>>56933972Gen 4 seemed like the perfect stopping point back then. You have the creator god at the end of the dex and there's nothing left to top that. I did try (pirate) BW in 2011 but the early game was too linear and handholds too much. The tedium and ugly new designs turned me off from finishing the game. Maybe I was just burnt out after a decade's worth of Pokemania by then.
Tried it again years later, picked Tepig instead of Snivy this time and it was a blast. I loved it from midpoint to finish. The postgame areas filled me with nostalgia even though I've become a cynical adult by then. For a brief moment, I experienced childhood wonder again. The last area of the game I visited was Village Bridge and the music made me tear up. I love BW now.
I finished B2W2 afterwards but didn't like it as much. While there's more content in the game, the main story pacing wasn't as good so I wasn't as immersed in the game as much as BW enthralled me. I love Yancy though, it was nice to have an in-game friend who trades you a variety of Pokemon because I didn't have anyone to trade with growing up. Too bad GameFreak won't ever do something like that again.
