In Defense of 'Pokémon' Genwunners

As described by Know Your Meme, "Genwunner is a pejorative term used within the Pokémon fandom to describe those who only appreciate the first-generation of video games for GameBoy, namely Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, and tend to bash the sequel titles and monsters in the franchise." Under this definition, I wouldn't be a genwunner because even though I think the first generation of Pokémon is the best, I still appreciate the other games. However, I don't find it unreasonable to prefer the first generation to the rest of the series.

Mystery and Discovery

The internet plays a significant role in the lack of mystery in modern Pokémon games because accurate information about new features is readily available before the game releases. Before social media, prerelease information was scarce, but nowadays, Pokémon games spoil some of the best features in their trailers. Growing up, I remember hearing rumors about Mew and even a hoax created by Expert Gamer Magazine that convinced many players that you could catch Yoshi. This misinformation added to the mystery of the first-generation Pokémon games and could only exist naturally without the modern internet. The first generation of Pokémon is also well known for its glitches that added to the mystery and discovery of the game. This feeling of mystery and discovery is why the Space World 1997 Pokémon Gold demo leak garnered so much attention from the Pokémon fandom.

No Handholding

As far as JRPGs go, the first generation of Pokémon is nowhere near the most difficult, but it at least treated its players like intelligent individuals. This lack of handholding isn't only limited to training and battling but also progression. For example, in the original Pokémon games, the player can defeat the Gym Leaders Lt. Surge, Erika, Koga, and Sabrina in any order. Of course, there are natural barriers like the strength of the Pokémon Trainers in each area, but apart from a few required sequences of events, players can explore the world however they want. Another example is when thirsty guards block the path into Saffron City, and the player needs to figure out that giving them a drink will clear the way. This scenario is well-designed because the drinks aren't rare but ordinary items the player needs to apply in a different context. The solution to this scenario is also subtlety suggested to the player by a thirsty girl in the Celadon City Department Store who trades vending machine beverages for items.

Darker Themes

While there's no doubt that the Pokémon series has always catered to a younger audience, the first generation didn't pull its punches. This lack of kid gloves isn't limited to flavor text in the Pokédex either, but darker themes throughout the game. For instance, the first generation has Trainer classes that wield whips, the implication being that they're being used to tame their Pokémon. Another example is Lt. Surge's dialogue before the battle: "I tell you, kid, electric Pokémon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis! The same as I'll do to you!" However, nothing exemplifies the first-generation's darker themes more than the Pokémon Tower. Within the Pokémon Tower, channelers possessed by ghost Pokémon grim dialogue like "Zombies!" and "Give...me...blood..." before battling. To free these channelers from their possession, the player must defeat them or the ghost of a Marowak.

A Lived-in World

The world of the original Pokémon games feels more lived-in than any other game in the series. By lived-in, I'm referring to how the Kanto region has a history that existed way before the player begins their quest. A perfect example of this lived-in quality is the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City. The Fighting Dojo is a former Pokémon Gym that lost its Gym status after being defeated by the current Saffron City Gym. The depiction of the villainous Team Rocket in the first generation of Pokémon also gives the impression of a lived-in world. Unbeknownst to civilians, Team Rocket has already embedded itself into society by disguising members at Nugget Bridge, running the Game Corner in Celadon City, and recruiting scientists at Silph Co. One of the biggest plot twists of the game is that the Viridian City Gym Leader ends up being Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket. This constant presence adds to the notion that Team Rocket committed crimes long before the player came along to stop them.

Diminishing Returns

The diminishing returns phenomenon states that each additional gain leads to an ever-smaller increase in subjective value. This phenomenon applies to my experience with Pokémon because, as the series continued, the lack of new features and repeated tropes made every subsequent entry less exciting. To their credit, the second and third generations of Pokémon did add new features that became staples of the series, like Dark & Steel type, Held items, Abilities, and Double Battles. However, following the third generation, there were fewer new features in favor of singular, exclusive gimmicks like Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, and Dynamaxing. Pokémon, as a series, became more polished with every iteration, but each game maintained the same structure as the first generation. This structure includes tropes like starter Pokémon, professors, rivals, evil teams, Gym Leaders, and Legendary Pokémon playing a pivotal role in the narrative.

Pokémon Quarantine Crystal

However, fellow genwunners should rejoice because fans have given us the closest thing to a new retro Pokémon game, Pokémon Quarantine Crystal. Pokémon Quarantine Crystal is a ROM hack of Pokémon Crystal that reimagines the game with QoL changes, new tilesets, areas, music, quests, and an original roster of monsters. A roster of never-before-seen Pokémon ensures discoveries are around every corner, and better trainer AI makes battles more challenging for series veterans. Boss Pokémon encounters place unprepared players in dangerous situations, creating some of the spookiest moments in the franchise. Expanded areas from the original game make for a more realized world, and new events subvert expectations for returning players. I originally planned to omit any mention of Pokémon Quarantine Crystal because of The Pokémon Company's litigious nature, but I didn't want to present a critique without providing an alternative.