The formula for a pokemon games should just not work. 
 
Catch pokemon, train pokemon , fight trainer. 
 
Especially considering the last 2 in that sequence are usually completed by continually pressing A and then walking back and fourth to a poke centre. 
 
I can only put the insane popularity of the games down to some kind of witch magic. 
 
Today I added my 30th hour to SoulSilver...

The formula for a pokemon games should just not work. 
 
Catch pokemon, train pokemon , fight trainer. 
 
Especially considering the last 2 in that sequence are usually completed by continually pressing A and then walking back and fourth to a poke centre. 
 
I can only put the insane popularity of the games down to some kind of witch magic. 
 
Today I added my 30th hour to SoulSilver...

Well considering how incredibly popular the games are, pretty sure the formula works.
 
Oh yeah and welcome to GB.

It woks because at the end of it all you kick your friend's ass.

It shouldn't but it does...and I still hope for better, but it'll never come, yet I'll still succumb to the urge to catch em....catch em all.

" It shouldn't but it does...and I still hope for better, but it'll never come, yet I'll still succumb to the urge to catch em....catch em all. "

There's a reason the strapline is "Gotta catch 'em all!" and not "Gotta beat all the trainers!".  Pokemon = Loot, it's as simple as that.

Catching pokemon is worse than getting achievements. Ohhh I want that one. Wait I NEED that one, etc.

This reminds me this blog from aaaaages ago by MattBodega. He breaks down exactly why pokemon works. He explains it brilliantly.

Personally, it hasn't worked for me since the original Silver. I got Platinum recently and it just isn't fun anymore. :P

" @DuhQbnSiLo:  Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum was supposed to have revamped parts of the system but it didn't. it just slightly expanded on everything. (Poketch is nothing new except for it's touch screen functionalty, it's basically Pokegear but with "apps") "

Erm, honestly there is a lot more to do in the games than what your original post suggests. Catching, training, and battling trainers is just a small part of it. For example one of my favorite aspects of the games since Gold/Silver has been exploring. There are a lot of nooks and crannies that serve no purpose other than to see what's there or maybe some small hold item or something of the like. Saying it's all about fighting/catching/training is generalizing way to much.

" @Scarlet_Rogue said:

" @DuhQbnSiLo:  Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum was supposed to have revamped parts of the system but it didn't. it just slightly expanded on everything. (Poketch is nothing new except for it's touch screen functionalty, it's basically Pokegear but with "apps") "

Pretty much but Pokemon was always been for little kids, 1st Gen fans will never get what we want. Thats why they have made new pokemon and forgotten about the old generation.  "

" @DuhQbnSiLo said:

" @Scarlet_Rogue said:

" @DuhQbnSiLo:  Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum was supposed to have revamped parts of the system but it didn't. it just slightly expanded on everything. (Poketch is nothing new except for it's touch screen functionalty, it's basically Pokegear but with "apps") "

Pretty much but Pokemon was always been for little kids, 1st Gen fans will never get what we want. Thats why they have made new pokemon and forgotten about the old generation.  "

they did fire red/ leaf green on GBA though? "

By the same logic more or less every RPG ever created shouldn't work. The matter of the fact is we know these mechanics are addicting and if we see how they've captivated people in the past we know Pokemon should work.