One of the best Pokémon games out there. I think these remakes really demonstrate how solid the core game design of the originals was, even though they're borderline unplayable by modern standards. It's weird to see debates about non-linearity in pokemon considering how cleanly they worked it into the very first games. The game is really open and the majority of the map can be accessed with just a few badges. This allows for a lot of replay value and flexibility in team building, while still having a competent level curve to provide some good challenge. A surprisingly polished game that still stands as one of the best in the series.