A fan recently revealed what the classic Game Boy games Pokmon Red and Blue look like in high-res. This stunning 2.5D creation is enough to make some fans yearn for remakes of these base Nintendo games.
Many kids who grew up in the 1990s have fond memories of the original Pokmon Red and Blue. The games were released in Japan for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996 and in North America in 1998. They are considered some of the best games released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, some of which still rank them among the greatest games of all time. They’re also among the best-selling products of all time, with more than 47.5 million units sold in the red, blue, green and yellow versions.
These classic games had a huge impact on Nintendo, gaming and culture. Nintendo later re-released both games for the 3DS Virtual Console, making them playable on the Wii and Wii U. However, the publisher has yet to release Switch ports of Pokemon Red and Blue, and official remakes seem unlikely. However, that didn’t stop YouTuber and 3D artist Dott from imagining what the game would look like in HD. He showcased their creations in a set of videos depicting the red and blue Pallet Town and Vermillion City in modern 2.5D pixel art.
Dott’s versions of Pokmon Red and Pokmon Blue, made with Unreal Engine 5, resemble the visual style of games like Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler series. People, trees, and certain other scene objects take the form of highly detailed pixel art sprites. Meanwhile, the buildings and rocks are modeled in 3D with flat but detailed textures, making them resemble cardboard structures. The objects are arranged on inclined planes, adding to the impression of viewing animated dioramas. Careful use of light and shadow also helps to set the mood.
Unfortunately, Dott’s Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue HD games are not playable. Instead, it’s just a fun little exploration of what such a remake might look like. Still, if the comments on YouTube are any indication, this seems to be what many Pokemon fans want to see from the series. Hopefully Nintendo takes note and uses this art style in a future Pokemon game or even a potential remake of the earlier game.