Any beta Pokémon designs you liked better than the final ones?

[Orion☆]

This year will mark five years since the Spaceworld 97' demo for Gold/Silver was leaked online and all its scrapped designs were revealed, so it's a timely question.

If you have seen any of the beta designs, either from the aforementioned demo or other betas such as the Diamond/Pearl one, did you like any of those better than the designs we got as the final ones?

For one, I'm still upset we didn't get that beta Kingdra from the G/S demo. I have never liked Kingdra as it is now despite its amazing defensive typing, and finding out that it had a much better design that was more accurate to the rest of the line than the final one left me devastated. The only saving grace is that Clair didn't get it as her ace Pokémon, because she doesn't deserve to have it.

I'm also wondering why Umbreon wasn't the Poison-type Eeveelution instead of the Dark-type one. With the abundance of Poison-types in Kanto and Johto, it would have been quite fitting. And speaking of typing, why wasn't regular Ampharos Electric/Dragon as well, like its Mega was later? Were Game Freak afraid it'd be too overpowered, or...?

 

[icycatelf]

Beta Hoppip and Skiploom > Hoppip and Skiploom. I love Hoppip, but its beta was more obviously cat-like. Beta Jumpluff is also fun, but I think I prefer the end result just a tad bit more (some fan art makes me feel otherwise). Wouldn't mind seeing the beta line make a return as regional variants sometime in the future.

Beta Noctowl and Sunflora were more visually interesting. I also think I like beta Hitmontop more than the cartoony guy we got.

 

[ReKoil]

Beta Delibird apparently seems to have what looks like an actual Santa hat =o
And I'm totally down for that :coolcat:

Also Beta Aipom looks absolutely adorable.

 

[Harmonie]

Beta Raikou looks better to me. Perhaps a little plain, but eh. Plain is better than overdesigned.

The earliest form of Celebi was actually based on a wind instrument playing deity, which is super cool. But it would have been a bit culturally insensitive and modern Celebi is the more memorable design.

 

[icycatelf]

The earliest form of Celebi was actually based on a wind instrument playing deity, which is super cool. But it would have been a bit culturally insensitive and modern Celebi is the more memorable design.

Likely why Celebi and the Time Flute appear in the Collosseum/XD, as Orre is based on Arizona (residence of the Hopi).

 

[Adam Levine]

Octillery got a big nerf design-wise. I don't care if it would raise a few eyebrows from the ESRB or parents; Octillery actually looking like a tank is a much cooler design than it just being a generic octopus that happens to function like a turret. Remoraid's design hits a decent sweetspot between "actual functioning animal" and "funny sentient gun," but Octillery's current design is about as bland as you can get with an octopus-based design.

 

[Devalue]

Kingdra. Never particularly liked it, compared to Seadra. Looks much closer to that.

Also the Silver sprite for Marowak. Appears far more intense.

 

[SquirmyWorm064]

Love the beta pre-evolution of Tangela <3
but there is no pre-evolution to Tangela :/
And I love love love beta Elekid ^^

Tbh, a lot of the beta baby Pokémon are so cute :D

 

[Brendino]

The beta Pokemon that looked like Sharpedo was really cool, and I wish we would've got that instead. The regular Sharpedo isn't bad at all, but the half-shark design works much better with the anchor than nothing at all.

 

[Sheep]

We were robbed, absolutely robbed!!

 

[moon]

Octillery got a big nerf design-wise. I don't care if it would raise a few eyebrows from the ESRB or parents; Octillery actually looking like a tank is a much cooler design than it just being a generic octopus that happens to function like a turret. Remoraid's design hits a decent sweetspot between "actual functioning animal" and "funny sentient gun," but Octillery's current design is about as bland as you can get with an octopus-based design.

Tanktillery was a great continuation of the Remorgun idea. They didn't have to be blatant about it - I agree Remoraid is good as it is now - but perhaps they decided it was too violent/war-y in the end? There's so many other more violent things though, like Blastoise having a literal cannon, many pokemon having huge claws or fangs etc... so yeah. Tanktillery would have been cool.

 

[Orion☆]

We were robbed, absolutely robbed!!

Seconded! This and Beta Kingdra, I will probably never forgive Game Freak for scrapping.

 

[virtualpet]

Crocky my beloved

I'll also second the beta Kingdra, and I'll also add the beta Hoppip line and the Sunmola1 line (when compared to the Clmapearl line), and I'm really curious for whatever the DPPT beta Lickilicky was going to be. Also I think Bomseaker would have been such a cool Pokemon if it made it into a game.