Some fans are still awaiting a modern remake of Pokemon Gold and Silver, and one fan has now created a concept for what it might look like. Interestingly, it goes in a different direction than many of the modern Pokemon games, but it's generating a lot of praise because of that.
Pokemon remakes aren't uncommon these days, with even some of the oldest iterations getting remade, like Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow becoming Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee on the Nintendo Switch. Pokemon Gold and Silver have seen a remake before, in the form of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the Nintendo DS, but many feel they're long overdue for a newer version.
Pokemon fan RoteBlaubeere shared their idea of what that remake might look like, demonstrating an intriguing 2.5D artstyle for the title. Rather than following in the footsteps of recent release Pokemon Legends: Arceus and the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, these Pokemon Gold and Silver remake concept images pay homage to the past by maintaining the sprites used for everything from the player character to buildings on the street, while adding a semi-3D feel to the world. RoteBlaubeere noted that the sprites come from Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, while the 2.5D effect was created by the artist themselves.
Fellow Pokemon fans largely expressed praise for the designs, with many admitting that they weren't a big fan of the recent three-dimensional games released by Game Freak, and would prefer something like this. Pokemon's 3D games have generated some controversy recently as fans have pointed out how Pokemon attacks are less impressive visually than they were back in the Nintendo 64 era with Pokemon Stadium.
Of course, the recent three-dimensional Pokemon games have been trying to take advantage of the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch and previously, the Nintendo 3DS. However, there's also room for this kind of visual take on the series, as many fans pointed out that the mock-up shares a strong visual similarity to Octopath Traveler, which also uses a sort of 2.5D style combined with more traditional sprite work. The JRPG has performed well, so gamers don't seem to take issue with the visuals.
However, there would likely be those who wouldn't want to see a 2.5D take on a Pokemon remake like this. While visually impressive and interesting, many are likely ready to move on from the antiquated graphics the original Pokemon games used. It would be a risky endeavor for Game Freak to attempt something like this with a mainline game remake, but it could still pay off in the end. For now, though, fans will just have to imagine it with fan works like RoteBlaubeere's.
Source: Reddit RoteBlaubeere