AI Pokémon LeafGreen remake goes viral over 'cursed' Bulbasaur design

A fan-made AI recreation of the opening sequence from Pokémon LeafGreen has attracted widespread attention online after its unusual 3D versions of Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander prompted mixed reactions from players.

The project was created by solo developer Paulius, who used Claude AI to recreate the introduction to the 2004 Game Boy Advance title in 3D. Pokémon LeafGreen was originally released as a remake of the 1996 Pokémon Green.

The recreation follows the game's opening moments, allowing players to explore Pallet Town in a first-person perspective before selecting one of the three original starter Pokémon.

While the environments, including beaches and forests, drew praise from some viewers, the Pokémon themselves quickly became the focus of discussion.

Their overall colours and body shapes resemble the originals, but many viewers highlighted their facial features as particularly unsettling.

Paulius acknowledged the appearance of the models, describing them as "disturbing."

The video gained significant traction on X, where it reportedly surpassed 1.6 million views. Many users shared humorous reactions to the AI-generated creatures, with several describing the models as "nightmare fuel."

"I fully lost it when they showed the starters ahahahaha," one user wrote.

Another commented: "That Bulbasaur was a jump scare."

Some viewers also compared the AI version of Bulbasaur to a "sleep paralysis demon", reflecting the general reaction of the gaming community.