Pokemon Red and Blue laid a very good foundation for future installments with Generation 1, a foundation that Game Freak intended to build on very quickly with Generation 2. Featured in Pokemon Gold and Silver, Generation 2 maintained many of the same game mechanics as Gen 1, while making a handful of tweaks and quality-of-life improvements. One of the biggest new features proved to be the addition of 100 new species of Pokemon that existed alongside many of the same creatures from Gen 1, which would begin the franchise tradition of an ever-expanding Pokedex over the next 25 years.
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How Generation 2 Builds On The Success Of Generation 1
With the very first Generation of Pokemon, the franchise had begun to feel out its visual aesthetic and overall design philosophy for the Pokemon themselves. Many of the design trends that were established in Generation 1 carried over into Generation 2, with many pocket monsters resembling real-life animals. There was a clear growth in creativity with Gen 2, however, and the Pokemon from Gold and Silver have managed to remain some of the most beloved and unique over the franchise’s long history as a result. The Pokemon belonging to Generation 2 are as follows:
Chikorita Bayleef Meganium Cyndaquil Quilava Typhlosion Totodile Croconaw Feraligatr Sentret Furret Hoothoot Noctowl Ledyba Ledian Spinarak Ariados Crobat Chinchou Lanturn Pichu Cleffa Igglybuff Togepi Togetic Natu Xatu Mareep Flaaffy Ampharos Bellossom Marill Azumarill Sudowoodo Politoed Hoppip Skiploom Jumpluff Aipom Sunkern Sunflora Yanma Wooper Quagsire Espeon Umbreon Murkrow Slowking Misdreavus Unown Wobbuffet Girafarig Pineco Forretress Dunsparce Gligar Steelix Snubbull Granbull Qwilfish Scizor Shuckle Heracross Sneasel Teddiursa Ursaring Slugma Magcargo Swinub Piloswine Corsola Remoraid Octillery Delibird Mantine Skarmory Houndour Houndoom Kingdra Phanpy Donphan Porygon2 Stantler Smeargle Tyrogue Hitmontop Smoochum Elekid Magby Miltank Blissey Raikou Entei Suicune Larvitar Pupitar Tyranitar Lugia Ho-Oh Celebi
While Generation 2 may be a distant memory in the overall history of Pokemon, it had a tremendous effect on the trajectory of the franchise as a whole. Pokemon Gold and Silver were the first entries to introduce unique Legendaries to each game, and it also retroactively added new “baby” evolutions for Pokemon from Gen 1. Many of these Pokemon have been featured repeatedly in future Generations, with the Fire starter Cyndaquil being one of the available starters in the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Arceus. As the Generation that kept the ball rolling for the Pokemon franchise, Generation 2 will remain one of the most important for years to come.
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