Twitter Flooded With Gamecube Screenshots After Dan Salvato Says 'Pokémon Legends Arceus' Looks Like A Gamecube Game

It's Pokémon game release season, which also means it's "Complaining About Modern Pokémon" season. Today, Nintendo and Pokémon fans were riled up by a tweet from Dan Salvato, creator of Doki Doki Literature Club, who posted two screenshots from a recent trailer for Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

"The Pokemon franchise has grossed more than MCU, Mario, and Harry Potter combined. Why do these graphics look like they're from a GameCube game?," he wrote.

The Pokemon franchise has grossed more than MCU, Mario, and Harry Potter combined. Why do these graphics look like they're from a GameCube game? pic.twitter.com/TeQlpSov3c

— Dan Salvato (@dansalvato) December 15, 2021

The tweet brings up a complaint that's plagued the Pokémon franchise, especially after it began releasing games on the Nintendo Switch. Many fans have expressed disappointment in the games' switch to home consoles, particularly with the graphical fidelity, which some think are not up to par with other modern titles (who could forget Treegate). This, itself, got Pokémon defenders riled up in the QRTs, with many arguing that the screenshots portray the game's art style.

Soon these kind of takes are gonna be more common place then the "Used to hate but now love the last entry" trend.

Come on now, this is clearly a purposeful artstyle going on, GF aren't AAA nor are they experienced with console games and there's more to a game then it's visuals. https://t.co/Cp50lcyDNl

— Kaito the SnowDan (@ThatKaitoDan) December 16, 2021

Me when I’ve never heard of an art style before: https://t.co/pYqmQvYQF3

— Jake! (@Vaughanilla_Ice) December 16, 2021

Because it’s on a fucking Nintendo Switch--the ONLY console to successfully bridged the gap between handheld and console gaming to the extent which it has.

That kind of technological feat is going to come with compromises in the graphical fidelity department.

Also--art??? https://t.co/lpnKMgMOsA

— [HB] RAINEY™ (@RaineyOvalle) December 16, 2021

However, on a slightly less-exhausting note, Salvato's tweet inspired people to post screenshots of old GameCube games, either to make the point that Legends: Arceus is a step up from the 20-year-old console or to simply admire how good GameCube games looked back then.

I won’t deny the graphics could be better but bro

Literally have you seen a GameCube game before https://t.co/fuTppfcnnK pic.twitter.com/QqE66sRPHh

— Master Mango🎄 (@k1ng_mang0) December 16, 2021

GameCube games looking great.
Stop using GameCube visuals as an insult. Uncultured crowd 🙄 pic.twitter.com/UuwZ74kO6u

— • Gum | Kupo (@Kutairo_) December 16, 2021

Bro what fucking GameCube did you own? https://t.co/fDMoPgDLbZ pic.twitter.com/bljXptsTCS

— Flynn Stingray, Pro Blader (@BigShotFlynn) December 16, 2021

I swear people like this haven't seen a gamecube game in a decade.

PLA has deeper and more diverse tones, smoother edges, better resolutions, and better lighting than gamecube games.

Also they fail to notice the obvious style the game is going for, classic Japanese paintings. https://t.co/NhxbUbEKZR pic.twitter.com/rJHjiAfWZ0

— Holiday Girl ~ SuccuFae Emi❤💛💚💙💜 (@Emiko_Wisp) December 16, 2021

That's an insult to Gamecube games pic.twitter.com/VxGStLVBrS

— Ray (@Proggy__Froggy) December 15, 2021

Granted, all this hemming and hawing about upcoming Pokémon games is just something that seems like it will plague Pokémon forever, at least until Game Freak goes full-on Unreal Engine, Nintendo, Hire This Man graphics, but at least with this most recent controversy, the silver lining is we get to remember some enjoyable GameCube games.