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Fantastic aspects of HGSS:
>Dual regions, 16 badges
>Following Pokemon
>Semi-nonlinear Gym Progression (at least for gyms 5, 6, and 7)
>Dynamic/Customizable Safari Zone
>Better pokemon finding dynamics that make routes feel more alive (e.g. Day/Night, Headbutting)
>Pokewalker from when pedometers were a huge trend, came with the fucking game
>Pokelathon, but it's not shoved down your throat
>Apricorns as an aspect but not forced
>The national park as a whole (though this is just me nostalgiafagging)
>The remastered Jotoh music (again, my personal bias and could just be me nostalgiafagging)
Bad aspects of HGSS:
>Slow level progression, ass level curve
>Lack of jotoh pokemon until you beat the first gym
>Team Rocket arc interrupts entire story progression
>Whitney not giving you the badge was annoying and Clair was a billion times worse
>Lack of good grinding spots unless you enjoy Special Defense and the Cianwood city music
>Evolutionary stones are post elite 4
The overarching theme of what makes HGSS good is all of the optional aspects: you could play through the entire game without even touching apricorns, the Pokelathon dome, the pokewalker, the safari zone, and countless other things but the fact that they're there is fantastic and gives people who want more play time just that. There's always more to do if you feel like doing it, but you never have to do it.
The overarching theme of what drags down HGSS is the pacing: the level curve is completely fucked and battles will either be a cakewalk where you'll gain almost EXP or unfair due to the level difference and beating something higher leveled will reward you with just enough EXP to get MAYBE ONE level. The story is pretty out of place too, since you have one encounter with team rocket before the second gym and then get complete radio silence quite literally until you finish the 7th gym and then have to go through a villain quest that takes way longer than it should.
Thoughts?
