Moves that look way cooler in the Pokemon Adventures Manga & the Anime than it should be lol.

[shoz999]

So I think a lot of us who grew up with Pokemon remember the memes and jokes surrounding the move "Leer" that was made much more cooler-looking than it actually was, in the form of a giant red laser lol. However I feel this is more common in both the Pokemon Adventures manga & Anime as they have the job of translating Pokemon moves into a more visual format beyond that of sprite work, especially back than when 3D wasn't a thing. Some look legitimately how you imagined from the games and then there are other moves that make you think, is this where the art/animation budget went to!? For example... take a look at this move from Pokemon Adventures.

Ask yourself!? What is this!? WHAT IS THIS!? Look at those characters shielding their eyes at the mercy of that big sinister-looking Pokemon! You can tell in this picture with this one move, that this Pokemon is in control! Not them! So what could this overpowering blinding light be you asked!? A move so powerful that it stops these characters in their tracks!? It's just flash lol. That's literally it. Just flash. Grant it, I suppose this is a pretty realistic depiction of flash as it's supposed to be bright enough to light the darkest of caves and yet it's still funny thinking about just how cool and powerful-looking this depiction of the move "Flash" is, one of the most useless and honestly annoying HMs of the Pokemon series.

So anyways, discuss moves that look way cooler in the Pokemon Adventures manga & the anime than it should be.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Fire Spin is a classic example. In the anime, it looks like this all-consuming fire tornado that traps helpless victims in its merciless flames, burning them alive. In the games, it's just a weak move in the veins of Bind or Wrap. Another one is Water Gun, which looks more like Hydro Pump in the anime, but is just a starting-out, low-power Water move in the games. I think the anime (and the manga as well) tends to exaggerate how certain moves look, so they look cooler or more powerful.

 

[Aduro]

Fire Spin is a classic example. In the anime, it looks like this all-consuming fire tornado that traps helpless victims in its merciless flames, burning them alive. In the games, it's just a weak move in the veins of Bind or Wrap.

Fire Spin was actually pretty amazing in Gen I, although that was for different reasons.
I liked the versatility of Pikachu's electroweb, made for a nice change of pace since before it tended to just spam thunder/bolt/shock/ and iron tail. Double team also had some very cool battles.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

So I think a lot of us who grew up with Pokemon remember the memes and jokes surrounding the move "Leer" that was made much more cooler-looking than it actually was, in the form of a giant red laser lol.

I always thought it was like eye lasers, like how it appeared in the Gen 2 games. "I'mma firin' mah EYE LAZORRS!" XD

Fire Spin was actually pretty amazing in Gen I, although that was for different reasons.

Because it basically trapped your opponent in a raging firestorm forever, or at least until they fainted. The same was true with all binding and trapping moves in Gen 1.

 

[Divine Retribution]

When I was younger, I thought Leer actually was your Pokemon shooting beams out of its eyes at the opponent superman-style, and I could never understand why it didn't do damage. This was compounded by the fact that it only caused the opponent to shake, which is usually associated with damaging moves, whereas status moves usually caused the entire screen to shake. It looked and felt like a damaging move, it just didn't do any damage.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Double Team is another one. In the games, the user shakes themselves so fast that they create lasting after-images, but this is just in the animation. In the anime, the user simply replicates themselves, and the copies stick around longer, so the opponent has to find the ‘real’ one and attack them. I think it’d be cooler if the games went by how the anime shows it, but that would probably overcomplicate it more.

 

[shivaa]

Leer and Fire Spin are legendary moves, especially Leer, Pokemon fans really grew up with it

 

[KyogreThunder]

Whirlpool looks quite powerful in the anime despite being weak in the games.

 

[Luthor]

Vine whip. In the anime, in particular, it's a multi-purpose move whereas in the games it isn't anything special.

 

[Ignition]

Safeguard & Light Screen/Reflect are just Protect clones

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Vine whip. In the anime, in particular, it's a multi-purpose move whereas in the games it isn't anything special.

Razor Leaf could be considered the same as well. In the Pikachu’s Winter Vacation short, Chikorita used it to dig her leaf into the ice to stop her sliding all the way across.

 

[Luthor]

Rock Climb for the most part in the anime. Both the version used in the lonely Snover (my favourite) or the version used in Challenging a Towering Figure! and beyond. The move in the games doesn't make me think it should look that impressive.

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

When used by members of the Samurott line Razor Shell looks epic, Oshawott and Dewott form water swords from their scalchops and Samurott uses the blades on its front legs. In the games it is pretty meh since Liquidation and Waterfall are a thing.

Same goes for Cut, Ash's Froakie (and its evolutions) makes the move look cool but you likely will not be sticking on your main battlers.

 

[shoz999]

When used by members of the Samurott line Razor Shell looks epic, Oshawott and Dewott form water swords from their scalchops and Samurott uses the blades on its front legs. In the games it is pretty meh since Liquidation and Waterfall are a thing.

Same goes for Cut, Ash's Froakie (and its evolutions) makes the move look cool but you likely will not be sticking on your main battlers.

I don't know about that. I recall that if Samurott uses Razor shell, he actually has an animation where he pulls out his sword. A shame that it's only exclusive to Razor shell though.

 

[Luthor]

Razor Leaf could be considered the same as well. In the Pikachu’s Winter Vacation short, Chikorita used it to dig her leaf into the ice to stop her sliding all the way across.

Valid point. Which reminds me of the other constantly used anime move- water gun. In there its a useful move even for experienced battlers. In the games it is much less so.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Valid point. Which reminds me of the other constantly used anime move- water gun. In there its a useful move even for experienced battlers. In the games it is much less so.

Isn't Water Gun much stronger than Hydro Pump, at least according to the anime?

 

[shoz999]

A part of me wishes that Sky-Upper Cut in the games was just as cool-looking as the manga's depiction. Hitmonchan looks like a rocket in this image... Who else think Pokemon needs it's own over-the-top hi-action role-playing hack and slash/beat em' up game?... preferably by Platinum games... maybe Capcom...