The gen 2 remakes have this really great feeling when you play them, like they feel both new and old it makes me happy.

HeartGold is an amazing game and probably the most fulfilling experience in Pokemon to date since it has such a huge variety of stuff to do.

But i find it difficult to get through because so many of the Johto Pokemon SUCK. Especially in the early stages when you're trying to get invested in this new adventures but all you run up against are some ugly bugs, a squirrel and the same damn birds you were sick of last time.

I must sadly agree with that, Typhlosion had to do most of the work in my playthrough of Gen 2. The other guys were rather useless.

The bug contest does give some nice pokemon iirc.

I actually haven't played the gen 2 remakes, I feel dissapointed in myself.

That's the outstanding problem I had with Gen 2. It probably had some of the dullest or just worthless Pokemon available. For every Tyranitar or Espeon, you had a crappy Stantler or Umbreon just taking up space.

Actually an Umbreon was my second best pokemon in gen 2 iirc... wait no that was red Gyarados, Umbreon filled a spot in my party I guess.
Man, gen 2 pokemon suck.

Then again against the unbreakable walls that the Gen 2 starters were, everything pales in comparison.

Johto Poke's aren't completely irredeemable though. There's a few great ones-Heracross, Ursaring, Donphan, Houndoom, Skarmory. And a few modifications to old favorites like Magby & Scizor. Plus a couple that started out bad but wound up awesome thanks to new evolutions in Gen. 4 (Gliscor is one of my favorites).

OMG Heracross, that guy is awesome!
One of my favorite pokemon ever.

Heracross is cool, but I was vastly let down by all the new dark type offerings beyond Tyranitar (Sneasel was kind of neat, but you could blink too hard in it's direction and it'd faint).
Gen 2 was the most fun games for me, but it had the worst new Pokemon, IMO (Despite introducing some of my all time favs, such as Heracross or Feraligatr).

It's proof of how awesome those games were, that even with some of the worst pokemon out there, they are still considered the best generation. :)

I think gen 2 is just considered a masterpiece because Johto is just a fun place to explore.