A Japanese Pokemon fan who wanted to see what Gen 8 would look like on the Game Boy recreated Sword & Shield in the retro 8-bit style.
Eight generations in, the Pokemon franchise has seen some major changes since its debut in 1996. Despite its shiny new features & epic designs, it’s hard not to still feel nostalgia for Red & Blue’s simplicity.
One fan who was curious what the Galar region would look like if it were created decades ago turned their dream into a reality by reimagining Gen 8 on the original Game Boy.
Pokemon Sword & Shield as a Game Boy title
Japanese YouTuber Hayate (ハヤテ京雲寺) uploaded their creation on February 1, and explained that the soundtrack for Gen 8 had inspired them to recreate the Nintendo Switch RPG in the same style as the Game Boy.
“I was listening to the BGM of the town of Sword & Shield and I wanted to listen to Game Boy style! I couldn’t find it when I looked for it, so I made it myself!” they said. To make the whole experience complete, the artist even created physical cartridges.
The video opens up with Red & Blue’s iconic intro cutscene being recreated with a Duraludon and Corviknight battle. It then flashes to the Gen I title screen, with the Galar protagonist standing next Scorbunny.
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As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the fan-made video shows over 19 minutes of gameplay. Sword & Shield fans will recognize the opening section of Postwick re-imagined in an incredible 8-bit graphical style.
The player also makes their way to Wedgehurst, before meeting Grass-type Gym Leader Milo while traveling through the small town of Turffield. Hearing the familiar music from Generation VIII in the retro style makes the whole thing perfect.
Despite only releasing at the end of 2019, Sword & Shield is already on track to becoming the second highest-selling title in the Pokemon franchise. While the Switch RPG is a major hit with fans, it’s neat seeing what Galar would have looked like had it been released in 1996.