Hi all, so I just finished Gen 1 for the first time in 15 some odd years. I never got into any of the other generations beyond that. As much as I would like to go through and play them all that is a bit too much time that I don't have to commit to. So, was wondering if you all could suggest which of the generations beyond 1 were A.) Most important/relevant to get caught up to where we are now and B.) Which you enjoyed the most, or thought were the best. I'd like to play Sun and Moon when it comes out, but I know there are new mechanics and I'd rather not feel totally lost when I start. That all said I appreciate any and all responses.
Gen 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal) is a direct sequel to Gen 1, play the Gen 4 remakes
Heart Gold and Soul Silver. Is the same as the original G/S/C, but features the physical/special split from Gen 4 which was a big deal.
Gen 3 (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) is worth playing, I would check out the Gen 6 remakes
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Like HG/SS, they are late gen remakes of the original Gen 3 games the newer mechanics added.
Gen 4 (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum) is largely forgettable, I mean Platinum did some cool things but if you're playing HG/SS you really don't need to play D/P.
Gen 5 is a very good entry,
Black and White and their direct sequels
Black 2 and White 2. Not many new gameplay mechanics, but a TON of new Pokemon and a stronger emphasis on storytelling/narrative. Kind of a series "reboot", so to speak. I'd recommend playing them both. If you only want to play one, it's a tough call. B2/W2 you will have Gen 1-4 Pokemon available right from the start, but you might not understand the plot as well if you haven't played B/W. Nothing revolutionary here, but a very fun experience.
Gen 6, again, largely forgettable. X/Y is kind of a Pokemon fan service edition, nearly all existing Pokemon are readily available in the game but there's not a ton of new features aside from Fairy type and Mega Evolution. Not very deep and quite cartoony, even for Pokemon. OR/AS is the game to play here, all of the smooth and streamlined Gen 6 gameplay but with a superior region and story.
So:
Heart Gold/Soul Silver
White/Black/White 2/Black 2
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
I would play OR/AS last, they permanently retconned a lot of stuff in Gen 6. They changed some Pokemon types with the introduction of Fairy, the super effective chart changed slightly, and the addition of Mega Evolution changed quite a bit in terms of battling mechanics. Even though it's out of chronological order, play Gen 5 first.