What do you mean about the grass starter? Because it's bipedal...? It doesn't really a resemble either of them besides that, to be honest...

I want more cool animal-based ones. Like a Fire/Bug type Bombardier Beetle, among others.

So you obviously hate Chespin, Piplup, Oshawott. Funny, since I chose those three for my first try at each of these regions. Well, I'm choosing Chespin when X and Y come out. Did you hate cyndaquil and squirtle, too? What about Mudkip do you hate him too! Anyway. I don't want it to end up like Gen V where they basically redid all the designs slightly different. E.g.
Starly and any other bird= Pidove.
Geodude = Roggenrola
Zubat=Woobat

Roggenrola was in many ways different than Geodude. Different design, different move pool (Geodude doesn't get Mud-Slap or Iron Defense via level up), only Rock, and only Sturdy. And besides we all expected another normal/flying early journey encounter bird like Pidove so no bother complaining. At least Unfezant was a cool concept (although to me it's not as useful as any of the other normal flying birds except maybe Fearow or Togetic if they count).

Besides any similarities were likely just nods to Generation I because Black and White purposely only had generation V pokemon available from the start to give a similar feeling to Red/Blue/Yellow (and to a lesser extent Firered and Leafgreen)