Are you one for the old or the new?

[Pendraflare]

I am so not ready for the responses i'm gonna get for this, but here goes.

I recently discussed something with a certain user (whom I won't name, although she may see this thread) who said that she felt "you're not a real fan of Pokémon unless you like every main series game". While she said she knows that sounds mean, I can understand why she feels that, to somewhat of an extent, given that Pokémon has always followed the same formula and it's unlikely things will go any different. But while I was playing Ruby earlier today for a challenge i'm doing, I found myself struggling to continue playing, and i'm just not sure why. (I'm willing to bet the fact that training in the Hoenn games is downright terrible has something to do with it, though, but that's not my main point.) I've been considering making a thread in the Advance or GSC forum about me not getting what's so amazing about them, but I decided to make this instead.

Marriland, who i'm sure some of you know i've followed for a while, has said that he tends to like the newer games more, because he finds them more polished, and has said that Generation III is by far his least favorite. Prior to XY, his two favorites (#2 and #3 now) were Platinum and BW2. I even remember on Smogon and another forum I used to go to wayyyyyyy back (around when Emerald released) that there were some people who didn't like RS much compared to Gens I and II. I remember liking RSE a lot more back then than I do now.

Personally, I tend to fall into that mindset of how the newer games are more polished and involved. And what I feel keeps me from enjoying GSC and RSE as much are the not as advanced overworlds and technology. I mean things like the physical/special split, new items, better places to train and more fun conveniences to fall back on. That user I was mentioning above said that she thinks it's that I like how the newer games have improved over time, and I feel that may be it. To add to that, when I look at the DS era regions and their more dynamic stories and adventures, it's part of what makes me lean more towards them. I've said this before, but I feel that my problems with the games (GSC and RSE) are things that were much easier for me to forgive then than they are now. For that matter, despite the former being my least favorites, I do like Heart Gold and Soul Silver quite a bit, as I feel they fixed some of my biggest complaints with them pretty well.

Now, I want to say, there's no main series game I explicitly dislike or will actually call bad, it's just that some I like much more than others. Is it just that people like the older games more for nostalgic reasons?

This is just my take on the matter. How about you guys? Do you tend to like the newer Pokémon games more or the old ones? Why? Discuss.

 

[xboxmandude]

I agree I also feel now that RSE FR LG aren't so great as I thought they were...

Its true I do find the graphics Of RSE awful and training pokemon I do that in FR/LG
Because of the Vs Seeker
Nintendos worst mistake was removing that

Anyway the newer games may in fact be good in some areas.... Graphically, audio, pokemon following you(BTW this was too epic)

I can't help but dislike them.
I feel they removed some features that they could have improved in the Ds versions

Like secret bases.
The battle frontier (which BTW sucks in hgss)
Gym leader can only be rematched on some days? So of I don't play on that day I can't rematch them? If I'm not mistaken in emerald you could battle gyms again any time but it takes time for the match call to charge
For me training Pokémon. Became much harder without the vs seeker...
And also less fun...

Also I can't remember because I haven't played hgss in ages
But when I reached the kan to I think everyone had like really weak pkmn...
High levels but like not evolved... That was kind of dissapointing since I had pretty bad ass pokemon by then
Also I never really liked any of the newer gen Pokémon... I felt they lacked originality and some designs were just plain dumb...
I did enjoy hgss a lot it was a good remake... But I dunno there's something about the older games that I enjoy a bit more
Is it just that people like the older games more for nostalgic reasons?

Maybe...
I probably do...
But in some ways those older games are cooler
Just saying

Although I like the older games...
I think that the best Pokémon game is HG/SS
A remake of gen 2 with more features...
I hate Nintendo for not porting/remaking all previous games because my favourite regions are the first three
The kanto the johto and the hoen
But I would still pick gen 3 and 2 over gen 4 games

 

[MichaelSK16]

Eh I don't know about the first part of your post. Really? Somebody thinks you can't consider yourself a Pokemon fan if you dislike one of the main series games? That's...judgmental and kind of absurd.

Anyways, segwaying into my next point, I love RSE. Gen III is my favorite gen, followed by 2 and 4 but I really think X and Y were a letdown because it literally takes absolutely no skill to complete. It's the most pathetically easy game in the series and it takes A LOT away from the experience. That's why I like RSE. The games can be brutally difficult if you don't take the hours and hours to grind out a leveled-up team. It's not a cake walk. Some people like the older games just out of nostalgia, but I like them because they're more difficult. GF has gone soft with this past generation and put out a pitifully easy game that I honestly enjoyed less because I beat it in two days.

 

[Pendraflare]

Yeah, but i'm not the one that said that. And I refuse to say who did (although again, that very user might read this thread).

True, some people do like being challenged, although Pokémon has never seriously been known for difficulty, except for usually Champions and the like (particularly Cynthia, and BW Ghetsis although he's not a "Champion"). I can say that i've played through XY without the Exp. Share several times, and I do feel a need to say that without it, i've ended up lower leveled than many of the opponents the game throws at me and some of the trainers put up decent fights. It's more than just that - because of how massive the Kalos Dex is, it can be hard to predict what opposing trainers throw at you.

But that is one of my big problems with GSC, I found it way too easy except for Red. HGSS did make things considerably more difficult, though (stronger attacks, like Lance's Dragonites getting physical Dragon-type moves). I mean, nobody likes grinding, and as I said, Johto and Hoenn are awful to train in. Audino is part of what makes Gen V my favorite, because training takes almost no time at all. While you can argue that it makes the game too easy, I prefer to say it makes it more convenient. The Sinnoh games have the Vs. Seeker, which make things pretty helpful there too.

 

[Jacrad]

I don't like the idea of 'true fandom.' It's just a way for people to be elitist and talk down to other fans to boost their own ego.

While I do think there are different categories of fans I consider it to be more like a Venn diagram than a hierarchy.

I classify myself as being in the category of a 'casual fan' and a 'lore fan.' I don't care much for the battle system, I don't care about Smogon, and the crazy mathematic nitty-gritty stuff is uninteresting to me.
But I do know a good bit about the world of Pokemon. I know a lot of trivia and have followed the various media that Pokemon has spawned. I get excited about new games and go on a crazy speculation spree. I own a decent amount of Pokemon merchandise. So am I not a fan? No. I'm just not as accessible to other fans as someone who fits perfectly into the center of the Venn diagram.

As for being of the 'old' or of the 'new.' I don't fit either category all that well. Generation One is my favorite generation because the glitches are what made the game for me. It is a game that has continued to bring new experiences despite being created over a decade ago. Generation Two had an overall better sense of timing and atmosphere and still has little tidbits of glitchiness to it. But it's not my favorite game. Generation Three was when I lost interest in Pokemon because it seemed like a huge step back. The battle mechanics didn't change in a way that was personally meaningful. The world seemed a lot smaller due to the lack of another region. I have not played Generation Four or Five and I consider Generation Six a step in the right direction, though heavily lacking.

 

[pippitha]

I like all the games, but I like the old ones the most. And I don't mean the remakes. I actually hate the remakes. If you're going to make a new game, make a NEW GAME.

I like all the glitches and stuff in Red version, it felt like there were always secrets even after the game was beat.

 

[Sydian]

Personally, I appreciate the games for what they are and for what they brought (or bring if they're new) to the table. That being said, I like all the main series Pokemon games, bar DP but only because they're tedious to play, not because they're boring to me (but I love Platinum since it fixed those issues). For me, I don't go comparing games to what's before and after it. Not saying I never compare, but I like to enjoy a game for what it is, not because it's unpolished or because it added too many features, for example.

I just play the games and enjoy them all for different reasons and treat them separately. It's really as simple as that.

 

[Khoshi]

Now that I think about it, that was pretty rude of me. Apologies. D:

I'm just someone who's excessively equal with everything, including the series. I'm not someone to compare, I either like everything or dislike everything of a series. Weird, I know, but my definition of 'fan' is someone who likes mostly everything about something, though I probably confuse fan with fanboy/girl sometimes. To actually answer the question, I'm really more into the newer games. Sure, the older ones have the nostalgia value, but the newer ones have more features and as the OP said, more polished gameplay and graphics. It's why I like Gen 2 and 4 so much - they're both those points respectively. I actually don't like playing through R/S/E for some unknown reason, though I'd play something like Gold or Black for days. Every game's different in their own way, but they all have a continuous play style or theme.

 

[Urugamosu]

You don't have to like all of the Pokèmon games to be a fan of the series. It's something that every individual likes and hates. For example, although 80% of the Pokèmon fanbase agree that Pokèmon Channel is a horrible thing, but I actually love the game. It's probably because of the nostalgic value is has on me, but it doesn't matter. There are a lot of factors that come into things. What kind of mechanics do you like? What Pokèmon do you enjoy playing with? These kinds of questions just show that you have your own tastes, is all.

But to answer your question, yes it is sometimes for nostalgic reasons but sometimes it's also that somebody just likes the game for other reasons.

 

[Bellsprout]

um I mean I've been a fan of Pokemon since I was 6 and didn't really hate any main series games until BW. So I would def consider myself a true Pokemon fan considering I've stuck with it since I was young and even after hating BW. Which I'm glad I did because I love XY.

Besides black/white I like to love all the games, but I think deep down I prefer the older games. Though I definitely prefer their remakes compared to the originals. It probably is because of the nostalgia factor. Playing Pokemon when I was younger def was different than it is for me now. I used to get so into it and replay my games countless times, but now that I'm older I guess I get bored faster. Plus when I replay the older games I know every little thing that will happen so I can play through them quickly, whereas newer games have more story and things to do so it takes me longer and sometimes I wish I could just press a skip button lol.

I guess I don't need that much story to be satisfied. I like just raising my Pokemon and collecting badges plus elite four and champion obvs. The evil teams get such a significant part now same as the legendaries and I just don't care.

 

[Hikamaru]

I've been a Pokemon fan for most of my life, and I know that you don't have to like every generation to be a true fan because everyone has opinions. I personally prefer the newer generations because they feel more polished and have improved loads of stuff that I feel the older generations suffered from.

The graphics also improve, and I feel like they are more re-playable to me than the older generations. I may have never played the first two generations but I'll always be a Pokemon fan for hopefully a long time. Every new game always improves a flaw I saw with the last one.

 

[Treecko]

I've personally enjoyed all of the games and found each of them have had their good parts and bad parts. While I've found the newer games enjoyable because they are more polished and vastly improved. But I also enjoy the older games too as well. They have a special charm to them which is probably mostly nostalgia, but their simplicity and their stories. Every Pokemon game has it's flaws and it's good points.

And I think a good fan can appreciate all the games new and old to some extent, but that doesn't mean they can't be critical about them and point out the problems they have with them. But even if they found one game not as enjoyable as the others, they should still support the series and at least give each game a chance. If they don't like one that's okay cause it's their opinion.

 

[Trogd0r917]

Though I don't have anything against the old games, I'd have to say I preferred the new ones. Sure they're easier, but they have much better graphics and new improvements. Foe example Gen 6 was the first time I've actually been able to battle online because it was the first generation where I could actually breed pokémon with perfect IVs. Every new generation added something good but with all these features from past generations plus new ones the newer games are usually better.

 

[LusoTrainer]

The only Pokémon games I like are Red/Green/Blue, Gold/Silver and FireRed/LeafGreen. I don't care about the rest. Maybe it's because Satoshi Tajiri ceased to be as involved in the series since Gold/Silver (despite having made some active work on FireRed/LeafGreen, fortunately), or maybe the Pokémon designs in general weren't as interesting and original ever since the 3rd gen onwards, I just ceased to care about it since then.

 

[Pepperton]

The margin between all Pokemon games is extremely small, and I personally think they're all wonderful. If generation three's Hoenn trilogy can be considered the older games now, then I'm more of a fan of the old games. That's not to say I don't love the new games, though. X and Y were a breath of fresh air that I couldn't put down for several days, and Black and White's story line got me so invested in the characters, I felt emotional towards the end. There's things that separate all of them, but not by much. Not liking all of the games in the series does not mean you aren't an honorable fan, by any means!

 

[Pendraflare]

I've personally enjoyed all of the games and found each of them have had their good parts and bad parts. While I've found the newer games enjoyable because they are more polished and vastly improved. But I also enjoy the older games too as well. They have a special charm to them which is probably mostly nostalgia, but their simplicity and their stories. Every Pokemon game has it's flaws and it's good points.

And I think a good fan can appreciate all the games new and old to some extent, but that doesn't mean they can be critical about them and point out the problems they have with them. But even if they found one game not as enjoyable as the others, they should still support the series and at least give each game a chance. If they don't like one that's okay cause it's their opinion.

Now, as I said, I don't actually hate GSC or RSE, I just don't like them as much as the others. I can certainly say there's stuff to like about them. But to say you can't be critical about them, though? Actually you kinda can, at least if you were writing a review or something. I mean, no game in this world is perfect, so it's normal for people to want to express what they don't like about something (like hype).

The margin between all Pokemon games is extremely small, and I personally think they're all wonderful. If generation three's Hoenn trilogy can be considered the older games now, then I'm more of a fan of the old games. That's not to say I don't love the new games, though. X and Y were a breath of fresh air that I couldn't put down for several days, and Black and White's story line got me so invested in the characters, I felt emotional towards the end. There's things that separate all of them, but not by much. Not liking all of the games in the series does not mean you aren't an honorable fan, by any means!

Yeah, i'd consider RSE "older" now, with DP and the cross into DS/Wi-Fi being "newer". I did enjoy both XY and Generation V, and they do all have their own unique charms to them in some way or another.

 

[Miau]

Well, I actually started playing Pokemon with BW, White being my first game, and I've never played the first two generations, simply because the games weren't (and still aren't) popular in my country when I was a kid. I still consider myself a fan of the games, even if I haven't played all of them. Sure, I could try playing the versions that were out before I got into Pokemon, and I did try out Emerald, Platinum and SoulSilver (even finished a couple of challenges on these two), but honestly, since there's no nostalgia factor for me, I would much rather play my current games when I have the time and am in the mood for Pokemon.

So, I guess I'm one for the new then, and by that I mean what came out after Pt and HGSS, because the mechanics are more complex and the graphics are better. Thing is, and I think that it's a brilliant thing that GF does, is that each game has its own unique features that haven't been carried out to next generation, and that's what makes each of them special to the fans and what makes the fans want to play those games again.

 

[Aptitude9]

To be honest the main reason people like the older games is because of nostalgia. Without it those games are obviously worse than the newer games, because they are older. Of course, you may like the story and such of Gen 1 and 2, but in reality the newer generations have a much more fleshed out story.

A reason why X and Y are so loved is because they "milk" the nostalgia factor. All 3 first generation starters got mega evolutions, and the two most popular pokemon in the world (Charizard and Mewtwo) got TWO of them. People tend to hate on Gen 5 and 4 because they didn't grow up with them, and your childhood is a huge part of what cements the things that you love.

I'm all for the new. Change is good, as long as it's for the better.

 

[Treecko]

Now, as I said, I don't actually hate GSC or RSE, I just don't like them as much as the others. I can certainly say there's stuff to like about them. But to say you can't be critical about them, though? Actually you kinda can, at least if you were writing a review or something. I mean, no game in this world is perfect, so it's normal for people to want to express what they don't like about something (like hype).

I have to agree with you. Any good fan of anything is allowed to criticize the franchise or fandom they're a part . (This is what happens when I don't read over my post after posting them. They get misinterpreted. ) I personally think my favorite artist's last album was weak compared to his first 3 albums and I can openly tell him that. A good fan shows the creators where they did wrong. I personally think Diamond and Pearl, while good games, were very slow and Red and Blue have too many glitches and really didn't age as well as other classic games. But I also think a fan can at least appreciate that they're still releasing new material and at least give it a try. If they don't like it, that's fine. They're allowed to give their opinions on things.

 

[Fairy]

So far, I totally do love every entry in the main series, especially GSC and X&Y. They all brought something new and innovative to the table for what they were, and I think it's a little moot to be comparing old generations to new ones, simply because of the technological disadvantages older generations faced. But they were all great for what they were at the time. Besides, Pokemon is accumulative (not in story, however), and once a new game is announced it's almost a guarantee they'll iron out any existing problems from the last gen.

Every generation has it's place and should be judged at face value, not for what they are/were compared to others.