A start in Pallet Town, and thirty years on the scent of memory still lingers.

On gut feeling, no criterion, Pokémon Red sits right near the average, neither high nor low, on few votes. The criteria profile tells of a classic caught off guard. Attachment pulls best, ahead of 63% of games, and the wish to rediscover it follows just above the average. Fitting for the game that marked a generation. But the rest stings. The feel in hand leads only 7% of titles, and above all the art style falls right to the bottom, ahead of barely 2% of games. The soundtrack stays low too, in the lower quarter. There lies the owned mismatch: a founding game, cherished for what it represents, yet whose monochrome sprites and period handling weigh nothing against criteria built for today.

First of a series turned giant, it's a turn-based RPG where you catch 151 creatures across Kanto. Next to modern Pokémon, all colorful and smooth, it plays on pure nostalgia, not on form.

So, who's it for? For you if this game is part of your childhood and attachment beats comfort. Much less if you judge first on art style or how it plays in hand.