Pokémon: 5 Ways Gen 1 Will Always Be The Best (& 5 Why The Newer Gens Are Better)
The Pokémon franchise has been around for more than twenty years, bringing joy and excitement to the hearts of millions of children, and even more adults. A lot's changed ever since the first 150 Pokémon premiered; now, there are eight generations and a whopping 932 Pokémon, counting regional variants, but without Mega Evolutions.
Everyone has their favorite generation, which mostly fits with the time each fan was introduced to the game. Someone whose first game was Pokémon Diamond will most likely say Gen IV is his favorite. There are some, however, who firmly believe Generation I remains untouched. These so-called "genwunners" will defend the first generation's supremacy, but it's undeniable that the franchise has come a long way, achieving great things since those early days.
10 Later Gens Are Better: Gameplay And Connectivity Improvements
Technology has obviously come a long way ever since 1998. With the internet's arrival, players can now trade Pokémon with people from all around the world, all with the push of a button. Back in earlier Generations, a cable was needed to connect two Game Boy Color consoles, and trade one single Pokémon. Players can now interact with their Pokémon, and even pet them, something that adds an entirely new and more personal layer to the games.
The advancements are too many to be numbered, and they have all definitely improved the gaming experience because they contribute to making it far more engaging and addictive.
9 Gen I Is The Best: It Has Life-Long Fans
When it first premiered, Pokémon quickly became a cultural phenomenon and everyone wanted to be a part of it. Whether they got to know the franchise via the anime, or by playing the games on their consoles, the fans that became enamored with Generation I are most certainly fans to this day.
Even if some of them fell out of touch with the franchise, and haven't keep up with the games or anime, they probably still have fond and enjoyable memories of it. That's the thing about being the first one: everything that comes later is bound to be compared, which is both a blessing and a curse.
8 Later Gens Are Better: Willingness To Experiment
With each new generation, the creative team behind the games seems more willing to step out of their comfort zone. Gen VII, for example, got rid of the traditional Gym Leader system and introduced Trial Captains and Island Kahunas. Gen V made the game's antagonist the Champion, and he acted as the final fight in the game.
On top of that, each generation usually comes up with its own gimmick. Gen VI has Mega Evolution, Gen VII has Z-Crystals, and Gen VIII has Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon. All these things, although not universally popular, do help in maintaining a sense of innovation and wonder that is crucial for any franchise to stay relevant.
7 Gen I Is The Best: Simple Is The Way To Go
That being said, there is something enjoyable about a game that is straightforward in its execution. The Kanto plot is linear and not excessively convoluted, as some of the newer generations have been accused of being. The player has a clear purpose and a firm idea of where to go and what to do.
The Gen I games don't do a lot of hand-holding, and the exploration of the Kanto region can actually be done with a great deal of liberty, especially compared to some of the newer gens. Red and Blue might not be the most difficult games, but they remain as engaging as they were more than twenty years ago, which is an impressive feat in and of itself.
6 Later Gens Are Better: Engaging Lore
Starting with Generation III, the creative team behind the franchise began putting more effort into explaining the origins of these Pokémon. In Generation IV, players got to meet the actual Pokémon God, Arceus, and even discovered how the entire Pokémon world was created.
Ever since, the Pokémon lore and mythology have only become more complex and interesting. There's a reason why each of these creatures exists and the fact that players get to know it makes the games deeper and more meaningful. They also help make the Pokémon world seem more real and add a level of prestige to the franchise.
5 Gen I Is The Best: Nostalgia
Nostalgia has never been as important as it is now. The 2010s were a decade of reboots, revivals, spin-offs, prequels, and sequels, all focused on old properties that wanted to become relevant again. Generation I is full of nostalgia, especially because a lot of the children who got hooked on it back in the late nineties, are now about to enter, or are well into their thirties.
Gen I holds a special place in millions of fans' hearts, and it's not likely to be replaced by any of the newer generations, no matter what cool tricks they have up their sleeve.
4 Later Gens Are Better: More Complex Plot
Generations III, IV, and V gave fans a considerably more intricate plot than ever before, or since. Gen V, in particular, is recognized as having the best story overall, featuring deeply rich characterizations for nearly all their characters. The game also features interesting and thought-provoking ideas about the very nature of the Pokémon dynamics at the center of the franchise.
Gen VII also included some very interesting ideas about dimensions and parallel worlds and opened the Pokémon world to new and exciting possibilities. In a way, and even though the franchise is in the middle of its eighth generation, it somehow feels like this is only the beginning.
3 Gen I Is The Best: Iconic Pokémon
Generation I probably has the most iconic batch of Pokémon. It not only has the incredibly popular and instantly recognizable Pikachu, but it also has plenty of popular fan-favorites like Mewtwo, Meowth, Gengar, Dragonite, Eevee, Charizard, and a plethora of other candidates.
Gen I also has some of the franchise's best designs and features elements that would go on to become staples in future generations' art. And while plenty of newer Pokémon have achieved a status equal to some of Generation I's stars, the original 150 will always have a special, and deserved, place in the franchise.
2 Later Gens Are Better: 3D Graphics
The transition to 3D was wobbly at best, but in the end, it paid off. Sword and Shield have incredible graphics, and while there are plenty of rendering problems, particularly in the Wild Area, the overall result is wonderful to behold. The overworld Pokémon encounters and the newly introduced Camp feature also help make the world all the more engrossing.
It's no secret that one of the main attractions of the franchise is fans' desire for Pokémon to be real, and the 3D graphics are a huge help with that. Mons may never actually come to life, but if the games' graphics keep steadily improving, one day it might actually seem like they could.
1 Gen I Is The Best: It's Where It All Began
Generation I started the entire thing. It laid the foundations for future games' plot and overall execution, created the blueprint for every single Pokémon to come, and introduced the world to a franchise that would soon dominate a big part of the gaming world.
It's easy to underplay Gen I's influence, not only on its own franchise or within Nintendo, but in the gaming world in general. The truth is, the entire community owes a lot to Red and Blue, and its respected status is bound to keep increasing in the future. Genwunners get a lot of flack, mainly because of their snobbish attitudes towards later generations, but they actually have a point. Generation I is a thing of beauty, and it deserves every ounce of praise it gets.
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