A Pokemon fan has compiled all of Gengar's in-game sprites in order to compare them. As Game Freak's series moves forward, the sprites of the various pocket monsters gain more detail, allowing players to see their features better. As Pokemon sprites continue to evolve, so does how we view the creatures.
Gengar was the original Ghost-Type in Pokemon Red and Blue, and was the final evolution of Gastly. The pocket monster was also Poison-Type and was obtainable by trading a Haunter. Gengar is one of the few Pokemon to gain both a Mega Evolution and a Gigantamax Form, and has been featured in the anime and TCG a number of times. One gamer has compiled all of Gengar's sprites throughout the series' various Generations, giving players a glimpse at how the creature's look has changed over the years.
A Redditor known as CosmicCoronet brought together all of Gengar's sprites, showcasing the Pokemon's evolution since 1996. The pocket monster's look was fuzzy in Generation 1, which changed in Generation 2. As the franchise progressed, the creature's shape would become smoother while the spikes on its back would shrink. The Pokemon's color would also change, going from a deep purple in Generation 2 to a lighter shade in recent Generations. The image that CosmicCoronet shared helped show how much the pocket monster has changed over the years and how much finer the sprite work has gotten as time went on.
Gengar sprite/character model comparison till now which ones your favorite? from PokemonScarletViolet
Many users on Reddit seem to agree that the Generation 2 sprite for the Pokemon Gengar is the best, with many agreeing that the artwork for that era of Pokemon is the best overall. A commenter did mention that they like the colors of the more current Gengar character models, but that they were too smooth. One player did joke that the pocket monster started out looking like it would stab people, but has since turned into a casual mugging.
Some gamers love the pixel-based sprites that Nintendo's creatures had in older generations, leading them to redo newer Pokemon in the classic Gold and Silver art style. A Reddit user named The_Internet_Goblin took a number of the new creatures from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and gave them retro looks. The sprites were well done, making it look as if the creatures were originally meant to be drawn in that style and not with the 3D look that they actually have now. As the Pokemon franchise continues to grow and develop, gamers show that there is a sense of nostalgia for the older Generations that they had grew with.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release for the Nintendo Switch on November 18.