Despite being such a crucial part of Pokémon, and a source of much debate and conflicting opinions, we haven't really had a general thread on Pokémon designs for as long as I can remember. There's the odd "Worst Pokémon" thread, or the silly sprites thread, but the designs themselves are usually only addressed in off-topic discussions in other threads. From Smeargle's Studio and Create-a-Pokémon I've seen that many Smogonites are knowledgeable about Pokémon designs and what makes them work, but the issue has seldom been on-topic in OI, and the aforementioned forums don't have general discussion thread dedicated to the issue.
So, yeah, discussion. I must admit I don't usually like listing bullet points, but they are easy to address and gets the conversation rolling, so here's a few suggested topics to discuss. Don't feel obliged to respond to all of them, they are just suggestions:
So, yeah, discussion. I must admit I don't usually like listing bullet points, but they are easy to address and gets the conversation rolling, so here's a few suggested topics to discuss. Don't feel obliged to respond to all of them, they are just suggestions:
- What makes a good/bad Pokémon design to you?
- Are there any Pokémon designs you like or dislike for specific reasons? Can you point out exactly what the designers did right/wrong?
- How do other aspects of the Pokémon work with or against the design? Can movepool, abilities, lore or the design basis affect the way you view a Pokémon design? That is, can it ruin an otherwise good design, or remedy a bad one?
- For a long time, we've been used to see Pokémon in sprites only, but now 3D models have entered the main series games (console games nonwithstanding). Do you think some Pokémon made this transition better or worse than others? Were Pokémon troubled by bad sprites finally justified when seen in glorious 3D? Or did the 3D transition reveal that the Pokémon only looked good in specific poses from specific angles?
- Have you ever immediately liked/disliked a Pokémon when you first saw it, only to change your mind after seeing the Pokémon in a different pose/setting, or learning a new aspect of its lore or design background?