Several new features and Pokemon were announced for Pokemon Sword and Shield this week, and the addition of Galar Region-specific monsters was one of the biggest. Like Alolan forms, Galarian forms will introduce different variants of existing Pokemon, but also new evolutions such as Obstagoon, a third evolution for Zigzagoon and Linoone. Linoone looks kind of like a skunk, but Obstagoon is the spitting image of Gene Simmons, the frontman for Kiss. Here's a shot of Simmons in full makeup for comparison:
Newcastle, England. Backstage. Right before the show last night. (Ross Halfin foto). pic.twitter.com/9z9OJTdvh7July 15, 2019
See the resemblance? Obstagoon's got the white face, the blacked-out eyes, the armored limbs, and perhaps most importantly, the pronounced rocker tongue. Obstagoon isn't much of a singer from what we know - he looks like a Fighting-type, and comes with the Reckless and Guts abilities - but the similarities are undeniable. Fans quickly latched onto Obstagoon being a Kiss homage, so Newsweek asked Simmons about it in a recent interview.
"Pokemon has been a part of our household for decades, ever since our kids first discovered them," he said. "And to see Pokemon pay homage to Kiss is flattering."
Simmons also acknowledge Obstagoon on Twitter:
welp https://t.co/xuL5dqToMvAugust 7, 2019
Does Gene Simmons play Pokemon? It's a question I never thought I'd ask. I don't think so, but his kids do (or did) and he's down with it, and that's pretty cool. Whatever its inspirations, kudos to Obstagoon for connecting one of the biggest names in gaming with one of the icons of rock.
The rest of the Internet's Galarian Pokemon reactions were every bit as entertaining.
