I had a similar experience as a kid and decided to pick up the latest incarnation on the switch. I didn’t get as far as I would have liked, but it’s alright.

They leaned into the modern Pokémon mechanic of monsters bopping around the world on screen, which to me ironically makes the world feel more empty because the void between encounters feels enhanced as you dance around the monsters. Had to force myself into encounters with monsters I didn’t want because there’s so much less RNG.

Like Pokemon Arceus, the graphics are sparse and uninspiring, dont expect BotW-level art design. And don’t get me started on the writing. Overall it’s a meh tier game with a fun catch-em-all breed-em-all mechanic - if I had more time in the day I could probably get into it.