Generation III, Playing the Victim?

[H-con]

There is one thing I'd like to know, and that is how this forum thinks of generation III, and in particular Hoenn.

The reason to this is simple. Generation III has been criticized, this you know. But I reacted to someone calling it a [=http://bulbanews.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Generation_III:_Criticized_too_often%3F]general trend[/url] in the fandom.

I think that's a lie.

Firstly, when I was discussing this on another forum, you didn't have to look far for people eagerly proclaiming their love for generation III. And honestly, I think that the majority of fans have a positive view on generation III. That said, they must be able to respond to valid criticism to the games they love. I don't believe that bashing Hoenn is a general trend nor that it's widely done. Criticizing a thing isn't bashing it.

And how many does really hate the games? I mean, they're not my favorites at all, but they are most certainly not hated. They're decent, not great. It made quite a few leaps when it comes to gameplay and all, but it also lost some of it's charm.

So in general, what do you think of generation III?

[BlazeShadow]

Generation III was awesome and was a great technical improvement in the series. It is as you say, often criticized for some reason.
Something interesting is that a lot of people glorifies generation II, which in my opinion, was good but inferior to the other generations. It is also interesting that a lot of these glorifiers dislike HGSS.

I can agree that many pokémons in generation III was disappointing and unoriginal (Plusle and Minun?) but that goes for generation II as well (Blissey, a fatter Chansey! Slowking, Slowbro but with a hat!)

[Yellow Rayquaza]

Well, it doesn´t say that many fans hate gen 3, but it is obviously the most underrated one. Like, I don´t get how anyone can say that G/S/C are better than HG/SS (wtf...). Their memories have just goldened about the first two generations. I don´t get how Buizel etc. are worse than Mr. Mime etc. ...

[Kirluu]

I, personally liked the 3rd generation very much, but I believe that must be mostly of personal reasons, as it was during these games' living time I started understanding English, and I've replayed these games more than any else. (Meaning I have replayed my Ruby a lot - even after I got Platinum)

I don't believe the pokémon were a disappointment. I think guys like Salamence, Metagross, etc. are very nice. And those are some of the most used pokémon in competitive battling today, so I don't see how one can say the pokémon were a disappointment. In case of finding several examples; you can always find something to pull down on. No game, nor person is perfect. The 3rd Gen is by far the most loved one from me. Platinum is amazing, however I still somewhat enjoy Ruby a lot more. These days, I usually get the 8 badges, along the way the master ball, and if I feel like it (haven't done it yet) I'll catch the Regies. The Master ball I would then transfer to my Platinum along with pokémon like Snorlax and Groudon, and with them some usefull items like Leftovers via migration xD Kind of cheat-ish, but I'm okay with it, since it's part of the game, and not a glitch or anything x3

[H-con]

Well, it doesn´t say that many fans hate gen 3, but it is obviously the most underrated one.

But then we reach one of the most obvious questions; is it? From my experience, it most certainly is not. I don't believe it's the most underrated one actually. I actually expect to see more praise for gen III than any other generation, to be honest, and that doesn't match up at all with generation III's rumor, now does it?

Besides, it uses the word "bashing". You'd have to look far and wide for the real bashing, and it's usually done by individuals, it's not a general attitude. Valid criticism isn't bashing.

[JojoX2]

I liked Generation III. Many pokemon I thought to be really cool(didn´t know anything of CP that time), for example Mightyena and Absol, but also Salamence and Blaziken, and Medicham(my alltime favourit <3). Three things, tough, did disappoint me: At the time, I knew the concept that you don´t have to challenge the legendaries to play through the story. NOW I had to, which slowed down my gaming pace a lot, as I had the same bad luck that I use to have nowadays(50 Ultra balls and still no success).

The second dissapointment was a simple problem of balance. Between the flying gym and the 2on2-psychic-gym you practically had to gain about five levels with at least two of your mons, preferably more, to be on par with the considerably strong psychic twins(considering I took Torchic), which is far too much, imo. I always lost motivation at this point, even tough I think the Hoenn region to be quite good. A little bit too much water, maybe...

The third dissappointment revealed, when I became familiar to CP: Most Pokemon I liked were too weak to be seriously used and those which I liked and that were strong(Salamence) were so damned strong, they became the standard too quickly(and I do not particularly like using standards).
However, the same phenomenon can be seen in each generation, imo: The pokemon, which tend to be interesting(because of abilities, typing and so on - Bibarel, I´m looking at you) are so mediocre, they are simply unusable in standard CP modes(OU, VGC) and the others are so strong, that they rule the metagame all alone and are not too fun to play with...

Btw @Gen III being underrated: I think most criticism we are talking about is done from nowaday´s view, comparing R/S/E to D/P/P or HG/SS. Looking at Gen III from this point, they ARE inferior, even tough they were great games when they were released. In case someone mentions the lack of this phenomenon with Gen II: Gameboy games generally are ruled by nostalgia and the gap between now and then is too big for a serious comparison. In case of R/S/E, most features are the same as in D/P/P/HG/SS(abilities, natures, EVs, IVs, Contests, more or less good tiles), so they are more likely to be compared and then, Gen III obviously loses because of the lack of some things we are used to nowadays.

[Yellow Rayquaza]

Well, it doesn´t say that many fans hate gen 3, but it is obviously the most underrated one.

But then we reach one of the most obvious questions; is it? From my experience, it most certainly is not. I don't believe it's the most underrated one actually. I actually expect to see more praise for gen III than any other generation, to be honest, and that doesn't match up at all with generation III's rumor, now does it?

Besides, it uses the word "bashing". You'd have to look far and wide for the real bashing, and it's usually done by individuals, it's not a general attitude. Valid criticism isn't bashing.

Well, I don´t know the situation of Norway, or what you fans in Norway think, but gen 3 is by far the most underrated generation between Finnish and German-talking people I know. ;)

[H-con]

But the generation being underrated is something very different from it being hated by the majority of fans, and that bashing it is a general trend. I have yet to see this general trend, which is why I wanted to look at what people thought here. I believe that many fans look at generation III as a victim, something it most certainly doesn't deserve at this date. They react all defensive and call criticism bashing.

In case someone mentions the lack of this phenomenon with Gen II: Gameboy games generally are ruled by nostalgia and the gap between now and then is too big for a serious comparison

I don't buy that. They are equally available for comparison, but you can directly compare the games like they are equal. The newer games have had longer time refining the formula.
I don't look at my Gold purely with nostalgia, I hate nostalgia because it kills innovation.

[JojoX2]

But the generation being underrated is something very different from it being hated by the majority of fans, and that bashing it is a general trend. I have yet to see this general trend, which is why I wanted to look at what people thought here. I believe that many fans look at generation III as a victim, something it most certainly doesn't deserve at this date. They react all defensive and call criticism bashing.

In case someone mentions the lack of this phenomenon with Gen II: Gameboy games generally are ruled by nostalgia and the gap between now and then is too big for a serious comparison

I don't buy that. They are equally available for comparison, but you can directly compare the games like they are equal. The newer games have had longer time refining the formula.
I don't look at my Gold purely with nostalgia, I hate nostalgia because it kills innovation.

Thought so^^ But how do you explain that many people on the internet even nowadays claim G/S/C to be the best generation ever(at least in german forums, this phenomenon can be seen/read)? I don´t think that there is no nostalgia in play... And saying that the games are equal, doesn´t work properly either, if you want a "fair" competition: The ressources weren´t as good as they are nowadays(lower capacity of the gamecard, lower sound quality, less colors,...) and so the quality of the games had to be lower, at least from a technical view.

It´s a bit as if you let an 80-year old man compete with a 17-year old youth(running 100 meters or something like that)...

But as far as I can tell, we´re drifting off from the real topic No offense btw

[Ryu Shoji]

I remember when I first got my copy of Pokémon Ruby - I had just completed my SATs exams in Year 6 - Seven years ago.

I was in love with it. It was a HUGE upgrade from Gold and Silver - graphically, and in terms of gameplay and game mechanics. Hoenn was also a beautiful and diverse region. Generation III is easily the most victimised generation. Game Freak took a risk, and it worked out.