An Aesthetic Discussion Spanning 17 Years - Andrew vs Pokemon - DAILY UPDATES!

[VySaika]

Honestly I love Spoink. It's so stupid, but in an adorable way. One of the few that manages to register as "cute" for me, i guess.

[Grefter]

Sproink

After all these years thst is still the effect you have on me too bbe.

Spinda: Is fine. The gimmick is cute. The colors are fine. The drawn on look for the spirals is a bit weird but not crazy by Pokemon standards. Sure. 3/5

I wish I knew how to quit you.

[Hunter Sopko]

Honestly I love Spoink. It's so stupid, but in an adorable way. One of the few that manages to register as "cute" for me, i guess.

Also this. Spoink and Spheal are my two favorite names and they're both just so goofily adorable looking

[AndrewRogue]

Trapinch: So, random fact of the day: mousers were one of my favorite parts of TMNT. I just love the chomper jaw design. So... yeah, I like Trapinch. I'm not fond of his colors scheme (that orange is just a bit ugly to me), but it works conceptually for the idea of a desert dweller. Also, his eyes are cool. He can see victory. Also, I must say, the fact that he has wing shells on his back is nice for his evolution direction. 5/5

Vibrava: A pretty decent dragonfly pokemon. I really like the wings on this one, as well as the eye shields and the tail. I don't too much like the wing sockets or legs, but eh. Also, like so many pokemon evolutions, the color change is pretty dramatic. I like Vibrava's overall scheme, but it is a pretty dramatic departure (for all that it represents reality as well). Still, I don't quite love it quite as much as Trapinch. 4/5

Flygon: Is fucking awesome. I am a little disappointed in the color shift. I think Vibrava's black and green looks better than the red and green, plus I think it would work better than the fact that the dark green is absent from most of its torso. Probably could have fixed it up a bit by adding some additional stripes to the body or the wings, but hey. Can't have everything. Also the tail fan is cool. 5/5

[AndrewRogue]

Cacnea: I stopped last night because honestly, I don't know what to make of Cacnea. I think I actually like him. More spines would be superior to the green diamonds, but everything else... works pretty well. He's a stubby little cactus dude. 4/5

Cacturne: I like the head and face, but that's kinda it. The body isn't bad, but it is very... plain, especially given how much of it there is. So yeah, the scarecrow thing is cool, but he just ends up feeling massively underdesigned. 3/5

Swablu: You are one doofy looking bird. Like, the body shape really is a bit odd, being Hershey kiss like. I dunno, maybe I'm just generous today, but the cloud winged bird idea just works for me, and despite being kinda eh built, the concept delivers. 3/5

Altaria: Looks a lot better if you don't really see the 3D model. I guess I never really considered the design implications, but the fact that it has cloud wings + breast and then a bare back is... really lame. I think the clouds at least wrapping the whole of its torso would be superior, but here we are. It's feet sticking out are a bit goofy too. I do like the head (though I'm undecided on the cheek pads) with the crest. Blah. I want to give 3/5 on the Sugimori art alone, but I can't unsee the model. So 2/5 it is.

Zangoose: 3edgy5me. He's fine. I actually thought I disliked him more, but it turns out I don't. The red designs end up looking better than I remember. Him having thumbs is a bit weird to me, though. I never noticed that before. I guess I'd rather see a quadraped moongoose thing though. I dunno. I've been nice tonight, so let's round down. 2/5

Seviper: My go to example for some of my issues with later Pokemon design where there is just too much going on. Like, what are all these weird yellow knob, emblem, scale things that are a hexagon with a circle inside them? Why the random purple designs on top of that? Why is his body super scrunched on top of all that? Why a TAIL BLADE? Why the two spots of pure red? Like, I like the basic outline of Seviper, and I think the individual designs elements (those weird knobbly bits aside) are fine, but taken together they just feel overwhelming. That said, all bitching aside, Seviper at least has a decent shape so it can escape the worst score. 2/5

[AndrewRogue]

Someone review the next few for me. No? Fine.

Lunatone: Honestly, the duckbill is the only thing here that really upsets me. Psychic rock moon. I can do with that. The body works with a little roughness, the eyes are sufficiently weird alien to make the design work, but that duckbill is really stupid. Like, I don't get it. Why? I was gonna rate this dead average, but the longer I look at the bill, the madder I get at it. WHY? 2/5

Solrock: I actually thought I hated this one more, but the Sugimori art is pretty decent. Same caveat as Lunatone really. Psychic rock sun with an alien twist works. My biggest complaint is the stupid eyelash things around the eyes. What is it with this pair and having something stupid added to them? I think a more uneven distribution of the little rocks rather than a full circle along its vertical equator would have worked better. All annoys me way less than Lunatone's duckbill though. 3/5

Barboach: Go little dildo-fish. Be the hero we need but don't deserve. Pleasant colors, nice fin placement. The more I look, the more I like, but it doesn't quiiiiite feel like it deserves top marks. 4/5

Whiscash: 2/5

[Dark Holy Elf]

Whiscash is a derpy little motherfucker but I like him. Not sure how much of that is design and how much of that is being one of the few things to learn Earthquake at a reasonable level, though. <_<

[Lady Door]

Lunatone and Solrock:

Barboach:

Whiscash:

[DjinnAndTonic]

Top Marks Flygon is accurate. My only issue with Trapinch is how much I just want a fully-evolved Antlion pokemon.

I really like Altaria's head plumage. It gives the whole thing a great silhouette. I can understand not liking the weirdness with the cloud wings, though. Still, would have given it the same score as its pre evolution though.

Barboach is fucking awful. Solrock and Lunatone look better in those pics that LadyDoor posted.

Seviper/Zangoose are only notable for being a nifty rare instance of Pokemon attempting some kind of notable species interaction (in this case, a rivalry). I'm not sure why Pokemon is so hesitant to form natural ecological connections between members of its fictional ecology.

[AndrewRogue]

My daughter will one day have to finish this topic for me.

Corphish: I liked you better when you were Krabby. Seriously, the idea here isn't bad, but like. You couldn't have spiced the colors up a bit instead of being Krabby 2.0? The head spikes too? And what the fuck is wrong with those pincers. He can pince near his eyes and that is it. I do like how later sprites changed his eyes a bit to make them less dopey. I dunno, I complain, but I do sort of like him? He's cute in a horrible lobster way. I just wish they'd differentiated a bit stronger from Krabby. Also, proper segmentation use for once. 3/5

Crawdaunt: Would it be gauche to make a Jordan Peterson joke? Uh, anyhow. A nice progression on the whole, with a lot of little details that... really bug me. Like the color shift is good. Why was this not Corphish's base color? Calls back to Krabby/Kingler without looking the exact same. And the stripe of blue is a good add, as is the little tale stripe. Just little touches to break things up without being too busy. I have no idea what that star is all about though. Like, it is an evolution of the head spikes but... why? And the feet. Those are creeping me out. Why does he have giant feet and then little... balancing legs? Those legs upset me immensely. They haunt my dreams. Just let him be a lobster. Give him lobster legs, not horror feet. 2/5

Baltoy: I like this little dude. Simple and clean. It's just a pleasant shape and the color is nice and generally good at communicating what it is. He works. 4/5

Claydol: I really hate those stupid arms. Everything else here is pretty cool (though we could use a bit more color continuity) but those arms... Honestly, I tell a bit of a lie. The shape just isn't as aesthetically pleasing as Baltoy, but I really do like the mult-eye design. Sure, let's just say slightly worse than Baltoy, but still kinda cool. 3/5

Lileep: Feather dusters are cool. Lileep... ah... I like Lileep, but I'm kinda hard-pressed to justify it. The overall design is just really weird. I guess it sorta imitates another thing with hair, keeping its gragile face safe inside the cup (explaining the general layout of the body and the yellow "eyes"). The segmented neck/stem is kinda lame though and the color combination just doesn't super work for me. Are yellow and purple agreeable colors with pink? I dunno. *tosses hands up* I guess it also doesn't super convey its plant typing well given the petals look more fleshy than anything. Mercy 2/5.

Cradily: An improvement. The colors work better here and the overall design is more interesting with a clearly imitatory look going down. Still kinda unsold on the petals? But definitely an improvement. 3/5

[AndrewRogue]

Anorith: For the longest time I never noticed Anorith's actual eyes. Like, we're talking took until Gen 6 to notice. They aren't too bad here, really, since it makes him look like a cute and doofy little bug guy. The claws kinda bug me because I really don't understand how they are positioned or how they work there, but the overall body shape is pretty good and I go back and forth on like the feather/fan legs. He's fine, I guess. 3/5

Armaldo: The eyes here, on the other hand, look really stupid. He's... not awful, but I just don't like the progresion from Anorith to him, really. Its the same sort of goofiness as Kabutops. The overall shape is fine (though the hell is going on on his back with the little wing fin things?), but I just find myself not liking him and about 90% of it comes back to those fucking goofy ass eyes. 2/5

Feebas: If it is trying to be ugly, can I really score it low for succeeding? Yes. It is a borderline case, but in honor of what it is trying to be (and because those lips are really truly hideous, along with the sort of emaciated lower body) I will give it the desired 1/5. Congrats.

Milotic: The pretty sea serpent is pretty. I think I'd like it better without the odd head horn or if the coloration carried further up its body (or if it managed to maintain a little more of the Feebas look in its evolution) but honestly I really do like this one a lot. I guess I just like flowy designs, and the ear-fins and eyebrows help there, as well as just the very smooth snout shape. Much like its pre-evo it is borderline but I will give it the desired 5/5 anyway.

Castform: The biggest breasts in all of Pokemon. There is nothing else to discuss about this design. That decision defines Castform. Caster the busty fucking ghost over here. Why did I come back to this topic? 1/5

Castform (Sunny): Why GameFreaks? 1/5
: Castform (Rainy): What did I do to you? 1/5
Castfrom (Snowy): This is the best one and maybe it is the suffering talking, but this probably makes 2/5 on the basis of not having giant breasts or being a weather emoji.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Castform is such a shame because its innate ability that allows it to transform into different types and get different moves based on the Weather effect is incredibly rad to me.

If that ability was on a different pokemon, (maybe something akin to the Therions from Gen 5?) and it had cool transformations, it would be amazing and probably my favorite pokemon. I already have a fondness for Castform and I absolutely loathe its aesthetic design.

GameFreak has this bad habit of not being able to give cool and interesting RPG-mechanical designs to any of the Pokemon who I like for aesthetic design...

[AndrewRogue]

Kecleon: Gen 3 has a lot of yellow highlights and random zig-zags. I get why they exist (breaking up mono-color) but there has to be a better way to do that in most cases. I dunno. I don't... hate Kecleon. I just don't like him either. Chameleons look weird. He looks weird. Those little wings are definitely stupid though. 2/5

Shuppet: I love this little sheet ghost. Giving him a head is a decent choice, and the eye color is surprising cool. A simple design that just works. 4/5

Banette: I like it less than Shuppet. The design isn't bad, but I just find it less clean. I just have no idea what is going on with Banette's head shape. Why its eyes look like that. Etc. The concept (possessed doll) is solid, but the actual design feels a bit lacking? Still, the zipper is a nice touch, and I like the limp hands. Not sure what that tail is, though. Chalk it up to another random yellow affectation on a Gen 3 pokemon. 3/5

[Lady Door]

The detail choices on Banette are weird, but face it: if that thing were to rise from a pile of stuffed toys, it would still be ~super effective~. I think the zipper mouth is what really gets me. What are you hiding, Banette? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING.

In other news, Castform is a tragedy as Djinn says. It's a neat concept, and you even get to start with something as simple as a cloud. Why did you have to fuck it up, Game Freak?

[Ranmilia]

https://twitter.com/princessproto/status/1077707200854978570

[DjinnAndTonic]

I'm personally more of a fan of the high-Orbosity pole and the high-Noodliation pole, while the High-both pole is really "...meh" to me.

Spheal is friend-shaped. Dragonair is a platonic ideal of beauty. Tangela is... meh.

[AndrewRogue]

Duskull: Much like Shuppet, I like this fairly simple and straightforward ghost design. It is grim reaper ghost. It works. I do think the bones on the back (sweatshirt logo style) are too much though. And it is really hard to notice in a lot of the art, but I find the fact that it only has one eye that drifts between the two eyeholes on the skull to be wierdly neat. A totally small and pointless thing, but neat. 4/5

Dusclops: And then... this happens. Like, I don't... hate the core idea of a cyclopic mummy ghost, I just really don't like the chubby humanoid ghost thing, and it is really pronounced here. Like, he is ultra waddly compared to even Gendar. And I'm not sure what is with those slightly off-color ears and head thing. I dunno. There's clearly something here because despite not liking any of the individual pieces outside of maybe the mouth thing (which kinda nicely follows off Duskull), I don't really hate Dusclops as much as I'd expect. That said, he's still not good. 2/5

Tropius: You are... so weird. I legit forget this thing is Grass/Flying just because it is such a weird choice of dinosaur to model it after for that. That aside, there's nothing really wrong with the design? The banana beard is a bit weird, but it doesn't exactly jar overly badly. I'm just gonna go ahead and give it 3/5 because I dunno.

Chimecho: I actually kinda like Chimecho. The color and patterning is really nice and the shape is mostly okay. I think I'd like it better if its tail didn't look so -exactly- like it was a windchime and more hung down from it without looking like it were glued on, but hey. And look at those helpless little nub arms. It's adorable. 4/5

Absol: Edgy/5

Honestly, I like Absol but whenever I look at it, I have a lot of trouble actually justifying it. The mane is cool and nice and fluffy, the headscythe is acceptable, and I actually like its feet and face pretty well. A decent cat/dog predator hybrid along the lines of the eeveelutions while still looking rather distinct. The "hair" really bugs me though. I get it is going for the magatama thing, but it just looks so... weird with its perfectly straight lines. If they could have scruffed it up a bit like they did with the mane I'd have dug it more. And that tail is a... thing. Just glue a little scythe to its butt. And those two things really, really bug me. 3/5

Wynaut: It is a baby wobbuffet. I mean, the design does successfully look like a younger version of it? Or at least I can track like, all of the design choices that lead from one to the other.  The head dick looks pretty stupid though. I dunno. What'd I give wobbuffet? 2/5? That works here.

[AndrewRogue]

We continue on in 2019. It's cold. I'm cold. Let's do this.

Snorunt: Its been a great 2019, see you all next year.

No? Fine. It's... I have no idea what to do with this, really. It's weird. I guess it isn't the worst or anything, but it is like an oddish with a parka. I don't really like the colors at work here and I just find it kinda forgettable. The diamonds on the back are okay? Whatever. 2/5

Glalie: I notice the parka is gone. Honestly, this is a surprisingly... consistent evolution from Snorunt, which always surprises me when I think about it. Like, they definitely look really different, but there are a lot of solidly consistent elements. I definitely like Glalie better as a design for all that is a just a floating head covered in ice. But ultimately I don't really think there is anything particularly great here, and frankly it is a really unclear design. Like, the ice part is not even clear unless you know what you're looking at. Also I hate hockey masks. 2/5

Spheal: O/5 (EDIT: Under additional consideration, I have opted to upgrade this score slightly 4/5)

Sealeo: I forgot this thing existed. Like, I was thinking Spheal went straight to Walrein. Go figure. And for good reason. This thing is both boring and bad. The body shape kinda works, but the fins are placed really poorly, creative a fairly awkward looking thing. Like, the tail is just flued onto the end of that fat worm body and I just dunno why those flippers are right there. The mustache isn't bad, but I think it being stark white doesn't work with everything else going on here. 2/5

Walrein: I liked this design more until I looked at it from behind. Like, that tail is worse than Sealo. And the old man hair is atrocious fucking looking. The beard stuff looked better as a face frill and mane, not this whole entire head covering hair thing. The walrus elements are fine (though I think one of its legs are broken in the art) but holy shit that stuff on the back is awful. 2/5 I guess.

[Lady Door]

Snorunt is criminally underrated. It's a little ghost child who brings good luck! It's an adorable little candy corn shape! It does have a parka 'cause it's cold. It has a simple design that does not have any excessive detail or extra frill, just clean outlines with small touches that give it texture and depth. It clearly has a face and there aren't any hidden "haha, you thought that was a mouth" moments that a ridiculous number of Pokemon seem to have. Yellow/orange cloak and black/teal eyes are a good pair and it's well balanced. It has ghost snowball hands!!! It deserves at least a 4/5.

Spheal is also adorable but I have no idea whether it'd pop if I tried to squeeze it so ultimately I think it gets the score it deserves. Spheal -> Sealeo -> Walrein is just disappointing. What a boring line. The fractal/haha just kidding not fractal snow-inspired beard & hair for Walrein just does not fit in with the rest. Sealeo sprouts a frayed white snow moustache, and then it goes fuckin' nuts all over its head in Walrein? Is Walrein's throat cartilage escaping out of its neck? Did it get caught in a soda ring as it evolved? What the hell, Walrein?

[Hunter Sopko]

Spheal is an adorable round boi you heretic

[Dark Holy Elf]

Spheal's one of the most adorable Pokemon out there, criminally underrated here. I'd probably give the line like 5/4/3 myself.

[AndrewRogue]

Clamperl: This was a hard one to come back to. I guess its fine? It manages to distinguish itself from Shellder well enough. It emphasizes its existence as a pearl thing mounted in the shell. The colors work well. The shell shape is kinda neat and reminds me of forretress. I'm just not sold on the overall design of it being the little pearl thing being held by a... whatever is holding it. I dunno. This is weirdly hard. I don't hate it. I actually like a lot of its pieces. I just don't feel like it comes together to really wow me. Let's just call it a slightly worse Shellder and be done. 3/5

Huntail: Can we go back to Clamperl? This, Gorebyss, and Octillery are like, three of the worst evolutions in the game for making sense. The color here is hideous if you ask me, color wheel be damned. The overall shape isn't bad (though is its tail supposed to look like Gorebyss?) but the coloring and spots and weird round little backspines just do nothing for me. Also, unsure why it has a headfan. Once I look at the sprites, goddamn is its head big in some of those. 2/5
 
Gorebyss: Man, fuck this thing. The colors here are better than Gorebyss, but uh... yeah. Why does it have a shell bra? Why? WHY? Also I guess the tail fan looks like the one on Huntail's head. I didn't even notice the eyelashes until right now. And just the weird trilogy of noodles that make up its face. And its head is so goddamn big too. Fuck I hate this thing. 1/5

Relicanth: I actually think of this thing when people talk about coelcanths. It has actually supplanted the real animal in my mind. (And yes, I know theHonestly, outside the back fin (the actual one, not the horn) is the only thing I don't really like. The muddy design is good for its rock-typing, the head looks solidly bony, the little fins are neat. I guess the tail could be a bit more pronounced? The little red dot is neat too. I like this fish. It is very close to the real one, but the head is a really nice and pokemon update so I'll give it the credit. 4/5

Luvdisc: You know what. I think it is bed time. 2/5

[DjinnAndTonic]

"Trilogy of Noodles" is going to be my new 3-man garage band.

But wow, I had never looked at Goreabyss closely before. Dear god that seashell bra is quite a misstep... Good use of that rare 1/5. What a strange name for such an oddly-plain Pokemon...

[AndrewRogue]

Bagon: Lookit the little adorable t-rex dragon with his stubby arms. The head shell is kinda weird, but I don't hate it. I also don't really like the overall color scheme, but it isn't terrible? Those ears are fucking dumb though. I guess the nub arms and hoof feet are kinda lame too. I dunno. All the little elements don't bug me that much when taken together. He'd probably look better with a tail. I think this manages 3/5.

Shelgon: We once again are forced to ask: what is dramatic color changes between evos? From blue and tan to black and red. Why? I kinda like this guy a bit more than I should. I think he'd look better with a tail or the back totally closed, but egg with angry eyes and little nub feet works. 3/5

Salamence: And back with a brighter blue than Bagon plus the red from Shelgon. I like him. He's a dragon-y dragon. Probably the worst parts are the stupid face fins and those awful, awful wings. What are they even? Just Red sheets glued to his back. Everything else is kinda nice though. A lot of carryover from his previous forms (the various coloring, head ridges, the shell remaining on the belly). And honestly the thicker bodied lizard dragon thing is pretty cool. Also I seriously think that is one of the better tails in all of pokemon for lizard-y type tails. But man those wings are awful. Dream big, but maybe next time sprout better wings. 4/5

Beldum: I have no idea what to make of Beldum. I guess it is a neat, non-organic pokemon? It certainly looks distinct and odd. Sure, I'll give it a weird mercy 4/5.

Metang: You on the other hand... It's the nose. It really looks stupid. The rest is fine, but the nose and the I guess like... side hair spikes are atrocious and I can't stop looking at them. 2/5

Metagross: Why does Gen 3 have two... whatever the lategame 3 stage evos are called as a group anyway? Anyhow, you know what, I actually think Metagross looks great. A nice kinda alien looking inorganic thing. The psychic typing is a bit mysterious, but eh. There is just a very nice clean progression here with the merged Beldum design. And he traded the stupid nose for a decent looking faceband, which is a rarity. Usually they double down on things I hate. I guess if I was gonna complain I'd complain that I don't like the main body being a symmetrical design? I think I'd prefer if the bottom were just flat. But hey. I'll give Metagross a 5/5 because I just realized I like it.

[Lady Door]

These are all really uninspiring Pokemon. They don't exactly look like knockoffs, which is suprising - I'll have to have a deep think about what could possibly be so consistent amongst 700+ designs as to constitute a "style bible" strong enough for me to casually retain it - but they aren't shining beacons of design meeting purpose or anything.

The things that are contiguous may be even more confusing and upsetting. Why does Bagon's head thingy become the entire shell for Shelgon and then reduce itself down to a belly plate for Salamence? What's the significance of that? I'm assuming the lore behind Beldum, Metang and Metagross is they're some conglomeration of the creatures, as that's what the design progression suggestions (arm, body + arm, four arms + body), but does that actually suggest that Metagross is some final evolution wherein the anima of the previous creatures is subsumed in some rock/metal tomb and donated to the greater glory of the parasitic diamond they now find themselves enslaved to?

Also why does Metagross just have a metal X whanged onto his face. why.