An independent developer known for making creature-collector RPGs is in the beginning stages of developing a new 3D game inspired by some viral Pokemon fan art, which itself is based on Ken Sugimori’s original trading card game designs.
I am Yanako RPGs, an indie developer and creator of MonMae, which is an open source game making engine that is designed specifically for fans of the classic Pokemon games. As a debut title, the company will release a 2D pixel art monster taming RPG called Dokimon, built in the MonMae programming language. In addition, for the developer’s next project, they would like to make a 3D Pokemon-like game based on the incredible artwork of Pokeyugami, which we initially discovered (and raved about) back in 2022.
As soon as Dokimon is finished, I’ll start working on the moving parts that go into making such a game. A big thanks to pokeyugami for the inspiration and amazing representation of this art style in 3D that he has provided.
The first time I saw Pokeyugami’s clip of what a 3D Pokemon game in Sugimori’s original art style would look like, I thought, “This needs to be a real thing.” And now it appears that I’m finally getting what I asked for after years of waiting.
It is still very early in the conceptual development stages of this project, but I could not be more excited about the prospect of working on it. It’s no secret that I grew up playing Pokemon trading cards games, as well as those early Game Boy classics, so the idea that a 3D reimagining would feature modern controls is an actual dream come true for me.
As Yanako says, the game will use a mixture of 3D and pixel art, similar to how newer Pokémon games have done it, but the focus/style will be watercolor 3D. In this untitled project, there is a plan that the project will contain a number of elements from Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as Pokemon Black and White 2 “in some instances.”
It’s important to remember that this is still just a twinkle in Yanako’s eye at this point, so it is possible that it will undergo substantial changes by the time it is actually in development. However, it seems like the core concept of having a 3D creature catcher in the style of Sugimori’s timeless art will remain the same for years to come.
