Since the very early days of Tidewater, Chris has been very headstrong that he wanted a Geometric range of products, because he has a “love of all things low poly”. So when he discovered Flowalistik’s Low Poly Pokemon range, it made so much sense to both of us that this should be part of it. As Chris said, “[Pokemon is] iconic, have been around since I was at school, and I just really like how these models look.”
Chris and I are both children of the 80s, who grew up with low poly video games; for me it was Final Fantasy VII and for Chris, it was Pokemon amongst others. So this style of design work is absolutely riddled with nostalgia for both of us.
Polygon graphics were simple by today’s standards, and yet captured our imaginations in ways that games hadn’t really done before, because this was the first time gaming felt less 2D and more 3D. Another good example of this is Lara Croft in the early Tomb Raider games. Low Poly is often associated with triangular shapes, which was definitely the shape of Lara’s boobs!!
Low Poly products, such as these Pokemon draws inspiration from the original look of the games, meaning that they appeal to the Gen-X and Millennials who loved the games in the 90s, whilst appealing to a new younger audience, who love the characters today.
The Challenges of Low Poly Modelling
Low Poly isn’t for everyone. In fact, over the years it has been quite a divisive form of 3D design, mainly because it brings many challenges. The biggest one of these is how to capture the essence of the character, such as the Pokemon whilst keeping the design simple.
Charmander (above) is a great example of this, his hands are close to his belly to minimise the number of faces used in the design. Clever use of angles also minimises the need for supports when printing.
The Draw of Nostalgia
Some people prefer realism in their design, however with Low Poly comes the nostalgia of a time when things were a little simpler. However, something else that really draws our attention is that hyper-realism ages; it does not age well because technology is constantly advancing.
A great example of this is Final Fantasy 8. Hot on the heels of Final Fantasy 7’s success, 8 saw a huge leap from polygon-based graphics, to realistic ones that were groundbreaking. Almost 30 years later, Final Fantasy 8 has not aged well; it looks dated, clunky and kinda ugly. 7, on the other hand, whilst yes, it does look old, it gets away with it, for it’s simplicity. Of course, many fans are flocking to the remakes that have been released in the past few years, however there are still a large number of hardy fans who choose to play the original, because they love the poly style.
Final Fantasy 7 isn’t the only game with timeless graphics; other classic games such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 remain a popular part of gaming history, because of the low-poly graphics.
As such, Low Poly Pokemon – with their bright colours, blocky shapes and cuteness, give us a retro charm that withstands the tests of time.
Whether or not you are a Graphic Designer, the chances are strong that you can appreciate the strong and clean lines of low poly.
The Great Low Poly Comeback
In recent years, the low-poly aesthetic has made a notable comeback.
A variety of indie game developers have happily embraced the retro-style of graphics, knowing all-too-well that they evoke a certain level of nostalgia for many of us.
Popular games such as Minecraft absolutely thrive on their simplicity, and even some of the more recent Pokemon games.
Several fan-made projects exist that have involved modern Pokemon games being re-made by fans and reimagined as if they were created specifically for the Game Boy Colour. They included pixelated graphics, classic 8-bit music and turn-based battle system that is reminiscent of gaming from the 1990s.
If like us, you really love the low-poly style of gaming, why not check out our full range of Low Poly Pokemon, available as Pokemon bundles, as well as individually.
