>>37575744SM ran like shit and was fucking ugly. This is a problem with the 3DS Pokemon games in general, and minus the running like shit part, it's not really the fault of the games themselves. It's the 3DS. It's the fact that it's all being run on a fucking 240p screen that introduces a truckload of aliasing that completely destroys the games aesthetically, especially the Pokemon models themselves which were made with future hardware in mind. Some of us just really want to get away from 240p Pokemon so they can really appreciate those models.
Second, you have the fact that Gamefreak hasn't made a satisfying Pokemon game since arguably BW2
although I'd say XY was great, it just had all the issues that come from the first games in a gen. People want more postgame, they want something to keep them busy for a while, they want a challenge within the game itself. Fuck, I myself would be happy if they'd just give us a 6v6 format on Battle Spot.
But you know what really stirred up the wait for gen VIII? Fucking Emily Rogers and her bullshit rumors about Pokemon Stars, all the way back in late 2016. She and her ilk got everyone riled up and ready for a Switch port of SM, or something like that, only for it to be completely bogus because of course it was. We got USUM instead which barely added anything and was still stuck in 240p hell.
People just want a game they can transfer their bros to in HD, that's really what it boils down to for me, at least.
