>>58377814
>HGSS was the first time I was truly disappointed by a mainline Pokemon game but was in denial about it
Same. Notice how its defenders are often children during the DS era.
What did you find most disappointing about HGSS?
In my case, I could say it's the forced railroading or Shota Kageyama's remixes, but the most emblematic of HGSS's flaws for me is how overly childish it feels.
Yes, Pokemon has always been a kid's franchise but HGSS was the first time it felt like the overall tone of the game hit a new low in terms of target age. GSC, RSE, FRLG, and DPPt had a tone that felt consistent with each other whereas HGSS felt alien with how all of the franchise's edge so far had been completely sanded down to fit the new tone they were going for. Even the Sugimori art for HGSS felt different to his art for DPPt.
The forced railroading, the way the remixes sound, it all makes sense once you see the extreme childishness is the root of it all.