While there have been eight different generations of Pokemon games, with a ninth on the way, one thing has remained constant throughout the series. Each generation has brought a collection of starter Pokemon for players to train. While there are many starters that fans love, one batch that many have a soft spot for is from the Gen 3 Pokemon games.
Introduced as the starters for the Hoenn region, Gen 3 included the Water-type starter Mudkip, the Fire-type starter Torchic, and the Grass-type starter Treecko. Mudkip featured an amphibious design, while Treecko looked similar to a lizard. In addition, Torchic had a look reminiscent of a chick. Recently, one Pokemon fan decided to see what these Pokemon might look like in a different art style.
Taking to Reddit, a user known as LundenI shared an image they had recently drawn featuring starters from the Pokemon series. Specifically, the Reddit user made artwork starring the Gen 3 starters. However, this was no ordinary recreation of the classic Pokemon, as the artist chose to draw Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip as Gen 1 sprites.
In the image, LundenI drew each starter against a corresponding background. For example, Treecko was placed in front of a backdrop composed of a light shade of green, which was close to the same color as most of his sprite. Despite having less detail to work with, considering the older art style of Gen 1, the Reddit user managed to keep the identity of each starter intact. Torchic maintained its notable crest, while Treecko had a large tail. In addition, Mudkip featured fins and gills. Furthermore, the artist included three icons at the top of the image, denoting the colors used for each sprite.
Since posting this artwork that reimagined the Gen 3 starters as Gen 1 sprites, numerous members of the Pokemon community have weighed in on the designs. In only a couple of hours, the post has already accumulated a number of upvotes, with fans praising the appearances of the Pokemon. Among the comments, a number of users liked the new designs for the starters, claiming that the artist had managed to capture the look of Gen 1. In addition, some gamers thought the artwork was nostalgic, with one commenting that they had fond memories of Gen 3. “Gen 3 was my favorite, this new (old?) style is really nice looking,” ThatOneKid582 said on Reddit.
While these starter Pokemon from Gen 3 are popular, many gamers are looking forward to checking out the upcoming starters in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Launching in November, these games include a new Grass, Water, and Fire-type starter Pokemon. It will be interesting to see if Lundenl decides to redesign the starters from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in the art style from Gen 1 as well. One thing is for sure; if they do, the artwork is likely to impress.