>>41398748While it is true that they have mini-games, they don't really go as in-depth as the rest. For example, in Pokeathalon, the kind of pokemon you choose to go with actually influences how well they preform as well as their nature. Plus you can even feed them to influence their performance.
The newer games just feel bare bones in comparison. They don't really make me feel as though I'm working with 'my' pokemon just 'a' pokemon. What's the point of using my Arcanine if it's no different from using Pikachu?