Thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5, one of the best Pokemon games has been reimagined in the style of Nintendo's HD2D masterpieces.
"This man single-handedly cooked Game Freak in its entirety," Twitter user pory_leeks said in a Tweet showcasing the fan-made HD2D remake of Pokemon Red and Blue. Using Unreal Engine 5, designer Dott turned the classic game into something akin to one of Nintendo's best JRPGs, similar to the likes of Octopath Traveler or 2022's Eiyuden Chronicles.
The one-minute video shows side-on 2D pixellated Red navigating paper doll-like structures and terrain; a far cry from the top-down stylings of the original.
While Dott's recreation tackles Pokemon Red and Blue's Vermilion City, with Gen 5's Pokemon Black & White next in line for a remake, some fans are imagining what those games might look like in this brand-new style.
"I would sell multiple years of my life for a HD2D remake of Pokémon Black and White," claimed YouTuber Alpharad in a retweet, and his sentiment rings true for many. Modern Pokemon games like last year's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have taken a cartoonish turn into full 3D territory, but as streamer Vulpixie said in a reply tweet, there is an inherent charm to the HD2D art style.
"I cant imagine black and white being made in 3D," she said, saying that even the sprites looked better in Pokemon Black and White compared to the modern games. "The 3D sprites are so still in comparison."
"HD2D would be a delightful direction," agreed Twitter user SchmidtTimes. "It's hard to imagine Game Freak returning to 2D in any capacity, but if there was a time for a pixel comeback, it'd be for those remakes!"
Sure, it's unlikely that Pokemon developer Game Freak would actually take this turn. Still, fans can have their dreams – and with art projects like this reimagining, even turn them into realities.
Here are some more games like Pokemon if you gotta catch 'em all, from Ooblets to Monster Sanctuary.
