Overview
- Archivists led by Pokémon historian Lewtwo publicly uploaded a ripped copy of the internal DVD to the Internet Archive on July 22 after collector Neos secured a physical disc earlier in June.
- The 43‑minute documentary, produced for Game Freak staff and titled Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Behind the Scenes DVD — MAKE ALL, chronicles the games’ two‑year development from 2004 and shows over 100 early, alternate, and abandoned creature designs.
- Footage includes early versions of final Pokémon and wholly scrapped ideas, such as a grass starter that began as an armadillo, a heavy‑set baboon Infernape concept, a Lapras pre‑evolution, and a Delibird evolution.
- Researchers performed frame‑by‑frame image reconstruction on low‑resolution shots to restore obscured design sheets, and fans and leaker accounts have widely circulated screenshots and reconstructed art while debating links to later Pokémon.
- Game Freak has not issued a public statement and an English translation of the documentary is reported as planned, a development that could prompt formal archival release, clearer credit for creators, or renewed use of old concepts in future content.