Do you prefer Gen V games, or Gen IV games?

[Infernova]

If you ask me, I wasn't to big on B&W. I mean, you play the campaign, and then all there is to do is wi-fi battling and trading. Cool, exoctic pokemon and a good storyline though.

 

[Ho-Oh]

Since this is comparing two generations (which could fit into fourth gen or here) I'm throwing it over to PGC. :) We also have a thread discussing your thoughts on Unova in particular so feel free to use that too.

Gen V for me, btw. Couldn't really "get into" gen IV. :(

 

[Sydian]

Well, gen V isn't really finished yet, so it's hard to judge. As of right now, I prefer gen V. I dislike DP because of the slow battling and surfing speeds, and I hate the region. I like Platinum a bit more, but it's still the same region. Mt. Coronet is awful imo. And at the climax of the game, you need nearly all the HMs to make it up to the top conveniently. I love HGSS though, and I think they redeemed gen IV overall, though it's still my least favorite generation. I don't like Unova that much either, honestly, but the fact I didn't need HMs and they were optional through most of the game made it much more bearable.

Oh. And Gen V RNG is much easier. So...I like that better. And Petilil is in gen V. kekekekeke.

 

[Perriechu]

I prefer Gen I & II... ): But I guess IV for me. Gen V, like Sydian said, isn't finished so it's hard to judge. I like it though. IV was a let down to begin with when they released DPPt, so. damn. slow. But then they released the spin-offs (PMD<333) and HGSS which made Gen IV bounce right back. I do think that Black/White 2 will put V ahead of IV though once they're released.

 

[Infernova]

Good, fair reasons. I do agree. I think B2 & W2 are going to be epic games. Most of my liking for Gen IV comes from sentimental value. Diamond was my first game and while playing it, I made a really good friend who just joined this site today. So that's where it comes from.

 

[Cherrim]

I really liked both of them and I've played Gen V more than any other Gen, I think, but overall I liked the feel of Gen IV more. Plus, it had Cherrim. But seriously, IV brought me back into Pokemon big time since III almost killed it for me. I loved nearly everything about it and while most of my favourites are from Gen V now, I think IV will always have a special place in my heart. I also cannot stand the encounter rate in V so it has that against it too. :P

 

[Mr Cat Dog]

SoulSilver is probably my favourite Pokemon game, and Black is probably my least favourite Pokemon game. Based on this super-unscientific sample, I'd probably have to say that Gen IV >> Gen V. Having said that, I've only played through each game once; maybe upon replays I'll find hidden nuances in one and/or the other and change my opinions of the generation as a whole... but I stand by my current opinions.

 

[Hikamaru]

If you know Hikari, you know how much Gen V Pokemon she loves.

I loved most of the new features in Gen V. Gen IV was OK but D/P's battles were so slow, Platinum fixed it up a bit. SoulSilver was good even though not many of my faves were obtainable before the Elite Four.

D/P/Pt often force you to get to the top of Mt. Coronet with HMs during the climax. I hated using HM Slaves, thankfully B/W cut down the need for them.

So yeah, Gen V for me.

 

[Strdstwanderer]

tough choice, but I have to say Gen 4 since I've played it a lot, and it has several cool features unlike gen 5...

 

[ShadowStriatonTriad]

Generation 5 games were the best out of all of them, of course. Generation 4 was the worst in my opinion.

 

[Seeds Horizon]

I disliked Diamond and Pearl when they first came out, but after awhile they grew on me I suppose. They arent bad, but arent my favorite in the Pokemon dynasty. I love HG and SS though. Excellent games. Especially that after you beat the Elite Four, theres still a ton to do. Like go and explore Kanto. And then beat the E4 again! And leveling up is so much easier too, especially being able to call gym leaders to fight.

I didnt like Gen V too much. I didnt like the aesthetics of the Pokemon. I mean, I loved a few of them, especially the Grass types. Those were amazing. Some of the legendaries seemed a bit eh to me though. And the overall storyline was like "Wut.. Im done now? What do I do now?.."

Id have to say IV was my favorite, solely because of HG and SS. Gen V is good too, and im anticipating BWII. Might even preorder, when the time comes.

 

[Killjoy]

Apples are sweet cause you don't have to peel them, but you don't have to wash an orange. Tough call

These two generations are like apples and oranges.

 

[Absol]

I enjoyed playing Gen IV games better than Gen V. I just couldn't get into B/W like I did with the other Pokemon games. :( Compared to the other games, the storyline seemed much shorter and the new Pokemon aren't much to look at either. B2/W2 better not be the same as B/W or I will be very disappointed.

 

[MiTjA]

They had completely different aims.

Gen IV was the ultimate generation. It used the biggest region, relied on the previous 3 generations to fill it, and then put something special in every corner, evolved plenty of classics, even added the missing elemental eeveelutions, used the most epic legendaries and plot, polished up the rest of the game mechanics and went off with a parteeeeeeey.
Gen V is a true new beginning, reusing the most basic concepts and pretending the previous generations never existed, added a deeper story, and went for a different kind of legend.

Think of the geneartions as a cake.
You're asking me what I liked more, the cherry on top of a nice 3 layer cake, or the foundation of a new one.

I cannot say.
DPt were a must for any fan because they were like a special anniversary generation or something.
BW were a must for any fan because they enable you to rediscover the franchise in a fresh light.

The only thing that really sticks out as negative to me was how BW feels so incomplete post-credits. Suddenly old pokes everywhere, and the eastern half of the region so undeveloped. But that should be addressed by the sequels.

 

[Atomic Pirate]

I dislike both generation IV and V. However, if you count HG/SS as Generation IV, then I'd definitely rather play Generation IV. At least in Johto, the Pokemon don't look like Digimon, with pointless markings, overuse of armor, and overcomplicated designs. Plus, Johto and Kanto aren't filled to the brim with pointless legendary Pokemon. Seriously, Sinnoh introduced WAY too many legendaries. We didn't need Darkrai, or Cresselia, or Regigigas, or Heatran, or Shaymin, and certainly not Arceus.

 

[Mentalii]

BW games were more interesting to play than DPP, and the region was way better. I very loved the grasphisms.
Concerning the Pokémon themselves, I prefer those from the 4G.
And for the storyline and characters, I prefer BW.
So, on the whole, I prefer gen V games.

 

[MiTjA]

At least in Johto, the Pokemon don't look like Digimon, with pointless markings, overuse of armor, and overcomplicated designs.

What do digimon look like?

"Pointless" markings oh nooo

Armor, seriously?

I have no idea what kind of complexity in designs you are talking about.

 

[Atomic Pirate]

What do digimon look like?

"Pointless" markings oh nooo

Armor, seriously?

I have no idea what kind of complexity in designs you are talking about.

Ivysaur is based off of dinosaurs and lizards in general, which have those markings.

With Nidorino, you have a bit more of a point there, but still, it isn't very complicated at all. Plus, the markings blend in and don't stick out to "decorate" the Pokemon.

Vileplume is based off of the vile-smelling Rafflesia flower, which has spotted red petals. The markings are completely justified.

Parasect's mushroom is based off of real-world mushrooms, especially the toxic Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric. Fly Agarics have spotted caps. Again, the spots on the cap are there for a good reason, unlike the new Pokemon.

Kadabra's multicolored, segmented body is intended to make it look mystical and alien.

Marowak's skull helmet draws inspiration from the ancient Samurai warriors, and it ties into the whole backstory of Cubone and Marowak.

Kabutops is based off of ancient crustaceans and the whole concept of fossils, with it's segmented, rocky body; and similarly to Marowak, it contains similarities to warriors, with it's blades and armor.

Donphan doesn't really have armor. It's trunk covering is based off of a truck tire, which explains how it can curl up and roll over enemies.



Your argument is invalid. All of these Pokemon have simple-but-good designs, and sure, they might have been some of the more complicated-looking Pokemon of the time, but their armored appearances and markings were justified. Unlike newer Pokemon, which have armor, spikes, and markings thrown on them just to look "cool" to the kids (And that's exactly what I mean with the Digimon comparison, Digimon have pointless armor, spikes, and markings), the older Pokemon all have reasons for their armored bodies and appearances. And you can sure see a difference in complication when you compare the old Pokemon to, say, THIS thing:

See what I mean? With Haxorus, GF took a basic fantasy creature, a dragon, added pointless armor, some pointless tusks that aren't really based off of anything, some spikes just to make the kids happy, and they called it a Pokemon. Note that this thing is so overcomplicated that it would probably be a Legendary in any Generation before IV. Yes, it is even too overcomplicated for Gen III.

Compare Haxorus to another, much older, Pokemon based off of dragons:

That's right, the old favorite, Charizard! With this great Pokemon, GF took a dragon and flawlessly incorporated it with the element of Fire, adding a flaming tail and a fiery red color scheme.

But before you call me out for "Hating Gen. V", take a look at my username: Elgyem. Elgyem is pretty simple, aside from the lines on it's head (which don't really add or detract from the overall appearance of the Pokemon), and it has a clear origin: Alien Greys.

One more thing about Generation V that I have to say: Fire/Fighting starter AGAIN? SERIOUSLY?

And as I said, Generation V was mostly an improvement over the putrid Generation IV.

 

[MiTjA]

I freaking hate it when I write a long reply and the forum messes up and doesnt post it -____-

Gah what was I saying.

Thanks for clarifying about pointless armor.
Its not a prominent or exclusive feature of the recent creatures though and most of them have reasons for being there. And if they don't, well be it armor or markings, yes its there to spice them up, but this has been employed since the beginning and is part of pokemon.

In the end,
its not like they pump them out more randomly and give less thought about the concepts behind them.

What gets on my nerves is when people compare the individual pokemon designs, by generation.
I mean, you cannot just pile hundreds of unique cleverly designed monsters into one big bunch and then compare the bunches with the distinction being simply the release date.
And just going "generation A is better than generation B because of X vague subjective word I applied to it"

For all we know, plenty of pokemon that were introduced in one generation, might have been designed along another one already but were not used until later (the known example being Gastrodon).


Also
While the initial idea for Haxorus was to make a creature with axe-like tusks, yes, it is based off of dinosaurs, hence the more reptile appearance, the exotic green colour, and covered in pointless armor bits.

I had a much nicer reply written so sorry if its a weird mess now I just rewrote what I remembered in random order <__<

 

[Otherworld9)]

In all my honest honesty...I would say Generation V was by far better than IV. I found IV not only the hardest, but quite.....boring. Maybe it's my tastes, since I know a few who find it fun, or in other cases don't have any other choice. As others point out, Generation V isn't finished just yet...we have yet to see more, so my opinion can change.