If you look at only Kanto designs, the nature-based ones are more naturalistic and less 'busy' than the stuff after. So the step 2 of "add adjustments for a fantasy appeal" was even less true in Gen1.
Compare Charizard to Blaziken. Simple dragon vs. humanoid fire karate master with loads of busy color details.
Personally, this was one of the reasons I loved pokemon, I was super turned off by stuff that resembled gundams and transformers and stuff.
Pokemon evolutions vs Digimon evolutions
Refridgerator gun is my favourite Digimon.
inb4 genwunner
If you look at only Kanto designs, the nature-based ones are more naturalistic and less 'busy' than the stuff after. So the step 2 of "add adjustments for a fantasy appeal" was even less true in Gen1.
Compare Charizard to Blaziken. Simple dragon vs. humanoid fire karate master with loads of busy color details.
Personally, this was one of the reasons I loved pokemon, I was super turned off by stuff that resembled gundams and transformers and stuff.