Are you a Pokémon Purist?

Started by Nick January 22nd, 2012 9:06 AM
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Nick

Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted July 28th, 2021
17,572 posts
18.6 Years
MOD NOTE: Yes, this is originally from 2012, but we've decided to leave this thread open (see post 46), so feel free to continue posting here!

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A Pokémon Purist is someone who typically holds the belief that the first generation is the best because it was the first, and usually hold that belief based on nostalgia and sentimentality. They believe they had the best towns, they had the best Pokémon, they had the best story line, they had the best gym leaders, they had the best replay value, etc. Some refuse to buy games of later generations because of this, some continue to buy them and play though them (thoroughly enjoying them), but still hold the belief that Gen I was better and they'll usually never change their opinion.

Are you a Pokémon Purist? If so, how much of one are you? If not, what is your opinion of Pokémon Purists?

Oryx

CoquettishCat

Age 30
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Seen January 30th, 2015
Posted December 27th, 2014
13,184 posts
12.2 Years
Nooo I honestly can't stand Pokemon purists. Even if they're not the type to argue it with you, it still just...gets on my nerves. Yes, I do love the first generation out of nostalgia, I admit. I honestly don't like going back and playing it but I still love it because of the memories. But I wouldn't argue that the first is objectively the best in any way. Its graphics were terrible, its storyline was simplistic even compared to the rest of the games, its gameplay was flawed in ways that were fixed in later generations, it was full of bugs. I may be judgmental in that I hate when people claim it's the best even if they don't argue it with me but I can't help it because I just dislike that claim so much haha.


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Don't Ask, Just Tell

Male
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Seen May 2nd, 2015
Posted December 22nd, 2012
792 posts
13.6 Years
When I saw the thread title, the first thought that came to mind was team typing.
In the anime, some main protagonists always have the conventional Grass, Fire, and Water type-pokemon in their teams. Some examples of Purists would be Ash/Red, Gary/Blue, Cynthia, Bianca, Barry, and Cheren.

So I would say that I HAVE to include a Grass, Fire, and Water type Pokemon. So in that respect that is what I think of as sticking to that standard and nostalgic conventions of a protagonist/champion team.

But as a GEN 1 Purist, I would say I am not at all. I love GEN 1, but I love the other GEN's as well.
Age 30
Male
London
Seen October 12th, 2014
Posted September 25th, 2014
181 posts
15.3 Years
I am definitely not a pursit. Most of the 'purists' haven't even tried the games of latter generations.
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Yoshikko

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Seen April 27th, 2020
Posted February 6th, 2020
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11.8 Years
Well, I think I kind of am, only except that I do like some Pokémon of the newer gens and it's not like I am so stubborn that no one can change my mind on it. It's just yeah, for all the reasons why purists are what they are. But I still don't like to refer to myself as one haha, if I could even be considered one.

Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'

Age 97
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Seen 1 Week Ago
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Not at all. There are good and bad Pokemon from all generations and each region has its ups and downs. As for the games themselves, they're full of problems like glitches and sprites that look nothing like the real thing. Not to mention that you were forced to play as a boy back in those days.

Even the graphical and gameplay advancements from 1st to 2nd gen were astounding and if I feel like returning to Kanto, I'll just play Leaf Green, thanks. But one thing I miss from 1st gen was Persian's Slash going critical almost every time.

Overall however, the advances made since the original games outweighs any sense of "nostalgia" for the 1st gen. People who are 1st gen purists don't usually bother me unless they're trying to push their beliefs on me.

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psyanic

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Age 26
Male
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Seen April 10th, 2023
Posted June 30th, 2018
1,284 posts
12 Years
Oh no... I am not a Pokemon purist. I think saying the first gen is the best in every single aspect of the games themselves is pretty darn stubborn. Graphically, it's probably the worst. It was decent for its time, when it was released, but nowadays it's got nothing on Gen V.

Zeffy

g'day

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Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted January 30th, 2021
6,395 posts
14.1 Years
I think of Pokemon purists as people with a limited mindset, they only consider one thing and don't care for the others.

As for me, no, I am not a ppurist. I love the whole franchise so much, I can't even imagine how one could be so hateful of the other generations.

alisaie

they/them
Seen March 14th, 2023
Posted February 3rd, 2022
13,598 posts
14.8 Years
Considering that I've never even beaten the Elite Four in Kanto - at all - I would say that I'm most definitely not a purist. Even so, I enjoy many Pokemon from the older generations. Each generation have their ups-and-downs and I notice that, though it did take me a while to warm up to the fourth generation, and the fifth generation was okay, but not something I was hooked on for a long time. When I see purists who don't care about anything but the first generation, it bothers me. I'm fine with the purists that I least acknowledge that the other generations exist, and have favorites from other generations. However, they just favor the first generation more Like many things, it depends on the level of purism and how much they act on it depends on how much I'm bothered by it. I'm talking in more of a general level, than just a game level, as there are purists when it comes to the anime, and just the designs on the Pokemon as well.

Jellicent♀

Age 30
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Seen July 11th, 2022
Posted March 8th, 2021
2,614 posts
11.3 Years
Oh no, I'm not one at all. I can't stand the purists. They rave and rant about all of the newer generations and how awesome the first is. I honestly don't like the first generation games very much. The only reason that they're in love with it all is because the feeling that their nostalgia gives them makes them feel better than their life makes them feel. They call the newest gen "the worst yet" saying nothing looks original. Really? No originality? What about Voltorb or Electrode? Their Pokedex entries even say that they're Pokeballs. Diglett? Dugtrio? Over designed? What about Rhyhorn? I agree that each generation has its ups and downs, but not so much to where I cant hate any of them. I loved them all, and always will. Being a fan of ONLY the first generation doesn't make you a Pokemon fan, it makes you a fan of nostalgia.
Age 31
Male
Scotland/Cyprus
Seen December 8th, 2013
Posted February 9th, 2012
97 posts
12.1 Years
I would say I am a purist to an extent ...
GEN1 holds a lot fo sentimentality, It gave the first concept of pokemon and sold it for soo many people

I have played later gens and didnt find that I wanted to play through them again

However I much prefer FireRed to the Original Red the updated graphics etc made it even more enjoyable

I also feel the amount of pokemon taht were added started getting a bit obscure..
In particular the legend/spirit/w.e pokemon and thing like the oen based on rubbish?

I did however enjoy Ruby quite a lot, and I like the viewpoint in black/white..

I'll always feel for me that the original is best, It was the seed that spawned so it cant be rivaled

But that doesnt mean i hate the rest of them.. haha


TwiDragon

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Age 28
Male
Virginia, USA
Seen May 30th, 2012
Posted May 13th, 2012
367 posts
11.4 Years
I'm not.
I got into Pokemon at Gen III, and so far Gen III, and V have been my favorites.

Gen I and FR/LG were the most boring Pokemon games I've played. There felt like there was a lot more to do and a lot more involvement with in the later generations. The only generation I didn't like was the new Pokemon and the anime oof D/P/Pt. It felt simple, easy, and very dumbed down for kids. I also felt the pokemon were an excuse for evolution and legendary concepts.
Female
New York
Seen October 26th, 2012
Posted January 29th, 2012
15 posts
11.3 Years
I don't think I am a Poke'mon purist because even though I have loved Poke'mon since the launch date but I still love the new ones they are making. (Every generation has the good and bad Poke'mon I personally think :) ) As you can see my favorite Poke'mon is Pachirisu so I am not a Poke'mon purist. =D
Age 27
Female
France
Seen February 26th, 2017
Posted November 1st, 2013
653 posts
11.9 Years
I really love first generation, and it's my favourite. But I'm not a purist.
I think any new generation won't make us dreaming as the first one did, because it was the very beginning of Pokémon. We all feel this awesome nostalgia when thinking of it. But that doesn't prevent us from liking the other generations !
Ok, for me first Pokémons were badass, that's for sure, but, there has been a lot of improvement since RBY, about the plot, the towns, so we can't say that 1st gen is the best of the best, just because it's the first. That doesn't mean that we can't prefer it, but let's be a little objective.
Pokémon ultra purists are too much stubborn.

Age 28
Male
Seen March 10th, 2013
Posted November 4th, 2012
196 posts
11.3 Years
first gen is my fav. and yes in my order it does go
gen 1 = 1st place
gen 2 = 2nd place
gen 3 = 3rd place
gen 4 = 4th place
gen 5 = 5th place

so yeah... but I'll agree that the story line in gen 1 was the most basic. I'll prefer playing fire red and leaf green to red and blue anyday though so I'm not sure if that makes me a gen one fan or kanto fan.
I don't see how anyone can argue that blue and red had the best graphics though :/
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Age 38
Male
Sevierville
Seen October 27th, 2014
Posted August 6th, 2012
33 posts
11.3 Years
I wouldn't say I'm a Pokémon Purist. Why you may ask?

Well, each generation brings with it many different Pokémon. And within those Pokémon, some I love, some I hate, and some I just can't fathom why. It doesn't matter which generation it is or was, it's the same with each to me.

And example would be with Generation 1, I loved Dragonite, but I could not stand Weezing. In the current Generation, I can't stand Crustle, but I love the look of Krookodile.

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Age 30
Male
Amurica
Seen June 10th, 2013
Posted January 29th, 2012
72 posts
11.4 Years
I don't exactly fit your description of a Pokemon Purist but I think I'm kind of one? The first mon game I played was Ruby back when I was like 11, and to this day third Gen is still the best IMO. So I'm partial to my sentimentalities of my first Pokemon game, but it's not the first, "pure" generation.. I've still played a game from each generation though (well, if we can count HG as 2nd gen) which has allowed me to properly make my assessment.
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Age 28
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Seen April 6th, 2014
Posted April 6th, 2014
294 posts
11.7 Years
i don't believe i'm one, personally. in the first place, i'm not even a huge fan of the first generation games (cue audience gasp). although, i've observed that my interest in pokemon has the tendency to decrease as the generations progress, but i don't necessarily believe that the earlier generations were the better ones.

i'm Briar.

-Jared-

Certified Responsible Adult

Age 31
Male
Northern California
Seen June 16th, 2022
Posted June 14th, 2014
1,817 posts
14.2 Years
This might shock some people who know me, considering they would know how much of a nostalgia nut I am, but I am not a purist. I do thoroughly love the Gen I games and pokemon, but not so much that it makes me think any less of the other gens. All of them have their own charms; 1 for being the original and starting off the great Pokemon adventure, 2 for having Typhlosion having Kanto and Johto, and having a fun-to-explore time skip, 3 for rehauling the internal mechanics and adding a whole bunch of new features, 4 for wi-fi and battle frontier, 5...I just started 5, so lemme get back to you on that. xD

But yeah, as you see, all the gens have their own things that make them fin, so I can't say I like Gen 1 more than any other for that reason. That said, purists have every right to be purists, so I just let them be.
Male
Seen October 24th, 2022
Posted September 19th, 2022
1,323 posts
16 Years
Definitely not lol. I actually don't like how the Gen I games take a while to be immersed in it. The beginning areas (from Pallet Town to Mt. Moon) is just so boring... the later games feel more exciting (except FR/LG).

I'd say my favorite Generation so far is III.
Male
Seen November 6th, 2020
Posted May 17th, 2013
467 posts
11.3 Years
One shouldn't fault anything merely for the sake of nostalgia. Granted, it's a common bias, but if you want to compare something truly, compare them as though you have never seen either before.

I am the farthest thing from a Pokemon Purist. I can understand them, but I would hope that they try to look at the newer generations with as little bias as possible.

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Female
Kansas, USA
Seen January 12th, 2016
Posted January 12th, 2016
889 posts
17.8 Years
I'm definitely not. xD;

Actually, Unova holds the record for favorite amount of Pokemon in a generation. In gen one, even though that was the original, and I was so enthralled with it before, there's only a handful or two of gen one Pokemon that I actually like. I found most of them weird, or unappealing in whatever ways. I enjoyed the story, and the anime more than the Pokemon themselves back then, and even the stories have been outdone by better games / anime seasons since then. So no, I'm not a purist.

And my opinion on them, is that I feel bad for them that they can't properly enjoy any of the newer games, since they can't shake them being just as fun, or better than the first gen games. Same goes for fans of the original anime, and etc. D: Maybe to them, gen one really is still the best, but I still feel bad that they're missing the joy of so many of the newer gens.

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