So I finally jumped back into Pokemon with Sword and Shield...

[Deleted member 61002]

I fell off the Pokemon train after Gen 4 and finally got back on a decade later and GODDAMN did I miss some dopeass designs:

I was super afraid of being a snooty "Eh it's okay but Gen 1 and 2 were the best" type fan but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked quite a few of the designs. What's a franchise some of you fell away from for long periods of time and came back to be pleasantly surprised by?

 

[DevilPuncher]

Gen 4 was definitely a low point design-wise. I'm not the biggest fan of the Gen 5 games, but it's undeniable that they had some killer designs. Overall, I feel that Pokémon designs have been pretty consistent lately, and while there are some that I don't like, it's hard to deny that the vast majority of them are pretty solid.

 

[CaviarMeths]

Gen 7 and 8 both had top tier designs overall. A few misses, but I think they're some of the best in the entire series.

 

[Lotus]

Gen 4 was definitely a low point design-wise.

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Huh?!?!?!

 

[DecoReturns]

Gen 3 are my favorite designs. And mostly because how simple and normal most are lol.

Gen 3 overall is rather simplistic due the concept of water and land actually. Then Sky.

 

[somerandomweirdguy]

Huh?!?!?!

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Yeah, Gen 4's only real problem with designs imo is making a bunch of the previous gen evos fat for no reason.

Otherwise it's got a ton of great stuff. Best starters all around for sure.

 

[PlayBee]

Having so many pre-evolutions and evolutions for Pokemon from previous gens makes 4's lineup a bit weak, imo. But in general designs have never been my problem with any Pokemon game.

 

[Deleted member 51608]

Gen 6 had some really solid designs. Many of them give me a Disney vibe with how simple yet effect they are. I do like many of the "Digimon" detailed levels ones tho.

 

[Mekanos]

Gen 4 has my favorite designs but I know that's an unconventional opinion, lol.

Gen 8's design definitely felt fresh and exciting. 6/7's designs, while solid, kinda blur together for me. 8 had some really out there and downright weird Pokemon designs - but in a good way!

 

[Aaronrules380]

That's some good taste, all of those designs you chose are top tier Pokemon in terms of design
(well, except Intellion, but hey, 1 miss ain't bad)

 

[Teeny]

Pokemon, generally, has had fantastic designs from game to game. Every generation has it's duff 'mon (though even then, they are always someone's favourite), but GF are pretty consistently designing awesome new monsters to collect.

To answer the question, God Of War. I didn't like the PS2 games much, GoW3 looked more of the same. God Of War (2018) is one of my favourite games on the platform.

 

[Deleted member 3924]

The series just wouldn't be what it is without its strong cartoony creature designs. If they ever tried to shift the art direction to something more realistic, less colourful, it might actually end its popularity.

 

[Faiyaz]

Pokémon designs have remained so consistently high-quality throughout the gens that it's kinda really impressive when you think about it.

 

[MrConbon210]

Every time someone mentions Pokémon designs my mind immediately jumps to the Pokémon which is just a set of car keys.

 

[Deleted member 61002]

Every time someone mentions Pokémon designs my mind immediately jumps to the Pokémon which is just a set of car keys.

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I mean, you have a 1,000 of anything and you're gonna have a few bum designs.

 

[Serebii]

I'm with you. Gen 7 and 8 have had some of the best designs for Pokémon ever

 

[Deleted member 3924]

I mean, you have a 1,000 of anything and you're gonna have a few bum designs.

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Klefki isn't even bad (nor were the gen1 creatures based on inanimate objects).
Imagine telling professional artists their design is shit because its a living keychain. I don't even like that one much, but even my least favourite Pokemon still follow strong concepts and design philosophies.

 

[Antoo]

Gen 6 introduced a small roster of new Pokémon but all of them were bangers (ok maybe not the starters).

 

[Inukage]

I just love how creative the inanimate object Pokémon designs have come, some of my favourite Pokémon lines

Also don't get me started on how much better some of the regional forms are compared to the originals!

 

[Deleted member 61002]

Klefki isn't even bad (nor were the gen1 creatures based on inanimate objects).
Imagine telling professional artists their design is shit because its a living keychain. I don't even like that one much, but even my least favourite Pokemon still follow strong concepts and design philosophies.

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Granted, I just meant that with 1,000+ design there are bound to be some you don't like.

 

[Thequietone]

I just realized how Klefki makes no sense. It's a fairy that likes collecting keys when fairies hate/die from metal. Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

 

[Deleted member 3924]

I just realized how Klefki makes no sense. It's a fairy that likes collecting keys when fairies hate/die from metal. Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

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but its steel/fairy

 

[Thequietone]

but its steel/fairy

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Its steel because of the keys though. I'm mostly referring to fairy folklore but Pokemon obviously takes from the folklore by making fairy type weak to steel.

 

[Serebii]

I just realized how Klefki makes no sense. It's a fairy that likes collecting keys when fairies hate/die from metal. Why did it take me so long to figure this out?

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There are fairies in folklore that do hoard keys

 

[Thequietone]

There are fairies in folklore that do hoard keys

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Really? Huh never heard of that. Ok it makes some sense now

 

[rycisko]

Gen 4 has my favorite designs but I know that's an unconventional opinion, lol.

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Gen 4 was great and IDGAF what people say. D&P are also awesome games.

The issue I think is a lot of the "filler" Pokemon are the worst looking ones. But I know damn well no one in here rostered Bidoofs, Buizels or Stunkies either...

 

[Lotus]

Really? Huh never heard of that. Ok it makes some sense now

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That's also another thing that helps me with the occasional design I don't care for, just actually knowing what it's referencing. Getting to see the full picture of what they were going for helps a lot

 

[Deleted member 3924]

Gen 4 was great and IDGAF what people say. D&P are also awesome games.

The issue I think is a lot of the "filler" Pokemon are the worst looking ones. But I know damn well no one in here rostered Bidoofs, Buizels or Stunkies either...

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Gen 4 were so slow I quit playing it half way and didn't come back til XY had been out a while. Id probably have had a Bidoof or Buizel though definitely not Stunkie, that thing has a buttface.

 

[Serebii]

That's also another thing that helps me with the occasional design I don't care for, just actually knowing what it's referencing. Getting to see the full picture of what they were going for helps a lot

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I think the Gen 8 fossils are a perfect example of that. People think they're dumb as hell, but then you learn the historical comparison of it and then it's "wow this is actually really clever"

Dracozolt is best :P

 

[Lotus]

I think the Gen 8 fossils are a perfect example of that. People think they're dumb as hell, but then you learn the historical comparison of it and then it's "wow this is actually really clever"

Dracozolt is best :P

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One of my favorite examples of this is Lurantis (though I already liked its design) I'm like, why the hell is this not Bug type, then you look up that it's based on a mantis that camouflages as a flower, and I'm like ohhhhh

 

[Thequietone]

That's also another thing that helps me with the occasional design I don't care for, just actually knowing what it's referencing. Getting to see the full picture of what they were going for helps a lot

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I've actually always liked Klefki it's just never occured to me about Klefki's hoarding of keys didn't make much sense despite me knowing why steel was super effective against fairy types. It's like knowing two facts and not realizing their connection.

 

[Mekanos]

Gen 4 was great and IDGAF what people say. D&P are also awesome games.

The issue I think is a lot of the "filler" Pokemon are the worst looking ones. But I know damn well no one in here rostered Bidoofs, Buizels or Stunkies either...

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I mean I like the Buizel and Stunky families and have had both on my teams before, so I obviously don't agree there, lol.

I'd say the worst part of the gen 4 batch is the glut of legendaries. Despite gen 4 being my favorite, I also think the box art legendaries are some of the ugliest in the series.