Gaagaagiins I don’t entirely disagree, but I’ve had this opinion brewing about Pokémon for a while
I declare that Pokémon adds plenty of gameplay nuances with just about every new iteration. There are new abilities, which are a critical part of the competitive meta, and the same is true of new moves. I would agree that very little changes from game to game from the perspective of someone who isn’t incredibly close to the series, but I’ve played all but one of the generations since Ruby and notice and appreciate all of the subtleties that are updated.
Additionally, I would add that I felt completely out of the loop with competitive play upon completing the story of Shield, having only missed Gen VII (Sun/Moon). This is after breeding Pokémon with all the right stats/ moves since 2011 (which I was able to pick back up immediately) and frequenting Pokémon Showdown (a major online simulator) for a comparable time period. I think this is a significant indicator of the amount of change that happens from game to game; although that does just about only apply to those of us that take the game WAY too seriously.
Granted, it is so easy to get bored with the gameplay loop once you’ve learned all the new stuff
**Also, I think the lives in Sonic Mania are chill, and I stopped playing a half dozen games (including Ace Attorney Trio) because someone stole my 3ds from my house (unless I find it after all these years (four (4)))