Rank the Pokemon Generations!

[scorptatious]

1. Black and White
What can I say? I love pretty much everything about this game. The improved story telling and characters, the music, the fact that there are pretty much nothing but new Pokemon until the post game, I feel this is the best generation to me. Plus it has Snivy, my absolute favorite starter Pokemon.

2. Red and Blue
This is mainly for nostalgic reasons I guess. I'll admit, the original games haven't aged too well in terms of graphics, story, and the like. But it still has that special charm that pretty much sucked me right into the world of Pokemon.

3. Diamond and Pearl.
I can honestly say that I spent a lot of time in this game. I liked a lot of the new Pokemon, I liked the champion, and I really like the legendaries. Plus this was actually the first Pokemon game I've played all the way through. Before I couldn't get through any of the other Pokemon games I've played due to a lack of skill.

4. Gold/Silver
I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for having this generation so low on my list. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed this one for the most part. It's odd really, this was the only Pokemon generation that I skipped and I honestly can't remember why.

I was able to play Silver via an online emulator and I had fun with it. Although I had quite a couple of issues with it myself. Particularly with with the Pokemon team I wanted to have.

I had a Weepinbell on my team, but I discovered later on though I couldn't get a leaf stone for it until after I got to Kanto. And I really didn't feel like raising another grass type Pokemon at that point.

There was also an issue I had with the waterfall that stood between me and the path to the elite four. I wanted to teach Waterfall to my Quagsire, but for whatever reason, he can't learn it. Which I thought was really stupid.

This presented a problem, I needed to use Quagsire, but I can't just use an HM slave, as the path from after the waterfall to the next Pokemon center were pretty far apart, and I didn't want him to be underleveled. So, I had to switch out my Noctowl for Lugia, who can use both Waterfall and Fly. Kinda disappointed me, as I wanted to use Noctowl for the Elite Four, and by that point I really didn't feel like grinding for too long just to get my Noctowl back up to speed. So I just used Lugia in the Pokemon League.

This overall kind of hurt my experience with the game. I didn't even do very much of the post game before I got burnt out on it. Still, I had fun with it, and it did have my favorite final battle theme of the series.

5. Ruby/Sapphire
I still liked this generations. However, to me, this one seemed to stand out the least out of all the Pokemon generations. The towns and areas weren't very special, the gym battles weren't very memorable, and from what I've played of it, the post game is kinda lackluster. I will say though, the champion in that game thoroughly kicked my ass quite a few times, so it was quite satisfying to finally beat him.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

1. Gen 1
2. Gen 2
3. Gen 3

I haven't played a Pokémon game since Gen 3 and have no real desire to. I couldn't even catch (and in fact still can't!) 150 (mew is pretty much impossible) and I can't deal with the disappointment of being unable to catch 300 odd.

in general, I just prefer the design of the gen 1 Pokémon (Nostalgia goggles, ho!) with Gen 2 being a close second. Gen 3 introduced Mudflips but excluding a couple of others, there aren't that many I like. I know nothing of Gen 4 and 5 Pokémon.

My friend, mew is 151 not 150. I'm obsessive over pokemon so I won't blame you, but if you make the mistake again, so help me god I won't be responsible for my actions. If anyone wants my response it's a little above this.

Let me clarify, I meant that I couldn't catch 1-150, I didn't bother to say all 151 as Mew is practically impossible to get. Does that clear things up a tad?

 

[Master_of_Oldskool]

*snip*

... Whoa. Your ranking is nearly identical to mine, although we have some different reasoning. Allow me to explain:

1. 2nd Gen: Mostly for nostalgia reasons, as this was my first experience with Pokémon and brought my favorite starter (Cyndaquil) and my favorite "normal" (read- non-starter, non legendary) pokémon, Lanturn. There's also all the cool new features originally mentioned.

2. 5th Gen: Took all of the polished game mechanics of the 4th gen, implemented them correctly, and dialed back some of the 4th gen's terrible pokémon design. There are still some questionable, artificial-looking designs (purple robot bug with a back-mounted cannon, anyone?), but overall a comeback for the series.

3. 1st Gen: The originals are always a lot of fun, and you've got to give them credit for starting it all. That said, there's not a whole lot to do in them. After the main story and aside from the obvious goal of catching 'em all, there was essentially no extra content. What there was was plenty to sustain a good game, but it seems a bit bare-bones in the face of everything that came after.

4. 3rd Gen: Really, I rank this one so low because it's forgettable more than because I dislike it. It was a servicable enough game, and Hoenn was one of the most visually stunning regions in Pokémon, but aside from the pretty scenery, Gen 3 doesn't stand out.

5: 4th Gen: An absolute disaster in terms of pokémon design, a completely bipolar difficulty curve, and some truly terrible side-content. While I did mark Gen 1 down for having no extra content at all, that at least prevents it from having a load of frustrating, un-fun crap on the side. I must give Gen 4 props for trying to polish the game mechanics and introducing the first rudiments of a plot, but it was executed terribly and overall made a complete mess of what should have been some great games.

 

[Gxas]

5
4
3
2
1

Why? Because I'm taking every part of the generation into account. Gen 5's mechanics are the best and most refined. Period.

Gen 1 was broken as hell.

 

[Dragonpit]

Let's see now... Keep in mind, while I voted for them in this order, I still enjoyed them.

1. Gen 3 is my favorite. It improved on a lot of parts on the series, from the battling screen to the animations. A lot of my favorite Pokemon come from this generation. Even the cities and locations look fresh.

2. Gen 2 comes second, just because it was when I really got into the Pokemon series. I had fun with the new sprites and strategies, the new types, and the new Pokemon.

3. Gen 1. Everything started here. I got into Pokemon not long after I came out. Hell, it was because of this game that I got into video games in general. I probably would've enjoyed it more if it weren't for the wonky experience system...

4. Gen 5. The stronger story gets it here. It's more involved and I do enjoy a few of the new Pokemon.

5. Gen 4 is by far the weakest in my opinion. I haven't actually ever finished the D/P/Pl games, so...yeah.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

This is rather easy for me (1 being the best and 5 being the worst).

1.) Gen 2 - Pokemon Gold, Silver, & Crystal
Sheer Pokemon Greatness
A sequel to Gen 1 that takes place 3 years later, adds 100 new Pokemon to the previous roster, introducing Item Holding, Pokemon Breeding/Eggs, Pokerus, evolution through happiness, Berries, rematches via registered trainers, new Pokeballs, Steel- and Dark-type Pokemon, new moves, 3 new HMs, Battle Frontier Time/Day-specific events, Daytime and Nighttime, Pokemon Bug-Catching Contest, Move Deleter/Tutor, and had two regions to explore.

2.) Gen 1 - Pokemon Red, Blue/Green, & Yellow
The OG (Original Gen)
The Gen that started it all had 150 Pokemon to catch, train, battle and trade, offered 15 different types of Pokemon, HMs that interacted with the environment, Team Rocket, Safari Zone, and fun glitches that allowed you to catch'em all.

3.) Gen 3 - Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald
A Polished Gem
A new Gen in a new region, we are introduced to 135 new Pokemon, Pokemon abilities, Double Battles, Pokeblocks, the running shoes, two evil Teams (both with reasonable goals), weather effects, Pokemon Formes, the HM Dive, Pokemon Contest, a better Move Tutor, multiple rivals, teaming up with NPCs in battle, trainer rematches via PokeNav, and traveling to Islands to find rare items/Pokemon.

4.) Gen 4 - Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum
Props from the Underground

New Gen, new region, this time filled with 108 new Pokemon, offering new ways of evolution, touch controls and interface via the Nintendo DS Touch Screen and Mic, the Underground, VS Seeker, Distrotion World, more TMs and new HMs, Global Trading Network, Pokemon events via Wireless connection, and Pal Park.

5.) Gen 5 - Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, & White 2
And here we are...

A Gen that tries to pay homage to Gen 1 by introducing 156 initially exclusive Pokemon, as well as the C-Gear, monthly seasons, locales and Pokemon that change according to the season, moving Pokemon sprites on a handheld title, Triple and Rotation battles, Pokemon Theatre, and a sequel that takes place 2 years after the initial introduction to the region, introducing features like a World Tournament and Pokewood.

 

[mrhappy1489]

1. Gen 1
2. Gen 2
3. Gen 3

I haven't played a Pokémon game since Gen 3 and have no real desire to. I couldn't even catch (and in fact still can't!) 150 (mew is pretty much impossible) and I can't deal with the disappointment of being unable to catch 300 odd.

in general, I just prefer the design of the gen 1 Pokémon (Nostalgia goggles, ho!) with Gen 2 being a close second. Gen 3 introduced Mudflips but excluding a couple of others, there aren't that many I like. I know nothing of Gen 4 and 5 Pokémon.

My friend, mew is 151 not 150. I'm obsessive over pokemon so I won't blame you, but if you make the mistake again, so help me god I won't be responsible for my actions. If anyone wants my response it's a little above this.

Let me clarify, I meant that I couldn't catch 1-150, I didn't bother to say all 151 as Mew is practically impossible to get. Does that clear things up a tad?

Don't worry, I've never even bothered to catch em' all anyway, just my favourites, failing that the ones that look cool.

 

[Fishyash]

I've never played Gen IV. I should at some point though... because I've always wanted to use an empoleon.

1st: Gen II

This is partially because I think this is the easiest generation by far. You can beat the game with no grinding done which is great. I also love most of the pokemon in that game, and not only that it has my favourite pokemon, Heracross. I also love the idea of going to a previous region of the game, which is a feature that I am still hoping to come to another game. The best part about generation II though was how they improved the battle system. The improvements put Gen II leaps and bounds over generation I.

2nd: Gen V

This is probably the actual best generations. It's just not my favourite. However, I appreciate the improvement of the story, and there are some nice pokemon there. I'm also glad that TMs had unlimited use, which I personally actually prefer over the one-time only drawback. It's also definitely one of the easier generations too. It starts off a little harder than others I guess. There were a couple of designs I disagreed with (Trubbish really wasn't necessary. It was a design I expected to be in generation I) along with some others that I just thought were pointless.

3rd: Gen III

I love the size of the area. However I do have to note the flaw of too much of the game being on water. There are however lots of wonderful pokemon in this generation too. I especially like treecko, and it's my favourite starter of all generations. Also, Fire red and Leaf Green are just flat out better in every way to their generation I counterparts. Sapphire was actually the first pokemon game I owned.

4th: Gen I

While since it's the first game, it was led to creating the icons of the franchise (particularly pokemon like Pikachu, Charizard and jigglypuff) the game is practically broken. Mechanics like the Special stat, moves like focus energy not working, pokemon like Jolteon just critting with thunderbolt 24/7, and the ways that sleep, confusion and continuous attacks (holy shit they are FUCKING annoying) work is just plain shit in comparison to the other generations. Also, some of the pokemon in gen I are just plain lazy. (Seel? Really?) and lazy evolutions where it's just three of the same thing. In general, Gen I just didn't age well, while Gen II aged VERY well to me.


I'm not sure about generation IV, but from what I've seen I would probably place it either in 3rd or 4th place. I doubt it could be worse than Gen 1.

 

[Zhadramekel]

Gen 2 - Not played the original games but played their remakes (I would have played the originals by now if I'd been able to get one of the cartridges and I don't believe in using romhacks) and it's probably the closest we've had to getting a game that plays through all the generation thus far since johto and kanto were the only one's that existed at the time.

Gen 5 - Such an improvement over gen 4, more places to explore, a whole new cast, marketed at a slightly older age range and great replay value. It felt a bit like a reboot to the series. Can't wait for Black 2 & White 2. I don't know why a lot of people don't like the idea, it's a sequel not a remake which is the formula they've used since gen 1.

Gen 3 - Again not played, but I've always wanted to play Emerald. The Battle Frontier in that game seemed great to me and had some proper creative differences between the facilities unlike the gen 4 one.
TIED WITH
Gen 1 - It's hard to pick between this one and gen 3 and I loved Pokemon Yellow but I'm just not sure it holds up by todays standards. I can't hate it too much as it kicked off the franchise, which is why it ties with gen 3.

Gen 4 - Even though this was the game that got me into Pokemon and gaming in general, when I look back now, I realise it wasn't that good. About half the new pokemon in that generation were evolutions or pre-evolutions of families from old generations. I mean come on, there was one new COMPLETE fire family. And to me, it just doesn't have great replay value.

 

[Brownie_The_Baller]

1. Red/Yellow/Blue/Leaf Green/Fire Red
2. Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
3.Crystal/Gold/Silver/Heart Gold/Soul Silver
4. Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Have not played Gen. 5 yet.

 

[Brownie_The_Baller]

1. Red/Yellow/Blue/Leaf Green/Fire Red
2. Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
3.Crystal/Gold/Silver/Heart Gold/Soul Silver
4. Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

Have not played Gen. 5 yet.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

1st - Gen 2 - New types, balanced gameplay, only one with 2 region, best legendaries
Joint 2nd - Gen 3 and 5 - Gen 3 simply for introducing double battles and Gen 5 because black/white is my favorite pokemon, black/white 2 ruined the gen somewhat, would've been 1st had it not been for the sequels.
4th - Gen 1 - While nostalgia wise it's brill, the physic pokes where overpowered due to coding errors, and there is a lack of post e4 gameplay
Last - Gen 4 - Regularly got lost, overpowered early gym leader, defog hm annoyed me, only pokemon I didn't enjoy.

Edit: Gen 3 is 2nd, Gen 5 is 3rd, simply because snorlax was so bloody hard to get in black/white and gen 3 introduced pokemon abilities.

 

[suntt123]

Gen IV-
Useless pokemon get awesome evolutions, method to catch shinies more easily, first game to feature online Global Trading Station, starters are the definition of badassery, Staraptor is the coolest Normal/Flying EVER. Besides that, the Physical/Special split made pokemon whose stat distribution was previously considered to be messed up more usable and it had the most interesting legendaries and bad guy team (IMO). My only real gripe is that you needed to attach the older versions to catch so many pokemon in D/P, though they rectified that in Platinum. It also introduced stat-down berries, which made EV training SOOO much less of a hassle. LEGENDARY! (C WUT I DID THAR?)

Gen V-
Most creative looking pokemon I've ever seen. They really went all out, as they had to, in order to create a region that was entirely isolated from previous ones. This meant that none of the oldies showed up until very late in the game so the region had to had enough of it's own pokemon. My second favorite generation in terms of overall design aesthetic. The game also had the most interesting story and the bad guys weren't all just a stupidly evil group. Also introduced shops that let you EV train your pokemon for a fee. Dream world abilities also made previously worthless pokemon more useful. AWESOME!

Gen III-
Cool legendaries, cool starters, stupid bad guy team though. Introduced pokemon abilities into the game and refined the held item concept. GREAT!

Gen II-
Feraligatr was cool... But only recently became strong as he was unable to make full use of his awesome physical stats at the time. It also introduced held items, fixed the broken crit mechanics and split the Special stat into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def. And had 2 explore-able regions. NICE!

Gen I-
Boring designs and broken mechanics, but I'll cut it some slack as it was their first attempt, and it was fixed (mostly) in the next one. But it set the foundation for one of my favorite games ever. So... There's that, I guess. OKAY!

 

[Terminate421]

I don't like ratings usually, it makes me feel like I somehow hate one. (I love them all like a good person)

1. Tied between 2nd and 4th, This is due to both of them adding content which completely altered the game play aspect the most, 2 new types, balance in stats, physical special split, ONLINE BATTLING AND TRADING, etc. Also they brought forth the best designs out of all the generations IMO. Typhlosion, Empoleon, Honchkrow, Weavile, Xatu, Lugia, the list goes on and on...

2. 5th, it may be the most refined out of all the generations, but Triple battles and moving sprites and much faster combat make this generation awesome. Also SCOLIPEDE.

3. 1st, The original generation is always a classic but I'm bewildered as to how people think it's better designed (Even in the pokemon AND game play aspect, Psychic was fucking OP and Dragons were worthless). I will give it credit to having the best Gym Leader music.

4. 3rd, I don't hate this generation but I do feel this was the point where they wanted to try adding n00bs into the franchise. I beat an entire playthrough with only a Blaziken and Breloom. A Relicanth and Swellow I had for flying around, I do like the art style alot and I love the fact that they played with entire concepts for cities, such as a CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Well, here are my picks. I hoped that I am not judged harshly for my apparently "controversial" rankings.

Spoiler: Number 1

1. Gen 2: Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal & HeartGold/SoulSilver
The first and currently only true sequel to a handheld Pokemon title, Gen 2 took everything that made the first Gen great and doubled it. We got a new region, new starters, new Pokemon and evolutions, two new Pokemon types, shiny Pokemon, a day and night time system, day-specific events, the Pokegear, new HMs to explore and interact with the world, new Pokeballs, berries and held items, the ability to hold items, and a difficulty that was subtly programmed into the game depending solely on the starter you chose. Also, you were allowed to return to the previous region, Kanto, challenging the 8 gym leaders and seeing the changes that have happened over the 3 year time skip between the two Gens.

When the remakes came to town, they continued to add new features to the already existing game series. Functioning touch controls made the familiar pilgrimage through Jotho a pleasant one and the first true all-tough controls for a Pokemon title. There was also having Pokemon follow you around, utilizing the PokeWalker, new mini-games that your Pokemon can compete in, and battling a stronger version off all 16 Gym Leaders that were great features exclusive to these titles.

This Gen was, without a doubt, what brought the first of many great innovations that were soon to follow into the series.

Spoiler: Number 2

2. Gen 1: Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow & FireRed/LeafGreen
The first handheld Pokemon title was an oldie, but goodie, and for many, our first experience with Pokemon in a video game. The amount of nostalgia from this game is overwhelming, and served as our first stepping stones into the series, as we began to grasp the true complexity of the game in later Gens.

Although the Pokemon fighting formula has since evolved from its humble beginnings, returning to these titles with the wealth of knowledge that we now posses is truly a satisfying experience. Being able to traverse this forgotten land and limited by what you could do makes revisiting these plains a true challenge to experienced players, and being able to complete the game triumphantly, is an experience that no Pokemon fan should be without.

The remakes updated the playing field by introducing Gen 3 standards, as well as providing new lands to explore, the VS Seeker, which would become a staple in the series, and utilizing the concept of a NationalDex to truly catch them all.

I could have put this on the No.1 spot, but Gen 2 is what really sealed the deal.

Spoiler: Number 3

3. Gen 3: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald

This gen was again, an essential part of the series, as it introduced many staple of the series that we enjoy today.

Double battles, Pokemon abilities, more HMs, Pokemon Contests, even more new items and Pokeballs, new berries and berry growing, weather effects in certain areas, and two rivals. This was also the first Gen to create the theme of having three titular Legendaries (Groundon, Kyogre, & Rayquaza). There was also an urgency to explore the seas, both above and bellow, and many wonder and mysteries awaited.

One of the more favorable parts of this Gen were the villains: Team Magma and Team Aqua. Despite being villainous by nature, their intentions were actually noble; more land for creatures to live on or more vast oceans for life to fester in. Their methods are questionable, but they are without a doubt the best Teams in the whole series thus far.

The only gripe that I have with this game is that there was too much reliance in exploring the oceans (too many unwanted encounters with Tentacool, if you catch my drift).

Spoiler: Number 4

4. Gen 4: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum

As with each Gen, Gen 4 brought us the distinction of Physical, Special, and Support types of attacks, changing the form of attacks to reflect the stats of Pokemon rather than their elemental types. There were also more new items and Pokeballs, some that emphases EV training, an underground to explore and obtain rare items in, the Global Trade Station, the PokeTech, an emphasis on Pokemon Formes, being able to transfer Pokemon from the GBA to the DS titles, and a large abundance of Legendaries.

Also, Pokemon Platinum was the first third installment to really set itself apart from its initial two versions, as it provided a different story and goal: as Giratina has caused lower temperatures in Sinnoh, the protagonists now don winter gear, and must stop/capture Giratina in the Distortion World.

The only gripes I have with this game is the lack of Fire-types in the initial story campaign (Chimchar and Ponyta) and in this new Gen in general (only five new Pokemon). This is more of a personal complaint, but I love Fire-types. The second gripe is the way the Pokedex was made; it only contains a mixed bag 150 Pokemon, and many of the newer Pokemon are not able to be captured until the end of the initial campaign or have Pokemon Platinum.

Spoiler: Number 5

5. Gen 5: Pokemon Black/White & Black 2/White 2
I just flat out don't like this Gen and it's the only one that I feel negatively about.

Relax, I can explain myself and I'll start with the good.

This games does a good job at telling a story in the Pokemon handheld. Every time you enter a new area, you will often com across events, characters, or narratives that flesh out the region of Unova. Also, your rivals participate in the story and act as more than speed bumps in your journey to be a Pokemon Master. The areas that you explore are really great, especially Pinwheel Forest. The bridges also provide a sense of grandness without having giving the impression of being a nuisance. The Gyms are also well designed and a fun break from the outdoor exploring. There is also no limit to how many TMs you could use, but that was just a given.

So yeah, now the bad.

First off, the starters. Simply put, Tepig is the worst Fire starter ever, and I couldn't stand to look at Oshawott for most of my game play (i.e. I don't evolve my starters immediately). So I'm stuck with Snivy, and with that in mind, I didn't feel the need to get Black 2. There are 150+ original Pokemon in this Gen, as a homage to Gen 1, but really, it could have done without 1/3 of the new Pokemon. Instead, they should have done what they did in Black 2/White 2: include 200 or so older Gen Pokemon to give a good rooster of old and new Pokemon.

The Pokemon Musicals should not have replaced Pokemon Contests, but thankfully Pokemon Studios in Black 2/White 2 has at least redeemed itself. Triple/Rotation Battles are no where to be found (seriously, there is one in the main campaign and two in the post campaign) and I am unsure if they exist in Black 2/White 2. Battling all the Gym Leaders and Pokemon Champions from past Gens is great, but simply an excuse to make Black 2/White 2 better than Black/White.

Team Plasma is simply Team PETA and N is the worst Team Boss ever, as he himself is unaware of Team PETA's true intentions and merely serves as a puppet Boss (he should've been named B for Bush).

There is also no need to want to replay this game again, as I've done so for all my other Gens, so that alone merits it as the worst Gen ever.

As far as Black 2/White 2 being the first sequel to a Pokemon handheld, look back at my criteria for Gen 2 and see if it holds true. At best, Black 2/White 2 is a reboot for Black/White, as it fixes everything that was wrong with those two titles to some extent.

 

[Gatx]

Gen 2 - expanded upon the first game in every imaginable positive way, new Pokemon, night and day, phone calls, two regions, etc.
Gen 5 - reinvigorated the Pokemon formula for me, gave me a sense of playing a brand new Pokemon rather than one that was an expansion of the rest of the games, partly because of how you couldn't access previous generation Pokemon until post-game.
Gen 4 - reintroduction of night and day, fleshed out the lore a bit (people actually eat Pokemon), and had some solid designs. Also Sinnoh had some amazing towns.
Gen 1 - it's good but I prefer the improvements of the games that followed.
Gen 3 - overall it just felt like a downgrade after Gen 2, even though it had some nice Pokemon designs, had a refreshing take on the whole rival dynamic.

 

[Brownie_The_Baller]

1. Yellow/Blue/Red/Leaf Green/Fire Red Best Starter: Charmander
2. Sapphire/Emerald/Ruby Best Starter: Mudkip
3. Crystal/Gold/Silver Best Starter: Cyndaquill
4. Black/White/Black 2/White 2 Best Starter: Oshawott
5. Diamond/Pearl/Platinum Best Starter: Turtwig