Pokémon : Close Combat

(UI Design)

I was blessed with the opportunity to work with the development team for

Pokémon : Close Combat (PKMNCC) .

PKMNCC is an indie developed fighting game on PC that released back in 2023, and has since had immense success in the FGC (Fighting Game Community).

Pokemon : Close combat Social Sites

ROLE

My role was, the honor to design the opening and menu screen of

"POKEMON : CLOSE COMBAT"

...as well as a few art assets for the game's v10 update released May, 6th 2024.

✏️TITLE SCREEN (design)

I started with the opening screen. My first design featured a tattered version of the actual Pokémon logo, but after a team meeting, we decided to play it safe and have me design something more original, authentic to avoid any legality issues.

The process was odd, yet familiar. . .

EVERYTHING WAS HAND DRAWN!

When i first started my career in graphic design. The only hand drawn part of my process was a sketch, and most assets from that point on were created digitally.

Oddly enough, this was a breath of fresh air! I was having so much fun! It was like I was sitting and doodling in 5th period math class all over again. 🤣

Of course, there were some challenges, but overcoming them created THAT sense of fun! I eventually settled on 3 concepts and shared them with the team.

We all came to like concept 1.

Concepts 2 and 3 were good, but we agreed that they didn't match the aesthetic of rough, grimey, and fun that we were looking for. I referenced a lot of the 1990's-2000's fighting games to obtain this look, while holding onto the authenticity of the game's hand-drawn art style. So i set out to chisel down my design, and polish it up!

menu screen (design)🎨

The menu screen was next. I took a few days to discuss ideas with my design team (my wife). I wanted to stay true to the games original designs, and art style, paying homage to the games original artist, the gifted

"Ivan Boivin"

I spent time reading the games discord server, talking with players, and some time studying the game itself.

The original menu screen was literally this...honestly, i loved it. 😅

It featured this derpy Machop, with a "chop" animation to highlight your selection. Paired with this simple title stating :

"Unfinished Pokémon Fighting Game"

🤌🏽Very classic!✨

I created a user journey map to communicate my vision with the rest of the team. I included sketches of the screens, rough animations, and information of how it should function.

*Staying true to the games original style pushed me to include Machop in my design.

The original concept would begin at the opening screen. User would hit a button that'll then trigger the logo flip animation shown, and move into the menu screen.

The menu screen shows Machop standing behind breaking blocks labeled as the menu options. (Solo, Versus, Options etc.)

After the player selects their preferred option, it'll trigger an animation of Machop chopping the the breaking blocks and move into the next screen.

The team approved some of my design. 🥲 Unfortunately the software used by the dev-team (2DFM) didn't have the capacity to host the entirety of the design, so I simplified my original concept before proceeding.

ANIMATION

Throughout my animation process, I learned the importance of layering.

Animating on separate layers helps to isolate objects that may have different animation trajectory. 🛣️

I made the mistake of animating the broken slabs on the same layer as the character (Machop).🙈This became a nightmare later. I spent more time than I wanted due to this mistake.

It took a lot of clean up, but served as a great teacher! 💯

Aware of the software limitations I aimed to simply my animation From 10, to 5 frames.

In animation, anticipation is key 🔑 to communicate force in the following frames.

With line work finalized, I proceeded to coloring.

After a day of testing, I was told that my Machop design wasn't going to work.😭

🌹RIP🪦

March, '24 - April, '24

But before I could finish coloring, our dev-team wanted to run tests...

The dev-team provided more context of the limitations that I had to work with.

I was given 3 options.

1. Create a still image

2. Create a slide-show

3. Create a looped animation

Still devastated, I returned back to the drawing board. I wanted to make up for my lost time, as well as the awesome animation I created before. So I challenged myself to create something just as extraordinary!

i first presented a mock up of my idea. the team loved it,
with the exception of changing the size of the punching bag
to add emphasis to Hitmonchan's power. 💪

The concept featured the silhouette of Hitmonchan, working on a punching bag. I wanted to create an environment that would build the world of Pokémon : Close Combat. I was aiming to convey the dedication that Pokémon put into their training, while sticking to the games retro, fun, and grimy aesthetic.

The animation consists of 78 frames😅showing Hitmonchan executing a seven punch combo. A very strenuous, yet rewarding🎖️process.

Paying homage to my previous Machop design I recycled the background (BG) previously used, as my own personal homage to the late great Machop! 😭

I strategically chose to draw from a 2D angle to fit the games 2D fighting game aesthetic. This would also best show the entirety of Hitmonchan's combination, while potentially setting up players for their near future experience.

I wrapped up the project by providing the team with alternative design assets. I wanted to re-design some of the assets that were already used.

My health bar designs were inspired from the infamous Pokémon games of the past. My goal was to create familiarity with fans of the original games, to potentially spark a sense of nostalgia for long time Pokémon fans.

It's been such an honor to work on this project! The whole process was humbling. I've gained so much knowledge and respect for the team working on this game.

I've gained a new found respect for those working in game development/design. It truly takes a community to help these projects come to life. I've learned to communicate effectively, while creating space to secure the integrity of relationships. Using creative thinking to be inclusive of design decisions, and even knowing when to stand 10-toes down on ideas you believe in. A game could be simple, but the complexity of collaboration is what truly fuels the passion behind these projects.

In my opinion, there's an innocence that comes from the world of Pokémon. Most likely because it's a huge part of my childhood. Therefore, I feel the need to protect that child-like innocence when I enter the Poké-verse (Pokémon Universe). Pokémon really helped me through some of the rougher experiences in my childhood. It provided a window, or a different angle in which i can see the world.

Pokémon : Close Combat functions within that same world, and does a great job of visually communicating that. While playing the game, you could almost feel it that different perspective. Perhaps a different country, city, culture, universe? It has me asking questions about the Poké-verse, and what more it has to offer us fans. The game takes me back to the (sounding old...now) 90's, where most games were simple but challenging. I could almost see this in the window of a liquor store, a huge crowd huddled around, coins in hand, watching, and passionately awaiting their turn.

Video games should bring people together, Pokémon : Close Combat has a special way of doing that! I love everything about this game, the development team, the artists, art style, and the community! I have so much faith in this project, and would love for others to experience it's greatness as well!

Thank you!

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"Pokemon : Close Combat"

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