>>49812953I'll give this game some props, the beginning is very well paced. After Shalour City however the game takes a noticeable nosedive in terms of plot and progression. A lot of characters just don't get proper development like the friends or AZ and you just start breezing through locations and Gym leaders until the game unremarkably ends. The Pokemon variety can also be a little too schizophrenic at times too, but it was cool having such a large dex at the time. It's a very middle of the road game and I think that's why it gets the reputation as "the worst one", people's expectations were just that high after a really good, content-filled Johto remake and a whole generation that tried breaking the mold.
I'll always appreciate X and Y for introducing series staples such as character customization and a more intricate online system though.
God damn, these games are nearly 10 years old, huh? I never thought I'd be nostalgic for a Gen I thought was so disappointing to me back then. 