Sure thing. (Also, it occurs to me that the language of this post is very similar to the language of most of my irate/rant posts. It was actually intended to be read with a neutral tone, and a somewhat drier sense of humor behind it instead. So ... poop. I'll try to differentiate better next time. =P )
Hm. I think the entirety of my disapproval of that particular generation stems from the setlist itself. When it first came out I didn't much notice it (because I had no GameBoy and so didn't really care all that much about GameBoy stuff), but when I got reinterested around the middle of my high school years, I spent a lot of time looking at the new additions, and I didn't come across many critters that seemed usable and/or interesting. After that I mentally classified it as a franchise sequel more interested in making money off of fans than providing appealing content, so I discarded any interest in the generation.
And I'm asking for outside input now because looking back it's kind of obvious that my appraisal of the generation was made without any significant experience whatsoever, so I'm trying to figure out if I may have been too quick with my call. In contrast, I will probably never change my mind about Animal Crossing because I've actually played it a good deal (although no one in the house knows it).
And on the other side of the spectrum, I pick on Ace about Harvest Moon whenever he presents an opportunity just because I can. I have no thoughts on the franchise at all (I don't even know how most of the game works); I look at it like an internet noogie, and end my motivations there.
I honestly don't even know why I want to get any of the Pokémon games. The urge to play them simply struck me, so I said "well, I guess I'm getting one or two, then". But if I'm gonna actually get into the franchise, I'd at least like to be somewhat fair about it. So I ask you guys.
The main reasons that HeartGold and SoulSilver appealed to me were due to the upgrades the games received thanks to the advances the series has made. This goes beyond just graphics (obviously), and into the heart of the games themselves.
With the new moves that have become available to Pokemon, there is a lot more variety in potential movesets for advancement. From a Pokemon variety perspective, since most of the Pokemon from previous generations become available for capture after the National Dex is obtained, the fact that I know I have a chance to capture the Pokemon I really want to and raise them is heartening. Alternatively, since I know that a lot of people around here play, I know that I can ask for any Pokemon that isn't in my version/want to play with early, and I will likely be able to get it. So you can get your damn Blaziken and Gardevoir. =p
The small changes in the plot line were just that, but they were enough to make the experience of playing through the game enjoyable to me. Yes, I knew what was going to happen, but anyone who has played a Pokemon game knows what's going to happen. The only exception to that rule is Black and White, which changed enough of the formula to actually surprised a whole hell of a lot of people (including me).
There were also changes to the moves themselves that I probably shouldn't go into (because the changes are technical and I'm not good at describing such things in depth), but they do provide interesting variations on strategy in battling, even though you're only likely to battle AI opponents.
Overall, the GenIV remakes of Gold and Silver are just a really good nostalgia trip with some nice upgrades all across the board. The heart of the game is still there, but it's been given the polish it needed. It's a solid addition to the series.
"I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect." -Harry Dresden
Emerald is probably the best of the third gen, ignoring the remakes and all. It's a good game, but be forewarned that about half of Hoenn is water routes, which tends to get on peoples' nerves after a while.
I have a bit of a soft spot for gen 2, personally, but I can agree that Kanto isn't exactly everything it could have been. The leveling curve is pretty shallow, too. If you had a DS, I'd say go for the 4th gen remakes. They fix most of those problems and the final battle with Red more than makes up for any shortcomings in challenge. Besides, the original gameboy cartridges almost all have dead save batteries by now.
Incidentally, there's a version of Skies of Arcadia for Gamecube, since you're looking into it and all. It doesn't seem to go for less than 25 dollars used, though.
Allamorph
Spiritus Memorae (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/21/11 | Reply
@:
Sure thing. (Also, it occurs to me that the language of this post is very similar to the language of most of my irate/rant posts. It was actually intended to be read with a neutral tone, and a somewhat drier sense of humor behind it instead. So ... poop. I'll try to differentiate better next time. =P )
Hm. I think the entirety of my disapproval of that particular generation stems from the setlist itself. When it first came out I didn't much notice it (because I had no GameBoy and so didn't really care all that much about GameBoy stuff), but when I got reinterested around the middle of my high school years, I spent a lot of time looking at the new additions, and I didn't come across many critters that seemed usable and/or interesting. After that I mentally classified it as a franchise sequel more interested in making money off of fans than providing appealing content, so I discarded any interest in the generation.
And I'm asking for outside input now because looking back it's kind of obvious that my appraisal of the generation was made without any significant experience whatsoever, so I'm trying to figure out if I may have been too quick with my call. In contrast, I will probably never change my mind about Animal Crossing because I've actually played it a good deal (although no one in the house knows it).
And on the other side of the spectrum, I pick on Ace about Harvest Moon whenever he presents an opportunity just because I can. I have no thoughts on the franchise at all (I don't even know how most of the game works); I look at it like an internet noogie, and end my motivations there.
I honestly don't even know why I want to get any of the Pokémon games. The urge to play them simply struck me, so I said "well, I guess I'm getting one or two, then". But if I'm gonna actually get into the franchise, I'd at least like to be somewhat fair about it. So I ask you guys.
Kei
Hell-bound Heroine (Ceiling Cat) | Posted 06/20/11 | Reply
The main reasons that HeartGold and SoulSilver appealed to me were due to the upgrades the games received thanks to the advances the series has made. This goes beyond just graphics (obviously), and into the heart of the games themselves.
With the new moves that have become available to Pokemon, there is a lot more variety in potential movesets for advancement. From a Pokemon variety perspective, since most of the Pokemon from previous generations become available for capture after the National Dex is obtained, the fact that I know I have a chance to capture the Pokemon I really want to and raise them is heartening. Alternatively, since I know that a lot of people around here play, I know that I can ask for any Pokemon that isn't in my version/want to play with early, and I will likely be able to get it. So you can get your damn Blaziken and Gardevoir. =p
The small changes in the plot line were just that, but they were enough to make the experience of playing through the game enjoyable to me. Yes, I knew what was going to happen, but anyone who has played a Pokemon game knows what's going to happen. The only exception to that rule is Black and White, which changed enough of the formula to actually surprised a whole hell of a lot of people (including me).
There were also changes to the moves themselves that I probably shouldn't go into (because the changes are technical and I'm not good at describing such things in depth), but they do provide interesting variations on strategy in battling, even though you're only likely to battle AI opponents.
Overall, the GenIV remakes of Gold and Silver are just a really good nostalgia trip with some nice upgrades all across the board. The heart of the game is still there, but it's been given the polish it needed. It's a solid addition to the series.
"I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect." -Harry Dresden
Allamorph
Spiritus Memorae (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/19/11 | Reply
@:
I'd say it would do no good since Skies of Arcadia does not exist on the PS2. It's on the Gamecube and Dreamcast. Take your pick. :P
AHA!!
Also remember that starting Gen4 Nintendo changed handheld systems. ^ ^
Allamorph
Spiritus Memorae (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/18/11 | Reply
@Ace:
FFFF THE SAVE BATTERY yeah that's right out.
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 06/18/11 | Reply
Emerald is probably the best of the third gen, ignoring the remakes and all. It's a good game, but be forewarned that about half of Hoenn is water routes, which tends to get on peoples' nerves after a while.
I have a bit of a soft spot for gen 2, personally, but I can agree that Kanto isn't exactly everything it could have been. The leveling curve is pretty shallow, too. If you had a DS, I'd say go for the 4th gen remakes. They fix most of those problems and the final battle with Red more than makes up for any shortcomings in challenge. Besides, the original gameboy cartridges almost all have dead save batteries by now.
Incidentally, there's a version of Skies of Arcadia for Gamecube, since you're looking into it and all. It doesn't seem to go for less than 25 dollars used, though.