Spoilers What do you like about LGPE?

[Silktree]

This thread is much shorter than the negative one, but I'm part of the problem. Here are the positive points from my review:

1. Many have praised the overworld Pokemon (wild and followers) and I can only agree. They add a lot to the sense of immersion and the suspension of belief that Pokemon are more than just digital battlers. I don't accept the criticism that the wild Pokemon are robotic; they don't stay put for very long and will go after you if you avoid them. They don't mingle with each other or act as if they aren't being watched, but that isn't a reasonable complaint.
2. I am not much of a gamer, but I feel that I've only stuck with handhelds for Pokemon (and a few adventure games in 2013 that used the touchscreen a lot better than Pokemon ever did). It feels good to look at a big screen and hold a small controller, and it just so happens that LGPE are the first mainline games to offer that (or rather were designed for that, as you could even play Red/Green on the SNES). I didn't bother with portable mode at all, and while the graphics weren't impressive, they were pleasant and vibrant. Non-contact move animations were pretty nice to watch, along with the battle backgrounds, most cutscenes, gyms and partner interaction.
3. The remixes, unlike FRLG and HGSS', are really good. I wouldn't say that I like them more than the originals, since some of those are magical given their limitations, but they capture their essence nicely. My favorite remix is Lavender Town; it is obviously less spooky than the original, but it is sorrowful.
4. The partner Pokemon (AJ the Eevee in my case) is truly adorable in play mode and it always seems to do something new. While most of the time its contribution outside battles is an aesthetic one, you can actually play as it at one point in the Rocket Hideout. How cool is that? I only wish you could do it to befriend Pokemon, but I'll take what I can get. I also love that the HMs (or rather secret techniques) have been assigned to it as opposed to random Ride Pokemon that don't even get paid. It will not be easy to go back to regular starters after this. Finally, I find it silly that some people boxed their partner because it was allegedly overpowered, when there is an alternative solution: Don't teach it more than one special move. In my case, Freezy Frost was useful at times, but its Haze effect never kicked in.
5. I like how the relative freshness (especially for a non-Go player) of the new catching system encouraged me to complete two thirds of the Pokedex while clearing the main story. Even if the animations were simple, it was nice to see wild Pokemon do something other than battle. That said, I'll admit that I did not pay attention to the tutorial when it said that I should point the controller at the screen during calibration, so when a Pokemon moved sideways, throwing a ball in the right direction would be hell. Usually I would just wait for that Pokemon to return to the center, which generally worked. This mistake was made by many players, so no doubt the tutorial could have been more explicit. Anyway, I hope this system evolves to include more ways to befriend Pokemon, be it in the 2019 games (unlikely if Masuda is to be believed) or Let's Go sequels.
6. The few improvements to the story don't go unappreciated. By that I mean incorporating Cubone rather like how Origins did it, but with two twists. I also like how Archer finally interacts with Giovanni and shows more personality, and how we see a humbler Blue become a gym leader (although the timing is a bit premature - why do it right after Giovanni leaves?). In fact, a lot of the characters express themselves better now through movements and some new dialogue. The weakest link would have to be Jessie and James, as they never made me laugh and poor Meowth was mute (but he had his moments).
7. This isn't new, but the Amie/Refresh in-battle effects are pretty much mandatory now (unless you turn off following because you're a bad person). At first I was apprehensive that it would reduce difficulty too much, but in practice all I cared about is how it made me (falsely) believe that my Pokemon cared about me, making my level disadvantage fairer and sometimes compensating for something annoying (status, flinch, critical hit or a miss - luck is inherent in battles). Not only that, but Pokemon would react to my (uninitiated) praise by looking back at me approvingly, which was adorable. I know that this was introduced in XY using the touchscreen, but I prefer to be surprised.
8. The portable Pokemon Box and Exp. Share allowed me to use two extra members. Rotating whenever I wanted, including in between Elite Four battles, was a nice experience. I probably wouldn't have trained a Dratini (for the first time) without these features.
9. Gym leader rematches and the debut of Green as an NPC. These battles don't take all that long, but they're still more satisfying than the zany post-game episodes of the 3DS games. I'd rather speculate about what Green's backstory is, and what Blaine knows about her, than witness more shenanigans for Looker's sake. I should also note that even the first set of gym battles feature some neat additions: Misty's Psyduck, Sabrina's Jynx and Slowbro (Lorelei overlap, but still), Koga's Golbat, Blaine's Magmar, Bruno's Poliwrath and Lance's Seadra (arguably not better than Dragonair, but it packs a bigger punch if you don't nail it first) and Charizard. I didn't include Agatha's Weezing because it absolutely should have been a Ninetales instead.

 

[Juliko]

Considering the Let's Go games are a remake of the first video game I ever played, I do have a lot of personal feelings for it.

1. Playing with your Pokemon is always a good thing for me! And goodness, they really made Pikachu and Eevee super adorable here. I also love the special moves they give them (Except for their names. Baddy Bad? REALLY?! I can come up with better attack names than that!). You even play as them at one point! Who in the world expected that?!
2. Gym Leader rematches. Love those. Who doesn't?
3. Pokemon being seen in the overworld. I really hope the next mainline games do this, because it makes the world feel much more alive in-game!
4. Green (The girl) and being able to battle her. I do think her throwing PokeBalls at you was kinda stupid, but I like her design.
5. The portable Pokemon Box is so good. I can switch Pokemon out whenever I want! I hope the next mainline games use it, too!

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

although Lillie would have made more sense)

Since Mina's aged down, Lillie’d be probably a pre-schooler or a toddler during the events of LGPE so it wouldn’t make much sense.

 

[Esserise]

Since Mina's aged down, Lillie’d be probably a pre-schooler or a toddler during the events of LGPE so it wouldn’t make much sense.

Yeah, but the decision to have Mina be younger was totally arbitrary anyway.

 

[Silktree]

@Esserise How was it arbitrary? Red and Blue are in their 20s in SM/USUM. If anything, Mina wasn't made young enough.

 

[Esserise]

@Esserise How was it arbitrary? Red and Blue are in their 20s in SM/USUM. If anything, Mina wasn't made young enough.

They could have set LGPE whenever they wanted. They could have just as easily used the 20-year-old Red and Blue and said that the game was taking place after the Alola story. Nothing forced LGPE to be set between Kanto 1 and Alola, and if anything, using the adult Red and Blue would have drawn a closer parallel to Masuda's idea of children playing the game with their parents who played the originals.

 

[Silktree]

Maybe, but I'd call that more arbitrary than mostly keeping the story the same. Either make everyone older, making the games sequels, or try not to shove the timeline distortions in everyone's face.

 

[Esserise]

or try not to shove the timeline distortions in everyone's face.

I mean, they feel pretty shoved in my face whenever Blue shows up and doesn't think any of this Team Rocket stuff feels strangely familiar, especially since they could have just left Red and Blue out entirely, or recycled them as the protagonists. But everything about LGPE's plot situation is already a misbegotten mass of ostentatious narrative contortions that trade entirely on iconography as opposed to anything sensible like being the actual sequel it should be, and considering that Lillie is a memorable main character who specializes in Fairy types and at one point told us that she'd be going to Kanto, she just seems like a more obvious cameo choice to me than the literal who that is Mina, who didn't even meaningfully exist until Alola's half-as-successful double-dip games. But then again, maybe that vaguery is why they felt compelled to use her. She can be dropped in with no context and no one has to think too hard about it.

I suppose my suggestion for a Lillie cameo is more of a compromise in light of what we ended up getting, and my underlying point is just that the games would have been better as sequels.

 

[Silktree]

@Esserise

Even though I'd been a big supporter of sequels for 4 years, I think that LGPE have changed my mind - despite being pretty far from my "ideal" Kanto games. Truth be told, USUM kind of ruined the appeal of Lillie going to Kanto (as they treated her becoming a trainer as an afterthought) and Giovanni having some involvement with Lusamine (he already kidnapped her without any payoff). If I had to rewrite history to make sequels work elegantly, I would start with USUM and probably ditch them altogether (so okay, I would give their features to SM and maybe incorporate Necrozma). But the problem is that sequels could be about any number of things, and while that is beneficial for creativity, it could also be underwhelming.

In terms of new features and areas, remakes can be just as accommodating as sequels. The characters and story are more rigid, but in Kanto's case they are still loose enough that a lot can be added (for instance, restoring Silph Chief from the beta versions and exploring his connection to Giovanni, Mewtwo and Mr. Fuji). So if you're someone like me who actually likes the Kanto elements and doesn't want them to be discarded or marginalized, remakes are the safer way to go. How did LGPE make me realize this? With the new protagonists and rival. If I don't like them, who knows if I'd like a slew of new characters in sequels.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Despite the backlash towards these games since they were announced, I think that they have a lot of strong qualities that make them fun games.

I absolutely love seeing Pokemon in the overworld. I didn't think of it that much when it was first revealed since it was basically trying to mimic how Pokemon are caught in Pokemon Go, but it really does make the region so much more immersive. Being able to walk through routes and especially caves without having to worry about running into the same random Pokemon is nice too, but I love how it gives the Kanto region some much needed life even more. The fact that you can see Shiny Pokemon in the overworld is also amazing and makes Shiny Hunting potentially less frustrating. I wouldn't be shocked if they don't include this feature in the next games, but I would miss it a lot and just hope that it comes back again.

Pokemon following you returning is wonderful too. I've always liked that feature and the fact that you can choose which Pokemon to bring out is pretty great. I remember a lot of people wanted that feature back in HG/SS instead of just defaulting to your first Pokemon. It's also nice that you can interact with your other Pokemon, although not as much as you can with your starter. It helps to create more of a bond with your Pokemon, as well as continue with the immersive feel the games have in general.

I actually really like the art style of the games. It still feels like an upgrade from what we've had with previous games, but still retains that Pokemon vibe from the designs if that makes any sense. Most of the character designs are pretty good and I really like how Kanto looks in these graphics. If I had more of a personal connection to Kanto or if Yellow was my first Pokemon game instead of Silver, I think I'd be over the moon with just how great it all looks.

Pikachu and Eevee both have so much personality and they are adorable. I love being able to play with them. I can see why that wasn't included for the other Pokemon since it makes your relationship with your partner Pokemon more unique, but it does give me hope that they'll continue to have something like Pokemon Amie/Refresh in the future. I also love how expressive Pikachu and Eevee can be. I like that they both have their individual voices for their special moves, but it is really strange when they don't make a sound for their regular moves. I also like their special moves. It can make them overpowered, especially Eevee, but since they can't evolve, I see it as more of a necessity.

The Secret Techniques are also pretty great and further confirms that they are done with HMs. I didn't have a huge problem with HMs, but it is so much better to find other ways of traveling around a region than using those moves. I also like that you can just call on your partner Pokemon to help instead of different Pokemon. I was fine with that in Sun/Moon and US/UM, especially when flying on Charizard was so cool, but having a more personal connection to the Pokemon helping you out is definitely nice.

The new method of catching Pokemon is pretty fun. It can be tedious when you're trying to farm for specific candies, but it worked surprisingly well. It might help that I've been playing Pokemon Go pretty much since it came out, but it didn't feel strange or unnatural. I do kind of miss grinding through wild battles and capturing Pokemon with my team members, but I like that it is a quick and easy way to gain experience right from the start. Catch combo bonuses are pretty neat and being able to find rarer, stronger and even shiny Pokemon after capturing more Pokemon is pretty great. I don't think I'd want this to replace how captures are done in every main series game. I think it works as a way to make the Let's Go game more distinct and fun, but I'd still like to see more traditional captures in other main series games. I haven't tried to level up my Pokemon to level one hundred yet, but the possibility that I can do so relatively easy through catching Chansey instead of battling the Elite 4 so many times does sound nice.

Transferring Pokemon from Pokemon Go is also pretty cool. While I have mixed feelings on limiting the game to just the first generation, it actually does make it much easier to actually complete the Pokedex, especially when I can use my Pokemon Go account to cover some of the rarer Pokemon to find or version exclusives. I'm also using it to help with my farming for specific Pokemon candies. I already have twenty seven Cubone from Pokemon Go ready to capture, so that will make it easier for the catch combo to work when I'm ready to grind for all of that Cubone candy.

I also liked how they kept some of the more challenging aspects of the original game. Being able to go to certain Gyms in any order you wish is definitely different from how they've handled things for awhile, although it does make it even easier to be overleveled and miss out on certain details. I honestly thought that I needed to get to Koga's Gym first before going through Sliph Co just because he is listed before Sabrina among the Gym badges. While I do kind of miss having the wild Pokemon battles, there were still plenty of trainer battles to make up for that. I also glad that they kept the trainers slowly becoming stronger as you progress through the region. There's more of a steady progression of challenge with doing that than with giving everyone just one or two Pokemon throughout the entire game.

I liked how they fleshed out some details from the original Yellow. Giving Cubone a more prominent role during the Pokemon Tower portion was great and the cutscene where it goes to its mother was just so touching. I like that Jessie, James and Meowth have more personality than they did in Yellow. Having much better graphics and more facial expressions definitely helps, but it was still nice to see. It would have been nice if they had more Pokemon than just Arbok and Weezing, but at least they didn't have Meowth evolve like what happened in Yellow. It was also pretty cool to see Archer as a nod to HG/SS. I was kind of hoping for that to lead into some post-storyline of Archer setting up his plans to find Giovanni. I can see why that didn't happen if they weren't sure about making another Let's Go game, but it was still kind of disappointing in that regard.

I actually liked Trace quite a bit. He didn't have an amazing storyline or great character development, but I never really had a problem with him being so friendly. I thought that his friendship with the playable trainer felt genuine enough to make him more endearing rather than annoying. Admittedly, it probably helps that I never cared much for Blue in the original games or for the notion that jerk rivals are always good, but I was fine with Trace being the rival instead. Bonding with Cubone, capturing it and going to the Pokemon League with it as a Marowak definitely made me appreciate Trace more as well. He isn't one of my favorite friendly rivals like Bianca and Hau are, but I think he's likable enough to be a solid okay kind of rival.

I really like the redesigns of the Gyms. They feel unique and they added a bit of personality to some of the Gym Leaders as well. I especially liked the Celedon, Saffron and Cinnabar Gym designs. Having Gym Leader rematches is pretty awesome too and I like their updated teams. I also like that they explained why there wasn't a Kanto Champion already at the Pokemon League. I was always confused as to why Lance could be considered the last Elite 4 member and also the person you needed to defeat before becoming the Champion. I know that it was supposed to setup the surprise of your rival becoming the Champion before you, but I didn't think it made sense in-universe. I also like that you can still have Champion title matches. Granted, you just defend your title against Trace instead of against multiple other trainers, but I still like that the feature was included. It gives me hope that they'll do that with future games instead of having everyone just ignore the fact that you're the Champion post-storyline.

While I didn't care much for Blue in the original games, I like seeing a more mature version of him in these games. He was much less annoying and I liked that they were building up to Blue eventually taking over the Viridan Gym, even if it was a bit quick right after Giovanni left. Seeing Green was an especially great treat. I was thrown off by the whole trying to catch you part of the scene, but it was nice to see her getting some attention and with her own unique personality too. I haven't battled Red yet, but I'm sure that he's the same silent stoic character as ever.

I can understand why there was so much backlash towards the games. I wasn't thrilled about another Kanto remake and it may not be the ideal first main series Pokemon on the Switch that a lot of fans wanted. I remember during the pre-release season for the games that the commercials made me more excited for the games than the news update did. Not that I was always bored with the news updates, but just seeing how the commercials were full of so much energy and happiness just left me feeling really happy too. These games are just a lot more fun to play through than I would have expected based on the trailers. I think it is just easier to see the enjoyment in these games when you actually play them yourself instead of going just by someone else talking about them or watching monthly trainers announcing new updates. I was worried that Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee would be Pokemon Go with some aspects of Yellow thrown into the mix, but fortunately, it is completely the opposite. These are still Yellow remakes, and thus main series games, with just some Pokemon Go elements thrown into the mix. They are still pretty solid and fun remakes all things considered and I'm glad that these were my first Switch games.

 

[Cute Charm]

After finally getting a switch and playing it:

• I like how you can pick up more then one of something like 2+ balls or berries.
• The wild Pokemon are adorable. Especially the rattata that run around like actual rats would.
• Okay I'm not going to lie, the little scene where Meowth was asleep at Mt. Moon was actually pretty cute.
• Old guy still trying to build his house after 23 years. Not my favorite thing, but still hilarious.
• The bushes. It took me far to long to realize you can walk into them instead of having to go around them.
• The little things eevee does in the Amie/Refresh stand in. Like give you little gifts. I want that to return Gen VIII for all pokemon.
• The music is so much better than FRLG and HGSS. They finally figured out to update them for the updated sound systems.

I'm only in Vermilion right now. I'm sure to add more stuff.

Edit: Some more stuff now that I'm passed Celadon...

• I like Baddy Bad as an attack. If it was named something else I really hope a damage dealing dark reflect becomes a thing.
• The other Eevee attacks could also become signature moves for the respective Eeveelutions...as long as they change the names.
• I like how they changed the slots to arcade machines. It's a less shoehorned and less awkward then Voltorb Fip was. I can't tell if it's a Dash reference, though, or some kind of unplayable pokemon balloon fight. I just want to play it to find out. GIVE ME COINS, PLEASE!
• I like the posters that are everywhere. I kind of want the full version of the poster the switch is behind, the horror game, and the, guess, Machop fighting game.
• Dressing up your pokemon is an adorable addition. I wouldn't be against at least simple accessories like flowers and bows making a come back in the new Amie/Refresh.
• I kind of like how there's a mini-plot to the Cubone and Marowak. I remember when a generic over world sprite ran off and we were just told what happened by Fuji.
• The ghosts floating around the tower Pre-Sliphscope.

More to still come I'm sure.

EDIT: More...

• Cinnabar Gym is finally original.
• Seriously I like the game show set and Blaine putting mustaches and glasses on his statues.
• Actual picture of Mr. Fuji in the Cinnabar lab.
• Safari Warden having his own model.
• Not fighting the Marowak ghost. I always thought that was the wrong way to purify it.
• Sad piano version of the Lavender Town theme.

 

[p0pp1i0D3f3nd3r]

1. Dressing up your Character AND Your Starter Pokemon
2. No Random Encounters
3. Kanto
4. Sales Numbers
5. The Rival Character NOT being an A**hole [Seriously; Here's My VERY UNpopular opinion: Jerk Rivals are severely Overrated & Friendly Rivals are Severely Overhated]

 

[Esserise]

@Esserise

Even though I'd been a big supporter of sequels for 4 years, I think that LGPE have changed my mind - despite being pretty far from my "ideal" Kanto games. Truth be told, USUM kind of ruined the appeal of Lillie going to Kanto (as they treated her becoming a trainer as an afterthought) and Giovanni having some involvement with Lusamine (he already kidnapped her without any payoff). If I had to rewrite history to make sequels work elegantly, I would start with USUM and probably ditch them altogether (so okay, I would give their features to SM and maybe incorporate Necrozma). But the problem is that sequels could be about any number of things, and while that is beneficial for creativity, it could also be underwhelming.

In terms of new features and areas, remakes can be just as accommodating as sequels. The characters and story are more rigid, but in Kanto's case they are still loose enough that a lot can be added (for instance, restoring Silph Chief from the beta versions and exploring his connection to Giovanni, Mewtwo and Mr. Fuji). So if you're someone like me who actually likes the Kanto elements and doesn't want them to be discarded or marginalized, remakes are the safer way to go. How did LGPE make me realize this? With the new protagonists and rival. If I don't like them, who knows if I'd like a slew of new characters in sequels.

(getting back to this late)

I do think you have a good point about USUM undermining the prospect of "Lillie's journey"; if that were to be a storyline for LGPE, then it really would be better for USUM to not exist. I suppose the flippancy with which that idea is handled in those games is pretty revealing of a lack of interest on GF's part of doing anything at all with it. USUM really do make great cynicism fuel.

But as far as the possibility of sequels having the potential to disappoint, I mean... to me, that goes for every game they make. Even when I thought Kanto sequels were a possibility, I didn't expect them to live up to your proposals, because unfortunately GF just aren't that ambitious. There's similarly a lot that I'd like Let's Go sequels to do, but I only anticipate some of that to be a real possibility, and that's if those games will even come into existence in the first place. But I still think those ideas are generally worth trying, even if they don't match the vision in my head. (What's ironic for me is that Pokémon Yellow was probably my first "didn't live up to expectations" Pokémon game - back then, Lil' Esserise was much more into the anime than the games, and I always wished that Yellow would have imported more elements from the anime, like Togepi, and having Brock and Misty travel with you.)

That said, I've been getting more and more into LGPE on a second run lately, and my appreciation of it has grown a lot. I already loved the changes to the catching mechanics, the overworld Pokémon, and the following Pokémon, but this time I've actually been using and playing with my Starter, and I really must echo your point about the impressive amount of personality and expression they have when interacting with them. The ability to give them different hairstyles is great - I like my Pikachu all the more for having the side-swoosh hairstyle that makes it look like Sparky from the anime.

Although I doubt it was a direct influence, these games seem to benefit from the combination of Sun & Moon-level visual presentation with a sense of fidelity toward the original games that helps them avoid SM's pitfalls. By retaining the original games' abundance of freedom of choice in regards to where you go next, I don't feel railroaded at all. It feels more like a journey that I can conduct my way, as opposed to being given a tour while watching a drama unfold. Conversely, the 3D graphics make the handful of story events that do exist, like the Cubone/Marowak reunion, Legendary bird introductions, and the quiz show at Blaine's Gym feel all the more emotive and colorful. Furthermore, Kanto's storyline existing mostly in the background radiation of the game prevents it from becoming inundated with those long dialogue sequences that SM had to bear. Exposition is more concise and to-the-point here.

There is an extent to which I'm really not all that heartbroken about these not being sequels, because within the context of what these games are, I think their ideas are executed quite effectively. I find only a handful of things to be particularly irritating, but even in some of those instances, I can see a case for the other side. Like... my problem with how they handled Mew was not so much the fact that it was distributed with the Poké Ball Plus, but rather that they barred transfers of legitimate Mew that people had already obtained through Special Research in Go, and didn't at least do something to make the PBP Mew more unique, like giving it a story event. However, while the transferring aspect of that still annoys me, the lack of a story event doesn't as much, because I also like the subtlety of things like having Mew and Mewtwo simply react to the defunct cloning machine in the Cinnabar Mansion basement (which is a brilliant addition of detail, and it is true that the more implicit communication of the Mew/Mewtwo lore through those surviving fragments in the Mansion always was preferable in my opinion to having some loud, overt story sequence that spelled everything out), and the hint about Team Rocket trying to force Fuji to resume his research. And personally, I like just about everything about how they've handled Meltan. I don't usually use Legendary or Mythical Pokémon in-game, but this time I've been endeared enough to give Melmetal a spot on my team once I grind up enough candies.

Indeed, part of the reason why I think the idea of Kanto sequels are so promising is because I think the Gen 1 story and setting is already such a strong foundation. So in a weird way, the reason I'd like to see Gen 1 be built upon further is the same reason why I think it doesn't really need all that much more to be added to it in order to be improved. The RBY structure is the quintessential Pokémon experience and, I think, very hard to go wrong with. It's something that they can keep returning to the well for like they do because it works so effectively. It would, for instance, probably be easy for a lot of fans to write these games off on the grounds that they're "FRLG with less content," and admittedly, I threw some of that around myself before I gave LGPE a chance. In hindsight, I think I was wrong. Like, I remember the last time I played FRLG, I came away from it having become very disillusioned with the Sevii Islands. I had always had a nice folk memory about them based on the fandom's praise and the novelty of my first experience with FRLG, but the second time around, they just felt like a pointless tangent with nothing particularly unique to offer. Having played LGPE, I think I prefer keeping the focus on the Kanto region proper and reworking the couple of interesting bits of Sevii content to be a more direct part of the story, as they did with Archer and Lorelei, which are themselves more useful for illustration here than they were as tacked-on post-game content - suddenly the Elite Four are not totally ignorant of Team Rocket, and between Archer and the anime TRio, Team Rocket itself is a little less monotonous and exhibits some more personality.

Similarly, while I don't find the new protagonist and rival to be very compelling, I'm not sure they even need to be. Their very existence, and the shifting of the story's chronology freed the narrative up to do some neat things, like the inclusion of the original protagonist trio. Red remains whatever (though as someone who was always low-key in the "Red picked Bulbasaur" camp, I feel quietly vindicated), but I like Green's personality and especially Blue's role throughout the story. Seeing him have Trainers to act as a mentor toward and actually seeing him take over the Viridian Gym is, to me, a nice way of filling in the gap in his character progression from RBY to GSC. Sure, I could accuse these games of the same thing I criticize USUM for - that is, not changing enough about the story - but the significant difference is that these games are not literally coming in on the heels of a previous Kanto game. So the story being only slightly remixed in LGPE feels more sufficient than it did in USUM. It feels a lot less like I'm just buying a slightly better version of the game I played last year, especially since neither of the existing Kanto games exist with these mechanics or with such rich visual presentation.

All in all, despite my initial expectations, I think LGPE have asserted themselves as my favorite Kanto games, and are probably fairly high-ranking among the rest of the games as well. There's lot of little stuff I'd like to praise as well - I love how your following Pokémon will run off and find stuff in the bushes, and since you're not forced to stand and wait until they get there before you can move. Instead, you can kinda run alongside them to pick it up. It's an incredibly small detail, but makes things feel so much more free and organic. I fucking love Sabrina's Gym redesign, and her whole pre-battle sequence with the glowing eyes. Team composition among the Gym Leaders and Elite Four feels much better as well. Finally, Blaine gets his Magmar. I mentioned it before, but finally, Lance gets a Seadra. In the post-game, he gets a Mega Charizard X, which is another minor detail that I think feels really fitting given how the Dragon's Den was portrayed as a place of disciplined training, much like the kind you'd expect to be required in order to master Mega Evolution, and considering that we know he's a Champion-tier Trainer. And Agatha gets an Alolan Marowak, which ends up feeling like a neat sort of full-circle call-back to the earlier events at Lavender Town while also giving her at least one other Ghost-type. The inclusion of Megas and Alola Forms in general gives the game just enough added spice for my tastes; Kanto's natural distribution is already pretty solid in my opinion, and even more so now thanks to everything being available in the wild (it always bothered me that, like, Jynx was only available through an in-game trade - and yet, I like that they remembered to keep Exeggcute as close to the Johto border as possible, because it appeared in that region far more than in Kanto). And Professor Oak having the sketchbook from the fourth movie on his shelf is a cool Easter egg.

 

[Silktree]

@Esserise Sequels would definitely have potential, but I guess I'm sort of relieved that I didn't end up asking "this is Kanto's future?" in disgust. After all, when you develop your own headcanon, it is hard to let go of it for something completely different in the vein of Team Rainbow Rocket. I can't praise LGPE, but at the end of the day they're HD remakes of a game I very much like, which added some nifty features to it. It's safe, but it works (if you aren't too attached to the things they removed). And I do agree that they're better remakes than FRLG, even though the latter referenced Johto a fair bit via the Sevii Islands while LGPE only have Archer. Held items and abilities barely matter in the main story, with a few exceptions like poor Marowak's Thick Club.

but I like Green's personality and especially Blue's role throughout the story. Seeing him have Trainers to act as a mentor toward and actually seeing him take over the Viridian Gym is, to me, a nice way of filling in the gap in his character progression from RBY to GSC.

Blue could have been his original rival self and then changed after the league loss, leading him to help the player against a common threat in the post-game and then he would have become a gym leader. Red and Green could have appeared in Cerulean Cave as the opposite-gender character; the lack of symmetry in terms of their personalities would have been fine due to the nature of the event.

So while something good did come out of LGPE for Blue and Green, they didn't need to be replaced for that.

 

[Boss1708]

Ok, so here is the list of things I like about LGPE:

1. Overworld wild Pokémon: the fact that you actually see the Pokémon in the wild, is the best thing about LGPE imo. Particularly, seeing all the Tentacools, Magicarps, etc. move around you while surfing, feels exactly like a scene from the Anime, which is really great for me.

2. Linking this to my previous point, I just like how many Anime elements LGPE borrow from the Anime. It adds a lot of personality to the whole game.

3. The fact that Gyms now have a bunch of fans watching your battle makes the whole experience much better and more fleshed out.

4. The Pokémon following you feature returning. It is great, and I enjoyed you can have more than one Pokémon outside (your starter, and one more Pokémon following you two).

5. I like Blue's new role in the game. I have always liked Blue more as a Gym Leader, than as a rival/Champion, so seeing him take over Viridian City's Gym is awesome.

. The Artwork. This is not inherently a part of the game itself. But the official art is just lovely.

 

[Kit Chan]

3D Kanto
Eevee dress-up
Green
Following Pokemon
Overworld wild Pokemon

 

[Boss1708]

The best thing about Let's Go, is how long the games have been planned:

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uKW1Z1bmnOc&t=34s&index=12&list=PL9mCMKp0o7xtyh_K9ul8b9lLL5OhC1YY-


I mean, come on. They were foreshadowing Let's Go as far back as 2010.

 

[Lucifer Morningstar]

Although I'm still progressing because I've spiraled out of control with shiny hunting, I'm absolutely loving the clean and vibrant graphics and how more interactive and alive the experience is with the overworld wild encounters, the partner and following Pokemon.

The partner is adorable and the exclusive move set is an appreciated accommodation particularly for Eevee since the only level up moves it gets are Quick Attack and Take Down but above all I am grateful for the secret technique HM format. I appreciate that these games are participating in GameFreak's progressing efforts to eliminate HMs, both themselves (i.e Flash has become a TM and most if not all cut areas in RSE onward are optional) and as Pokemon moves.
I've recently started playing Pokemon Snakewood, a Ruby hack that is reminding me of how much of a burden HMs were in the past even though it erased the canon RSE's participation in the effort via containing required cut areas whereas in the canon they're all optional.

The additional Pokemon following you is not only a great supplement for the itemfinder that functions on its own but is a great way to enjoy shinies and as some can be ridden are a more fun source of transportation than the bike which so far it seems we don't get in these games.

As minor as the changes to the plot are, I find what we got astute and well conceived.
I appreciate that this is a new Kanto generation and that now Red and Blue are pre-Pokedex and how Blue has been given some evolution as while he still has something of an attitude he now makes an effort to help new/progressing trainers. I'll have to report on Red later, I haven't met him. I look forward to battling them both with my power shiny army!
The glimpse of Brock's anime character in the Celedon encounter was priceless. I'm impressed that he seemed to be able to get out that exchanging notes with other gym leaders excuse with a straight face. We all know that it was no coincidence that the gym he was visiting happened to be the one gym that is all female. ;D

I also like the judge feature and chaining though the latter has its flaws, it's a pretty easy way to shiny hunt.

 

[Battista]

Honestly, one thing I adore about these games is just how much personality each Pokemon has.

I honestly think that, in recent years, Pokemon have had a surplus of charm but a deficit of personality. I remember back in the day when Venusaur's eyes would get bloodshot when it would take a hit, or Electrode's would bulge out when it fainted, or Blastoise would wipe lint off its shoulders, or Togepi would run back to its trainer when it fainted. All of that, I feel, has been lacking since ~Pokemon Colosseum era. It's nice to see that kind of thing come back in some way. I love the way that LGPE's Magnemite model has it come out glaring at the opponent or how Kadabra is floating about in the overworld. To say nothing of Partner Pikachu/Eevee who just vomit personality. I want to see more of that for all the recent Pokemon.

This post inspired me to reacquire Stadium 2 since ultimately I prefer those models over the ones they’re currently using. But I do agree with this too; just an opening animation as they come out of the PokéBall is a big step in the right direction.