As it stands, there are currently over 800 different Pokémon species. Back in 1999, though, when Pokémon Gold and Silver first came out in Japan (they hit the US in 2000), there were 251, thanks to the 100 that the second generation of games added to the total. Now, it seems like they had at least a few more than that ready to go, though: A demo of the games from 1997 leaked online, and some data mining unveils some pretty interesting stuff (via Digg).
In today’s Nerdist News, host Amy Vorpahl breaks down the tragic news that maybe you didn’t catch ’em all.
The spaceworld 97 Pokemon gold demo has leaked and is being documented. Look at all these unused pre evolutions, evolutions and Pokémon eventually added after Gs. Not to mention the legendary dogs look like deviant art drawings. pic.twitter.com/56m8ANZIo1
— Åštick$ (@SticksUNITE) May 31, 2018
Footage of the demo has found its way online before, but now that we have the actual ROM (game file) of the demo, people have been able to dig into the game data, and they’ve found a bunch of unused Pokémon sprites. For example, here are the starter Pokémon:
Chikorita and Meganium look similar to the Pokémon that appeared in the actual games, but beyond that, there’s not much here that’s familiar. The fire starter (which you have in your party at the start of the demo), for instance, is nothing like Cyndaquil. Instead, it’s more like a fire version of Pikachu that eventually transforms into a bushier, Ninetales-like creature.
Ditto never got an evolution, but it did in the demo. By giving it a Metal Coat, it turns into this screaming monstrosity:
There’s a lot more to find in the demo and its data, so check out the wiki about the demos if you want to learn more and explore it for yourself.
What’s your favorite of the unreleased Pokémon? Do you think any of them should have made the final cut? Let us know what you think down in the comments!
Images: The Pokémon Company
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