Pokemon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch shows just how far the franchise has come since the days of Red and Blue, but what would the most recent game look like in a similar 8-bit style? A Japanese YouTuber by the name of Hayate Keiunji imagined just that with a new Pokemon video marrying the two Pokemon generations together. Keiunji’s video is a pretty amazing recreation of the Galar region, and one that feels faithful to both the past and present of the Pokemon franchise. What’s even more impressive is that the video lasts 19 minutes in total, and even teases a follow-up!
The video can be found embedded below.
Pokemon Red and Blue opened with a battle between two Pokemon: Nidorino and Gengar in Red, and Gengar and Jigglypuff in Blue. Keiunji’s video replicates that opening using two Pokemon that debuted in Generation VIII: Corviknight and Duraludon. From there, the player is taken to a home screen where protagonist Victor stands alongside a sprite of the starter Scorbunny. However, as the game begins, it’s clear that this is not meant to replicate the story of Sword and Shield. Instead, it’s an original tale in which Victor and Hop find themselves waking up in “low resolution,” with no idea what happened!
There’s a really impressive attention to detail in the video. Everything looks and sounds the way that a classic Pokemon game should, but the heart of Sword and Shield remains intact; there’s even a sequence where Victor and Hop are chased by a Dynamax Wooloo! According to Keiunji, they came up with this concept when they wanted to hear a Game boy version of the background town music from Sword and Shield. When they couldn’t locate it, they decided to make it, and this project was the result!
The video is yet another testament to the creativity of the Pokemon fanbase. In the 25 years since Pokemon Red and Green released in Japan, fans have been finding a number of ways to showcase their passion for Pokemon, and Keiunji clearly did just that with their video. It will be interesting to see where the storyline goes when they release their second video!
Pokemon Sword and Shield is available now, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the game right here.
Are you a fan of Pokemon Sword and Shield? What do you think of the video? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
