I am not here for these misinformed girls spouting nonsense about the generations. The tea is about to be SERVED let me EDUCATE!
Gen I:
Gen I remains cute only for nostalgic purposes, but the Pokemon designs are some of the best. Gen I introduced the basics of the franchise and was the reason we are here today, for that reason it should be praised, but it is no where near the best generation.
Gen II:
Gen II was the largest generation in production, being started before the Gen I games even reached the North American shores. It brought us 100 new Pokemon who's designs were simple, unique, and likable. It also brought us many important features in the Pokemon games that are STAPLES still being used today. Such as: Breeding, Held Items, move tutors, gender, day/night, weather, and also two new types. Generation II was also the first to give us a Post-Game area, the Kanto region, and as well gave us the Battle Tower that started the inclusion of battle facilities. Also, Gen II brought daily events. Also lets not forget Happiness! Also the very rare and powerful Shiny Pokemon.
People often forget about Gen II's additions to the series, and not just small ones, but large additions that set standards for the rest of the games themselves. Often forgotten for its small region and clunky Kanto region, people shove off the second gen, when in fact it served more game changers then any other generation.
Gen III:
Gen III was finally the first generation that gave us full color and vibrancy. With 130 Pokemon added, the ground-breaking nature addition, a new system of berries, a new system of IV's, and lets not forget the iconic double battles. Generation III was also the first time the franchise had seen a decline in Poke Mania, mostly due to the fact that we couldn't transfer our Pokemon from Gen I & II to Gen III. Gen III however, was the birth place of competitive battling, and the first time the franchise reached out to its more grown up audience. With the inclusion of an EV system and a more focus on the IV system, and natures. This was the first time people really got into battling. Also the beloved Secret Base feature!
However; Gen III had major flaws, mostly noted that upon the release of Ruby and Sapphire there was no way to complete the entire since we had no way to transfer Pokemon. Not until a year later when Fire Red and Leaf Green were released, followed by two gamecube games, and Emerald a couple years later. Literally taking, seven games on two consoles to complete a Pokedex. A major flaw in the generation.
Generation III also lacked the beloved Day and Night feature from Gen II, lost any inclusion of a real rival, and removing the moving Pokemon sprites, While they were included in Emerald, they were horribly done. While it did a huge leap in terms of competitive play, it lost many casual players from the franchise.
Gen IV:
Generation IV brought what was good from the old and advanced the current. Probably the most ground-breaking addition to competitive battling was the split from physical and special moves. This brought so many Pokemon from being unusable to widely popular now. It brought back the daily events, as well as the day/night feature. It was also the first region to feature wireless communication allowing even more trading and battling to take place. Often seen as the golden time for battling, due to more inclusions of tournaments and what not. Also, introducing Pokemon with different appearances from male to female.
Gen IV while not adding that many features, was a good balance of bringing in a total package for a game. With the compatibility the DS had with the GBA players could again transfer their Pokemon, and the addition of Wi-fi and the GTS for easier acquirement of Pokemon. Gen IV is probably the most graphically praised generation, with its vibrant colors and sprites getting a new fresh feeling. In terms of Pokemon, Gen IV evolved many old favorites such as Magmar, Electabuzz, Togetic, Sneasel, and Eevee. Some praised these revolutions while some SLAMMED them for ruining perfectly good designs.
Gen V:
Gen V, the most hated generation of them all, and for good reason. Gen V didn't really add anything that changed the gameplay. While visually, the sprites finally constantly moved, and we got full back sprites. Nothing ground-breaking was really added. While Rotation Battles and Triple Battles were added, neither had the same impact as Gen III's double battles had. Gen V was also the generation that lost the most features from past generations mostly: Pokemon following the trainer, VS. Seeker, The always run feature, Mixing records, the encounter rate differences depending on time of day, Pokemon contest, and the game corner. Its mostly seen as just a boring generation that had nothing to show for it. The Pokemon designs often criticized for being carbon copies of other pre-existing Pokemon. You couldn't even fish until after you beat the elite four
The gameplay itself was a huge problem, with the region being very linear. There was no side options or really anything else to do besides follow the set story. The entire game felt like a tutorial on how to play Pokemon. This was also the first region that literally had no post-game option, just an extra town or two to visit. By far the worst generation. Sure B/W2 were the saving grace, but that felt more like games to just fix all the mistakes. Overall this generation felt like the franchise was stalling.
Conclusion:
In terms of overall additions and features, Generation II brought the most game changing and ground breaking additions to the franchise. Gen III and IV while both did add to the way we play, were only minor, and in no way in comparison to the changes Gen II brought. Lets not even talk about Gen V, when it virtually brought nothing to the franchise. Gen VI hasn't even been released and its already brought more to the table. In terms of moving forward in the series:
Gen II > Gen III > Gen IV > Gen I > Gen V
