One of the most special parts ofPokémon BDSPis the ability to have your Pokémon walk alongside you - but players were unpleasantly surprised by some Pokémon’s stiff walking animations.
The much anticipatedPokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearlbrought back Sinnoh favorites along with new cute features for the Generation IV remake. Taking a leaf out ofPokémon Soul Silver/Heart Gold, Pokémon can now walk alongside player characters outside of their Pokéballs.
This feature was one of thePokémonfranchise’s sweetest design decisions, making the bond between the player and their Pokémon all the more real. That’s why, when Nintendo announced this as a feature forPokémonBrilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, many fans were excited to finally see their Poké-friends in the overworld again.
However, a few players were disappointed by some of their favoritePokémon’s walking animations, criticizing the stiff and lifeless movements of the models.
WHAT’S WITH THE POKÉMON BDSP WALKING ANIMATIONS?
In the game, players can choose one Pokémon from their party to walk alongside them. Most Pokémon have their own unique walking animation, fromArbok’s slither to Venonat’s bouncy steps.
Though, in a Reddit post by user UrFriendlySpider-Man, it’s clear that not all animations received the same level of care. In the video, UrFriendlySpider-Man’s player character runs along a path, followed by a coiled-up Ekans. Instead of a snake slither, like expected, Ekans just stays coiled, stiffly sliding along the ground.
The models' strange movement prompted many on the r/Pokémon subreddit to point out thatEkans moves more like a Roombathan a snake. Looking at the round, still model, it’s honestly an accurate comparison to the automated vacuum.
Additionally, other snake-like Pokémon unfortunately received the same treatment. Pokémon like Milotic were subjected to floating or sliding static models, leaving otherwise beautiful Pokémon to look lifeless.
Looking at the overall collection of walking animations, it’s strange to see such a wide range of detail. While the serpentine Pokémon were left with balloon-like movements, others likeGarchompor Golem were given multiple unique sequences.
For a game all about creating special friendships and bonds with Pokémon, it’s sad to see some neglected. Part of the joy of these games, particularly this walk-together feature, is seeing the personalities of your player character’s party. So, without equal expressiveness, many of the Pokémon models just remain lackluster in comparison.
Now, it’s unknown whether to not Nintendo aims to address this. Animation, especially on this scale, is no small task, and an overhaul of any kind of Pokémon walking animation would be a massive undertaking.
In the meantime,Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearlis available to play on Switch.
