A pixel artist recreated the classic Pokemon Red in Square Enix’s HD-2D style used in Octopath Traveler, and the result is incredible. YouTuber Dott made several videos in a similar style over roughly six months, but they started gaining more recognition after self-styled Pokemon reporter Pory_Leaks highlighted them on Twitter (thanks, Eurogamer).
Dott’s specialty seems to be single, usually recognizable scenes, such as the snowball fight in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or the campfire scene from Chrono Trigger. In January, however, Dott made three videos showcasing Pallet Town and Vermillion City remade in HD-2D. The familiar soundtracks for both cities even got the Octopath Traveler treatment, as Dott replaced their chiptune themes with sweeping orchestral versions. Vermillion City even has seagulls calling in the background.
It’s impressive how much life the style change gives not just the cities, but the world around them too. Thick copses of dark trees flank Vermillion City, looking very much like the kind of place you wouldn’t want to meet a wild Pokemon alone. The water gently laps at a fishing boat, while the dock lamps cast a warm glow in the evening sun.
Whether Nintendo and The Pokemon Company would ever consider such a style for Pokemon remakes is another matter, but if you’re keen to see more of it, Dott has several other scenes on their YouTube channel, including a recent set of videos from the classic SNES game Terranigma.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
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