>>51997618I’d say the crux of the issue is that now pokemon are being designed for 3D.
Before the transition to 3D happened, pokemon were drawn and that could more or less be translated directly to sprite art.
Now since they know the result will be in 3D and that translation isn’t so simple, they’re being designed in a way that’s easy to model. So, lots of distinct shapes, blockiness, and the like, because “organic” shapes are relatively difficult to make in 3D.
The direct link to the sketchbook has been lost.
