Gen II, Crystal especially, has this atmosphere and je ne sais quoi where I can just sit in a town and do absolutely nothing, and just appreciate the deceptively complex 8 bit whimsical tunes (Masuda's craft, before he became Public Enemy No 1), and the simple yet charming graphics (little things like the character sprites that were as bright as the lights in the nighttime).

Everything is low key, barebones and yet somehow draws you in and makes you want to investigate further, rather than being forced into endless Saturday morning cartoon dialogue and plot like the games past Gen II. You actually WANT to talk to npcs, and often are rewarded for your initiative. Rarely do you get handouts or get spoonfed.

The lore is also hidden away, which makes it even more desirable. the legendaries feel rare, mystical and powerful, like when you encounter one of the beasts in an unassuming patch of grass full of shitmons, or work your way up or down a maze (which you had to discover yourself) to reach one of the box legends, waiting in front of you, no fanfare, for you to challenge them. The limited graphics made things seem larger than life, as it encouraged your imagination.

These games had a LOT of design flaws, and subsequent games aren't bad by any means. but I'd love for another pokemon game, one day to strip back all the fluff and just do another low stakes, simple pokemon adventure. The rom hacks don't do much for me, as most just shove their asinine plot