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SUPER POLL: What is your FAVOURITE main series Pokémon game (or games) of all time?

Which is the best main series game/s in your opinion?

  • RGB

  • Yellow

  • Gold/ Silver

  • Crystal

  • Ruby/ Sapphire

  • FR/LG

  • Emerald

  • Diamond/ Pearl

  • Platinum

  • HeartGold/ SoulSilver

  • Black/ White

  • BW2

  • XY

  • ORAS

  • Sun/ Moon

  • Ultra Sun/ Ultra Moon


Results are only viewable after voting.
My Top 3 favorite core series Pokémon games list honestly has a lot of close calls, but in the end, I've settled down with the following list:

3. FR/LG
The original Kanto remakes. LeafGreen was the very first Pokémon game I ever played in 2013, which also contributes to these games' position on my list. However, the main reason is that if you want to experience the "original" adventure through Kanto, these games offer a way better version of that experience than the admittedly outdated and glitchy Generation I games, and are perfectly serviceable even by today's standards (even if I'm still looking forward to how the Let's Go! games are going to improve on the Kanto region even further). Plus, we also have the Sevii Islands to expand Generation I's non-existent post-game and provide us with some backstory to the events of Generation II and Team Rocket's return.

2. B2/W2
The sequels to Black and White. I honestly feel kinda bad leaving the original two games off the list, but the sequels quote honestly outshine the original ones in my eyes. The Pokédex has been expanded, new areas have been added, old areas have changed, many characters from the first games return with new roles and looks, tons of side stuff to do even after beating the game... These games are just brimming with content! Pokéstar Studios! Join Avenue! Pokémon World Tournament! Black Tower and White Treehollow! The list goes on! And the post-game, where you get to, among other things, explore the early-game areas from the previous games and even visit your old hometown from Black and White... One of the best post-games of all time in Pokémon!

Honorable mentions (not in any specific order):
Emerald
- An awesome game, which still holds up there amongst the best representations of Hoenn, even with OR/AS, which honestly deserve an honorable mention too. I love how you actually fight both evil teams in this game, and Team Magma has a way more fitting base. Also, the Battle Frontier.

Platinum - Easily the best Sinnoh game to date. Improved story and mechanics, Looker, the Distortion World, an improved post-game story, and the Battle Frontier. Also carrying onward from the original Diamond and Pearl, the Battle Zone as a whole. An entire sub-region of Sinnoh reserved just for the post-game, with its own routes and "towns".

X/Y - The transition to 3D improved the outlook of the games significantly, and the Kalos region's design takes full advantage of this, with stunningly beautiful locations. The music is great too, and I feel that the characters and story of these games are seriously underrated. It's honestly a shame we didn't get Z, because, as many have said, the region feels a bit incomplete. Zygarde would've deserved its own game instead of having its special gimmick being hastily shoved into the next generation.

US/UM - I personally enjoy these games more than the original S/M. While I admit that there are some details that could have been changed to significantly improve the quality of the product (like having the Ultra Recon Squad do more than just provide exposition for most of the time), it's still good enough for me. I personally liked the changes made to Lillie, Lusamine, and Hau's characters, and the new locations and features added to these games expand the region nicely. Also, Team Rainbow Rocket. Love it. One of the best post-games stories ever, if not the best.

And now, to the actual number 1...

1. HG/SS
These games may not be quite as advanced as the Generation V games, but they still have a ton of content. First of all, they take everything from the original Generation II and bring it up to date with improved graphics and mechanics. The Johto region looks absolutely beautiful on Nintendo DS, and the characters have been improved as well, like the rival getting more backstory and the Team Rocket Executives getting actual names. And of course, the post-game. This post-game is an outright legend among Pokémon post-games. Sure Johto may have borrowed a lot from Kanto, but it all pays off big time when you get to explore an entire second region for the post-game, with another set of eight Gyms to challenge and multiple changed locations and characters to see. At it all ends with a battle against the previous player character, who uses Pokémon of ridiculously high levels. Nothing short of iconic.

Secondly, these games are improved even further with the new things that were added to them compared to the original games. The walking Pokémon feature, the Pokéathlon, the Johto Safari Zone, many of the shrunken/removed Kanto locations being restored to their former glory, the Kanto Legendaries being available to catch, the Hoenn and Sinnoh sounds, the Gym Leader and Pokémon League rematches, the Battle Frontier... Heck, even Suicune's story was extended to reach the post-game this time around!

So, to put it shortly, these games are my favorite core series Pokémon games (and Pokémon games overall) because they take something that was already great, update it with the newest mechanics while staying true to the original source material, and then seamlessly add in some new material to expand the experience even further. Quite honestly, the only outright bad thing I can say about these games is that TMs are not reusable. That's it.
 
I hope a lot more people will vote. Otherwise the poll becomes pointless.
 
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I personally don't get what's so great about Gen V, I'd take Platinum, ORAS, and USUM over either of the Black & White games any day of the week.
 
I personally don't get what's so great about Gen V, I'd take Platinum, ORAS, and USUM over either of the Black & White games any day of the week.
It's the well-written story and characters, many updated mechanics, a lot of features unique to this generation (like seasons and personalized Gym themes), and, especially in B2/W2, a ton of side content to keep yourself occupied, even after beating the game.

Don't get me wrong. Those other games you mentioned are great too. These are just some of the reasons why this generation is so well loved.
 
^ Also, Unova has more attention to detail compared to any other region.
 
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It's the well-written story and characters, many updated mechanics, a lot of features unique to this generation (like seasons and personalized Gym themes), and, especially in B2/W2, a ton of side content to keep yourself occupied, even after beating the game.

Maybe I just don't have the right kind of personality or demographic background (I was born and raised in the Northwest) to really enjoy Unova as a region, but I felt like with the exception of N and his tragic backstory & a few of the side characters like Bianca, none of the Gen V characters really stood out to me as being very likeable or memorable. Alder and Iris are probably my two least favorite Champions, Hugh felt like an expy of Blue/Gary, and Pokestar Studios just wasn't my cup of tea. Oh, and the anime had so many characters that were total jerks and/or just plain annoying that I couldn't help but wonder if the Best Wishes series was meant to be a kid-friendly parody of Family Guy or something.

Also, I also feel like a really underrated game is XY (I liked the introduction of Mega Evolutions and the Fairy-type), and I probably would have voted for them over ORAS if they'd had the same level of postgame content as DPPt & BW/BW2 and/or a Pokémon Z version with the same level of effort as Platinum & USUM. I just can't help but feel like they were an enormous missed opportunity because GameFreak felt like they had to rush Gen VII for the 20th anniversary of the series...
 
Alder and Iris are probably my two least favorite Champions
Alder was always meant to be more remembered from his role in the story rather than the actual Champion battle. And Iris is actually one of my favorite Champions: she's a prodigy who, kinda like Wallace, rose from being the strongest Gym Leader of the region to being the Champion of the region. Plus, I find her design and battle themes great.
Hugh felt like an expy of Blue/Gary
He's actually way more deeper than that. He may be competitive towards you, but he's not an asshole towards you. Oh no. Those feelings he completely and utterly saves for Team Plasma, whom he hates from the bottom of his heart because they took his little sister's Pokémon, which he is now selflessly trying to get back. Comparing him to Blue (who is not Gary, BTW) is unfair and, in a sense, incorrect.
Pokestar Studios just wasn't my cup of tea
Okay, that is a legit opinion (even though I personally liked it), but that's not the only thing you can do during the Gen. V post-games.
Oh, and the anime had so many characters that were total jerks and/or just plain annoying that I couldn't help but wonder if the Best Wishes series was meant to be a kid-friendly parody of Family Guy or something.
Generation V as a whole was meant to be a reboot for the franchise, but unfortunately the anime took it a bit too far by making Ash a complete noob once more for no better reason than trying to emulate season 1 with this series, which also explains why he caught so many Pokémon in Unova. So that's why it may feel like that to you.
Also, I also feel like a really underrated game is XY (I liked the introduction of Mega Evolutions and the Fairy-type), and I probably would have voted for them over ORAS if they'd had the same level of postgame content as DPPt & BW/BW2 and/or a Pokémon Z version with the same level of effort as Platinum & USUM. I just can't help but feel like they were an enormous missed opportunity because GameFreak felt like they had to rush Gen VII for the 20th anniversary of the series...
I also feel that Generation VI is underrated and would've deserved a third version to make the region more complete. I also feel sorry for Zygarde, whose big gimmick was hastily shoved into the next generation games as a side quest. It never got the focus it deserved. It's most likely true that this happened because Game Freak indeed wanted the new generation out by the time of the big anniversary.
 
Hugh felt like an expy of Blue/Gary.

Other than Silver, I’m not sure there’s a rival that Hugh has less in common with than Blue.

EDIT: Actually, in thinking about it, even Silver had comtempt for the evil team of his games. So I guess it comes down to whether that outweighs his similarity with Blue in that he’s a childhood friend of the protagonist. YMMV, but ultimately the point still stands.
 
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He's actually way more deeper than that. He may be competitive towards you, but he's not an asshole towards you. Oh no. Those feelings he completely and utterly saves for Team Plasma, whom he hates from the bottom of his heart because they took his little sister's Pokémon, which he is now selflessly trying to get back. Comparing him to Blue (who is not Gary, BTW) is unfair and, in a sense, incorrect.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that whole thing he had with Team Plasma. To be fair, huge chunks of Gen V have simply vanished from my memory, despite the fact that I know I beat both of the games.

Generation V as a whole was meant to be a reboot for the franchise, but unfortunately the anime took it a bit too far by making Ash a complete noob once more for no better reason than trying to emulate season 1 with this series, which also explains why he caught so many Pokémon in Unova. So that's why it may feel like that to you.

The other major issue I had with Best Wishes was that, whereas Misty generally had reasons to get mad at Ash (i.e he destroyed her bike), at many times it felt to me like Iris just didn't like Ash, and that wasn't very fun to watch.

And don't even get me started on Burgundy and Georgia...
 
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The other major issue I had with Best Wishes was that, whereas Misty generally had reasons to get mad at Ash (i.e he destroyed her bike), at many times it felt to me like Iris just didn't like Ash, and that wasn't very fun to watch.
Emphasis on "generally". There were also times when Misty was mean towards Ash for no good reason. But I admit, Iris wasn't a perfect character either.

And don't even get me started on Burgundy and Georgia...
Yeah, Best Wishes introduced a bit too many rivals to a bit too many main characters.

PS. Sorry about the double post.
 
Definitely Black and White as well as their sequels, they have introduced so many great Pokemon like Haxorus, Hydreigon and Zoroark. I love the lore of the Original Dragon and the whole fusion mechanic (hoping for a Gen 5 remake to have a complete Kyurem). That's not even touching on how the story is one of the best in the series including memorable characters. Ghetsis is by far the only Pokemon villain that was satisfying to defeat, mainly due to how he lied to pretty much everyone the whole time in Black and White.

I actually liked Diamond for properly introducing me into the series (although, its Pokedex is kind of a mess). Plus introducing Dialga, my favorite legendary just behind the Tao trio made me appreciate the lore of the Pokemon world as a whole.
 
Tricky question. I like all of the games without distinction, and though I prefer some over the others, they're great, every one of them.

Now, I chose XY because of a few things, especially the amazing, still unbeatable soundtrack. When're we getting musics as good as Parfum Palace, Kunoe City and Eisetsu City, among others? I also have a deep fondness towards those since they were what brought me back to the game franchise after years. ORAS is included, but not to the level of XY.

I also love BW\B2W2 due to its fresh approach back in the day. DP\Platinum is great too. RGBY is pure nostalgia, however sometimes they bore me because of the lack of pretty much everything we have today.
 
I was a big fan of Emerald, and it's still special to me.

Ruby/Sapphire introduced a setting I absolutely loved (I enjoyed diving like mad!) and a mechanic I found very enjoyable (I very much enjoyed the hidden bases on the overworld). It also introduced my favorite psychic type, the Gardevoir.

And Emerald included several things I felt fixed problems with Ruby/Sapphire.
 
Yeah, Emerald is like a gem. A game that was released in 2004/2005, and is still the best.
 
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Pokemon Black, Pokemon Pearl and Omega Ruby. I'm biased because all of these games are very important to me but they were genuinely brilliant. I can't even fault them.

Extra points for no character customisation, also. If your designs are great enough then people don't want to change, Gamefreak! Keep off the chibi's and we'll love you for it.
 
I do like character customisation, and I think it is a great feature... However I still agree with the above post. If a character's design is good enough, I don't have the urge to customise said character. This was the case with Brendan in ORAS, as an example.

But of course, I guess it's always better to have CC just in case you don't like certain character.
 
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