 2020 6,643 Gen 5 is till the best looking pokemon gen, especially those in-battle sprites

RisingStar

Banned Oct 8, 2019 4,849 While I like the camera work in Gen 5, I definitely feel like the art style suffered for the technological improvements they tried to go for. The animations were sweet but incredibly pixelated for your Pokemon. It's worse as you use bigger Pokemon, as it gets very pixelated and jarring to see. The game also feels very alien visually compared to previous generations. Gen 1-4 had an element of organic growth, but Gen 5 threw away a lot of the key art elements that just spelled out Pokemon. I think someone in here mentioned how it feels like if another developer had worked on the franchise, and that really resonates with me. Gen 5 was definitely the last Pokemon era mechanically speaking that I really enjoyed, but it's definitely a step down visually from what HGSS achieved a year prior for me.

King Alamat

Member Nov 22, 2017 9,721

VorpalNonsense said: the sprite scaling in gen5 made the pokemon look ugly gen 4 everything was pixel perfect HGSS was the peak of classic 2d pokemon Click to expand... Click to shrink...

I agree, just thinking about battles in Gen 5 strains my eyes, which sucks because those are really good games.

Vault

▲ Legend ▲

Member Oct 25, 2017 14,112 Gen 4 was the original Pokemon aesthetic at its peak

Ultima_5

Member Oct 25, 2017 7,725 5 always looked kinda blurry/grainy to me. 4 was perfection. i miss pokemon looking good.

Link_enfant

One Winged Slayer

Member Jan 20, 2018 1,761 France I've seen the results and now I'm dead inside. Maybe someday I'll get used to it. :(

808s & Villainy

Member Oct 27, 2017 49,272 I can't vote in the poll as long as D/P and HGSS are lumped together 1. HGSS - easily the best of the DS games stylistically. They perfected the style they were going for in DPP 2. BW - although the actual 3D looked really ugly. I thought the psuedo 3D they used in battles, even with the zoomed in sprites, looked really good 3. DPP - it just kind of looked a bit washed out

Wiserus

▲ Legend ▲

Member Oct 26, 2017 4,196 Canada I can't tell by my own experience, as I skipped gen 4 and 5, but by those screenshots gen 4 looks better.

Link_enfant

One Winged Slayer

Member Jan 20, 2018 1,761 France I really can't vote for slow-ass and 30fps battles over sweet, dynamic and 60fps battles. That's part of the whole aesthetics to me, screenshots are too limited in this case.

Jimnymebob

Member Oct 26, 2017 23,639 Gen 4 easily lol. The low res 3D on gen 5 just looked bad, as if they should've gone for a more stylized low poly look, and while the Pokemon sprite animations were cool, all the zooming and scaling they do to them make them look like pixel messes most of the time.

RROCKMAN

Avenger Oct 25, 2017 11,626 Black and white easy Seeing your trainer throw the pokeball back then I was like damnnnnnnn

badatorigami

Member Dec 5, 2019 500 Gen 5 overworld and sprites, gen 4 menus and UI please.

Aleh

Member Oct 27, 2017 22,689 I'll say that Castelia looked damn great though

Axe

Member Oct 27, 2017 3,811 United Kingdom Black and White really pushed the limits of the DS for the style they were going for, some of the 3D models ended up being weirdly basic as a result. Some areas of the game look fantastic (e.g. Lacunosa Town), but others look a bit meh (such as Chargestone Cave). I prefer it's general colour palette and the little stylistic details though. Gen IV is a lot more consistent overall, though really it's only Platinum and HGSS that look good. Diamond and Pearl are very bland-looking in comparison.

NotLiquid

One Winged Slayer

Member Oct 25, 2017 39,712 HGSS are the GOATs

Pokemaniac

Member Oct 25, 2017 4,972 People tend to credit X and Y with bringing Pokémon into 3D, and while that's not entirely wrong, I think Black and White probably deserve more of the credit. That's the point where the camera transitioned to being 3D basically all the time, and when the grid really started to be deemphasized. It was the next logical step after the mixed 2D and 3D of Gen 4, and, considering the hardware the games released on, I've always been pretty satisfied with how they look and thought it helped contribute to the overall fresh feeling of the generation.

jeelybeans

Banned Oct 25, 2017 7,107 I'd like to see a modernized Gen 4. Gen 5 onwards got really ugly. If they are not going to invest in the graphics, they should keep it stylized.

THube

Member Oct 27, 2017 764 I like Gen 4 a lot more visually but I have such a soft spot for how weird Gen 5 looks in general. Love that weird scaling, love that DS 3D

Pokemaniac

Member Oct 25, 2017 4,972 Also 60 fps battles were great.

Deleted member 49432

Nov 7, 2018 2,421 In screenshots, I prefer the more rounded artstyle of gen 4, but the animation of gen 5 wins it for me. The Pokémon themselves seemed much more 'alive' in BW/2, compared to the full-3D entries.

Krypt

Member Nov 10, 2017 1,178 Center of the World Diamond/Pearl/Platinum/Heart Gold/Soul Silver all the way. OP OP

Paper Cheese

Member Oct 9, 2019 583 This is honestly a lot closer than I thought it would be! Seems there's a hell of a lot of love out there for Black and White's sprite scaling and overall aesthetic, which is really cool. Don't think anything will beat that Gen 4 aesthetic for me, would love to see an indie Pokemon-esque game come out with that sort of clean pixel art style tbh

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure

Banned Oct 27, 2017 49,774 HGSS are the best looking pokemon games ever, periodT platinum looks great too it all went downhill from there

Adventureracing

The Fallen Nov 7, 2017 8,787

JINX said: HG is still the best looking game in the series. Click to expand... Click to shrink...

This is where I stand. I really don't like the direction they have went since then.

FreshYoungDoggo

Member Jul 3, 2019 963 Pokemon black/white looks much better, especially in battle with actually animation. The 4th generation bias is blinding y'all.

Xavillin

Member Oct 25, 2017 2,230 I'm gonna go with Gen 5. Which make sense because they had several games and years of experience to perfect it. Unova had rough 3D, but it was charming, IMO

MidnightCowboy

Member Oct 27, 2017 4,087 HeartGold is a really pretty game.

Twister

Member Feb 11, 2019 6,850 HG/SS are the best looking Pokémon games. Ecruteak near the tower is downright stunning. I was never fan of the B/W artstyle. The Pokémon sprites look so pixelated and gross and the cities being 3D always just looked bad to me. The sprites also change shape too much depending on what distance you are from them. I appreciate the ambition but it was too much for the hardware

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