What the fuck, after years of hearing how Gen 1 was shit, I finally replayed it now for the first time since I was a child and it was the most refreshing experience in years
>non-linear region, pretty sure I got lost a couple of times
>lets you catch Pokemon way beyond your current level because of it
>charming and unique atmosphere, somewhat kafkaesque actually, Pokemon feel dangerous, the world is treated as oppressive and unpredictable
>smug rival who is ahead of you, has his own goals, but can also take a loss and helps you out without being annoying
>almost no mandatory story segments and you can do them whenever you want
>cool character and pokemon designs that don't hinge on marketability and don't pander to fat Otaku coomers
>kickass music
>didn't find any glitches

Sure it lacks the technical, QoL and mechanical improvements of later gens but it's much better than what we've been getting since Gen 6