Highlights
- Pokemon fan successfully recreates Gen 1 starters in Paper Mario style, offering a fresh take on beloved classics.
- Paper Mario's resurgence aligns well with Pokemon's enduring popularity, sparking creativity among fans.
- Fans speculate on potential crossover between Pokemon and Paper Mario universes, generating excitement for future possibilities.
A Pokemon fan has recreated the sprites of the Pokemon Red and Blue starters in the style of Paper Mario. The animation is charming and can give fans an idea of what it would be like to see a Pokemon RPG that looks like Paper Mario.
Paper Mario is having a big moment right now, as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has recently released. The remake has received tons of praise from fans and critics, becoming one of the highest-ratest games of 2024. While Mario and Pokemon have been under the Nintendo umbrella since their respective inceptions, the series have never really crossed over in any major way outside of games like Super Smash Bros. The works of this fan, however, shows what it would be like if Pokemon suddenly got integrated into the Paper Mario universe, or if the same designers made a Pokemon game.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Gives Charles Martinet The Send-Off He Deserves
Charles Martinet has left voicing Mario behind, but with the resurrection of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, he remains immortalized as Mario.
Artist TimDrawsStuff shared their recreation of the classic Pokemon Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, redesigning and animating them in the Paper Mario style. The three Pokemon look fantastic in Paper Mario's style. Each one is is essentially in an idle animation, happily bobbing up and down with even the ears of Bulbasaur waving independently with inertia. The three designs are extremely cute, and offer a refreshing take on standard Pokemon designs from Game Freak and The Pokemon Company.
The Pokemon series has been around for a long time, but Gen 1 continues to captivate players all over the world. While Paper Mario isn't quite as old as Pokemon Red and Blue, its cute and retro-esque aesthetic lends itself well to crossing over with Pokemon. Both series have proven that they also have staying power, as fans have not been shy about celebrating the launch of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Paper Mario's Future
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how Nintendo approaches the remainder of the Paper Mario series. The original title, Paper Mario, is already available on the Nintendo Switch Online subscription program, perhaps indicating that Nintendo isn't interested in remaking it at this time. However, a number of the other entries to the series, like Super Paper Mario and Paper Mario: Color Splash, have yet to come to the Switch in any way. With the success of The Thousand-Year Door, it's possible that more Paper Mario games could get remasters or remakes. Given the timing, if such a thing happens, they would likely be revealed for the Switch 2, which will allegedly launch in 2025.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
- Created by
- Satoshi Tajiri
