>the second (2nd) most interesting plot/story
>the best pacing
>the best graphics
>the best group of town themes
>the best group of battle themes
>the best opening and ending theme
>the best soundfont
>the best competitive foundation and the best balancing
>the best movedex
>satisfactory technical progression
>the best performance
>the best extracurricular activities and "sidequests"
>the best postgame facilities
>the best character designs
>the best isolated dex
>the best region and map design
>the best level design
>the best encounter design (though missing mons)
>the best cover
>the most sought after and expensive cartridge
>the best looking cartridge
>best spinoffs
>best companion remakes

I'll be honest and admit I was a Hoennbabby
Did technically play Gen 1/2 first through my brother, but this was the first Pokemon game I ever actually owned
I still think it's genuinely the best mainline game even discarding nostalgia. Best map flow, best puzzles, dex is great, kino story climax, actually a decent challenge without going full Smogonfag ROMhack hardmode, Contests were fun, Frontier is literally the best postgame challenge we ever got, best music tied with Sinnoh
>>719134413
Platinum or HG/SS
>>719132140
Gen 5 is the beginning of the end. You can really start to feel Game Freak's priorities shift. Going international, artstyle starts shifting to the point that it doesn't feel like the Unova dex could ever be part of the same world as the Japanese gens,, incredibly linear, story is now in your face 24/7 and centres around shitty human characters, guts or outright removes previous fun sidegame features
That being said they're still better than the 3D games, but to me zoomers praising these feels like the equivalent of praising Dark Souls 3 or MW2019 or Season 10 of the Simpsons

What valid arguments exist for this being a worse game than either
>Yellow
>Crystal
>Platinum
>BW2
?