>>27381840it was pretty much kanto except better. more pokemon and both regions made it full of adventure. there's also something about traveling left-to-right that felt so strange yet wonderful. i can't describe it.
it has some of the most fun early game out of any pokemon game too. sprout tower, ilex forest, slowpoke well, ruins of alph. so many goodies keep the momentum going. although it does slow down after the 4th gym.
also traveling all the way up and all the way down like 3 times before the 3rd gym makes you feel connected to the region. not only that, the sudowoodo block and dark cave/union cave/ruins of alph connect the region together in interesting ways.
bug catching contests were pretty cool for a timed event too. kinda like the safari zone but much earlier in the game. a lot of timed events provided neat little easter eggs (mt moon silver fight + clefairies, silver rematch at the league).
the infamously overtuned whitney's miltank was one of the most memorable struggles and i think it was a good thing. i had such an experience with chikorita against falkners pidgeotto, but knowing the onix and machop were there was always nice.
the inclusion of new game mechanics added to the depth of gameplay. special split into attack/defense, dark+steel types added, eggs and shiny pokemon introduced, etc. it really did feel like kanto 2.0
the legendary pokemon had some pretty neat lore too. the burned tower, tin tower and all that mess really added depth to the story. also team rocket returning felt like fighting off a zombie army that just wouldn't die!
little things here and there brought life to the region in unique ways too. the farfetch'd in ilex forest, the sick miltank before olivine, the prizes in goldenrod from the shopping mall and the radio station were always a plus.
several locations were just really fun to explore. the olivine lighthouse, mt mortar, the splitting paths beyond blackthorn, the puzzle rooms in ruins of alph.
can't even finish lol!
