It's not a question about anime being lame. X&Y anime is particularly interesting and >>> B/W anime. But games. They're so interesting as they engage you through your own journey and let you make your own choices. In my opinion that's better than seeing someone else do them, because you'd think, 'If I were him, I would/wouldn't have done that.' or variations. At times you'd disagree with the protagonist's (here, Ash's) views but you won't question yourself. No matter how sugar-coated the games are, the anime will always seem to be very limiting. The games also come in variety, and there's a lot of games to choose from, three starters to play your game three times with. An endless journey if you catch my drift. Finally, the game allows you to journey with Pokémon. Though the character may not look like you, it is essentially you who's controlling him. You get to bond with Pokémon, to understand and battle with them. The anime is like watching a third person.