Gen 3 is wildly different from the spirit of gens 1 & 2, when you play them sort of back to back. I personally love gen 3, but looking back on it, you can see that gen 3 was the origin of the fault-lines in many respects, things which really came to a head in the later gens, as issues. The games themselves are pretty bare, as first releases of a gen usually are, but besides that, the paucity of species within the region itself is felt, and the games are very much focused on getting you from gym to gym. In Johto, the game is much different, and it's about experiencing this very well-rounded adventure, filled with day-to-day activities, sidequests, and a variety of puzzles and styles of gameplay. And while gen 3 replicates some of that, it all feels very secondhand to the new graphics and seemingly new engine they put in place on the GBA, which is much faster and sharper. The Hoenn games used to be my favorites, but as I get older, the flaws become more apparent to me, and the trends that start here become dangerous later on (extensive scenes where you have to sit through nonsense dialogue, godly legendaries, "furry"mons, removing features each gen, etc) start staring at me more deeply.
