Pokemon Scarlet & Violet fans can’t get over key Hydrapple features
Game Freak/The Pokemon CompanyPokemon Scarlet & Violet players are excited about a few unusual details in Hydrapple’s visual design, which only the eagle-eyed fans would notice.
A lot has been said about the technical issues in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet regarding the quality of its 3D models, environmental effects, and chugging performance. These complaints have overshadowed the discourse surrounding the Gen 9 games, even though they sell incredibly well.
Despite the overall lack of polish, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have some fancy effects that look good, even on the aging Nintendo Switch hardware. The Terastallization effect is one stand-out, with its gorgeous crystals that affect the game world, empowering Pokemon with hats made of gems.
The Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet mostly focused on returning Pokemon and bringing in a handful of new ones, including Hydrapple, a new evolution for Dipplin. As the name suggests, Hydrapple is a hydra/apple fusion, with an interesting quirk to its visuals.
The Pokemon CompanyHydrapple’s heads have unique eye animations in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
A Twitter/X user named Yoriden has created a post discussing details about Hydrapple’s design that most fans wouldn’t notice. This involves the eyes of Hydrapple’s many heads, whose eyes have distinctive traits, with some eyes remaining open, half-open, squinting, or closed when they emerge.
“I love how they gave each one a personality too,” one user wrote, while another said, “Applin line continues to put out banger designs.”
One user summarized Hydrapple: “Guys, Game Freak doesn’t put effort into these games.” The modern Pokemon games are often criticized for their lack of polish, with the blame placed squarely on the developers.
Meanwhile, Hydrapple has one of the best designs in years, with great care in its visuals. It’s a shame that it was included in the base version of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, as fans would have had much more time to appreciate it.
What’s especially interesting about Hydrapple is that these animations only play briefly, as most heads only emerge when the Pokemon attacks. This means most fans wouldn’t notice these details, as the camera is often moving during battle.
Hydrapple’s fantastic design makes it a standout Pokemon of Gen 9, as it toes the line between being cute and looking cool in battle. Hopefully, Hydrapple and its many heads will get more chances to shine in Gen 10.