They’re not my favourite Pokémon games but they’re probably the best generation from an objective stand point, almost purely because they have the most raw innovation and the most core additions to gameplay and mechanics
>Overhauled stats to separate special into special attack and defense, making specially oriented Pokémon not broken
>Overhauled many type match ups and introduced 2 more types all in an effort to balance the game better
>Introduced breeding, an element which not only allows you to breed rare mons, but extends to give many Pokémon exclusive and rare moves, while other Pokémon (babies) can only be obtained this way, adding to the variety of gameplay when collecting all the Pokémon
>New time mechanics create 3 distinct feeling times of day that help immerse the player into the world, with different encounters during different stages of the day so you get a feel for these creatures lifestyles.
>Adds onto this by introducing other time based mechanics like berries, apricorn balls, day of the week siblings, bug catching contests, rare day specific encounters or events, etc.
>Pokegear is a multifunction tool, introduces actual radio channels that air at specific times fail, for seemingly no purpose other than to flesh out the world
>contacts will call you to ask for rematches and tell you about swarms every 20-30 min of gameplay ensuring there’s never a dull moment while playing.
And that’s just what I could think of off the top of my head. What’s so impressive about all of this tho is it came right after the very first generation. THIS amount of content and ambition on a fucking gameboy colour is just ludicrous when you really think about it