Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (2004, Game Boy Advance)

Flawless remakes of the original games, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen took all of the third-generation improvements and applied them to the classics that sparked Pokémania. Walking around Kanto in the late ‘90s was an exercise in imagination. You could make out what the pixels were going for, but sometimes, it was tough knowing whether a boulder was a boulder or a panel of water. Seeing Kanto in a full spectrum of color was like witnessing a great novel receive a faithful big-screen adaptation.

For the most part, FireRed and LeafGreen are a shinier, friendlier redux of the originals. But once you beat the Elite Four, you were able to visit a whole new area called the Sevii Islands. After clearing that area, a handful of second-generation Pokémon were let loose in the world—sparking a tricky hunt-and-catch quest—and you were also able to trade Pokémon with Ruby and Sapphire versions. FireRed and LeafGreen established that Pokémon could get with the times, marrying old and new in one slick package.

On the flip side, Gary was still just as much of a dick, meaning this one’s the Lugia to the next slide’s Ho-Oh.