>>34662282I seem to recall reading somewhere that the buildings in Gen 1 were given a sort of "retro" design like they would have had in the 60's, but 90's (which would have been contemporary) is also plausible. It's hard to tell either way given the graphics of the Gameboy. The prevalence of motorcycle gangs as NPC enemy trainers in Gen 1 also fits with the 90's aesthetic.
