Say what you will about the Gen II games, but the fact that Gamefreak hasn't been able to create as much buzz around a new gen SINCE Gen II is telling of how good of a sequel Gen II really was. Is Gold/Silver/Crystal as good as any of the Gen III-V games? Not really, but the amount of new concepts and features introduced in Gen II have became staples in this franchise for a reason. Gamefreak hasn't be able to replicate that. They can't insert a second region into their games. They can't introduce a new mechanic that becomes staple in the franchise anymore.