Every new Pokémon generation brings a fresh region, a new Pokédex, new characters, and innovative mechanics and features. The best part is how these features grow from what the first generation started.
Community Poll on Impactful Pokémon Generations
A Reddit user named Hsiang7 wanted to know which Pokémon generation had the biggest impact. They created a poll for Generations II through VII. They even listed changes and additions for each generation to help people decide.
The poll closed with 11,000 votes. Gen IV and Gen II stood out, each grabbing about 3,300 votes. That’s over half of all votes!
Why Gen IV Took the Lead
Gen IV won people over with its wi-fi connectivity, gender design differences, and the physical/special split. This split was a game-changer. It tagged each attack as physical or special instead of by type. This change helped Pokémon like Gengar, a Poison/Ghost-type. Before Gen IV, Gengar struggled because it couldn’t use its high Special Attack with its “physical” types. The split made move sets fit more closely to each Pokémon.
Gen II’s Major Upgrades
Gen II came in a close second. It brought so many upgrades it’s hard to list them all. This generation introduced breeding, held items, weather, Shiny Pokémon, and more. It also added the Dark and Steel types. From a competitive angle, these features, especially held items and weather, laid a strong foundation. Imagine a Pokémon world without Dark or Steel types. It’s hard to picture!
Gen III Gets a Nod
Gen III got an honorable mention. It introduced Double Battles, Natures, and Abilities. But, its impact wasn’t as big as the generations before and after it.
In short, every Pokémon generation adds something new to the mix. But, according to fans, Gen IV and II have made the biggest marks on the franchise to date.