Quoted By:
>animated sprites
>being able to go to a past region and conquer that league too
>diving beneath the sea
>region-wide quest for the legendary trio utilizing the new diving mechanic and a basic language cipher
>an extensive end game area with an emphasis on competitive strategies and team building
>event Pokemon being distributed online rather than at specific locations
>online trading
>3 fucking D overworld maps
>ball seals (i legitimately want this back)
>glorified Pokemon dress-up
>unrestricted following Pokemon
>constantly animated sprites
>linking with an online application to receive Pokemon and items
>online communication with other players
>photography system
And of course
>seeing the new sprites for each Pokemon
While I understand using the same models each time is easier and allows for (honestly not very good) animations, I absolutely love sprites, and Game Freak's were some of the best around.
I wish the games stayed 2D, but the "one-per-year" release model makes that impossible.
