>>5495380>>5495302What I miss about the original games is, if you recall, that the rival actually had a different sprite every time you fought him. These days people just stick to the T shirt look but the final champion battle had him in a collared jacket.
I don't know if this was what they were going for but to my kid mind the sprites looked like they were advancing in age. Both the body proportions and outfit of Champion Blue look more adult, and his hair looks more grown out and less boyish. In my head, this meant the game time itself was microcosmic: in-universe years were passing between badges.
It'll never happen but I'd love to have a figure of Blue in his actual champion garb. I'm not even sure what colours his clothes would be, I don't think I've seen it in official art.
