Fans speculating about possible Pokemon references in Akira Toriyama’s latest game

A recent Pokemon game, developed by ILCA, may have a connection to a new game that is based on the works of the late creator Akira Toriyama.

The developer ILCA is widely recognized among Pokemon enthusiasts, as they are responsible for the recent remakes of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Although the remakes have received mixed reviews, numerous fans appreciate them for their dedication to staying true to the original games and their unique aesthetic.

A few years have passed and the ILCA team has released a fresh game, causing some fans to notice a hidden link to the recent Pokemon titles. The newly launched game, Sand Land, is inspired by the manga created by the late Akira Toriyama, famous for his works such as Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.

Lewchube, a content creator for Pokemon, noticed the correlation while browsing through a post on X. In response, they shared a comment stating, “It’s quite amusing how ILCA has reused Lucas and Dawn’s idle animation for the new desert-themed game in Pokemon BDSP.”

very funny Pokemon BDSP discovery is ILCA reusing Lucas and Dawn’s idle animation for the new sand land game pic.twitter.com/psniuMaCdg

— Lewtwo (@Lewchube) April 27, 2024

It is a common practice for developers to reuse animation, as well as 3D models, in different projects by adjusting them to fit the new project. This cost-effective approach eliminates the need to create everything from the beginning, and it has been a longstanding practice even among animation companies such as Disney, which has reused animation in multiple movies (as seen in this list: Disney reusing animation between movies).

In the video featuring Sand Land and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, viewers have noticed that the idle stretching animation appears to be identical, but has been modified to fit the new character’s model in Sand Land.

Despite the existence of opposing views, one commenter argues, “It’s simply a routine stretch and not an instance of recycling animation.”However, the individual responsible for the initial post responds by clarifying, “While the timing may appear similar, adjustments were made to fit Beelze’s model.”

It remains unclear if this animation is identical to the one used in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, however there are enough noticeable similarities to convince certain fans. Additionally, the game developer ILCA is responsible for both titles, although it is unlikely that the exact same team is working on Sand Land.

Despite this, fans appear satisfied with this minor addition, especially when taking into account the heavy influence Akira Toriyama and Dragon Quest games had on Pokemon’s early designs. It is heartening to see this favor returned after so many years.