After 15 years of playing Pokémon games, I can finally say that I've played through the one that started it all (kinda).

My final thoughts are that it feels simultaneously very familiar, very much like the first game in the series, and very fun. It does a lot well despite the fact that many of its successors have exceeded it in basically every way in my opinion, and unlike a certain other pair of remakes of game boy Pokémon games, I don't think that the glow up of this remake detracts from the experience or reveals its age.

I think it's cool to go back to this game after being so familiar with the future of this franchise and see how much it's grown. Going from an average of 300-400 monsters in each game's regional dexes for the past decade to only 150 was a huge jump that hampered team building, but that used to be all there was, which is fascinating to think about. And even within those 150 there's not that much diversity; your pickings from type to type vary drastically, and especially in a pre-physical/special split game you have to consider more carefully what types are worth having both offensively and defensively, and how to have synergy in a team with way fewer options. Even the roughly 150 in Black and White have a lot more diversity and a lot more mons that are viable compared to here.

Kanto is a very interesting region as well, and surprisingly unlike any other region in the series. It's very labyrinthian in design, with multiple different pathways to get to multiple different places (Rock Tunnel, Diglett Cave, Cycling Road, undergrounds paths, etc.). Especially in the middle of the game, I found myself opening up the town map more than I have in all other Pokémon games combined, which was really fun. It felt like I was actually charting my way through a new region, like I was actually on an adventure.

That being said, just because Kanto is fun to traverse doesn't necessarily mean it's a particularly interesting place. Besides the series' conventions of a casino and a cemetery and some other staples, there's hardly anything interesting to see or explore, not to mention there's very little visual diversity. I think it's better in that regard than Johto, but every game gen III and afterwards has more things to see and explore, as well as a more cohesive identity as a region.

But what Kanto lacks in locales it makes up for in things to do. There's always something happening, whether that be boarding the S.S. Anne, infiltrating Team Rocket's gambling operation, taking a trek to visit Bill, discovering the secrets hidden in the Pokémon mansion, and more. I was never bored going through Kanto, and even today, not many regions can match it in that sense. Most other games are carried by other aspects that work well for their respective games, but only give me that sense of excitement of seeing something new sporadically.

This game also stumbles in other regions. This was one of the more challenging games in the series, and I averaged close to 10 levels under my opponents for most of the game; I really liked this, but by the time I got to the elite four, I knew my team of all lv 39s wouldn't stand a chance against some trainers who got up past 60, and I had to grind. A lot. Your mileage on this point will vary undoubtedly, but I think future games balance challenge with a steady level curve better than this one does. But still, I'd take this over Johto in a heartbeat.

Its story and characters are also something that's been exceeded. Oak is a lovable doofus, and Gary is an interesting concept for an antagonist who constantly taunts you and inadvertently pushes you to get better. But those are the only things this has going for it. Other games have more fleshed out and interesting characters and stories that further your journey. Say what you want about the meaning or meaninglessness of stories in Pokémon games, but they play a crucial part in progressing you to the end of the game and establishing the vibe of each entry, which this game is clearly not that interested in.

But with all this being said, I still had a lot of fun with this, and I'm glad that I can recognize these elements. All this comparison to future generations proves to me that the series was a success, that Game Freak had a great formula and improved upon it and made something better. I enjoyed this game a lot, and I may come back to it later down the line.

But I'm definitely not bothering with the Sevii Islands post-game, no thank you.