I really did not enjoy playing the other characters in this game as much as I did 4 tbh. Kiryu's chapters feel like the most well paced part of the game with a really fun minigame storyline. Unfortunately, I can't really say the same about the rest. Saejima, while more fun to play now, just repeats beats from his 4 story with a kinda tedious hunting game that only comes up in his last chapter. Akiyama now has his section joined with Haruka's and this is probably the lamest section of the game. Haruka's rhythm game just isn't very fun especially compared to actual rhythm games I've played and Akiyama's presence feels very obligatory. Shinada, the new guy, is pretty fun at first and I think I like his section of the game the most after Kiryu's. However, his is the most tenuously connected with a lot of rope needing to be given to even connect him to the story and his movelist is super limited focusing heavily on weapon use.

I like the idea and concept behind the themes of the game's story, but Yakuza as of this game feels really fucking bloated. I love this series and a lot of its characters, but being asked to care about any of the new characters they introduce sometimes is so fucking annoying, especially the new lady they introduce who is pivotal to the plot, but is so thoroughly awful.

This was my first time playing a Pokemon game since I believe 2019? It sadly wasn't the best reintroduction, although to give LeafGreen credit, replaying this game reminded me why the Pokemon formula provided me with so much serotonin before.

It's quite simple, really. Putting together teams is just so satisfactory. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. But strategizing which Pokemon I'll use, what movesets they'll have, their synergy with each other, etc adds a layer of brainstorming I wouldn't receive in Pokemon otherwise. I felt bonded to my team in a way I wouldn't have felt if I just overleveled my starter and blown through everything.

But dear miku, this game is so uninteresting otherwise. Were there highlights? Of course. The snorlax battles, the hidden base under the casino, and searching for the legendary birds stood out to me. Otherwise, this game just feels like running through the same mundane motions over and over and over again. Nothing about Kanto's design intrigued me in the slightest (seriously, the dungeon design was on par with NES RPGs), most of the trainers used the same few Pokemon over and over again, and the difficulty was practically non existent aside from level spikes that came out of nowhere.

I know this was supposed to be a faithful remake of the original Red and Blue with GBA mechanics, but did they really need to lock the Pokemon selection to the original 151? I didn't even bother using any Pokemon besides Jon Mess the Venusaur until nearly halfway through the game because none of the other Pokemon available before then stood out to me. Apparently, you can't even evolve Pokemon that received Johto evolutions??? That's genuinely BS.

I'm glad LeafGreen at least rejuvenated my interest in the series (or at least when it comes to replaying the other Pokemon games from my childhood to see if they're worth playing anymore either), and I'm especially happy so many people seem to enjoy it. I can't say I'm one of those people, sadly.

Since I played it for the first time ever in 2022, when I'm already 20 y/o, I failed to really see this game as anything more than a history piece. It definitely has an appeal and is definitely a game which used to be someone's childhood, but from an outsider's perspective, I can't call it anything more than just OK. And as I noticed from the other reviews, people only ever rate it highly because they grew up with it and not because it has some phenomenal design in it. I don't regret my time with it because I at least finally learned what is this Pokemon thing about and why it stays popular even today.

LeafGreen (and Fire Red) are remakes of the gen 1 games, but i didn't play the gen 1 games so I don't have to comment on them, thank goodness.

Anyways, its like, fine. Kanto's kind of a boring region to explore, and the story and characters aren't really anything noteworthy.

I genuinely do not care for team rocket or giovanni (truth be told, masters ex trying to give heavier emphasis on him just makes me dislike him more, feels like an odd bias), though i'll give them credit for doing that one twist with giovanni (not that its hard to figure out, lol). I guess their simplicity compared to later villains can be appreciated but idk, I got more to feel about them than team rocket.

Blue's the most notable character story-wise, being your rival and all. Though he provides decent challenge, he's mostly just kind of a cocky bitch and someone I also don't really care for ultimately.

Gameplay's usual turn based, there's not really a lot to say on that. Visuals are nice, music is nice enough, and I'll give them credit for making the champion very satisfying for how its handled.

Post game has the Sevii Islands which are pretty cool, but otherwise not much else to say. That's really what this review boils down to lol, I just really don't have a lot to say on this game. It's a decent romp if you're willing to play it, but I'd rather play other poke games personally.