These games really embraced the third dimension, and the resultant visuals set such a high bar that many of today’s Pokémon sprites look an awful lot like these 2013 versions. The handheld’s ability to flick between a standard 2D display and battery-eating 3D visuals meant that X and Y could present pocket monsters in a more detailed and multifaceted way than ever before. Pokemon X and Ywere the first installments in the RPG franchise to launch on the 3DS, with Nintendo’s 3D-enabled handheld console having arrived on the market in 2011. It may have only been six years ago, but it feels long ago.
