I fell in love with Gold and Silver, not HGSS. I like a lot of stuff that was added in HGSS, but it's a game with a different aesthetic, different flavor, and somewhat different priorities in game design.
>We want the story to be more railroaded with things that were once optional now mandatory for the sake of guiding younger players
>We have tied generally unconnected events that occur during the player's journey into connected story events, such as the Togepi egg, Kimono Girls, and box Legendary
>We have a more vibrant digital art style with rounder features and more cheerful expressions
>We put flourishes in all the music which used to be direct and to the point
>We added numerous things to the gameplay like natures, abilities, the modern EV system, etc.
>We removed elements that were once considered fine for western kids but are now seen as inappropriate such as the Game Corner and alluding to attractive women
If I want an overall meatier experience and can put up with the fluff, I'll play HGSS, but the original GS is simple and straight to the point. When people say they like HGSS, it's usually not because of the new mandatory stuff, but rather the optional content additions, expansion of mechanics, Gen II fanservice with things like the Pokéwalker and GB sounds, Crystal representation, and restoration of areas that didn't make it into GS.
