Let's Talk About Pokemon - Sandshrew and Sandslash

027: Sandshrew

Sandshrew isn't a terribly exciting Pokemon for me, but I still find the little thing cool. It generally has the "cool-cute" kind of appeal to it, like a Playstation 1 3D Mascot Platformer protagonist. Of course, with the likes of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro releasing well after Red and Blue came out, the only way that would be an intention would be if someone at Gamefreak is a time traveler, but it's a visual that just works in my mind.

The common assumption is that Sandshrew is an armadillo. While the comparisons are very clear, it also shares similarities with the pangolin. Their scaly bodies look a little more fitting for Sandshrew's hide. That said, Sandshrew is also segmented a bit like an Armadillo.

The way Sandshrew rolls into a ball is a lot more like how the pangolin does it; curling their tail to cover their heads while Armadillos on the surface look more like they "clamp" themselves shut. Sandshrew's obviously a bit of a hybrid between two very similar animals, but its more pangolin side is a bit more interesting to me.

Then again, a lot of this IS what I mean when I say it's neat how Gen 1 Pokemon don't have any single one taxonomic origin. Sandshrew is something of a grab-bag of "earthy armored mammal" features, and thus we wind up with a creature that's a little more its own than JUST being a Poke-stylized version of a real animal.

028: Sandslash

That said, Sandslash is MUCH less ambiguously a pangolin now. Sandslash here looks outright dangerous. In all of the cool ways. It being so bristled in spikes, and in most of its sprites it points its claws at you so threateningly. Like it knows how pointy it is, and knows anybody in their right mind wouldn't go near that thing. What a badass. Sandslash isn't the most creative design, but there's no denying how cool it is.

What's neat is how much the design emphasizes forwardness to make for a much more aggro-looking design. Most in particular how it has an arrow-shaped head, and how the slicked back spines give it a vibe of something that'd dive after ya. And it's neat how much that works for a burrowing creature as well! It's almost just character design 101 on display here. Sandshrew being much more round and looking a bit more docile, fitting for a "bouba", and Sandslash channels the opposite "kiki" energy.

Personal Score: 7.5/10

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