Thread: Why do people hate on different Generations?

I thought about this question for awhile...
Manga: This is fine the way it is. I don't think change is necessary.
Anime: Repetition, repetition, repetition. Please, come up with a better plot. Even though Ash is the main character, I think he also may be one reason I don't follow the anime as much anymore...he's a dimwit, he resets his power every region, etc. etc.
Games: I...don't...hate the games. Generation IV bored me out though, nothing real special. I was all ready to give up the games until Black and White came out. Now it's all good.
It's probably best not to go by my opinion though. I'm swayed by personal preferences. I don't hate on any generation though.
Regions in order of preference: Hoenn, Unova, Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh. :/

Originally Posted by FinalArcadia

I like Gen. IV too. Platinum version just totally redeemed D/P for me. Is HG/SS included in Gen. IV? Because if it is, then Gen. IV is actually my favorite. Platinum just felt like it had so much to do, and I LOVED being able to rebattle the gym leaders in a convenient way. If HG/SS are indeed included as well, HG is my favorite game in the series, because the towns are gorgeous, Johto is a fantastic region, Silver is EPIC, and I thought HG/SS had the best music, improving over the original G/S.

But anyway, people hate on different generations because some people just feel like their word is the word of God, and is absolute. Like nobody else can disagree, but their opinion is FACT. Friendly arguments that aren't personal over generations is totally fine and fun, but the ones who get all offensive about it are just trolls. Go on YouTube, and you'll see a TON of them on practically every Pokemon video game related video.

I like Gen IV too. Anyways I had the same problem from Nintendo Fan Forum and a few members on Pokecommunity but I don't let that bother me. I just ignore them, Also don't forget the spinoffs like the Mystery dungeon and Ranger which I enjoyed. In fact, a year ago was when I started writing fanfics about the fourth generation legendaries mainly Arceus. Around that era, I liked reading fanfics centering around that generation. I have done about three playthroughs of Platinum,multiple times on Diamond, and three on Explorers of Sky. I think these people need to learn to respect each outhers opinion in my opinion, The fourth generation will always be my most favorite generation of piokemon.

Because people are either blinded by nostalgia or feel offended if their time is offended.

It all comes down to personal preference.

/end thread

Pokemon fans need something to argue about.

I think it has to do a bit with nostalgia. People who h=got into it in the Generation IV era will typically have a special place for Generation IV, people who grew up on Generation II (like myself) will have a special thing for Generation II, et cetera. People can be open-minded, though, but they'll typically find something to complain about as compared to the generation they like (for example, I find Generation IV Pokemon extremely overdesigned).

Well, I didn't really like Gen IV.
I dunno it just didn't get to me.

It all comes down to personal preference, naturally. But, since stating that and then hitting reply isn't exactly a conversation starter, here are my rough reviews of the generations. Apologies, this got longer than I was originally thinking it would.

Generation I: This is what started it all. I love this generation by default because it was my first pokemon game, and because I was just old enough to be really up for the fad aspect of it. At the same time, though, I will probably never play a Gen I game again. The graphics were bad(both in a technical sense, and in a "Why didn't you send that sprite back for a redo?" sense). The mechanics were clunky and the types horribly unbalanced(Psychic ruling the roost, one line each for Ghost and Dragon). The game also seemed to have trouble in some parts figuring out when a pokemon was a species and when it was a single individual(Cubone, I am looking at you). Still, the seeds of greatness were planted.

Pokemon: I'm not going to try and label any generation's additions as wholly good or bad. Taste is subjective and every one of them had some winners and some duds. so I'll mention the starters, and some highlights from the Travesty Reel and from my personal favorites. Gen I had great starters. Strong, iconic lines. I also felt that Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle did a good job of conveying the strange mix of physical creature and force of nature that pokemon are. Pidgey also debuted here, and I find that Pidgey is a great pokemon for how it starts off boring and generic, but eventually gets a bit of personality and majesty as it evolves into Pidgeot. It serves as a mirror for the player's own journey. On the other hand, this is the generation that gave us a woman in blackface(Jynx) and a pile of spaghetti with red boots(Tangela), as well as trying to convince us that a pile of slime(Grimer/Muk) and a pokeball(Voltorb/Electrode) were original ideas that had enough design space to allow for evolution.

Generation II: I was very fond of Gen II. Perhaps it was a bastion of untapped potential, but at the same time, things like the day/night cycles, the radio and the ability to take numbers and get phonecalls made the player feel more a part of a living world. The ability to go back to Kanto and see how it had changed may have been disappointing in some of the execution, but it's a feature I really enjoyed, just for that same reason. People moved, places changed, time marched on. Also, the addition of Red on Mt. Silver gave a strong post-elite-four goal that actually had some emotional motivation behind it.

Pokemon: The starters in Johto were pretty lame, I gotta say. As a trio, probably the worst of the starters. Cyndaquil felt underdrawn and it's shift from mouse to dog to bear made it hard to identify with. Chikorita was, well, chikorita. Totodile was pretty solid, though, at least if you could get pas the croconaw levels that left you wondering why the Flintstones were a paying sponsor of pokemon. The new types were actually pretty good, though. Some great inclusions were Espeon and Umbreon, Houndoom, and Tyranitar. New evolutions were also generally good, with new pokemon like Scizor and Kingdra. On the other hand, Slugma showed us what happens when Charizard sneeze, and what happens when a monkey has udders on its tail(nightmares happen, to be clear).

Generation III: This was easily my least favorite generation. If V is considered a reset, then III was a hard reboot. I actually just stopped playing when I realized I was never going to get a charmander. Eventually FireRed and LeafGreen would change this, but that just made me play FireRed, not Ruby. Many new innovations were actually quite decent, such as abilities, natures and pokemon contests. Double battles felt really awkward and forced, though. I found characters in this generation to be really bland and forgettable. I actually bulbawiki'd them all to make a review, but figured I better not get in depth, because even after that, the thing that stood out most to me was "I guess Flannery is kinda cute." This entry also saw the end of Team Rocket, with new bad guys in Teams Aqua and Magma. These were just bad. Their plan was pretty lame, with glaring flaws that someone really should have caught on to. Their costumes left a lot to be desired as well.

Pokemon: The starters here were a mixed bag. I actually think the mudkip line is really cool. Sceptile was as forgettable as the characters, though, and Blaziken is one of the more overrated pokemon in the series. Some of the pokemon were pretty good. Altaria and Milotic captured a "humble beginnings" vibe, and Gardevoir and Absol had a certain charm. On the other hand, the double battle pokemon(Plusle and Minon, Illumise and Volbeat, etc) got annoying quick, as did walking mexican sterotype Ludicolo. This Generation also marks the point where legendaries jumped the shark, by stopping being just legends and starting to be living gods. There's been no going back since, and it's been a sore point for me the whole way.

Generation IV: Generation IV felt to me like what III should have been. The characters were stronger, and the old pokemon weren't cut off. A lot of it had sort of a "cleaned up" feel. The wireless capacities of the DS were also a strong point, even if my old DS model couldn't get access half the places I went. The multiplayer aspect of the game really began to bloom. Even the underground, dinky and simple as it was, made for some fun times with friends, as we had a way to play together, even if we weren't actively trading or battling. Team Galactic was admittedly a Costumed Supervillany cliche, but at the same time, they really nailed that cliche.

Pokemon: The starters in Gen IV were arguably the best since Gen I. Infernape really nailed the Fire/Fighting role(possibly due to a distinct lack of feathered bell-bottoms). Torterra is in the running for my favorite grass-type(even if the first stage was awkward) and Empoleon is a speed boat. I'm down with that. For the rest of the new pokemon, well, Gen IV was really a generation of adding new evolutions, for better or worse. On the bright side, we got two new eeveelutions, a male form for Gardevoir in Gallade, and Mismagius, a sorely needed Ghost. On the other hand, this generation gave us such unnecessary travesties as Electivire, Magmortar and Rhyperior. This generation marks the point at which I realized there was no going back to decent legendaries after Kyogre and Groudon, and have ignored box legendaries since. Also the nightmare began in Aipom reached a terrifying new height.

Generation V: I fall on the side of liking Gen V. At first I was pretty sure I'd hate not having access to old pokemon until post-elite four, but in practice, it works out. Not always knowing what comes next, pokemon-wise, and being forced to use all new ones at first(instead of mostly older ones with a sprinkling of the new ones, as I tried to do in Gens II-IV) gave the game a feel that called back to the days of Red and Blue. And then about halfway through, you get the national dex, and it's all good.

As for the story, I liked it, too. In some places it feels a bit contrived(though, the same could be said for every generation) and the dialogue isn't going to win any awards. Still, I liked having Cheren and Bianca around. They provided nice examples of how different people might handle the "Pokemon Journey" differently, and the friendly rivalry vibe was pretty solid. I also approve of Team Plasma. Something about having a "King" and the "Seven Sages" and the frequent use of speeches in addition to crime gave them a distinct radical activist/cult feel, which I thought was a bit more interesting than the Costumed Supervillainy we've been offered in recent years. The game as a whole seems to contain more mature themes, though it's not very aggressive in pushing them at you.

Now, for those of you have yet to rush to the "post reply" button to tell me that the national isn't until the post game, I'll explain why I said halfway. Recently, I beat the Elite Four for the first time, and spoilers happened all over the place. Eventually, though, what I expected came to pass, namely, the credits rolled, and I was back in Nuvema. Then I realized I still hadn't been to about half the map. Suddenly, I've been given a bunch of new areas to explore, a bunch of new pokemon to catch, and the Elite Four remain a legitimate challenge. I'll be busy for awhile.

Pokemon: The starters in Gen V are a mixed bag. I can't fully endorse any of them, but neither can I write them off. Snivy has this great way of making me feel like a smug jerk just looking at it. Tepig starts out adorable, but then becomes a fire/fighting Pro-Wrestler, and I really do think that combination is done to death now. For a non-starter, sure, fine. Oshawott has it's own problems. It's color scheme is clunky, which doesn't hurt its cuteness, but did hurt my manly pride when I chose it, in a way that Tepig's adorableness would not have. Dewott and Samurott are pretty cool, but I really wish Samurott would stop sticking his butt in my face. He's an otter, not a cat. As far as other pokemon go, this has been a good generation to like ghost or dragon types(I like both). Both of these chronically understaffed types have new forms in this generation, and unlike some previous entries(Jet-Planes, Dragon Cocoons) these are quite good looking. Admittedly, Hydreigon is pulled straight from my nightmares, but different ones than Aipom. Volcarona is gorgeous, as is Haxorus. On the other hand, the elemental monkeys are aggressively lame, and this generation saw the introduction of a literal bag of trash and an ice cream cone.

Also, I just got my ass handed to me on a platter in White version by a random Ace Trainer on a Route, while using my Elite-Four beating team. I haven't lost to a random trainer since I was 11, playing Red for the first time. I officially never want to hear about how much Gen V made things easy again.

I must be an exception in this sense, but generation three in my opinion has the best pokemon selection so far. They didn't over complicate their designs like gen 4 and they didn't have the pokemon that were basically animals with funny names like gen 1. The diverse and kinda eccentric color usage also really sets Hoenn aside as unique.

As far as plot and characters, Gen 2 takes the cake and HG/SS only solidified this. Easily the best gym leaders throughout the game and very clever sideplots.

Now, as far as region goes, it's tougher but I gotta say Unova has really surprised me. Hoenn really loses points here with the absurd amount of water routes and ridiculous "ice cave" they had to put in. I get it's more tropical but hopefully the theoretical remakes will make it more enjoyable.

I've been playing since first generation and the only region I didn't play immediately after it's release was Hoenn which has really turned into one of my favorites strangely enough. Flygon and Bannette have stuck as favorite pokemon. Kanto however, really is pretty average on all accounts and I'm ok with that. It's a starting point and how I see it there's nothing wonderfully special(aside from Lavender Town) about it and appropriately so.

If there's one region I hold a grudge against it's Sinnoh. Worst pokemon selection, average region, pretty good plot but overall easily the worst of all five. Still good but just not up to par with such a perfect franchise.

It really is about preference among players. Some wanna see creative pokemon, some want a good plot and alot of post E4 stuff, and some want the prettiest graphics. Then nostalgia sets in, it's hard to pinpoint one thing in my opinion.

Originally Posted by <Ins0mnIac>

I must be an exception in this sense, but generation three in my opinion has the best pokemon selection so far. They didn't over complicate their designs like gen 4 and they didn't have the pokemon that were basically animals with funny names like gen 1. The diverse and kinda eccentric color usage also really sets Hoenn aside as unique.

I completely agree! I think generation III was underrated in that aspect. I really liked all the Pokemon designs in generation III.

I like every generation and every Pokemon. I'm not a hater person. Although I DO have favorite styles (such as Generation IV) and favorite Pokemon (Go Blastoise and Typhlosion!!!!) , I don't care about my game as long as I have fun and catch the right Pokemon with a Master Ball, and not a Magikarp.

I don't hate on anything I like. Their all good, I personally like the designs in the earlier generations. That's just me.
What I dislike are Pokemon that look just like and are based off of real animals, Like lillipup. But that's about it.

Otherwise Black and White is so boring! beat the elite four, get all the items. Your done. No contests, no cooking, no Pokewalkers. Just DW which is just for PC. Being boring iis the only thing I have against black and white. I loved Platinum because of poffin and contests and the underground, also SS for the Pokewalker! B/W feels like the smallest pkmn game for DS.

I like all of the Generations They had their ups and downs, and really, I don't particularly hate on any particular Generation.
I don't love or hate Black and White. I'm rather neutral. It had nice characters and a nice plot, but some of the Pokémon were, to quote Red, '....', at some parts the graphics looked a little....I dunno, the game was rather short, and it got boring quickly after finishing main game.
I can't really give an opinion on Gen. IV, because it'll be rather biased as I have mostly played Gen. IV games, and I've only played spin-off Gen. III games, and I haven't played enough of Gen. I and Gen. II to have much of an opinion on it.

Not only is it nostalgia, but also different concepts of what an ideal Pokemon game should be. In fact, I got into a bit of an argument on Pokememes over that sort of thing. One guy wanted a remake of Red/Blue/Yellow with the graphics, scale, and open-endedness of Skyrim. I opposed him to his face; not because he was inherently in the wrong (although I felt that way at the time), but because my idea of an ideal Pokemon game was different from his.

Originally Posted by Pashalik

Generation III: This entry also saw the end of Team Rocket, with new bad guys in Teams Aqua and Magma. These were just bad. Their plan was pretty lame, with glaring flaws that someone really should have caught on to. Their costumes left a lot to be desired as well.

This Generation also marks the point where legendaries jumped the shark, by stopping being just legends and starting to be living gods. There's been no going back since, and it's been a sore point for me the whole way.

The plot could be better if they made the teams a bit...smarter, they have potential.

Also, you don't think a Pokemon bringing back ones from the dead as being 'god-like'(*cough* Ho-oh)? Imo, I found Ho-oh to be more god-like(and Lugia to an extent, from the Anime) than Groudon and Kyogre. I just saw them as ancient/powerful Pokemon who were disturbed for odd reasons.

Originally Posted by coolcatkim22

3. These games changed everything and that's sort of it's problem. It did so many new things that it made it hard to distinguish it as a Pokemon game. Now, new things are good but just because it's new doesn't mean it's going to be that great. (I'm not going to be talking about the remakes at all in this. I feel like I don't have to and I don't really wanna bother with them.)
The idea of having two evil organizations were great but the concept of having the ledgies be perpetual Pokemon gods, I think was too much. Ledgies aren't gods, not even Mewtwo is a god. They're just like, mythical creatures.
The trick house, while cool, seemed rather forced. It seemed like the makers needed more trainer battles and didn't know where to put them so they just put them in here. Also, it's kind of weird, not even good weird just, weird...

Besides the trick house, I felt there were two many tiny mini games going about. They had the typical game corner which I think is perfectly fine and I think that e-reader thing was cool but there were a lot of other tiny things. They had all those bike puzzles. Why are bikes the key to puzzles now? They were there to make getting from point A to B faster, now they slows things down as you have to go switch bikes all the time and navigate through these obstacles on a bike. Also, the Pokeblock making machine, the growing of berries, the fishing rod thing, and don't even get me started on the Regi quest.
What was up with all different terrain by the way? I don't know much about the region in real life but does it really have that many different ecosystems? And if it does, was it absolutely necessary to include all of them in this game? Granted, it is interesting but on the other hand it's extremely annoying. Am I the only one who doesn't like spending time in a game walking through ash or trying to get through vegetation in the rain? Because to me, that was about as fun as I figured doing that in real life would be, which isn't very. Now, some of the places did work but that was only when the routes were short. I must again ask you all something, am I the only one who doesn't like these long routes? I would rather have short routes and then a lot of towns and cities in between, because that would mean more badges and more story (which they did start to do that in fourth gen though not very much, but still).

Once again, I felt Gen II legendaries to feel more god-like than Gen III ones(who seemed more like the ancient, strong, mystical ones).

Also, what is so bad about side quests? They help to make the game longer for one, especially making them in areas that you probably wouldn't venture to otherwise, gives the whole map more reason. I do have to say that it would be nice for the side areas and the like to be given more use(especially all those extra islands lying about).

Lastly, you honestly think shorter routes makes it better? Imo, a mix is much better, the longer routes giving the 'adventure' feeling a lot more depth...every town being 3 steps apart would be really boring and it'd be pointless to even have routes inbetween them at all...would honestly be better off with like a little walkway inbetween them that you couldn't stray off from. They might as well make the game just one big city.



Anyways, onto my own opinions...

I'm probably one of those people who isn't like "I'll never go back to *such and such* Gen again because of how horrible it was", I pretty much like all games to an extent. With that aside, as with everyone, there are things I like and dislike about each one.

Gen I
Like:
- It started it all, simple as that. It was very simple, yet very memorable. It was just amazing for it's time pretty much.
- Music, places memorable
- Villians had more realistic goals

Dislike:
- Felt a little...compressed at certain points though(like how on some routes, it seemed as if trainers outnumbered the wild battles, ha)
- That they didn't implement the female protagonist that they had planned. Idk about anyone else, but it feels a little wrong how females who play don't really have a 'Legend' to call their own, a female equal to Red.

Gen II
Like:
- It was HUGE, and you could even visit Kanto to see how things have changed(although it is small, was nice to visit a 2nd region in one game)
- The Day/Night feature, along with the ability to call registered trainers, etc. made the game feel more life like.
- Music and places were memorable
- Liked a lot of the designs

Dislike:
- It almost seemed like Team Rocket just popped out of nowhere, with almost no real motive to be back...The Executives made it feel more like little groups scattered about doing their own thing, rather than being one whole organization(although it was with reason, they felt so....separate)


Gen III
Like:
- I'm not sure why a lot of people dislike the longer routes/water routes. It felt like you were literally on an adventure with all of the different terrains and the like. Music and places are yet again memorable
-The music was really memorable and fit most places
- The plot was for the most part interesting(although could've been more....'clever')
- Loved a lot of the designs(Altaria, Gardevoir, Milotic, Kyogre, Sceptile, to name a few)
- Secret bases were REALLY fun, especially with all the things you could use to customize yours
- A lot of the stuff that used a multiplayer type feel(visiting friend bases, berry blending, seeing your friends on TV, etc.)
- Double battles were fun
- The Battle Frontier added majorly to the 'keeping interest factor'. Each facility worked very differently and actually were quite challenging, in their own right

Dislike:
- Although I love them all, seems a little like this was the start of a bazillion legendaries added per game.
- I can't speak for others....but when traveling in this game, I felt so....alone. They just had an awkward loneliness about them.

Gen IV
Like:
- The Plot was really good, although it could've been toned down a little maybe.
- Rivals, etc. started to be given bigger roles and were more fun/interactive.
- Loved many of the evolutions they gave to past Pokemon

Dislike:
- Again, too many legendaries introduced
- Along with the above, a little too 'deity'ish in adding pokemon
- Towns not as memorable(I remember these a bit, but they don't have as many charms that keep them coming back to mind like other Gens' towns)

Gen V
Like:
- Liked the mysteriousness of Team Plasma to a degree, especially how manipulative Ghetsis was...just made it feel like the leader of the villians had a boost in intelligence
- Liked how it gave the feeling of starting fresh(not knowing what Pokemon to expect and such made it a really nice experience)
- Liked N's character(someone who deeply cares for Pokemon and wants the best for them, even if he was misguided)
- The story was really interesting and kept me playing
- How the E4 was split up, so you could fight them in any order you pleased/felt was best
- How huge and life like Castelia was, a city that keeps your interest for a bit(especially if they add on in Gray/Chrome)

Dislike:
- Lack of post game content besides the extra towns, although they'll make a return in Gray/Chrome
- The lack of longer routes/water routes...so the region felt like it didn't have much depth, although the bridges were fine.
- The Fighting/Fire type combo starter has now been played out
- A few designs were awkward

Well if I can think of other things to add, I will edit this.