Pokemon - Emerald, Crystal, Yellow, Fire Red, Stadium 2, Rebirth, Trading Card, Gold, Red-Rescue, Silver, Shiny Gold, Light Platinum, Stadium, Ruby, Red, Ruby Destiny, Chaos Black, Blue, Emerald 386, Leaf Green, Platinum, Sapphire, Crystal All, Ash's Quest, Ash Gray, Frosty, Quartz, Psychic, Flora Sky, Ash Gray Beta, Obsidian, Team Rocket edition, Dark Cry, Ruby destiny, Rijon Adventures, Liquid Crystal, Leaf Reborn, Snap, Summer 2010, Crystal World hack, Shiny Gold X, Timberium, Ruby Destiny, Brown, Topaz, Fire Red Omega, Fuligin, of the Past, Identity, Pikachu edition, Silver advance, Latios, Orange, Snakewood, Manly Pink, Pinball, Diamond, Yellow Upgrade, Legends, Toxic Purple, Victory Fire, Liquid Oceans, Legends, Black Special, Trading Card 2, Rusty Gold, Naranja, Lightning Yellow, Green, Amnesia, Blue Sea, Liquid Crystal, Crystal Redesign  hack, Generations, Kohaku Adventures, Stadium, Z, Aqua, Oak vs Gio, Marble, The 3rd element, Onyx Blue, Moemon, Revolution, Chrome, Topaz, Mystic, Priti Emerald, Blue upgrade, Orchid, Dark Rising, Breeders edition, Dreamland, Obscure, Johto Journies, Blue before elite, Old White, Next Generation, Sienna, 151, Cute, Dragonstone 2, Crystal Shards, Victory Fire, Christmas, Z2, Oaks dream 2, Silver, Rocket, Jupiter, girl, mystic legends, Shining opal, skyline, Creepy Black, Jessie, Soft Red, Azure horizons, elements, James, Dark Violet, Black&White, Black granite X, Genesis, Eruption, Blue, Crystal Glass, Crystal Dust, Pink, Resolute, Ultimate End... on that note I will stop. They're probably twice as much...

   So to my point.

   I am 27, so that alone is why I have never played a pokemon game. However, my favorite genre are RPG's and I have one younger friend(20) who played pokemon growing up and said it was sweet.
   Now I'm not bashing any of these games. I've never even played one so that would be ridiculous. But are they not MOSTLY just the same thing? Once again, serious question. I do not know. What's the appeal? Someone sell me a pitch. Why would I ever play one of these games over any Final Fantasy, Chrono series, Breath of Fire, Dragon Quest, Lufia, Grandia, Tales of.. , Star Ocean, Secret of.. , Mario RPG's, Shining Force, Phantasy Star, Mother series, Kingdom Hearts, plus many more..

  I love RPG's. Been recently thinking Final Fantasy Tactics is the best game ever made. Is this for me...? 

   I guess my point of listing all of those games was that if they had say 4 games but was just as popular, I would have played them by now. Is that unfair?

   Thank you for the starting point in case I do decide to delve into these games.

   The question still remains though. Both responses have told me to play the games. But have either poster played any of the games I had posted in my first post? I guess what I am truly looking for is someone who has played a lot of RPG's... both Pokemon and not... to tell me what they think.

   I do appreciate the responses, but my question is yet to be answered. I still have the Vandel Hearts, Wild Arms, Xenogears series that I have played zero of. Never mind the games I've yet to get to from series I already know (I.E. Breath of Fire 3, Paper Mario TTYD, Tales of Vesperia, etc).  Plus games I've already beat but love so I try to get 100%.

   I'll try to explain with a musical example. My friend James is great at guitar. Could probably be something some day. If someone asked me to show them what I consider the greatest songs, licks, solo's, etc. I wouldn't show them my friends music. I would show them Jimi, and Howe and Slowhand, Brian May, Townshed etc. Now my friends music is fine. Still fun to listen to, still talented, still entertaining. But if I'm listening for my own reasons I'll go with the other guys ya know.
   
   Good is good, but great is better. It doesn't mean good isn't worth my time, but it isn't as long as great is available...

I doubt anyone is still with me on this hahaha.