Now before everyone flames me for putting this in the wrong forum... how smart do you think it would be to bash something in its own forum? Okay... that logic is a bit flawed but hear me out.
I'm basically trying to voice a wee bit of disappointment about this gen. Not a huge thing, not like it was horrible (i bought the games, played them, and liked them for the most part).... but anyway..
Putting aside the obvious advances in graphics and sound for a moment (although I still insist DP is RIDICULOUSLY slow compared to the old gens) to focus on what makes pokemon games pokemon games.... hasn't the fourth gen been just a little bit lackluster?
The fourth gen shines the most in its advancements for the competitive battling scene, with plenty of pokemon that are sure to become the next batch of cookie-cutter sweepers/tanks and the ever-present physical/special split which has either revived or killed many previously UU or OU pokemon, respectively. Not to mention the huge spread of new moves.
But in terms of the enjoyment of the game itself i found it wanting... HMs really kill things for you in this game, as has been discussed before... and the new pokemon, with the exception of the Starters and a few of the legends, have been very poor in design and have left many fans wanting it seems. More clogging with water types, nearly no new Fire or Electric types, and very few new and interesting type combinations outside of legendaries, and with most of the most interesting and most anticipated pokes being evolutions of old ones and not coming until after the climax of the game at the E4. I felt that in terms of designs and ideas for pokemon this generation was very lacking, not just in types that didn't get many new additions, but in general.
Most of the pokemon that are truly eye-catching and interesting are either starters or post-national dex pokemon. There are a few exceptions, such as Toxicroak, Abomasnow, Skuntank, and Driftblim, all of which were fresh new ideas and designs... but almost all of the pokemon games up till now had some form of replay value. I must have played RSE all the way through 4 or 5 times. D/P I've played once and I can't be bothered to play them again because I've already used and raised all the pokemon that I liked.... I mean don't get me wrong, there were a lot of really cool new type combos and pokemon designs... but not enough you know? They rehashed a lot of animals and rehashed a lot of typings too (i really hate that, when they make a new typing in one gen and then do it again in the next instead of doing something new and better... I don't need Infernape, I already have Blaziken... don't need Gastrodon, Swampert is better... and Garchomp! wtf is it doing there when we already have Flygon! Infernape could have been a new Fire/Psychic type, Garchomp could have been an Ice/Dragon or a Fire/Dragon! GF could have made more money! >.<) ...Plus in terms of competitive battling a lot of the new typings are novelties at best, such as Frosslass's Ice/Ghost...
I really hope there is a 5th gen but in this gen I got the distinct feeling that GF was running out of ideas. DP feels wrung out to me. Most of the new pokemon are evos, and some of them aren't even that good. I hear as many people cursing Electivire, Magmortar and friends to hell and beyond as I hear people singing their praises. DP's pokedex, if you leave out all the post-national dex fluff, offers only 79 new pokemon. HALF of the pokemon from 387 to 493 are Starters, evos of old pokemon, or legendaries. Its pathetic.
In terms of the games extra's there isn't much. Sinnoh proved to be rather confining and small compared to the broad land of Hoenn and the twin Kanto/Johto areas. The Battle Zone was nice but it was so clogged with HM requiremants that traversing it and training there is a chore of epic proportions. There isn't a super powerful trainer to level up with either. Granted the E4's average levels are a bit higher but still nowhere close to the second E4 in FRLG, Steve in Emerald, or Red in GSC. Granted its nice you can get almost all the pokemon in the game, but Sinnoh really would have benefited from more land to travel.
I'm not saying DP suck beyond all belief... I still think they are good games like all the pokemon games... I'm just saying I think it has been the most disappointing yet. But then again its not through... there will probably be a Yellow/Crystal/Emerald equivelant yet to come. a GSC remake is in order but it probably isn't coming.
DP just feels very diluted and bland compared to past generations, I dunno if the transition to DS killed it or what (I actually don't like the new graphics as much... ) or if GF was just being pressured to put out a new pokemon game and they were having complete and total creative blocks, but I really hope the 5th gen throws down. because for me at least, the 4th gen really hasn't. If you leave aside the glossy new finish, and the flashy stuff and get down to the meat of the pokemon game, DP have actually struck me as... "Meh..."
Does anyone agree?
I'm basically trying to voice a wee bit of disappointment about this gen. Not a huge thing, not like it was horrible (i bought the games, played them, and liked them for the most part).... but anyway..
Putting aside the obvious advances in graphics and sound for a moment (although I still insist DP is RIDICULOUSLY slow compared to the old gens) to focus on what makes pokemon games pokemon games.... hasn't the fourth gen been just a little bit lackluster?
The fourth gen shines the most in its advancements for the competitive battling scene, with plenty of pokemon that are sure to become the next batch of cookie-cutter sweepers/tanks and the ever-present physical/special split which has either revived or killed many previously UU or OU pokemon, respectively. Not to mention the huge spread of new moves.
But in terms of the enjoyment of the game itself i found it wanting... HMs really kill things for you in this game, as has been discussed before... and the new pokemon, with the exception of the Starters and a few of the legends, have been very poor in design and have left many fans wanting it seems. More clogging with water types, nearly no new Fire or Electric types, and very few new and interesting type combinations outside of legendaries, and with most of the most interesting and most anticipated pokes being evolutions of old ones and not coming until after the climax of the game at the E4. I felt that in terms of designs and ideas for pokemon this generation was very lacking, not just in types that didn't get many new additions, but in general.
Most of the pokemon that are truly eye-catching and interesting are either starters or post-national dex pokemon. There are a few exceptions, such as Toxicroak, Abomasnow, Skuntank, and Driftblim, all of which were fresh new ideas and designs... but almost all of the pokemon games up till now had some form of replay value. I must have played RSE all the way through 4 or 5 times. D/P I've played once and I can't be bothered to play them again because I've already used and raised all the pokemon that I liked.... I mean don't get me wrong, there were a lot of really cool new type combos and pokemon designs... but not enough you know? They rehashed a lot of animals and rehashed a lot of typings too (i really hate that, when they make a new typing in one gen and then do it again in the next instead of doing something new and better... I don't need Infernape, I already have Blaziken... don't need Gastrodon, Swampert is better... and Garchomp! wtf is it doing there when we already have Flygon! Infernape could have been a new Fire/Psychic type, Garchomp could have been an Ice/Dragon or a Fire/Dragon! GF could have made more money! >.<) ...Plus in terms of competitive battling a lot of the new typings are novelties at best, such as Frosslass's Ice/Ghost...
I really hope there is a 5th gen but in this gen I got the distinct feeling that GF was running out of ideas. DP feels wrung out to me. Most of the new pokemon are evos, and some of them aren't even that good. I hear as many people cursing Electivire, Magmortar and friends to hell and beyond as I hear people singing their praises. DP's pokedex, if you leave out all the post-national dex fluff, offers only 79 new pokemon. HALF of the pokemon from 387 to 493 are Starters, evos of old pokemon, or legendaries. Its pathetic.
In terms of the games extra's there isn't much. Sinnoh proved to be rather confining and small compared to the broad land of Hoenn and the twin Kanto/Johto areas. The Battle Zone was nice but it was so clogged with HM requiremants that traversing it and training there is a chore of epic proportions. There isn't a super powerful trainer to level up with either. Granted the E4's average levels are a bit higher but still nowhere close to the second E4 in FRLG, Steve in Emerald, or Red in GSC. Granted its nice you can get almost all the pokemon in the game, but Sinnoh really would have benefited from more land to travel.
I'm not saying DP suck beyond all belief... I still think they are good games like all the pokemon games... I'm just saying I think it has been the most disappointing yet. But then again its not through... there will probably be a Yellow/Crystal/Emerald equivelant yet to come. a GSC remake is in order but it probably isn't coming.
DP just feels very diluted and bland compared to past generations, I dunno if the transition to DS killed it or what (I actually don't like the new graphics as much... ) or if GF was just being pressured to put out a new pokemon game and they were having complete and total creative blocks, but I really hope the 5th gen throws down. because for me at least, the 4th gen really hasn't. If you leave aside the glossy new finish, and the flashy stuff and get down to the meat of the pokemon game, DP have actually struck me as... "Meh..."
Does anyone agree?