"What pokemon did RIGHT"

I hear a lot of complaints about the pokemon games, but some features / design aspects are amazing, in retrospect. let's break it up.the stat experience system in gen 1-2, where every pokemon you defeat gives you points, based on the foe's stats. that meant you could beat the elite 4 with a pidgeot , if you trained enough. this is the perfect system for young children- any battle makes your pokemon stronger. even just training to lv.100 in route 01 isn't a "waste of time". you don't need prior pokemon knowledge, to choose "the right pokemon to train". you don't need to know how to catch pokemon/ use the PC/ etc, to enjoy the game. just use your starter + any gift pokemon/egg, and train until you can beat the game. I think this one design choice really helped pokemon gain popularity. compare this design to pokemon Go: if you let a young kid play, they'll likely throw all their pokeballs at pidgeys cause they can't aim for sh*t. they could spend 800 items and lots of time/effort, for nothing- the pokemon would run away every time. and if they catch something & boost it, it's probably useless.random encounters. yes, everyone's most hated feature. but there's something to say about the sense of exploration, to see which pokemon are available in a new map, and the excitement when something new pops up, when you don't expect it. this works best with the Dexnav, which shows available pokemon as silhouettes. it keeps the element of surprise (when the silhouette isn't clear), gives a sense of progress, and lets you know when you've found everything, by showing a little crown icon.the Dexnav itself. being able to find pokemon with egg moves or TM moves, or a higher level is just *chef kiss*, it makes your pokemon feel special, and makes it easier to counter some gyms/rival battle, as your options are almost limitless.HMs. beating the gym & using your pokemon to clear obstacles gives a sense of progress, and is more predictable for players. blockades like "this guy needs coffeee so you can't pass", leave players clueless on how to move forward, and often feel stupid. also, hidden areas and blocked-off areas make maps more fun to explore.trainers with low-level pokemon. hear me out. playing a few hacks made me realize this isn't bad design, but a way to avoid over-leveling. when every trainer has high-level fully evolved pokemon, you just level up faster, and suddenly the gyms are too easy. some ROM hacks just raise the levels continuously, which feels likes chasing your tail- no matter how much you grind, you're never stronger than the next route pokemon. and some people really enjoy sweeping everything. and casual players prefer it this way. gyms/rivals do provide a challenge, do we really need every battle to be hard. the ideal solution is optional strong trainers, like in sun/moon.Horde battles. getting shiny pokemon, EV training, hunting rare pokemon / high IV pokemon.. what's not to like?what game feature do you feel is under-rated? via /r/pokemon https://ift.tt/3dBwVaT