Newly unearthed Pokémon documentary shows Game Freak using surprise methods to build Sinnoh

The classic Pokémon RPGs originally looked a little different Not all game development is done via software: Some of it begins with designers doing hands-on work with physical media. Sometimes, that's pen and paper, but depending on what's being developed, toys can come in clutch as well. A great example of this phenomenon is Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, the Nintendo DS Pokémon RPGs where developers finessed the map with Lego bricks. A picture of Game Freak developers building out the game with Lego has floated around the internet previously, but we didn't get the full context until Pokémon archivists uploaded a never-before-seen "making of" documentary for the 2007 Pokémon games. In the documentary, titled Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Behind the Scenes DVD — Make All, Game Freak can be seen actively moving Lego pieces around while discussing map particulars. Given the blocky nature of the map, fans probably won't be surprised that this is how Game Freak operated. Game Freak certainly isn't the only game studio to employ Lego when designing game worlds. While at Konami, game designer Hideo Kojima famously used Lego to create the levels and building structures of Metal Gear Soli