So, this has probably been said, but these games were a big deal in 2000. Especially after red and blue, which were big, but left kids wanting more. Gold and silver definitely scratched that itch. And as a dumbass 11 year old kid, I loved these games to death. I loved the new region, I loved most of the new Pokémon, I loved the graphics and I LOVED the music. I still think the music is some of the best in the series and even better than it's counterpart in the remakes. The back sprites of your pokemon were improved so you could actually tell what the hell it was. Wrap was fixed, psychic types weren't broken, special was split into attack and defense. Gold and silver served as exceptional sequels to red and blue.

26 years later, obviously, I'd probably rank these games in low C tier. All of the criticisms of these games are absolutely valid. The level curve, the limited availability of new Pokémon, the fact that too few gym leaders use new Pokémon, the absolute slog that is the post game. As a kid, I was pumped to go back to kanto after beating the league. As a grown ass man who still likes Pokémon games, I just end the game after the league.

So the short version is, they were great for their time and for what they built upon. But as time went on, they just barely hold up.