>>29063476I'm 34, and though i don't have a strong opinion on Sceptile, i can safely say both Greninja and Torterra are perhaps my favorite pokemon designs, or at least my favorite starters.
Greninja is an insanely clever execution of a concept that has vast background in ancient Japanese mythology, performed in a way that perfectly balances exactly the amount of detail it needs to bring that concept home. It is neither bland nor overwhelming; it is ambitious enough to be acknowledgeable, yet with arguably just enough to keep it from going overboard.
As for Torterra, it doesn't need to be flashy in order to catch the eye. I always mentioned that "overdesigned" is a term that can only be applicable when the amount of content far exceeds what is necessary to convey the concept. This is relevant in Torterra's regard because, if you look at it closely, you'll see that it has a lot going on. It being based on the World Turtle means that it benefits from these multiple details. The best example is for one to look only at the top of the shell: It instantly recalls that of a near-fisheye photograph of a vast landscape, with a great, leafy tree in the foreground, a field in the center and a rocky line of tall mountains in the back. All this along with muddy and rocky terrain variations make it feel even livelier, like a neat, exaggerated landscape painting of a planet so small you can see the curvature of it at first glance, but with its its landmarks accentuated in size. When you put it that way, it really does seem like Torterra is carrying a tiny world in its back. It's this extra bit of well-executed ambition that makes Torterra stand out from many pokemon that perform simpler concepts just as good as Torterra does.
