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- Seen May 28, 2019
So this is the first time I've properly put time into Gen I, since as a kid I mostly always borrowed my friend's copy of Red, and that was after I got Gold already. My time with this generation have always been limited.
Truth be told I only bought Yellow because I already had money on the eshop for a while, and I did so fully expecting to hate it. But hey, it's Pokemon's anniversary, and since this is a series I grew up with, I figured it'd be worth it anyway. I've been rather cynical about the series lately for multiple reason, and even going back to Gen II made me realize it really wasn't good for a multitude of reasons. Just very recently I made a post about how much other monster raising games have been keeping me far more engaged than Pokemon has the past years.
Taking this in mind, I'm tackling the games that are pretty much outdated and arguably the worst in the series by now, seeing how much the franchise has evolved and improved. And it's true, battling in this game is a pain in the ass more than anything. I'm missing a lot of QOL additions the next games have made, and training Pokemon with the most limited movesets is exhausting and can be borderline frustrating.
But despite all this, I'm actually loving the game. I haven't beaten it yet to be fair, but there's one, big reason why. It's something that the series has been really missing but this one gen has actually nailed, and that is, an actual, good pacing. From the start to where I am now, the game has kept a very consistent pacing, and Kanto as a region thrives on its simplicity. There are very few interruptions from your adventure, no set of sequence that just makes me want to get it done with and move on already the game is designed in a way that allows the player to explore and enjoy the world that's built in their own time and pleasure. There aren't any ridiculous, convoluted plot about interdimensional space gods or whatever that pops up to remind you the game has a story you should care about. The game just throws you into the world and tells you just go, and have fun in your own time.
Sure, a lot of this might be the result of the gameboy's limitations, but it's because of these limitations that the designers actually managed to expertly craft a game that perfectly captures the sense of adventure, in one little toy. I really appreciate that. I find myself grinding and raising my Pokemon, and not worrying about moving on, because the game makes me comfortable taking my own time and enjoying whatever the game throws at me. I'm catching all kinds of Pokemon and raising ones I don't even plan on using because I actually feel like I can, and that it's part of the fun. Why not? is what I tell myself while raising this little Diglett that I won't probably use after all that. It feels like I'm actually playing a monster raising game. On top of all that, it's keeping me engaged with little quirks like Gary's attitude, charming old school sprites and music and various fun little events about Cubone's ghost mother and a thief hideout in a casino.
I'd like to post more about it, especially when I actually do beat the game, but I just wanted to gush about the fact that I finally found a Pokemon game that had what I wanted, and it was right under my nose all along. I always believed that no matter how good your mechanics are, it doesn't matter if the pacing and level design doesn't complement, and it definitely holds true here.
Truth be told I only bought Yellow because I already had money on the eshop for a while, and I did so fully expecting to hate it. But hey, it's Pokemon's anniversary, and since this is a series I grew up with, I figured it'd be worth it anyway. I've been rather cynical about the series lately for multiple reason, and even going back to Gen II made me realize it really wasn't good for a multitude of reasons. Just very recently I made a post about how much other monster raising games have been keeping me far more engaged than Pokemon has the past years.
Taking this in mind, I'm tackling the games that are pretty much outdated and arguably the worst in the series by now, seeing how much the franchise has evolved and improved. And it's true, battling in this game is a pain in the ass more than anything. I'm missing a lot of QOL additions the next games have made, and training Pokemon with the most limited movesets is exhausting and can be borderline frustrating.
But despite all this, I'm actually loving the game. I haven't beaten it yet to be fair, but there's one, big reason why. It's something that the series has been really missing but this one gen has actually nailed, and that is, an actual, good pacing. From the start to where I am now, the game has kept a very consistent pacing, and Kanto as a region thrives on its simplicity. There are very few interruptions from your adventure, no set of sequence that just makes me want to get it done with and move on already the game is designed in a way that allows the player to explore and enjoy the world that's built in their own time and pleasure. There aren't any ridiculous, convoluted plot about interdimensional space gods or whatever that pops up to remind you the game has a story you should care about. The game just throws you into the world and tells you just go, and have fun in your own time.
Sure, a lot of this might be the result of the gameboy's limitations, but it's because of these limitations that the designers actually managed to expertly craft a game that perfectly captures the sense of adventure, in one little toy. I really appreciate that. I find myself grinding and raising my Pokemon, and not worrying about moving on, because the game makes me comfortable taking my own time and enjoying whatever the game throws at me. I'm catching all kinds of Pokemon and raising ones I don't even plan on using because I actually feel like I can, and that it's part of the fun. Why not? is what I tell myself while raising this little Diglett that I won't probably use after all that. It feels like I'm actually playing a monster raising game. On top of all that, it's keeping me engaged with little quirks like Gary's attitude, charming old school sprites and music and various fun little events about Cubone's ghost mother and a thief hideout in a casino.
I'd like to post more about it, especially when I actually do beat the game, but I just wanted to gush about the fact that I finally found a Pokemon game that had what I wanted, and it was right under my nose all along. I always believed that no matter how good your mechanics are, it doesn't matter if the pacing and level design doesn't complement, and it definitely holds true here.