What Makes a Bad Pokemon ?

[Dan]

So aside from the obvious half empty coke can pokemon, television pokemon, and knife and fork pokemon, like designs. what does make a bad pokemon in terms of design.

A lot of people would say Gen 1 and 2 had the best Pokemon, I somewhat agree with this. I also however believe that some of it has to do with growing up with these Pokemon. I saw Generation 1 and 2 Pokemon so much on the anime and games, that I guess I just got so used to them. As a child you sort of don't care so much for design. Small things amaze us a lot more when we are younger.

Now when it comes down to generation 1 and 2, I think it could be in terms of simplicity and being able to identify what that pokemon was related to in the animal kingdom, that made us like them so much. A lot of the new pokemon designs have me thinking "what the **** is that supposed to be".

<This is a pokemon

The new ones just seem to be hard to identify, unremarkable and just plain silly. I was quite diserpointed at the selection of ghost pokemon on black, I had to choose from a chandelier or a coffin :I

So what do you think makes a bad Pokemon design ?

(Yes I know this thread will be mocked, but what can you do, at least I tried eh)

 

[A Link In Time]

It honestly depends, Dan. While I found the variety of Pokemon in Generation V to be more repugnant than the earlier introduced creature, each region had its own duds.

Take the examples of Tangela or Porygon from the first generation. They stand out as two hideous caricatures who neither faithfully model anything in real life nor boast a unique fantasy design. In Johto Hoppip and its evoltuons Skiploom and Jumpluff were uninspired. The point is, there are outliers in every videogame and the personal tastes of one differ from those of another. You may dislike Chandelure and Co***rigus but I personally enjoyed them as Ghost Pokemon, right up there with the likes of Duskull and its evolutions as well as the Gastly crew. The only true Unova stinker is Trubbish (quite literally).

Your post solely focuses on the aesthetic side of Pokemon design, however, I'd like to add a short excerpt regarding the usefulness of certain Pokemon. Take Magikarp for example. The only attacks it can learn are splash, tackle, and flail. Only one of these is a genuine offensive maneuver. Once evolved into Gyarados, however, it becomes a powerhouse. Truth be told, the Pokemon Company and game Freak have run dry of ideas and it's nice to see them taking a break and returning to basics with Black 2 and White 2 albeit featuring new forms of older Pokemon.

 

[Dan]

It honestly depends, Dan. While I found the variety of Pokemon in Generation V to be more repugnant than the earlier introduced creature, each region had its own duds.

Take the examples of Tangela or Porygon from the first generation. They stand out as two hideous caricatures who neither faithfully model anything in real life nor boast a unique fantasy design. In Johto Hoppip and its evoltuons Skiploom and Jumpluff were uninspired. The point is, there are outliers in every videogame and the personal tastes of one differ from those of another. You may dislike Chandelure and Co***rigus but I personally enjoyed them as Ghost Pokemon, right up there with the likes of Duskull and its evolutions as well as the Gastly crew. The only true Unova stinker is Trubbish (quite literally).

Your post solely focuses on the aesthetic side of Pokemon design, however, I'd like to add a short excerpt regarding the usefulness of certain Pokemon. Take Magikarp for example. The only attacks it can learn are splash, tackle, and flail. Only one of these is a genuine offensive maneuver. Once evolved into Gyarados, however, it becomes a powerhouse. Truth be told, the Pokemon Company and game Freak have run dry of ideas and it's nice to see them taking a break and returning to basics with Black 2 and White 2 albeit featuring new forms of older Pokemon.

True I wasn't denying that there wasn't any bad gen 1 pokemon, I meant to state that because I grew up with them, they don't seem so bad. While I can admit they are pretty bad pokemon. I still feel they are pretty neat. (Which is only because nostalgia, I guess). I guess it's also to do with a matter of taste. I just can't get into pokemon that are based on objects like street lamps , and washing machines.

 

[Fig]

I know what you mean big bro, I also agree with the first part of your statement. It is true that that because we are young, we really don't know/understand what's going and we just happen to like and continue to enjoy a product/series. But as we age, we find out that it was the simplicity of the first generations that amazed us so much as kids, thus make us fans appreciate the older generations more than the newer generations. I tend to disagree. I, for one, love Pokémon with a passion. Don't get me wrong, I love the first generation as much as the next fan, but I just happen to also appreciate the fifth generation as much as the first. What I really love about the newer designs is that they are more creative than what we could have imagined. After the fourth generation, we pretty much thought that was it since Nintendo GameFreak already created Pokémon from almost anything from humans, to plants, to items, even god Pokémon so to speak.

What I liked about the new designs of Generation V is that they are unique. The designs of Gen V are pretty noticeable for even new gamers to the series. This may shock some people, but most designs are based off from Pokémon from past generations. Take Throh and Sawk for example. Both are Fighting Type Pokémon and each one is a different form of martial arts. Doesn't this sound familiar? Yes it does! Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were the original two Fighting Type Pokémon that were both different and the same to each other, same like Throh and Sawk. What I'm trying to say is that the new designs are more like a tribute to the original generation of Pokémon, which is a major reason why I felt so nostalgic throughout my journey in the Unova region. I hope Nintendo can keep on making fresh new designs of Pokémon that not only are new and unique from other generations, but also remind us why we began to enjoy this amazing franchise.

 

[Sydney]

You want to see bad Pokemon? You want to see terrible design? You want to see bad quality? All of Generation 5 is a great example.

 

[Musicfan]

I think trio pokemon are a bad desin like magnaton dugtrio and dodrio. Not relly that much crearivity.

 

[Leela]

You want to see bad Pokemon? You want to see terrible design? You want to see bad quality? All of Generation 5 is a great example.

If you have nothing to post don't post it at all.

I liked some of generation 5, I don't think they were all bad at all. I think both of the fossil Pokemon were really amazing.
I see your point on washing machine pokemon.

 

[TheLastAvenger]

If it's name is Bidoof than it is a bad Pokemon. Honestly that is the one Pokemon that I hate that angers me just looking at it.

 

[Chameleon]

I do like Gen V Pokemon, also, why don't you ask kids that are nowadays 10 and play Pokemon which Generation do they like the most? It will probably be the current one.

 

[EternalNocturne]

Going by designs only and not the in-game usefulness of the Pokemon, I'd actually have to be the odd one out here and say that I think, personally, Gen I was the worst... Please don't kill me...

I grew up with the Gen I Pokemon, but no matter how nostalgic they can be, when it comes down to it, most of their designs are just... lackluster. Of course, that's to be expected since it was the first set of Pokemon and everything hadn't been established yet. Take Pokemon like Magnemite and Diglett, for example:

Spoiler

-->

-->

Their evolutions are pretty uninteresting. Others, like Mr. Mime and Tangela, are just... Well, they're not very appealing.

While I'm not exactly too fond of the, erm, electrical appliance Pokemon (Rotom) or the Pokemon based on objects (Chandelure, the coffin Pokemon whose name is censored, ect.), I'd have to say that each generation has its share of odd creatures as well as the memorable, appealing ones. Amazingly, I found that I'm fond of the designs of many of Gen V's Pokemon, more than any other generation, although since the other ones (like the ice cream one... o_o) are so strange, I can't say it's my favorite.

When it comes down to it, I do think that the Pokemon that look more organic and natural seem to be the ones that appeal to most people. I hear a lot of complaints about how Pokemon aren't really Pokemon anymore, but more like objects with faces on them (Klink -- they literally slapped a face on each gear), and it's not too hard to see why.

 

[nareky]

Trubish is the worst looking pokemon ever, what even is that?

 

[Spirit]

Making it look like an Ice cream

 

[surferguy7]

According to most people blinded by nostalgia, anything created past Generation 1 is a bad Pokemon.

 

[Musicfan]

Making it look like an Ice cream

But its a vanilla flavered pokemon
Although I do agree.

 

[r2d93]

Poor moveset
Low stats
Low HP
Stupid Design

That's what makes a bad pokemon