Weedle Family
I have no witty opening for this article… Unless you really want more “lol WEEDle” jokes.
In contrast to Caterpie being a caterpillar, Weedle represents a bee or wasp larva. Weedle does a decent job at emphasizing how different they look from each other.
However, I don’t feel there was a whole lot of effort put into this design. Having a body comprised of spheres glued together doesn’t “Wow” me much.
Then again, it’s not like grubs have a whole lot to work with anyways. How exactly are you supposed to stylize a chubby noodle?
I will give credit to Weedle’s proboscis being represented by a cute button nose. The Pokédex even takes this concept literally, mentioning that it sniffs out its favorite foods! It sounds like something a child would doodle while trying to interpret insect anatomy. That thought adds a little charm to Weedle.
Thumbs Up!
Ultimately, I would say that… Diglett wore the face better.
Okay, okay. I’m going to try and limit the number of times I use this joke.
Kakuna was always my favorite of the two original “cocoon” Pokémon. Since I was a child who wanted everything to look badass, Kakuna’s menacing eyes and sharp edges fit that bill to a “T.”
My thoughts on Kakuna will only retread the same discussion about line placement as I did with Metapod and Butterfree. The only new thing I can add is how much I like its shell detailing the developing Beedrill inside.
Two Thumbs Up!
Kakuna is another great minimalist approach to pupas, especially when it and Metapod are so visually distinct from each other.
Beedrill is so ridiculous that it’s awesome. As if a 3-foot tall poisonous bee wasn’t scary enough, it has giant spear-shaped stingers instead of forelegs.
A part of me would have liked the arm stingers to be more than just giant white cones. But at the same time, they’re fine as-is.
Where Butterfree’s wings have gentle and organized patterns on them, Beedrill’s are sharper and erratic. They fit especially well with its aggressive personality.
I really like that Beedrill’s legs taper into multiple segments. Their irregular shape adds extra flair to its design.
I used to think Beedrill’s design was nothing special, that its arm stingers were the only thing distinguishing it from any other giant bee monster. But a short image search revealed how unique Beedrill is overall. It’s one of those designs where it’s easy to think, “Oh, it’s not that complicated; I’m sure someone else has created something just like it!” But it’s actually not the case; it’s impossible for me to mistake Beedrill for another creature in an MMO or RPG game.
Highest Praise!
I love how Beedrill embraces real insect qualities while still retaining an exaggerated and cartoony feel.
Jumping javelins, Mega Beedrill! Those are some massive stingers!
Since the spear stingers are the highlight of its design, Mega Beedrill puts them on steroids. Now, all of its legs are stingers, with the ones on its arms and abdomen only growing larger!
Mega Beedrill fixes my critique regarding its regular form’s stingers. The generic cone shape is broken by what look like hilt guards. When I think about it, Mega Beedrill has jousting spears for stingers! It’s both cool and highly fitting with the fact it charges at its enemies at high speeds.
Everything about Mega Beedrill is meaner than its previous form. The more wasp-like body, the extra stripes to signify its deadliness, and those intimidating eyes that wrap around its head. Somehow, Game Freak managed to make a monster that was already vicious even more so.
As a fan of “badass” monster designs, Mega Beedrill fits that mold very well!
Two Thumbs Up!
