I stopped playing Pokémon by the III Gen. I remember having a blast with Johto, and Hoenn seemed like a downgrade to me.
Pokémon Gold had a melancholic feel that I, as a child, enjoyed. The visuals, the soundtrack, stuff like the Ruins of Alph and Lake of Rage, the day and night cycle... there's so much I could talk.
When I played Pokémon Ruby I felt let down. It didn't have the melancholic feel. It was blithe. The rival wasn't the sworn enemy of previous game, but rather, some cheerful friend. The soundtrack was awful, a MASSIVE downgrade from the masterwork that was G/S/C soundtrack, and there wasn't a remote ounce of mistery (sutff like the Regis and the Groudon/Kyogre lore didn't resonate with me). I played Colosseum after this, but I stopped playing Pokémon entirely with Fire Red.
But now, I've been noticing than Gen IV probably is a spiritual successor to Gen II. It has the day and night cycle, and a fantastic melancholic soundtrack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pnhfRN9x4QSo I was thinking, should I play Pokémon Platinum? Does it feel like the worthy inheritor of the Melancholic Experience that was Pokémon G/S/C?
