>>34699262Emerald is nice for giving us the Battle Frontier, but that's all it really has going for it if you compare it to R/S. The story changes are nice, and I like that you can find Groudon and Kyogre in their own caves, but there isn't much difference between them and the originals. Contests are a blast, the Regi puzzle is great, and Secret Bases, the Battle Factory and Pyramid should all become staples of the series. Still, Hoenn is a treat to explore, in spite of all the water. Diving spots, Sea Mauville, Shoal Cave, and Meteor Falls were all noteworthy places that were both interesting and optional.
I have no comment over HG/SS. I played Silver as a child, but I never liked Johto enough to get their remakes. I am curious about the Pokeathlon though.
B2/W2 are definitely second place in my heart though. Multiple new areas to explore, old locations made new, and a continuation of B/W's story, for those that were interested in it. Pokestar is an interesting way to do battle, Join Avenue provides a new way to make training easier and was a great way to connect with others, Black Tower/White Treehollow were great challenges, and, aesthetically, a subway was a great take on the Battle Tower. Though occasionally a pain in the ass, seasons were a good way to show routes in a new light and having areas tucked away and only accessible by HM made exploring worthwhile. It was also interesting to see how Unova changed over two years.
My favorite game has to be B/W, and it's simply because it provides an almost nostalgic feeling. I'm always reminded of when I first played Blue version as a kid. B/W doesn't have much when compared to B2/W2, but that feeling of a completely new world (which is definitely helped by the presence of only Unovan Pokemon) makes it my absolute favorite.
Also, my waifu is from Unova, so that makes me a bit biased. 
