If I was going to buy only a handful of Pokemon games for the

This order:
b2w2
platinum
heartgold soulsilver
emerald

>>30764484
In descending order

SM
HGSS
BW2
Platinum
Emerald

I definitely encourage you to play SM, they're amazing and easily the best games in the series.

Sun or moon, X or Y, Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. Anyone saying anything else is just a fanboi for a particular gen. The newest games feel the most polished, simply because they are new.

>>30764484
Buy a hackable 3DS and play all the games.

File: __female_protagonist_and_rowlet_pokemon_pokemon_game_and_pokemon_sm_drawn_by_ch0ss__84e606205f053c64ed637cbef8168d3e.jpg (288KB, 582x844px) Image search: [Google]

288KB, 582x844px

>>30764484
Descending order

SM
BW2
HGSS
Platinum
BW

Not HGSS

>>30765500
what's wrong with HGSS?

Buy S/M, HG/SS, and B2/W2. Best the franchise has to offer.

FR or LG
Emerald
Platinum
HeartGold
BW2

>>30764484
Both X and Y because the rest are emulatable.

>>30764484
Firered/Leafgreen, then Black/White would be a good intro. Play Platinum or HG/SS in between the two if you can, and then move on to B2W2.