Pokémon Red and Blue Recompilation Project mod transforms the Game Boy classics into a 3D voxel diorama

A new mod for the Pokémon Gen 1 Recompilation Project turns Pokémon Red and Blue into a stunning 3D diorama — and it arrives just in time for the series' 30th anniversary.

The Pokémon Gen 1 Recompilation Project, created by bryanthaboi, is a PC recreation of the original Game Boy titles that already supported sprite swaps from other games and various graphics filters. The new addition is a Voxel mod by DramaticShape that tilts the flat top-down world upright into a full 3D diorama perspective, complete with depth shading that makes Pallet Town and Viridian Forest look like something out of an HD-2D showcase. Battles have also been reworked — instead of the classic blank-void encounter screen, fights now play out in the overworld, similar to how Pokémon Scarlet and Violet handle them. bryanthaboi is upfront that the mod isn't finished: some sprites are missing colors and there are visual glitches, so he's inviting players to join the project's Discord server to help playtest and iron things out.

Fans have been mocking up HD-2D Pokémon concepts for years, but this is one of the first playable implementations that actually delivers on the idea. Pokémon Red and Blue originally launched in Japan in 1996 and remain the foundation of one of the best-selling media franchises in history, though their gameplay has aged considerably. For players who want a more polished entry point to Gen 1, the FireRed and LeafGreen ports are available on Switch — but the original games carry a specific lo-fi charm that remakes can't fully replicate, and this mod leans into that rather than erasing it.

Reaction to the footage has been enthusiastic, with the diorama perspective drawing comparisons to Octopath Traveler and the HD-2D Dragon Quest remakes. The project is open on GitHub for anyone who wants to contribute, and bryanthaboi is actively looking for playtesters through the Discord.