The long wait for the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A rumbles on after a deeper look at the title on Pokémon Day last month neglected to announce an official release window for the title—but it’s not the only aspect of the game causing a stir.
In the Nintendo Switch era, Pokémon games have overseen a heap of visual changes, moving to a fully open-world in Scarlet and Violet, doubling down after taking the step into this approach with Sword and Shield and Legends: Arceus, but the art styles have changed regularly.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s Chibi style was swiftly scrapped, with Pokémon moving into a more realistic approach for subsequent titles, which has been ramped up a notch for Legends: Z-A.
Gone are the comic-style 3D models of Pokémon, instead replaced with a more clay-figure like look which hasn’t sat well with every corner of the fanbase—particularly as an early look at the art doesn’t look to be as clean as it should be, though of course we are still talking about a game that is in development.
One fan took it upon themselves to shake things up, however, posting on Reddit their take of a Sword and Shield-like look for Totodile with a side-by-side comparison of the water-type Pokémon’s look in Legends: Z-A.
The standout difference is that the edge of the model looks much sharper, while the lines on areas across the body help to make things stand out. In fact, the end design is entirely what the model should look like, leaving the Z-A model looking like a poorly-rendered copy.
The post struck a chord with the community, attracting almost 3,000 upvotes and over 140 comments, many of which expressed their preference for the Sword and Shield style compared to the route that Legends: Z-A is seemingly going down.
One fan commented that “the heavier black lines do a lot to improve the design. Another said they were a “much bigger fan of the SwSh style”—a sentiment that others agreed with, saying they miss it, though others suggested this was nostalgia and, when released, the look wasn’t as popular.
Others believed that the Sword and Shield approach made Totodile look “less plasticy,” while another said that the approach used in Z-A “ends up looking blurry and unpolished.”
I’m certainly not a fan of the smoother animation designs that Z-A looks to be following, though I will hold my breath on any major criticism until I get my hands on the game as there is still much that could change until release.
My biggest issue at the moment is that I still have no idea how much longer I need to wait to dive into the game, and I’m craving a new Pokémon fix.
Published: Mar 10, 2025 06:15 am