Pokemon games, Was it better during the first few generations of pokemon?

[Javarock]

Or is my nostalgia kicking in?...

It just seems like the art was better and less... How should I put it complicated?... No thats not the right term... Alright lets provide some examples.

Now... I always liked him from the moment I nabbed him in silver...

Then I see this.. And can't help but to compare

I can't bring myself to play the newer games...

Why exactly is this?

 

[Phyonix]

The first generation (and second) where all fresh ideas, the third and fourth where a little lacking, but the fifth... well all I need to say it trubbish, and that sets the tone

 

[Aris Khandr]

Anime Tepig is a lot cuter than game Tepig. But there are quite a few adorable Pokemon in the new generations. Like Shinx. If you don't think Shinx is amazingly cute, you are provably wrong. Also, Shaymin.

 

[mjc0961]

I don't know what your problem with the designs is. The one you picked seems fine to me.

But in terms of features and basically everything about the games that aren't the Pokémon themselves, hell no it wasn't "better" during the first few generations.

Event Pokémon you can never get because Nintendo holds no events.
Inventory space limited to 20 items.
Having to manually change your PC box at a Pokémon Center and being unable to catch anything if your party and current box are both full.
Having to go to the menu every time I want to cut down a tree or surf.
Only being able to trade and battle via link cable.

Those are just a few of the inconveniences that I do not miss when playing the newer Pokémon games.

 

[GiantRaven]

No. In my opinion, from a pure gameplay perspective, each game is better than the last.

In terms of the actual Pokémon designs? Lets just say that if the generations had come out in reverse order I fully believe people would be complaining about how stupid Ditto, Jynx and Mewtwo look whilst praising the awesome designs of Throh, Bouffalant and Scraggy.

Nostalgia is a dirty, dirty thing.

 

[ten.to.ten]

I don't feel particularly nostalgic about Pokemon and I've thought the same thing. I didn't play any Pokemon games in between Gold/Silver and Diamond/Pearl and I did notice that the recent additions did seem kind of lacking. The games themselves are still of the same (or higher) quality though, which is the main thing to me.

 

[Javarock]

I don't know what your problem with the designs is. The one you picked seems fine to me.

But in terms of features and basically everything about the games that aren't the Pokémon themselves, hell no it wasn't "better" during the first few generations.

Event Pokémon you can never get because Nintendo holds no events.
Inventory space limited to 20 items.
Having to manually change your PC box at a Pokémon Center and being unable to catch anything if your party and current box are both full.
Having to go to the menu every time I want to cut down a tree or surf.
Only being able to trade and battle via link cable.

Those are just a few of the inconveniences that I do not miss when playing the newer Pokémon games.

Its about the designs....

The Gameplay is probley much more improved.

 

[hopeneverdies]

No no no no. Each generation has polished the mechanics of the generation before as well as adding new facets (eg. Breeding, Abilities). The first generation was horribly broken and had a bad habit of not telling you things. For example, first generation told you nothing about the moves until you learned them, and even then you didn't know it's power or accuracy. It wasn't until 3rd generation that this was fully improved.

Also each generation has had some form of rebalancing. The addition of the Steel and Dark types of gen 2 and the splitting of the special stat, gen 4's physical/special split. Compare that to gen 1, where Psychic types were stupidly overpowered.

Also, would you rather have more 'mons like these?:

Spoiler: Do you want to see the horror?

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I'm sorry, but you seem to forgot the really awesome one.

Spoiler: Has a naughty word

Yes and no. They have added features to try and make the game a little more complex, so the later ones are "better" or at least more fleshed out.

But the pokemon themselves are worse and worse because after 250 or so they really had to start stretching their ability to make new pokemon. Also, they stylistic direction really went down. I mean, Red always looked like he was a bit dejected, and didn't care enough to look at you when he fought. Gold always was "I'm gonna kick your ass" with the way he stood. Heart Gold looks like a happy pansy who just loves dogfighting pokemon battles.

They should drop down to the original 151, or 250 and just make the game much deeper and satisfying, not broaden it to extreme levels of adequacy.

 

[Eri]

Because youre stubbornly believing your nostalgia is always better than anything new. Black and white are the best games out. It's all changed much over the years. And for the better. http://ds.ign.com/articles/114/1143427p1.html

 

[Javarock]

-snip-

Also, would you rather have more 'mons like these?:

Spoiler: Do you want to see the horror?

Yes, Mister Mime was the shit...

Conjuring invisible walls?... To bad he couldn't do it in the gyms >_>

 

[theguitarhero6]

This post needs a poll.
OT: Agreed most definatley

 

[Internet Kraken]

Why exactly is this?

Because you're letting your nostalgia cloud your mind. The new Pokemon games are better than the old ones, plain and simple. And are the new Pokemon designs really worst? Let's take a look at some of the Pokemon from the older generations.

Spoiler: Parasect

Spoiler: Dugtrio

Spoiler: Magneton

Spoiler: Dodrio

Spoiler: Exeggutor

Spoiler: Licikitung

Spoiler: Mr.Mime

Spoiler: Jynx

Spoiler: Dragonite

I could go on, but I think you get my point. Pokemon was never the pinnacle of excellent design and the only reason people praise the old generations so much is becuase you grew up with them. You're willingly to overlook the bad parts of it becuase you loved it so much. But the truth is that there have always been weird, bizarre, lazy, ugly, and downright terrible Pokemon designs. I guarantee any kid who's grown up in the current generation won't favor the old Pokemon over the new. They're all the same to him.

EDIT: For the record I'm not saying all of these Pokemon are blights upon the series. I'm actually quite fond of several of them, but I will admit that they have design flaws that really make them bad designs. I don't let my fond memories and attachment to them prevent me from seeing their problems.

 

[Javarock]

This post needs a poll.
OT: Agreed most definatley

I Agree... But of course I don't think you can add one once the thread is made... Or can I?

 

[conflictofinterests]

Basically, the games are not quite remakes of one another. Yeah, they try to put in new mechanics, new Pokemon and update the story, but you're still catchin' em all, still fighting 8 gym leaders to get to the Elite Four, and still defeating some evil gang of some sort. If the 5th gen was the first game released, we'd all be all over that. The first and second gens were severely limited by technology, and now they aren't really limited by technology at all. Something I noticed between Gold and Heart Gold was that the apricorn trees actually had apricorns in them in the latter one, where they had the spot where the apricorns would have gone in the former. Not the developers' faults that they couldn't release the game they wanted at first. Kind of their fault for selling us the different betas as games.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Hey! Parasect is still my #1 Pokemon for catching other Pokemon.

 

[theguitarhero6]

Umm, i'm not sure, I would consult a seasoned poster. But ya, up until the 3rd tier all of the Pokemon were great, but now they're making Pokemon out of washing machines and....meh, what'll you do, its still Pokemon in the end.

 

[Ike Jager]

It's just Pokemon getting old and Nintendo running out of ideas, the newer pokemon are just way too bizarre.
Take that piggy of a pokemon for example, that suppose to be a fire type? Sure it has the color going for it... kinda... but that's about it.
A cog, Klink, that evolve into three then four.

Spoiler: Klink

A "cell" pokemon, Solosis, which I think is completely absurd.

Spoiler: Solosis

Vanillite... an icecream cone...

Spoiler: Vanillite

And Cofagrigus from Egyptian coffins.

Spoiler: Cofagrigus

Need I say more?
Don't get me wrong I really like pokemon (Generation 1-4)... just not the lastest Generation

When I get Black or White, I most likely going to end up most of my possible time in the dream world dragging earlier generation pokemon into my game to put onto my team.

 

[Funkysandwich]

I preferred the gold and silver versions. I played Ruby, but I didn't like it as much. IMO, there was less stuff to do. I liked the fact that once you beat the Elite four, you got to go back to the first region. I was expecting Ruby to do the same thing, so I rushed through the game... and then it didn't.

I was crushed.