Textmode art roundup: Pokémon

Kitiara aired this fabulous Pokémon ANSI of Ash and Pikachu in an iCE pack way back in in September of 1999. For the occasion of the release of Pokémon Go, it was dug up to feature in the 16 Colours ANSI Of The Day, and I figured that it might be time for another roundup -- while I had previously vented plenty of Pokémon-related textmode art in my Video Game Textmode Art blog series (and stockpiled plenty more for future installments), maybe it would be more useful, satisfying... and viral... for me to consolidate them all here for the enjoyment of Pokéfans everywhere. (Plus, it added incentive to drill down a little deeper and unearth some pieces, such as the above, which had somehow slipped my nets.)

And now, for dramatic contrast, nothing follows great art quite like... deliberately terrible art! This Charizard is by "BloodStyle" of "Duo Daughter", a collection of terrible computer art in the spirit of my old Mistigris "April Fool's" collections -- but, bizarrely, released at a different time of year. I can't explain it, all I can do is describe it. That said, happily it's all up from here!

OK, got that out of our system. Here's a newschool ASCII from Mimic's 16th artpack, a Raichu drawn by Blackjack:

And in a similar coloured-ASCII vein, here, from Remorse's 36th collection, a Bulbasaur drawn by Mydknight.

Here are two more newschool coloured ASCIIs of Pikachu you've seen before, both by Konami...

And this last, a joint between avg and mattmatthew of Blocktronics. I'm not 100% sure what's going on in this picture -- maybe they are generating a static charge.

Now, for something completely different, some Big 5 from China! Turns out they love Pikachu over there also!

And here, drawn by two anonymous Blocktronics members, the star of his own meme in bright, bold ANSI art -- Mudkip!

Reset Survivor, also of 67, gave us three unruly beasts in ANSI silhouette:

And here, Luke Volk drew us an ANSI of Hoothoot:

Now for some oldschool ASCIIs originating, most likely, from UseNet newsgroups, and skimmed by me from textfiles.com ... We open with a giant batch from AMC, drawn circa 1999:

    ,                           .::.
 PokeMon Logo Converted       .;:**'            AMC
                              `                  0
  .:XHHHHk.              db.   .;;.     dH  MX   0
oMMMMMMMMMMM       ~MM  dMMP :MMMMMR   MMM  MR      ~MRMN
QMMMMMb  "MMX       MMMMMMP !MX' :M~   MMM MMM  .oo. XMMM 'MMM
  `MMMM.  )M> :X!Hk. MMMM   XMM.o"  .  MMMMMMM X?XMMM MMM>!MMP
   'MMMb.dM! XM M'?M MMMMMX.`MMMMMMMM~ MM MMM XM `" MX MMXXMM
    ~MMMMM~ XMM. .XM XM`"MMMb.~*?**~ .MMX M t MMbooMM XMMMMMP
     ?MMM>  YMMMMMM! MM   `?MMRb.    `"""   !L"MMMMM XM IMMM
      MMMX   "MMMM"  MM       ~%:           !Mh.""" dMI IMMP
      'MMM.                                             IMX
       ~M!M                                             IMP
                      .---------------------.
                      |AMC   ..-----..      |
                      |99  .'-____---~'.    |
                      |   :             :   |
                      |  : __    .   ..' :  |
                      | :  ; ~-.'  .'  ;  : |
                      | :  `...O  '..O/ _-: |
                      | :._         _.-~  : |
                      |  : ----~~~~~_..' :  |
                      |   :   `---~~ .' :   |
                      |    '.  `-__.' .'    |
                      |      ''-----''      |
                      |       ,             |
                      |    PokeMon # 101    |
                      |      Electrode      |
                      `---------------------'
                      .---------------------.
                      |AMC   ..-----..      |
                      |99  .'_        '.    |
                      |   : ( O-_)  .-~~:   |
                      |  :  `-..'   `O_.-:  |
                      | :   __--~~~~--..  : |
                      | :-~~            ~~: |
                      | :                 : |
                      |  :               :  |
                      |   :     ...     :   |
                      |    '.  '...'  .'    |
                      |      ''-----''      |
                      |       ,             |
                      |    PokeMon # 100    |
                      |       Voltorb       |
                      `---------------------'
                 .-----------------------------.
                 | AMC 99                      |
                 |            .~~-.      _.    |
                 |  .''..    (_~)  ) _.-'. ;   |
                 |  '.'..'..-(_~ _-'*. .'.'    |
                 |    ''.'.. _ ~~  _  ';'      |
                 |     .''. (_)   (_)  '.      |
                 |     ;      "..."     '.     |
                 | .''.'.   .''`-'''.    '.''. |
                 | '.  '   ;         ;    ;  ; |
                 |   '.   ;           ;   ' ;  |
                 |    '.  ;           ;    ;   |
                 |     '.  ;         ;   .'    |
                 |     .'...:..___..:..':.     |
                 |  .''     ..'    '...   ~)   |
                 | (.....'''           ''''    |
                 |    ,                        |
                 | PokeMon # 040 - Wigglytuff  |
                 `-----------------------------'
                .------------------------------.
                | AMC                .'.       |
                |  9         _______ .'.'.     |
                |  9       .'       '.' '      |
                |     .   ;           ;        |
                |   .' '.;      ...    ;       |
                | .' '.  '.   .'   '.   ;      |
                |  '.  '.. :  ;   * ;   ;      |
                |    '. '.'   '.   .'   ;''.   |
                |      '';      '''    ;'.  '. |
                |        /            ;.  '.'  |
                |      .''./._______.'| '.'    |
                |      '..'         | |        |
                |                  |~~~|       |
                |     ,             ~~~        |
                |  PokeMon # 081 - Magnemite   |
                `------------------------------'
              .----------------------------------.
              |                                  |
              |  AMC         .----..        .'.  |
              |   9      _.-~  __   ~~~...'' .'  |
              |   9    .'    .~  '''...  ..''    |
              |       .'   ..''''''..  ''        |
              |       '...'          '..         |
              |      ..'              '.'..      |
              |   ..'  .'               ;  '.    |
              | .'\   :   /~~\       /~~-.__|)   |
              | './__:   ; '. |.''''''..  ;      |
              |     :    `..''()      ()'.'      |
              |     :    .'  __..------_  ;      |
              |      : .  .-~      .  . ~-:      |
              |    _.-'  ;        _____    ).    |
              |   /_     ; `-__-~H     H~-'  '.  |
              |  (  \  _.'.  (_____   _..';._.') |
              |   '.'~~    ~--...__~~~_.-'   `~  |
              |        ,           ~~~           |
              |     PokeMon # 079 - Slowpoke     |
              `----------------------------------'
     .---------------------------------------------------.
     |            .---.                                  |
     |  AMC    .-~     \  __                             |
     |   9   .'   `.._.'-~  `.                           |
     |   9  ;                 ;                          |
     |    .--.            _...'   ____                   |
     |   ;    ;        .-~   _.-~~    ~~--__             |
     |   ;    :    .-~~;   .'               ~-.          |
     |   `...*   .'    ;   ; __                ''.       |
     |    ;    .'      '..'    ~.~--___.-         '.     |
     |    ; :''     :   ;'     ;      ;             '.   |
     |    ; ;'..  .'  .'       '.   P.'               \  |
     |    ; ;   ''   .'       .~~~~~~~~-               ; |
     |    ; ;'.     ;        ' .'.    .~~---___       /  |
     |     "  ;'''   ;        .'  \  /        .~-. .-'   |
     |       ;                ;    ||       .'   ; ;     |
     |       ;               ; .'''||..     '.    |      |
     |      ;                ;'    ||  ''.    '.         |
     |     ;         . '     ;     ||     '.   :\..      |
     |    ;      ..''         ''../  \.    .:.' /  ''.   |
     |    '...'''         __---___   __''''___-~      )  |
     |  ..''   __----~~~~~        ~~~....~~      ---''   |
     | '....---__________-------~~~~~    ~~~~~~~~        |
     |                   ,                               |
     |                Pokemon # 089 - Muk                |
     `---------------------------------------------------'
                 .--------------------------.
                 |         .''''''.         |
                 | AMC    ;        ;        |
                 |  9    ;  HP  HP  ;       |
                 |  9   ;   H   H    ;      |
                 |      ;     ___    ;      |
                 |      ;    (___)   ;      |
                 |      ;            ;      |
                 |      ;            ;      |
                 |     h;            ;g     |
                 |   jg ggh      hgj gggf   |
                 | og  h   hgfgfj   f  j gh |
                 |   gh h  h      hg  g     |
                 |     ,                    |
                 |  PokeMon #050 - Diglett  |
                 `--------------------------'

AMC was good, but AMW wasn't willing to be constrained by the boundaries of simulated cards!

               Pikachu   
  .__                           __.
   \ `\~~---..---~~~~~~--.---~~| /   
    `~-.   `                   .~         _____ 
        ~.                .--~~    .---~~~    /
         / .-.      .-.      |  <~~        __/
        |  |_|      |_|       \  \     .--'
       /-.      -       .-.    |  \_   \_
       \-'   -..-..-    `-'    |    \__  \_ 
        `.                     |     _/  _/
          ~-                .,-\   _/  _/
         /                 -~~~~\ /_  /_
        |               /   |    \  \_  \_ 
        |   /          /   /      | _/  _/
        |  |          |   /    .,-|/  _/ 
        )__/           \_/    -~~~| _/
          \                      /  \
           |           |        /_---` 
           \    .______|      ./
           (   /        \    /        Amw
           `--'          /__/

                                                        Squirtle
                                                           ___
                                                      _.-~~   ~~~-.
                                                     /         _   ~.
                                                    |#`       /#`    \
                                                    |-'|      |-'|    |      Amw
                                                    /--        --     |-.
                                                    \__   .  .        / /\_  
                                                     \ ~~--___---~~/\| |   ~-.
                                                  .---`~~--____---_)  \ \-__  \
                                                  ) <    |__    __\_   \ \     |
                                                  ~-.__ /   ~~~~   \   \ \     |
                                                       ~-.   |     .~-.-' |    |
                                                        | \___|___/     / /     | 
                                                        | /   |   \     | |  /  |
                                                         \     |   ~-___ \ \/  /
                                                         /\__ / `._ /   ~-\ \_/
                                                        /    \_____|      |`~
                                                       |      |    |      |   
                                                        \     |    |      |
                                                        >______)   /_/\/\_\
              Psyduck
          
                     // //  //
          __    ____||_//  //
        _/__--~~        ~~~-_
       /  /___        ___    \
      /  /(  +)      ( + )    |
     /  |  ~~~    __  ~~~   _/\/|
    |    \  ___.-~  ~-.___  \   / 
     \    \(     ` '      ~~)|   \
      \     )              / |    \
       \/   /              \ |    |
       /   |               | |    |
      |    /               |  \__/
      |    \_            _/      |    ___
      \      ~----...---~       /_.-~~ _/
       \_                      |    _-~ 
         \                    /  _-~ 
          ~-.__             _/--~
         _.-~  ~~~-----~~~~~
        ~-.-. _-~     /_ ._ \   Amw
             ~       ~  ~  ~-



                                                                           Geodude

                                                       ___                __..-~-_.--__             __
                                                    _-~   ~--..      .--~/  ~-..~ .-~~ |          -~  \
                                                   /     ~-.._ )    /      |~-..` ..-  |         |\/   \
                                                  |      -._ _) |   |_     |  ( | |) | |         `-\/_ /
                                                  |     \.  /__/    |  _   |_.--~ ~--.  |        _-   |
                                                   \  /\.-~'        .-~    ~  .------.  |       /    /
                                                    \   ~-.        /   /-  .-~--.---  ~-  ~-.   |  __|
                                                     | \   ~.     |   /  _/          `.\     \_/ _/
                                                     \  \   |    /   / \  \____________/|-.  / _/  Amw
                                                      \  ~-  \__/  _/   ~-._______...../   ~\_/      
                                                       \___   `   /
                                                           ~-.__./

               Jigglypuff 

      --_                       _--
     ||\_\__                 __/_/||
     ||  \  \__...-----...__/  /  ||
     \\  _\_/    /     \    \_/_  //
      |_/       |       |       \_| 
      /    __   /     _/    __    \
     /  .-~--~-.\    / ) .-~--~-.  \
    |   ||    || \____/  ||    ||   |
    |   `-_--_-'         `-_--_-'   |
    |      ~~               ~~      | 
    |              ___              |
    |              `-'              |
     \ \_  \                /  _/  /         
      \_ \_/                \_/  _/ 
        \___                 ___/   Amw
        ..--\__           __/--..
      .~    __-~~~-----~~~-__    ~.
     (__.--~                 ~--.__)
                                                            Ditto
                                                         
                                                       /~\_.-~-._,--.._
                                                      |                ~-.._   
                                                       |     .     .        \
                                                       |                    /  Amw 
                                                       |     --....,       | \ 
                                                       /                      \
                                                      |                        |
                                                      |                        \
                                                      /                         |
                                                      \_.-._  __...___.._______/
                                                            ~~
                 Eevee
  ._                            _.-|
  |_~~`--._                 _.-~   /
    ~-._   ~-._.-~~~~~~~-.-~    _.~
        ~-._ /             \_.-~ 
            |  .-.   .-.   |      Amw
            |. |_| . |_|   |         __.-|
            /    .__,      |    _.--~    |
            \             /_--~~  \     / 
            /~-._______.-~  \     |____|      
           |  /         \    |        /
            ~|_       |_|_-~~        / 
             | ~-\_/-~    |        _~ 
             |   |   |    /     _-~ 
              |  |  /    |__---~ 
              |,_|,_|____(   

                                                        Bulbasaur
                                                               __....___ ,  .
                                                           _.-~ __...--~~ ~/\
                                                 Amw      / /  /          |  |
                                                         | |  |            \  \
                                                   __ _..---..-~\           |  | 
                                                  |  ~  .-~-.    \-.__      /  | 
                                                  /     \.-~        .-~-._/   // 
                                                 |/-. <| __  .-\    \     \_ //  
                                                 || o\   \/ /o  |    ~-.-~  \/         
                                                /  ~~        ~~              |      
                                                \__         ___--/   \  _-~-  \ 
                                                 / ~~--.--~~    /     |/   __  |
                                                |/\ \          |_~|   /    \|  |
                                                |\/  \__       /_-   /\        |
                                                |_ __| |`~-.__|_ _ _/  \ _ _ _/
                                                ' '  ' ' ''   ' ' '     ' ` `

And one more for good luck!

quu..__
 $$$b  `---.__
  "$$b        `--.                          ___.---uuudP
   `$$b           `.__.------.__     __.---'      $$$$"              .
     "$b          -'            `-.-'            $$$"              .'|
       ".                                       d$"             _.'  |
         `.   /                              ..."             .'     |
           `./                           ..::-'            _.'       |
            /                         .:::-'            .-'         .'
           :                          ::''\          _.'            |
          .' .-.             .-.           `.      .'               |
          : /'$$|           .@"$\           `.   .'              _.-'
         .'|$u$$|          |$$,$$|           |  <            _.-'
         | `:$$:'          :$$$$$:           `.  `.       .-'
         :                  `"--'             |    `-.     \
        :##.       ==             .###.       `.      `.    `\
        |##:                      :###:        |        >     >
        |#'     `..'`..'          `###'        x:      /     /
         \                                   xXX|     /    ./
          \                                xXXX'|    /   ./
          /`-.                                  `.  /   /
         :    `-  ...........,                   | /  .'
         |         ``:::::::'       .            |<    `.
         |             ```          |           x| \ `.:``.
         |                         .'    /'   xXX|  `:`M`M':.
         |    |                    ;    /:' xXXX'|  -'MMMMM:'
         `.  .'                   :    /:'       |-'MMMM.-'
          |  |                   .'   /'        .'MMM.-'
          `'`'                   :  ,'          |MMM<
            |                     `'            |tbap\
             \                                  :MM.-'
              \                 |              .''
               \.               `.            /
                /     .:::::::.. :           /
               |     .:::::::::::`.         /
               |   .:::------------\       /
              /   .''               >::'  /
              `',:                 :    .'
                                   

And now to take it to the next level, with not-previously-shared(-by-me) Poke-creatures rendered in the ASCII of Japan, UTF-8:

Pikachu says: aw shucks, it was nothing, nothing at all!

Really this sign can be used to make Pikachu express any words you might care to put in his mouth, so why not waste it on a misspelled greeting?

This Pikachu is edging closer to ANSI art, using heavier, "block"y characters to describe his contours and outlines.

Eevee, rampant!

Pikachu here is profusely apologetic (or... something profuse. Or maybe a mothlode of illegal stimulants is just causing his pupils to dilate like little black pits.)

Pikachu is not going to take your guff sitting down!

This jumping Pikachu is essentially pixelart rendered in a textual medium.

Pikachu thinks that joke you told is super funny. That, or he's really faking it.

Dilated-pupils Pikachu ponders the next part of his plan: figuring out where the snacks and ammunition are stashed.

And here, the exception that proves the rule -- an incensed Dedenne.

Now, are those really all of the Pokémon that have ever been committed to a textmode visual idiom? Almost certainly not! And, y'know, if I find more I will update this post. (I do that -- if I find something that was left out, I will go back months and years and top up old posts for the benefit of new readers, posterity and The Long Tail.) But in the meantime, why don't we just tally how many of them we caught over the course of this post?

It must come as no surprise that Pikachu is the running champion, with 16 appearances across just about every medium. Bulbasaur comes in with a distant 3, followed closely by Squirtle and Eevee with two appearances each. Finally, rounding off the pack, appearing one time only in textmode visual art styles (thus far) we have Dedenne, Charizard, Raichu, Mudkip, Charmander, Hoothoot, Electrode, Voltorb, Wigglytuff, Magnemite, Slowpoke, Muk, Diglett, Psyduck, Geodude, Jigglypuff, and Ditto. 21 different varieties of Pokemon are represented overall, meaning that ... we did not catch them all. What??? 151? We caught only an eighth of them? Alas, time to head out into the wildernesses of Kanto and continue our hunt. Until then!

BONUS! A C64 demake screen!

Not playing #PokemonGO ... still waiting for the #C64 version of Red/Green though. pic.twitter.com/VFaR4DJOwM

— Gergely Sinkó (@Kwayne64) July 15, 2016

AND STILL MORE! Horsenburger tried his hand at converting a few Pokémon to teletext, to good results:

Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu and Squirtle, piped direct to your TV set!