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New Scans of Pokémon Original Art Show Drastically Different Look

New scans of Ken Sugimori's iconic art of the original 251 Pokémon have surfaced online, showing a drastically different look from what western Pokémon fans may be familiar with. It turns out that previous scans, which were sourced from the official western Pokémon Red, Blue, Gold, and Silver guide books, were of low quality, with washed-out colors and prominent missing details.

The new scans, which began circulating online last Tuesday, are sourced from the Japan-only Pokémon Gold and Silver Pokédex strategy guide from March 2000. These give a more accurate impression of what Ken Sugimori's artwork looked like at the time.

Software developer Christopher “ExcaliburZero” Wells provided the new scans, while archivist and YouTuber Lewtwo has taken it upon himself to upload the artwork to his Asset Archive, as well as community sites like Bulbapedia.

In an interview with Kotaku, LewTwo commented that the problems with the earlier scans appear to stem from distortions in the sources themselves. The low-quality images became so embedded in the western fan community because they were featured in several pieces of official Pokémon media and merchandise, such as the guide books, during the late '90s and early '00s. Preservation or even accuracy of the original look was not a priority in those days, with the Super Game Boy screenshots in the guide even using inaccurate colors.

For those who still have a sentimental attachment to the the previous look (they do have a certain vibe, after all), Lewtwo assures fans that they will always be available through Bulbapedia's file history, so there's no risk of them becoming lost media.

Source: Kotaku (Kenneth Shepard)