While some fans easily get caught up in arguing the differences betweenDigimonandPokemon,other fans embrace both series for their similarities and differences alike. One such fan has taken to Twitter with their own versions of several popular Digital Monsters, sparking messages of support from Pokemon and Digimon lovers across the internet.
WhilePokemonis undoubtedly popular in the States,Digimonnever quite got as huge for Americans as it did in Japan. Many Stateside Pokemon-Digimon conversations tend to debate which of the two series came first, and/or which is most original. Given that the franchises both originated around the same time, and both feature young protagonists teaming up with fantastical creatures, it isn’t difficult to see how people could associate the two.
RELATED:Leak Suggests Game Freak Planned More Kalos Pokemon Games
WhereasPokemonfeatures monsters based on animals, objects, and plants,Digimonadds a tech-colored tinge to everything. All ofDigimon’s monsters are (needless to say) digital, and that can usually be observed as part of their character design. InDigimon, even unarmored Rookies like theclassic Agumon will eventually Digivolveinto tech-integrated beasts like MetalGreymon.
Clearly, artist and gamer @sindorman is a fan of the two series. Instead of simply creating pixel sprites ofDigimon, or making Poke Ball-themedDigimonvariants, this artist has tried to imagine whatDigimonwould look like if they entered the PokeUniverse. Using existingPokemoncreatures to inform his designs,Sindorman effectively translatedseveral popular Digivolution lines ofDigimonintoPokemonvariants of themselves.
For example, Patamon, an angelicDigimon, is redesigned with Pikachu’s framework in mind, and then digivolves into a Mr. Mime-influenced version of the beloved Angemon. In a similar fashion, Sindorman uses his designs to highlight the similarities between Meowth and Gatoman, Jynx and Angewomon, Growlithe and Gabumon, and other Digi-Poke combos.
Many fans are also expressing their appreciation for the elemental mix-ups implied by these designs. Whereas Gabumon and Garurumon areDigimonknown for having icy abilities,Growlithe and Arcanine are Fire-type Pokemon. Similarly, Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokemon, while Patamon is simply a flying Data/Vaccine-type Digimon.
If anything, this fan’s designs help underscore the trueimportance of series likeDigimonandPokemon. Of course, most know that these are two hyper-popular franchises, but few ever consider the countless ways in which they’ve shaped and defined gaming/anime communities.PokemonandDigimoncontinue to serve as paragons of what the monster-taming RPG realm could look like, and more importantly, they continue to inspire entirely new narrative and gaming innovations.
