Looking Back: Generation Four

In barely over a month, we've chewed through the Diamond and Pearl generation. It's time for the wrapup!

The fourth generation may always go down as one of the strangest. With a lot of rehashed concepts, a lot of legendaries and a LOT of evolutions for older pokemon, it almost felt like a quick dumping of leftovers from the previous three waves, or a bunch of pokemon they really wanted to get out there in the off chance that this might be their last shot. The fact that this generation ends on a "god" pokemon even lead many fans to believe that this would be the final installment of the series.

Artistically, the gen is all over the place. Some concepts are pretty good, others pretty boring. The designs, to me, feel like a slight dip in quality from third gen, with a lot more pokemon I thought could have looked a great deal better than their finalized artwork.

MY PERSONAL GEN IV FAVORITES:

Many of my favorites this gen are actually the evolutions given to older monsters, which were also already reviewed on their family pages...making this the shortest overall generation review we'll probably ever do.

MY ALL-TIME TOP SIX BY THIS POINT:

I can recall that, around the point of Diamond and Pearl, I started liking gen 3's Swalot more than either Muk or Weezing. The rest of my favorites actually wavered around a bit, and sometimes Toxicroak was in there. Nothing in Gen IV, however, really ever grabbed me as a very personal pokemon.

THE MOST BADASS:

This is probably what I should have always called the "coolest" category; it clears up what I really mean. They're not always favorites of mine, but they're fearsome.

THE CUTEST:

THE MOST CREATIVE:

A little challenging to pick, more because this generation never really gets as bizarre as the first or the third.

MY LEAST FAVORITES:

Sadly easier this gen than almost any other. All of these are pokemon whose designs bug me or kind of disappoint me in ways I've explained in their respective reviews.

BEST DISPLAYS OF ZOOLOGY (...or botany):

BEST NEW EVOLUTIONS:

So, we soon begin the fifth generation, Pokemon Black and White...and I already know it's going to be the best reviewed yet. There are so many pokemon in the fifth gen I'll be giving glowing praise to, it's almost unfair, and it's home to several pokemon who trump most of my previous favorites by a startling margin.

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