With the fourth generation ofPokemonbeing close to fifteen years old now and the original cartridges being quite expensive, the games needed a modern release. Coming in November,Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandPokemon Shining Pearlare the long-awaited remakes of the originalPokemon DiamondandPokemon Pearl. Opinions are split on the full jump to 3D that the series has made stemming from the 3DS games, but some fans still enjoy the incredible sprite work that came from the DS-era of the franchise.
The remakes are looking to be as faithful to the original games as possible and one of the ways it goes about this is going for chibi-like designs in the overworld. These help bring to mind the same looks the sprites had when playersfirst explored the Sinnoh Region. When brought into battle however, the games will have the trainers and Pokemon in full body models. For one nostalgic fan, they decided to go back toPokemon DiamondandPearl’s roots, by recreating the final battle against the champion in a 3D sprite based diorama.
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Reddit user IXI-Felix-IXI is a fan famous for recreating various locales and characters of video games into a 3D cube diorama or Shadowbox. Some of the ones that they’ve made and sold have been for prolific games with sprite based assets. Some of these include the restaurant Grillby’s fromUndertaleand the Kingdom of Zeal fromChrono Trigger. Their latest creation is another 3D cube diorama, depicting a battle between the player, their Monferno, andthe ever-popular Champion of Sinnoh Cynthia. Cynthia’s entire team fromDiamondandPearlis represented here, with sprites from the original game being used as well.
Some fellow fans commented on the one-sided situation depicted in the diorama, while others were nostalgic over the loving detail ofDiamondandPearl’s sprite artcrafted in this 3D piece. From the Pokemon, to the trainers, to the environment, it allows for imagination and creativity to flourish, showcasing incredible art like this. Some of IXI-Felix-IXI’s 3D diorama pieces are sold on Etsy, under the store name of GameArtBox, where they are open to custom orders.
With the games now a few months away, fans are eager for these new takes on the classics. Thelack of coverage during Nintendo’s E3 conferencecame as a surprise considering the games will be released in November. With this absence at E3, fans are speculating if a different event could be used to showcase not onlyBrilliant DiamondandShining Pearl, but alsoPokemon Legends: Arceustoo.
Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlwill be released for Nintendo Switch on June 24, 2025.
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