I'm a Gen Z-er, and after trying these games for the first time, I can safely say that these are definitely the number-one best and most thoughtfully designed Pokémon games I've ever played. A close second would be Gen 5 (which is the first region I ever played as a kid), just for comparison.
Every route is meaningful to progression. The pacing is immaculate. The non-linear gym order, let alone the non-linear HM order, has never been topped in over 30 years now, which is kind of crazy when we have all of these openslop Pokémon games coming out.
For instance, Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15 are completely optional, and they come in just at the right time when you're trying to defeat Koga and Sabrina and need to level up some newly caught Pokémon.
Speaking of Pokémon, it also has the best Pokémon-catching progression. Every Pokémon encounter is thoughtfully placed. Every dungeon is full of high-value picks.
And speaking of dungeons, these games have the best level design of all Pokémon games. Every nook and cranny has meaning and doesn't waste your time. The trainer encounters are thoughtfully placed. Even the trainer types are diverse and fun to play against, such as the Gambler that only uses low-accuracy OHKO moves.
The gym battles are diverse in their tactics as well. Erika uses Sleep Powder and Wrap cheese. Sabrina's Pokémon have high Special Defense but low Physical Defense, meaning that you have to fight not only using defensive type advantages but also keep the Pokémon's strongest stats in mind. Lt. Surge uses paralysis and outspeeds your Pokémon; Koga uses smoke and poison stalling. And so on.
Also, the games have the best and least intrusive lore and story. It's an entire game of show, don't tell. There is no hand-holding whatsoever. It felt a lot more mature back then.
