After 28 years and almost my entire life, I think it’s time to throw in the towel. Pokemon isn’t made for me anymore. And the passion just isn’t there. Time to go back to Johto and settle down.
by Odd-Guard-2533
39 Comments
Galesen
I ended halfway through Scarlet so welcome to the retirement home
InstructionWeary1033
God gen 3 is so good! best in the series!
DerrickS12
Im living in Kalos so feel free to stop by in Geosenge town.
Maitre-Beurre
No BW2 on the pic
RDAwesome
The secret is that no art is made for you, it’s made for the creators. You find it and walk with it for a while, and when you no longer connect with it, you can always part ways
iengineer_00
I still play the newest Pokémon games just for the sake of experience but if I had to really retire it, it would be at Generation 4 Sinnoh Region (or even Hisui). The lore that comes from this region is rich and full of potential.
CaptainPrower
I’m gonna see how Gen 10 turns out, and if it’s crap, then I’m done. I’ve been trying to go exclusively to PC gaming for a while now and Pokemon is the last anchor.
AngryPoliwhirl
I felt the same way. I rekindled my passion with Rom Hacks. You should try it 🙂
Stoner420Eren
What in the B2W2 erasure is this?
stead10
I would kill for the mainline games to go back to their routes and not be a 3D game
Milestailsprowe
Been playing since 98 and enjoy each game despite the weaknesses. Still, has it been worthwhile? Was the journey good?
LittlespaceLadybuns
The view from Celadon is nice. Retirement isn’t so bad.
Last game I played was Sword and I enjoyed it.
Couldn’t make it through even a couple hours of Sun
Haven’t bothered with anything 3D after Sword as Gamefreak has made it obvious that mailing in slop will always exceed expectations and leave the rest of us to crave for something that will never show.
I got a purple Gameboy color and Pokemon Yellow on my 10th birthday and it’s one of the happiest memories of my life. I’ll always hold those classics in the highest regard.
MaplewoodCabinet
ORAS and XY were the most recent new installations I genuinely enjoyed. I think harping on the franchise’s new releases is valid, but knowing it’s no longer for you is a really healthy perspective shift for anyone to make.
Give Ecruteak my love!
Maowsama
Gold silver is peak. Before DLC just had a whole second game
Drizzho
Champions will bring you back unless you hate battling real people
PigletSea6193
Wish you would start in a city that isn‘t in some random corner on the map which is only connected by a single route.
STANirvanaIND
Gen 2 is by far my favorite, check out Polished Crystal (Rom Hack) if you haven’t already, the APEX of Gen2 IMHO.
But yeah, pretty close to that point. I play the new ones but they’re just not *it* for me. Theres always some standouts (love Skeledirge from S/V) but they’re becoming fewer.
…but I do LOVE the stadium tournament battles in Sword/Shield. Still boot it up just to do those, it’s exactly how I imagined they should be as a kid. Giant events with the trainers as the region’s pro athletes/celebrities.
panitr
This made me emotional 💔
Howard_Jones
2025 should be in front of Hotel AZ
Pajer0king
Generation 3 for me.
SluggJuice
I wish Pokemon returned to pixel art. A 2.5D Octopath-like game.
JustThisOnce14_
Im doing the same depending on how gen 10 turns out if it still feels like gamefreak isn’t trying to me ill gladly play gen 10 and end my pokemon journey there 30 years is more than enough at that point
It’s cool you could make that decision for yourself here and give some closure to your journey
AttemptAdmirable3515
I am also 28 and feel you.
Growing up with the absolute peak of gen 3, 4 and 5 was a blessing.
Pokemon stopped being truly charming in Gen7. I couln’t play Z-A for more than 2hrs before ultimately quitting it.
To put it in your words: I will return to Hoenn if Pokemon will continue like this.
InstructionWeary1033
I know S&V get crapped on, mostly cause of bugs, but S&V is what reignited my love for pokemon! I started playing when i was 7 in 98. Yellow was my first game. played them all until gen 4. just got into high school and pokemon fell out on interest so never played gen 4 until a few years ago. played gen 5 and loved it. skipped x&Y, and sun&moon, until oras came out, cause gen 3 is the GOAT! kind of played gen 8, but gen 9 was incredible. it was the first gen since gen 1 where i wanted to actually complete the pokedex and i actually took the endgame seriously. all of the other gens i usually stopped playing after seeing the credits roll. But man. I love gen 9!
MaySeemelater
I stopped buying the additional mainline games after black & white, but I did buy Legends Arceus and also ZA since I liked Arceus so much.
Overall, the games that aren’t mainline tend to be better in my opinion. The rescue team and ranger games sets are both peak, I really recommend those
Meister_Ente
Scarlet was nothing but a big disappointment. Did not even try A-Z, lost trust in the franchise for real.
Emerald will forever be my favorite. And I’ll be honest, sword is a nice game too.
NukaClipse
My end was gen7. None of the other games after grabbed me the way everything before did. Although nothing really grabbed me as strongly as gen4 did, that game has a special place in my gamer soul
as someone who started with gen 7, and loves the characters of the game, give us a 2d game, idc anymore. i enjoyed za, i found sv kinda slugish, i love pla, but just give us a 2d game.
Ghostlypurr
I don’t see myself dropping Pokemon anytime soon. There’s not a lot of big JRPG type games anymore, especially monster collectors. Most other monster collectors just don’t have the same feel.
But as many have said, their home region is where they’d like to stop. Don’t see us going back to Hoenn anytime soon, though.
Skyblue8989
My sister just gave me her old copy of X that I got her for her birthday in 2013. It’s easy but I’m genuinely enjoying it. My favorite as a kid though was Crystal! Pretty sure my sister also got me ZA for Christmas so trying to finish X before open it and play it later this month.
CherryBoyHeart
Once I fill my national pokedex and get Magearna, I’ll go back to Vaniville town
teezepls
I stopped playing the main games back with Sun/Moon but I still watch YouTube vids about it, lurk on subreddits, collect cards, play Pokémon go on occasion, talk about it. It’s such a massive franchise that you don’t have to play the games to still be involved in it
StoneShovel
The DS era games were so damn beautiful it’s not even close
_ROGER_rabbit_WHITE
🦋
Unusual_Mistake3204
Missing bdsp.
tunasweetcorn
Ive played every pokemon game and every single on has elements i like.
However the only games that have replay value to me are generation 1 – 3 call it nostalgia but especially generation 3 with FRLG and Emerald I could replay those forever and not get bored.
RubberDuckyFarmer
They really lost the thread on what made Pokemon enticing.
The creator said it himself that the fun of Pokemon was inspired by his love of going out into the world and looking for bugs and creatures.
How do any of the recent designs inspire that?
The simple graphics were so charming. The shiny nature of the new ones are offputting.
NB-NEURODIVERGENT
Weird how 2002 looks better than 2014
rainydays240
Blue was my first but it was yellow that really sucked me in. Then crystal.
Shield was pretty good but violet was boring and had a lot of visual bugs. Plus these games are almost $90+ now give me some voice acting or at least fake it with animal crossing noises.
39 Comments
I ended halfway through Scarlet so welcome to the retirement home
God gen 3 is so good! best in the series!
Im living in Kalos so feel free to stop by in Geosenge town.
No BW2 on the pic
The secret is that no art is made for you, it’s made for the creators. You find it and walk with it for a while, and when you no longer connect with it, you can always part ways
I still play the newest Pokémon games just for the sake of experience but if I had to really retire it, it would be at Generation 4 Sinnoh Region (or even Hisui). The lore that comes from this region is rich and full of potential.
I’m gonna see how Gen 10 turns out, and if it’s crap, then I’m done. I’ve been trying to go exclusively to PC gaming for a while now and Pokemon is the last anchor.
I felt the same way. I rekindled my passion with Rom Hacks. You should try it 🙂
What in the B2W2 erasure is this?
I would kill for the mainline games to go back to their routes and not be a 3D game
Been playing since 98 and enjoy each game despite the weaknesses. Still, has it been worthwhile? Was the journey good?
The view from Celadon is nice. Retirement isn’t so bad.
Last game I played was Sword and I enjoyed it.
Couldn’t make it through even a couple hours of Sun
Haven’t bothered with anything 3D after Sword as Gamefreak has made it obvious that mailing in slop will always exceed expectations and leave the rest of us to crave for something that will never show.
I got a purple Gameboy color and Pokemon Yellow on my 10th birthday and it’s one of the happiest memories of my life. I’ll always hold those classics in the highest regard.
ORAS and XY were the most recent new installations I genuinely enjoyed. I think harping on the franchise’s new releases is valid, but knowing it’s no longer for you is a really healthy perspective shift for anyone to make.
Give Ecruteak my love!
Gold silver is peak. Before DLC just had a whole second game
Champions will bring you back unless you hate battling real people
Wish you would start in a city that isn‘t in some random corner on the map which is only connected by a single route.
Gen 2 is by far my favorite, check out Polished Crystal (Rom Hack) if you haven’t already, the APEX of Gen2 IMHO.
But yeah, pretty close to that point. I play the new ones but they’re just not *it* for me. Theres always some standouts (love Skeledirge from S/V) but they’re becoming fewer.
…but I do LOVE the stadium tournament battles in Sword/Shield. Still boot it up just to do those, it’s exactly how I imagined they should be as a kid. Giant events with the trainers as the region’s pro athletes/celebrities.
This made me emotional 💔
2025 should be in front of Hotel AZ
Generation 3 for me.
I wish Pokemon returned to pixel art. A 2.5D Octopath-like game.
Im doing the same depending on how gen 10 turns out if it still feels like gamefreak isn’t trying to me ill gladly play gen 10 and end my pokemon journey there 30 years is more than enough at that point
It’s cool you could make that decision for yourself here and give some closure to your journey
I am also 28 and feel you.
Growing up with the absolute peak of gen 3, 4 and 5 was a blessing.
Pokemon stopped being truly charming in Gen7. I couln’t play Z-A for more than 2hrs before ultimately quitting it.
To put it in your words: I will return to Hoenn if Pokemon will continue like this.
I know S&V get crapped on, mostly cause of bugs, but S&V is what reignited my love for pokemon! I started playing when i was 7 in 98. Yellow was my first game. played them all until gen 4. just got into high school and pokemon fell out on interest so never played gen 4 until a few years ago. played gen 5 and loved it. skipped x&Y, and sun&moon, until oras came out, cause gen 3 is the GOAT! kind of played gen 8, but gen 9 was incredible. it was the first gen since gen 1 where i wanted to actually complete the pokedex and i actually took the endgame seriously. all of the other gens i usually stopped playing after seeing the credits roll. But man. I love gen 9!
I stopped buying the additional mainline games after black & white, but I did buy Legends Arceus and also ZA since I liked Arceus so much.
Overall, the games that aren’t mainline tend to be better in my opinion. The rescue team and ranger games sets are both peak, I really recommend those
Scarlet was nothing but a big disappointment. Did not even try A-Z, lost trust in the franchise for real.
Emerald will forever be my favorite. And I’ll be honest, sword is a nice game too.
My end was gen7. None of the other games after grabbed me the way everything before did. Although nothing really grabbed me as strongly as gen4 did, that game has a special place in my gamer soul
https://preview.redd.it/k2u1jkyzd25g1.jpeg?width=490&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=355225734b301473ff82d4eb6fc337629bcd7d0c
as someone who started with gen 7, and loves the characters of the game, give us a 2d game, idc anymore. i enjoyed za, i found sv kinda slugish, i love pla, but just give us a 2d game.
I don’t see myself dropping Pokemon anytime soon. There’s not a lot of big JRPG type games anymore, especially monster collectors. Most other monster collectors just don’t have the same feel.
But as many have said, their home region is where they’d like to stop. Don’t see us going back to Hoenn anytime soon, though.
My sister just gave me her old copy of X that I got her for her birthday in 2013. It’s easy but I’m genuinely enjoying it. My favorite as a kid though was Crystal! Pretty sure my sister also got me ZA for Christmas so trying to finish X before open it and play it later this month.
Once I fill my national pokedex and get Magearna, I’ll go back to Vaniville town
I stopped playing the main games back with Sun/Moon but I still watch YouTube vids about it, lurk on subreddits, collect cards, play Pokémon go on occasion, talk about it. It’s such a massive franchise that you don’t have to play the games to still be involved in it
The DS era games were so damn beautiful it’s not even close
🦋
Missing bdsp.
Ive played every pokemon game and every single on has elements i like.
However the only games that have replay value to me are generation 1 – 3 call it nostalgia but especially generation 3 with FRLG and Emerald I could replay those forever and not get bored.
They really lost the thread on what made Pokemon enticing.
The creator said it himself that the fun of Pokemon was inspired by his love of going out into the world and looking for bugs and creatures.
How do any of the recent designs inspire that?
The simple graphics were so charming. The shiny nature of the new ones are offputting.
Weird how 2002 looks better than 2014
Blue was my first but it was yellow that really sucked me in. Then crystal.
Shield was pretty good but violet was boring and had a lot of visual bugs. Plus these games are almost $90+ now give me some voice acting or at least fake it with animal crossing noises.