>>44528876As someone who doesn't shit on the starters and genuinely want them all to succeed, I can tell you whats in my opinion a major reason why the Kanto batch may be so lauded:
They were designed to be on the actual box art. To me, having that in mind changes some things regarding the design process. I could maybe see Typho/Feral being on a box cover, but not over Ho-Oh & Lugia. Conversely, I actually cannot see Mewtwo being on a box cover, because he wasn't designed specifically with that appeal in mind.
So that's my take. Design the starter as the box mascot itself, and not simply a culture reference for the region. The former markets itself, while the latter attempts to sell it to you.
