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Most/Least Favourite Routes per region?

Zexy

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So I was thinking a while ago, which routes in the main series games do you like most/least in each region. Some of them sure are unique, in ways that can amuse or annoy some players.

My thoughts on this are:
Kanto - Most routes are somewhat bland here, but I have some favourites:
7 (it is very small and lets you access the two biggest cities of the region without tall grass encounters; I even feel like that with the expanding nature of cities, Saffron-Celadon could end up one thing)
9 (first time you're leaving the grasslands to access a more mountainous area, even though the Rock Tunnel that comes next is annoying)
11 (at least it has those strange grass patterns making it different from your generic Kanto route)
26 and 27 (great music, a fitting end for the main Johto journey)

As for least favourites, the only one that stands out is:
20 (optional long sea route with an annoying cave in the middle of it; only worth visiting it once, from the Cinnabar side where Seafoam Islands is easier, to get Articuno)
23 (it doesn't even exist in HGSS, and unlike 26-27 it doesn't have that epic feel as the end of the Kanto journey in the games it appears in)
Although more could qualify for being a bit too simple.

Johto
Favourites:
32 (I didn't like much before HGSS but having the Magnet Train pass through it makes it feel more immersive)
34 (Lots of new species become available, it's starting to feel more like central Johto than the introductory part, you leave a forest to get to the biggest city. and it has a secret Surf-accessible area)
36 (The three-way fork that suddenly makes everything feel closer after Sudowoodo is gone is awesome)
42 (Simple to navigate, yet unique in that you need to get past 3 Surf areas to skip the optional Mt. Mortar)

Least favourites:
37 (Small and a bit pointless as 36 could be just a little bigger and fit it in, had that Trainer with the Drowzee IIRC that would annoy you with Hypnosis and it was even referenced in his text)
41 (The area in the middle of the Whirl Islands is just a little annoying to navigate)
47 (The cliffs look awesome but getting through it is annoying)

Hoenn
Favourites:
103 (finding the eastern part and realizing how it connects upon first playing Sapphire was a nice surprise)
113 (great music and scenery, the Soot Sack mechanic is nice)
115 (I like how it is completely optional even though it can mislead you into thinking it's not so in RSE; at least ORAS has a teleport-back after Meteor Falls to prove the point. And it has a secret Surf-accessible area in which wild Swellow and some rare Barries could be found)
119 (great music, it has some annoying parts but I've spent so much time hunting for Feebas here that I ended up loving it. I also caught my first Shiny ever here)
123 (optional but has awesome music and nice scenery and layout)

Least favourites:
All the "too much water" routes. 105-109, 124-134
120 (it's that one route that has a sort-of annoying factor that 119 and 123 also do, but its music isn't as nice and it falls behind compared to them)
122 (it's not really a route; just Mt. Pyre with water. Mt. Pyre is good at least)

Sinnoh
Favourites:
205 (it feels like several different areas at the same time; you can first only get to part of it until Valley Windworks, then it has some more until Eterna Forest and the layout there is cool and there's even a rest house, after Eterna Forest there is another part that has 6-Magikarp man as well, it's similar to Hoenn's 104 but done better. and a secret area after Surf, Fuego Ironworks)
209 (nice music and layout, jovial things such as Joggers and a Pikachu fan dressed an actual Pikachu, yet at the same time it has two creepy parts; the Spiritomb area and the tower. nice for breeding too)
222 (a nice continuation of Valor Lakefront/Sunyshore City that also has a beach and seems like a tourist destination. and it comes right after the deepest part of the plot up there in Spear Pillar, a nice way to uplift your mood before it gets serious again with the last badge/getting ready for League)
224 (optional and interesting late-game, kind of hard to access as a sort-of secret area, even without the Shaymin event it's cool)

Least favourites:
210 (OK the first part might be OK until the Miltank Cafe. but then we have Psyduck blocking the road, lots of fog and some hard trainer battles (particularly in Platinum), not a fan)
212 (swamp that slows down movement, great times; thankfully it's optional)
215 (annoying layout and rain everywhere)
217 (snowstorm and snow slowing you down...)
223 (one good thing about Sinnoh is that it doesn't have many sea routes; but you just gotta get one before the League...)

Unova
Favourite:
5 (it's nice how it is somewhat small but attracts performers and lets you connect Driftveil-Nimbasa without having to go through tall grass; being the location of the first Hidden Grotto in BW2 only added to it)
9 (short and to the point; you can cross it without getting in tall grass, it has a mall and several bikers/punks adding to the feel of the nearby Tubeline Bridge, think it fits more in Black where Opelucid is more modern as well)
10 (great music, the epic feeling of being close to the end of your adventure is back!)
11 (One moment it's cool because it's straightforward, the next a Plasma Frigate appears and freezes everyhing, making it very different but still cool)
13 (sandbars are nice)
18 (it's a cool dead end with the Laboratory, the Frigate in BW2 and the whole theory about how it was connected to Desert Resort before)
22 (I just like the music a lot)

Least favourite:
6 and 7 (don't like the layout of either one)
8 (not a fan of swamps)

Wildcard:
4 (I don't like it all in BW and am so-so about it in White 2, but I like it a lot Black 2; first route that is industrialized and straightfoward in such a way while connecting the two biggest cities of the region, but then right next to it you have the good old desert)

Kalos
Favourite:
1 (I actually like how it has nothing; music is cool too)
7 (for a long straightfoward road, it sure has a lot of interest; Snorlax blocking most of it for a while, Berry Garden and later Daycare and Chateau, and at the end lies a unique cave)
8 (you think you've reached Cyllage after getting out of the cave if that map is to be trusted... wait what? you need to cross this twice, it's actually split in a mountain part and a sea part, you get a new Pokedex extension. and the music is awesome!)
10 (wild Eevee, a bit creepy with the stones but there's also a Colress mention and it is said that they give energy at least; but then you figure out that unlike the other burial grounds this one is directly tied to the main plot in a way you couldn't think of. to the point it is actually closed off during the most major event)

Least favourite:
9 (not a fan of the routes where you need to ride a rental Pokemon)
11 (don't like the layout, it's just annoying me more when I know the next thing I have to deal with is Annoying Cave)
12 (while getting Lapras to surf past that first area and connection to Azure Bay is cool, the rest is just another route with riding rental Pokemon...)
13 (strong wind, annoying mound encounters; bad lands indeed)
17 (it's called Mamoswine Road and guess what rental Pokemon you need to ride in it :( )
20 (this is a Lost Cave-like dungeon, not a route)

Unsure if I like or dislike them:
14 (I'll go with dislike even though part of the creepyness is cool, because it's still a swamp)
15 and 16 (strange layouts; the one has an abandoned hotel and the other is called Melancolie Path of all things...)

Alola
Favourites:
1 (I just like how there's so much of it, it covers like half of Melemele Island by itself. Compare and contrast with Kalos route 1 lol)
5 (It is interesting how it has a northern part accessible only later)
6 (I tend to like straightforward routes; it's particularly cool since it can actually connect with Heahea City later on; but it makes you think why you had to go through Route 4, that's a weaker excuse even than the thirsty guards for Rock Tunnel)
8 (straighforward, has a motel, and "Get out." Gladion)
13 (short but sweet, there are more non-trainer people than you'd expect from a route here; it's probably more of a continuation of the quite empty Tapu Village than a route of its own)
15 (nothing too important here, but trying out Sharpedo Jet for the first time here is cool)

Least favourites:
9 (it's very short lol, but not in the cool kind of way)
10 (I don't like concept on having to get past the city just to catch a bus to the top of the mountain, from which you have an optional route down... until a point where you need to catch the bus anyway. a bit pointless)
12 (I feel like Mudsdale Gallop is the most pointless ride)
14 (not a fan of broken roads and stuff, the Surf area isn't anything too cool and has those platform-like things for little reason)
16 (more pointless short Route 9-like places)
17 ("This path always seems to inspire a sense of unease." oh yes it does)
 
Kanto
-Good: 25 (there's some charm about it being a dead-end), 17 (a Cycling road that is quite long), 15 (another long road fun to walk)
-Bad: 8 (too short), 9 (boring to roam).
Johto
-Good: 44 (nice to walk in, with a nice lake).
-Bad: 41 (boring), 45 (the waterfall is beautiful and all but I don't like when I can't correct my path)
Hoenn
-Good: Most of them give me good memories, but I'd go with 119, where I spent a huge amount of time.
-Bad: 132,133,134. Currents that force your path and that punish you for not making the right choices isn't what the Hoenn sea needed to be better.
Sinnoh
-Good: 206 (Cycling road for the win), 2019 (it has its charm), 225, 226, 227 (nice graphics)
-Bad: 221 (a bunch of grass isn't exactly what I wanted for a postgame area), 216 (scrappy mechanics).
Unova
I don't have strong feelings really, the cities and the bridges are more noteworthy.
Kalos
-Good: 4 (grass labyrinth with good Pokemon roster), 6 (Ditto), 10 (good landscape), 20 (Ditto from 4 & 6)
-Bad: Azure Bay (not as surprising as the rest of the region), 22 (inaccessible Rhyhorn racing)
Alola
-Good: 3 (quite epic route for being in the early game), Poni Gauntlet (nice graphics)
-Bad: 4 (boring Pokemon roster), Poni Wilds (Ditto)
 
Route 15 in Kalos had good music. While route 14 looked really nice.
Village Bridge in Unova was also nice.
The water routes of Hoenn and snow covered routes of Sinnoh were a pain though.
 
Least Favourite:
Kanto: 7 (too short), 18 (same here), 13 (the fences look unnatural, they should have used trees/shrubs like they did at Lake of Rage)
Johto: 33 (too short), 31 (same here), 45 (you have to return to Blackthorn multiple times to explore it fully).
Hoenn: all the routes with currents, also Route 123.
Sinnoh: 218 (too short), 212 because of the marshlands. At least Route 217 has the great scenery.
Unova: 5, 9 (too short), 15 (I like Route 11 because of the waterfalls, but this one is just bland).
I've never played Kalos and Alola-based games, so I can't say anything about their routes.
Favourite:
Kanto: 25 because of the ponds and the fact it is a popular dating spot.
Johto: 47 (love the cliffs and the music).
Hoenn: 111, 119 and 120 because they are so large and diverse.
Sinnoh: 208(the cliffs and the waterfall), 211 (like the fact it is divided into two parts).
Unova: 10(the music is just amazing), 23 because it is huge.
 
Favorites:
Kanto- route 23. I just like the feeling of slowly getting there to the Pokemon League.
Johto- route 45. Going down the mountain along with the river. Just amazing
Hoenn- route 120. I love the starry night reflecting on the water in ORAS. Beautiful and inspiring.
Sinnoh- routes 216 and 217. The first snowy routes (which I absolutely adore) and route 224- I don't know why, I just like it very much.
Unova: route 23 in BW2- so natural and amazing. Like taking a hike.
Kalos: route 15 and 16. The autumn leaves, the colors, the yellow and red flowers, the music, the hopelessness of it all... it's so amazing.
Alola- none. They're all so lazy and ugly.

Least favorites:
Kanto- route 13. I hate those maze-like fences with a burning passion.
Johto- route 41. The Whirl Islands mazes made me dizzy. Also Tentacool
Hoenn- route 111- infinite sandstorm FTL
Sinnoh- none. I love every single one.
Unova- route 4 BW1. So I've noticed mazes and deserts are just not my cup of tea.
Kalos- route 1. Because it doesn't even deserve being called a route. Also route 13 is also very annoying.
Alola- all of them. So short, boring, empty... ugh.
 
Pretty much any water and cave route is an automatic least fave for me. Hoenn was full of that junk. If I do like a route, it mostly has to do with the music that is playing.

If I was to pick my all-time least favorite route, it's surprisingly not a water or cave route. I hate Kanto Route 28. I don't like the music that plays in the background and I don't like the fact that the Pokemon are at such a low level at a far point in the game. There's nothing I like about it, and I spent a lot of time there and Mt. Silver (another place I hate) leveling up since the wild Pokemon in the area were the "highest" level in the game.

My favorite routes are Sinnoh 216 and 217. Sure, there was Hail, but the music, the snowfall, and the music just made me love it. I also love Kalos Route 17 for that reason.
 
My favorites are route 216 and 217 of Sinnoh. I feel like those are the most unique routes in the games.
 
KANTO

Favorite: It's a tie between Route 3 (a rugged canyon stretch leading up to an unexpected Pokémon Center which generates a true sense of rest before entering Mt. Moon, all set to one of the series's most brilliant route themes) and Route 12 (an unusual wooden dock road with more brilliant music and an extremely evocative and mysterious colloquial name, "Silence Bridge" which has stuck with me for forever).

Least-favorite: Route 4. Just a bunch of boring ledges, and it is aggravatingly one-way for some reason.


JOHTO

Favorite: Route 45. A really dynamic set of parallel roads split by a river, with lots of backtracking value and Trainers to battle.I especially love the quiet little pond toward the end, and you can encounter some interesting Pokémon here.

Least-favorite: Route 40/41 pretty much by default; they're just water routes and I like all of the other routes in Johto.


HOENN

Favorite: As if there's a choice other than Route 113. The music is phenomenal and thoroughly memorable, and the gray-tinted grass is so beautiful, as is the area's in-battle background in ORAS, what with the white-powdered trees and all.

Least-favorite: All of the water routes (excluding 132, 133, and 134). Can you say "monotonous"? ORAS made them more tolerable, but not better.


SINNOH

Favorite: Route 227 (Platinum). Such vibrant color contrasts - verdant green grass and tropical trees set against rugged terrain and charcoal-hued basalt, with the small pools of soft blue water on the lower end mirrored by the pools of ash-spewing lava at the entrance to the volcano, all while sand blows through the air. This area also has one of the best route themes in the entire series.

Least-favorite: Route 219/220. A boring water route that just leads to the Pal Park. Woohoo. Give me deep snow slog torture set to whimsical winter music any day.


UNOVA

Favorite: It's a tough choice, but I have to go with Route 23. It's a nice, long path with three whole levels of elevation. There is so much diversity in the landscape - tall canyon walls and bridges, a waterfall, a cobblestone path alongside the river, a forest maze, and then the Strength puzzle to end all Strength puzzles. All leading up to an even-more complex Victory Road. And my word, that music... :love:

Least-favorite: Route 8, for being the most simplistic. It doesn't have any particular points of interest like every other route in Unova, and it blurs together with both Icirrus City and the Moor to the point that I occasionally forget it exists as a distinct route.


KALOS

Favorite: I find myself being torn between Route 8 and Route 15/16. Route 8 is multi-layered, has some really cool Pokémon (including the unusually-but-pleasantly early Bagon, Absol, and Mienfoo), feels very warm, and has some of the best music in the franchise (I know I keep saying that, but well, the music is a major factor in determining how much I like a route, so it stands to reason that my favorite routes will often feature my favorite music). On the other hand, Route 15/16 is longer, has a lovely autumnal setting, also has lots of cool Pokémon as well as the Lost Hotel as additional scenery, huge waterfalls, and lots of small hidden areas which I love so much.

Least-favorite: Routes 1 and 2 feel like too-easy answers since they're the obvious punching bags, so I'll go with Route 17. It's okay, but the Mamoswine riding gimmick had already been done with Rhyhorn on Route 9, and I think I'd prefer to see a more varied snow route as opposed to one that's just a literal solid block of seven-feet-deep snow. And I have too much begrudging respect for Route 13 to choose it (and besides, I have to admit that the strong wind is a cool idea).


ALOLA

Favorite: As far as "true" routes go, I'll probably say Route 3. The music is nice, and the circling shadows of the bird Pokémon overhead is a good touch of atmosphere, and I absolutely love the implementation of Bagon's lore into the encounter rates (Bagon appear at a 1% chance by the edge of the cliff, but directly down in Kala'e Bay they appear at a much more common 10% chance - because the Bagon are jumping off the cliff's edge and trying to fly). However, I would also like to mention the entire stretch from Poni Grove to Poni Gauntlet. Grove is a quiet grassy pathway that gives way to the wide-open clearing of the Poni Plains, which feel tremendously atmospheric, what with the bird Pokémon shadows and the rustling grass and bushes. And then the Gauntlet adds some rocky paths that are interlaced with the misty rivers that emanate from the nearby waterfalls. All this being set against the colorful mesa walls makes for some really beautiful visuals.

Least-favorite: Route 9. Just not much going on. :whistle:
 
Favorite:
Kanto- Route 13
Johto- Route 39
Hoenn- Route 120
Sinnoh- Route 225
Unova- Route 18
Kalos- I haven't played these games yet
Alola- Route 11

I'll have to think about least favorites later
 
Kanto:
Favorite(s): Routes 12-14. I enjoy the seaside path from Lavender Town to Fuchsia City with plenty of trainers, fishing, grass patches, and a nice detour to Vermilion City if desired.
Least favorite(s): Routes 19-21. While I get the concept, any route where every tile has a chance of a wild encounter is annoying (Dungeons are excluded. They're supposed to be annoying.)

Johto:
Favorite(s): Route 45. I actually enjoyed the natural puzzle of this route, with the multiple paths down all but requiring players to take the route multiple times to get it all. While this may be annoying, it earns points for being optional, as player can jut fly back to New Bark Town if they don't want to navigate the route.
Least favorite(s): Routes 40-41. Surf routes are bad, mmkay?

Hoenn:
Favorite(s): Routes 132-134: The currents on these routes, coupled with the multitude of islands for players to hop across, set these routes apart from other surf routes. No longer is every tile a wild encounter tile, which is a huge plus. Also, like Johto route 45, passage is optional, since players can just fly back to Pacifidlog Town or Slateport City. Unless you seek that which lies beneath...
Least favorite(s): 7.8/10 too much water. -IGN

Didn't play gens. 4-6 except for HGSS, so moving right along to Alola:
Favorite(s): Route 3. The cliffs are great scenery, with a nice view onto Kala'e Bay below, but the presence of Bagon on this route is what sets it apart from the rest. Bagon hurl themselves off cliffs in hopes of learning to fly, and sure enough, wild Bagon are found both at the top and base of the cliffs here. At the base of the cliffs, wild Bagon will sometimes call ally Shelgon for help. At the tops of the cliffs, there will be no ally Shelgon, but instead there is a chance of an ally Salamence appearing! It's such a little detail that will likely go unnoticed by many, but this one in particular thrilled me to bits.
Least favorite(s): Route 1. Even though this is the shortest route in the region, I felt like I spent more time here than on any other route (before I became Champion). Just lemme play the game, dammit!
 
Please note: The thread is from 7 years ago.
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