What's your Favorite Pokémon Generation? (Gen 1 - Gen 8)

[PostZordem]

Pokémon's always had that RPG gameplay in the main games that we've loved ever since the first set of games, Red/Blue released (There was also Green and Yellow, but Green was only released in Japan and Yellow is basically an improved version of Red + Blue that was released later on). While the mainline games have always retained the same core formula of battling and collecting Pokémon, facing your rival on several occasions, beating all the gym leaders, and being the "best there ever was", the games have always had a charm that made the series vastly popular among players both young and old. I'll be including every Pokémon generation from the very first in R/B/G/Y all the way to SW/SH. Gen 9 won't be included since those games haven't released yet, and I'd like to focus on the first 8 generations of Pokémon before Scarlet/Violet are released. Also, I won't be including any of the remakes, spinoffs, or any other Pokémon game that's not a main title, as they include Pokémon from the mainline games anyways.

My favorite Pokémon generation is actually one of the more recent ones, Gen 8, because:

• It includes a solid collection of Pokémon to catch (400!),
• It has my favorite legendary and starter in it. Sword's exclusive legendary, Zacian as my fave legendary because I love the Sword doggo (reminds me of that one Dark Souls boss), and Scorbunny as my current fave starter (though Sprigatito may replace Scorbunny once Gen 9 comes out).
• I like the characters and the story's not too bad (it's Pokémon, not Fire Emblem. The story in these games were never too grand to begin with). Hop's a great rival (dude may have picked the starter weak to yours, but he does get the one of the two legendries), Leon's an awesome champ, and Bede and Marnie are great as well. 
• Most of the journey may be linear with the routes (but let's be honest, outside of Legends: Arceus, Pokémon was always linear, no matter the generation), but I loved the bigger open world-ish areas that were included, kind of reminded me of Breath of the Wild (albeit very loosely). 
• I like how you can make camps and hang out with the Pokémon in your party. It offered more interaction between you and your Pokémon, kind of like what X/Y did, but better imo.
• Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing are the best things SW/SH had to offer, and you can't convince me otherwise.

That's why Gen 8 is my favorite of the bunch so far, but I have to ask my fellow PokéFans, what's your favorite generation? Is it Gen 1 with Red/Green/Blue/Yellow, since it's the one that started it all? Is it Gen 4 with Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (Disregarding the shabby remakes)? Or do you also think that Gen 8 is the best due to the features it introduced, such as Dynamaxing and Camps in Sword/Shield? 

[Fire Emblem Fan]

SoulSilver is without question my favorite game in the series, but since this poll doesn't include remakes, I'll just say Gen 2 since that's what SoulSilver is remaking.

50 minutes ago, CyberZord said:

(Disregarding the shabby remakes)?

I don't know if you mean HeartGold/SoulSilver or Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, but either way, I definitely have to heavily disagree, especially if you're talking about HG/SS.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

I went with Gen V, including Black/White and Black 2/White 2. A few things I liked them doing:

• A "soft reboot", with a wholly original regional Dex, was a bold choice. But it did press the player to make a team of all-new Mons, and not to rely upon old favorites, while making the new region feel more distinct than ever before. The sequels undercut this effect, but only by drastically expanding the player's options when it came to teambuilding.
• Stronger than usual handling of the rivals. You get both the "friendly" rival, in Bianca (also the first consistently female rival), and the more "serious" rival in Cheren. Both unselected starters finally go to a good trainer (sure, Lukas/Dawn has the unpicked starter, but it's a different one than the one in the suitcase). And N (whom I consider a rival) just has an awesome design and personality, making for the best rival since Silver at least.
• More interesting and compelling evil team than usual, at least in the original BW. The notion that capturing Pokemon from their natural habitats, making them into pets, and forcing them to fight, is a cruel act of control? It's not entirely without merit. Is it wrong of me to capture Mons and leave them to languish in the PC, with no intent of letting them breathe the wild air? The game does "chicken out" somewhat, by making the Grunts hypocrites, and Ghetsis an out-and-out liar - likely because actually confronting the point head-on would put the franchise's whole modus operandi into question. Still, it's more sympathetic than what Teams like Galactic and Rocket had going on.
• Animated sprites! Honestly, this was really cool, letting sprites move throughout the battle, rather than just at the start. Loved to see how they changed after taking damage, or being affected by a status. I daresay they looked more lively than the models we got in the 3DS era, as well.
• Seasons were a fun environmental shakeup. While the principal effects were aesthetic, they also impacted areas available in certain routes. While the concept has basically been abandoned, I'd love to see a new game take this further. Say, certain Pokemon who have season-specific evolutions, or Trainers who appear only in certain seasons.

[vanguard333]

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum is definitely my favourite Pokémon generation.

Part of it is definitely nostalgia; while Fire Red was the first Pokémon game that I played, I borrowed it from my brother; Diamond and Platinum were the first two Pokémon games that I actually owned. It also has my favourite starter Pokémon (Torterra), and I will be the first to admit that gen 4 was far from perfect: overuse of HM moves and absence of fire types being the two most obvious problems that are always brought up in any criticism of gen 4. However, I do think there is a lot of good to gen 4 (though admittedly most of them include the qualifier "particularly in Platinum", "mainly in Platinum", or "especially in Platinum").

• The atmosphere of gen 4 is fantastic; apparently this region was inspired by the island of Hokkaido, and it shows: the region, especially in Platinum, really captures the colder climate and the idea of a region rich in history. Each area in the game is really interesting as a result.
• The conflict against Team Galactic is a surprisingly epic battle between good and evil almost more befitting a Zelda game than a Pokémon game. Climbing Mt. Coronet provides excellent buildup to the big battle, and Cyrus, though pure evil, is still a fascinating antagonist, especially in Platinum where he gets additional scenes manipulating his grunts and the stuff in the Torn World.
• The rival Barry is probably the best rival in any of the main Pokémon games. He's friendly and supportive, yet still competitive and provides an actual challenge. He's absolutely bursting with personality, mainly in the form of being hyperactive, and I do buy that he and the protagonist are best friends even though the protagonist never speaks. Plus, fighting alongside him against Team Galactic is pretty cool.
• This generation utilized a mix of 2D sprites and 3D models, and it actually looks really good as, for the most part, it utilizes the benefits of both: sprites are still used for the characters and Pokémon while the 3D is mainly used for the environment, and it works.
• The Torn World. It's only visited twice at most (once in the main story, a second time to get the object that allows Giratina to retain its origin form), but it is a truly breathtaking and imaginative location for the climax of a Pokémon game. This nightmarish realm that doesn't follow any comprehensible rules and is completely empty of any inhabitants except Giratina; it really dawns on the player that the Torn World is essentially an antimatter realm, and it's a really creative portrayal of one. It really is unique.

[PostZordem]

1 hour ago, Fire Emblem Fan said:

I don't know if you mean HeartGold/SoulSilver or Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, but either way, I definitely have to heavily disagree, especially if you're talking about HG/SS.

@Fire Emblem Fan I'm referring to Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl when I say "shabby remakes". I never played HeartGold/SoulSilver, but I've heard that they were great remakes of the original games. Every Pokémon remake since then has been received pretty well... except for BD/SP. I never played the original Diamond/Pearl or even Platinum, but going from Sword to Brilliant Diamond was a little jarring to say the least. The chibi art style doesn't really fit for a remake made in the Gen 8 era (The grid the NPCs move on is especially distracting). In my opinion, they should've just made the remake in the style of Sword/Shield, as I much prefer that game's art style over BD/SP's. Sure, it is very faithful to the original Diamond and Pearl, but doesn't it feel a little too faithful? They didn't even add in anything from Platinum, which is a crying shame. Every other Pokémon remake like FireRed/LeafGreen, HeartGold/SoulSilver, and OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire was remade in the same style of the newest, current generation at the time each remake was released. Not only that, but those remakes added a good chunk of content and improvements that made them better than the originals. Doesn't look like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl do as much of the same compared to the remakes before it (at least from what I've seen). 

But I digress, because despite my issues with BD/SP, I don't think it's completely terrible. There are a few things I like about it, such as Gen 4's region and Pokémon (particularly Piplup), the underground area is rather neat, Team Galactic's easily one of the better Teams I've seen (especially compared to Team Yell, who are really just a group of fanboys/fangirls that aren't very threatening), and the music is amazing. Though I still believe that BD/SP is a shabby remake because it simply feels like it tried to be a little too faithful to the original games. 

Since you disagree with how I feel about BD/SP, I'd like to hear your opinion on the Gen 4 remakes. I'm always open to hearing an opinion different from my own, and would like to know exactly what about BD/SP made you like it more than I did.

1 hour ago, vanguard333 said:

Diamond/Pearl/Platinum is definitely my favourite Pokémon generation.

Part of it is definitely nostalgia; while Fire Red was the first Pokémon game that I played, I borrowed it from my brother; Diamond and Platinum were the first two Pokémon games that I actually owned. It also has my favourite starter Pokémon (Torterra), and I will be the first to admit that gen 4 was far from perfect: overuse of HM moves and absence of fire types being the two most obvious problems that are always brought up in any criticism of gen 4. However, I do think there is a lot of good to gen 4 (though admittedly most of them include the qualifier "particularly in Platinum", "mainly in Platinum", or "especially in Platinum").

@vanguard333 I love how we keep crossing paths on the threads I create. Funnily enough, something similar happened to me on my Pokémon journey. Pokémon Y was my first Pokémon game, but Pokémon Sword ended up being my favorite in the end, though I do plan to revisit Gen 6 through Pokémon X this time around (mainly because I prefer the legendary in X over Y). 

I've only played Brilliant Diamond, so I don't really know how Platinum sized up compared to OG Diamond/Pearl, but I hear that it's the best version of the Gen 4 games to play. I suppose that since it's the third version, it's got improvements and content added in that make it the best one to play. A shame that the Gen 4 remakes didn't carry over any Platinum content. Speaking of the Gen 4 remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, how do you feel about them? Are they great remakes that do the originals justice? Or do they leave much to be desired?

[Lord_Brand]

For me, Generation VI. Highlights for me:

• The first fully 3D mainline Pokemon game.
• The prettiest female protagonist trainer, Serena.
• Shauna, one of the best friend characters in the series.
• The Fairy Type, rounding out the type list at 18 and introducing some fun new dynamics (including a hard answer to the Dragon type).
• Mega Evolutions, which were not only really cool looking but also gave some underused Pokemon a boost.
• Trainer customization, allowing you to outfit your trainer with different clothes and hairstyles.
• Pokemon Amie, a great outlet for feeding and interacting with your Pokemon.

Granted, I stopped actually playing after Gen III, but I've kept up with the series since, and my bro has played every generation since III so I've gotten to at least see the later generations.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Lord_Brand

[vanguard333]

7 hours ago, CyberZord said:

I've only played Brilliant Diamond, so I don't really know how Platinum sized up compared to OG Diamond/Pearl, but I hear that it's the best version of the Gen 4 games to play. I suppose that since it's the third version, it's got improvements and content added in that make it the best one to play. A shame that the Gen 4 remakes didn't carry over any Platinum content. Speaking of the Gen 4 remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, how do you feel about them? Are they great remakes that do the originals justice? Or do they leave much to be desired?

I haven't played Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, so I can't say that much about them. What I can say is that, from what I've seen, they don't come across as remakes; they come across like someone used mobile game assets to give them a new coat of paint, added a couple superfluous things, and then called them a "remake" so that they could charge full price for them. I didn't like the chibi look (and I'm someone who likes how the Link's Awakening remake looks) as it just looked cheap, and while I don't mind 1:1 remakes like Ocarina of Time 3D or Link's Awakening Remake, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl look like they do less than those games.

I don't want to blame the company Gamefreak hired; from what I know, they're a mobile game company who Gamefreak hired to remake two DS games for the Switch; that's not easy, and that's definitely not within that company's comfort zone. I also don't necessarily want to blame Gamefreak either; I like that they hired someone else for the remakes so that their dev teams wouldn't be split between a remake, a spinoff (Legends Arceus) and gen 9 at the same time.

 

Anyway, Platinum is indeed the best version of gen 4; you have definitely heard correct about that. It added a lot more to the environment and character design to better reflect the colder climate, it reworked the gyms to make them a lot more unique and interesting, it added more Pokémon; particularly fire and electric types which there weren't many of in Diamond & Pearl, it made Cynthia more involved in the plot, it added the Torn World section to the story, it gave Team Galactic a bit more depth, it added a lot of interesting content to the postgame, and quite a few other things.

Edited May 22, 2022 by vanguard333

[Fire Emblem Fan]

17 hours ago, CyberZord said:

@Fire Emblem Fan I'm referring to Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl when I say "shabby remakes". I never played HeartGold/SoulSilver, but I've heard that they were great remakes of the original games. Every Pokémon remake since then has been received pretty well... except for BD/SP. I never played the original Diamond/Pearl or even Platinum, but going from Sword to Brilliant Diamond was a little jarring to say the least. The chibi art style doesn't really fit for a remake made in the Gen 8 era (The grid the NPCs move on is especially distracting). In my opinion, they should've just made the remake in the style of Sword/Shield, as I much prefer that game's art style over BD/SP's. Sure, it is very faithful to the original Diamond and Pearl, but doesn't it feel a little too faithful? They didn't even add in anything from Platinum, which is a crying shame. Every other Pokémon remake like FireRed/LeafGreen, HeartGold/SoulSilver, and OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire was remade in the same style of the newest, current generation at the time each remake was released. Not only that, but those remakes added a good chunk of content and improvements that made them better than the originals. Doesn't look like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl do as much of the same compared to the remakes before it (at least from what I've seen). 

But I digress, because despite my issues with BD/SP, I don't think it's completely terrible. There are a few things I like about it, such as Gen 4's region and Pokémon (particularly Piplup), the underground area is rather neat, Team Galactic's easily one of the better Teams I've seen (especially compared to Team Yell, who are really just a group of fanboys/fangirls that aren't very threatening), and the music is amazing. Though I still believe that BD/SP is a shabby remake because it simply feels like it tried to be a little too faithful to the original games. 

Since you disagree with how I feel about BD/SP, I'd like to hear your opinion on the Gen 4 remakes. I'm always open to hearing an opinion different from my own, and would like to know exactly what about BD/SP made you like it more than I did.

I feel pretty much exactly the opposite of you in everything you mentioned. I don't mind that BD/SP is so faithful to the original D/P games. I actually like the chibi art style and think it fits in really well. Really, the only bummers for me is the lack of Platinum content, but that isn't nearly enough for me to dislike them or think they're failures or anything like that.

[vanguard333]

On 5/22/2022 at 8:02 PM, Fire Emblem Fan said:

I feel pretty much exactly the opposite of you in everything you mentioned. I don't mind that BD/SP is so faithful to the original D/P games. I actually like the chibi art style and think it fits in really well. Really, the only bummers for me is the lack of Platinum content, but that isn't nearly enough for me to dislike them or think they're failures or anything like that.

I think there's a difference though between being faithful and just reskinning the game. Ocarina of Time 3D and Link's Reawakening were faithful remakes; BD/SP, to me, come across as just reskins. If they had just ported Diamond and Pearl to Switch for $10, would there have been any substantial difference beyond price and graphics?

I don't mind chibi art styles as a concept (I like Link's Reawakening), but it really needs to have a lot of attention to detail to look good, and, from what I've seen, the chibi art in BD/SP looks like mobile game graphics.

[Fabulously Olivier]

I'm a gen 3 guy. I love the world, the Pokemon, the protagonists, and the villain teams. It also gave me my all time favorite Pokemon - Absol.

 

Gen 4 is actually the generation that killed Pokemon for me. It was the first time I felt like a majority of the new Pokemon designs were phoned-in, and this unfortunately included a bunch of evolutions that I'd consider to be visual downgrades to some of my favorite Pokemon (namely Electivire and Weaville).

[vanguard333]

On 6/1/2022 at 6:14 AM, Fabulously Olivier said:

I'm a gen 3 guy. I love the world, the Pokemon, the protagonists, and the villain teams. It also gave me my all time favorite Pokemon - Absol.

 

Gen 4 is actually the generation that killed Pokemon for me. It was the first time I felt like a majority of the new Pokemon designs were phoned-in, and this unfortunately included a bunch of evolutions that I'd consider to be visual downgrades to some of my favorite Pokemon (namely Electivire and Weaville).

Gen 3 was definitely fun. My older brother had a copy of Sapphire and sometimes let me play it, though I didn't get very far in it (not because I couldn't, but because Diamond & Pearl released by that point), and I later got Omega Ruby. They were definitely fun games, and Omega Ruby was a decent remake.

Looking back on them, Gen 3 and Gen 4 are definitely foils of each other, and I think that was intentional. Gen 3's region was based on one of the warmest regions of Japan and had a strong environmental theme, with the antagonistic groups being well-meaning extremists who have no idea what they're messing with. Gen 4, meanwhile, is based on the cold island of Hokkaido (the island that the anime Golden Kamuy takes place in) and instead has strong themes of history and mythos, with the villain team being the first one to be a serious intentional threat to the Pokémon world much like, well, a villain straight out of an epic (in the literary sense of the word) narrative, and there are a lot of other ways in which the two generations contrast each other.

 

Interesting; I'll admit that some of those evolutions definitely looked ugly, but I honestly didn't think the new Pokémon designs were phoned-in. I honestly thought that a lot of them had plenty of character to them; Porygon Z being a good example.

[henrymidfields]

Mine is a tie between Generation 2 and Generation 6, then closely followed by Gen 1 and Gen 8. I had a lot of fond memories for Gen 2, as Silver was my first Pokemon game. I also found it novel that Pokemon as an RPG actually went for the "like Japan/Earth unless noted" - which only Earthbound or Shin Megami Tensei did during the 90s. Most other RPGs or their derivatives have either medieval and maybe futuristic. After three generations of the region designs that got into the wilderness, Gen 6 made a return to said worldbuilding approach with actual overseas regions since then. Gen 6 is when speculating and exploring the regions and comparing them with their real-life counterpart got me excited again.

[miranda]

Gen 4 was when I really started getting into Pokemon and I think they’re some of the best games going. Obviously I have personal nostalgia for these games, but that aside, the Sinnoh region is one of my favourite maps. 

Edited January 8 by miranda