5 Pokémon ROM Hacks Worth Your Time

Due to Pokémon Black and White being the new RPG of the Quarter and Pokémon Conquest winning the April Game of the Month club nomination, there is currently a Pokémon frenzy in the Miyoodiy . There is a lot of discussion about the most popular Pokémon, generations, and music, and it's evident that many people are trying to capture them all for the first time since they were young.

The Mainline: Even though Pokémon games are a lot of fun, many of us have played every Game and would like a new spin on the series. Explore the rich and diverse realm of Pokémon ROM hacking! There are plenty of options available, whether you're searching for a brand-new game that uses the mechanics of a classic or a way to play an old favourite with more difficulty and improved balance.

I want to suggest a few ROM hacks that any Pokémon fan, regardless of age, should check out. This list aims to indicate a variety of options that span multiple eras and systems rather than necessarily listing the top ROM hacks. Come on, let's get started right away!

● 5 – GS Chronicles

Base game – Pokémon Fire Red (Gameboy Advance)

Who says you can't return home? If you share my opinion, the Johto games' magnitude and fantastic day/night cycle were astounding at the time. Because of this, I am most nostalgic for Generation 2. However, occasionally, it's good to see a new interpretation of an old favourite.

Constructed using the excellent CFRU Fire Red engine package, GS Chronicles is a remake and reinvention of the beloved Johto generation 2 games. Though it adds some new twists, new characters, and a significant subplot involving Johto creating its own Pokémon League, the Game largely sticks to the original plot.

Although GS Chronicles isn't particularly innovative, it's a fantastic opportunity to revisit a great area and a terrific way to get started with ROM hacks if you're looking for something new but familiar to try.

● 4 – Grand Colosseum

Base game – Pokémon Colosseum (GameCube)

To start with, Wes is the most awesome character in the entire Pokémon franchise. He wears a trench coat and rides a sick chopper motorcycle that looks like Mad Max. You can even steal Pokémon from the villains.

Therefore, it's unfortunate that Nintendo hasn't shown much affection for the Orre region (perhaps because they don't want people to discover that their 3D Pokémon RPG from 20 years ago still looks and plays better than their recent ones). Fortunately, the ROM hack community can help with that.

In its Grand form, Colosseum further solidifies its status as one of the more challenging official Pokémon games. The Game offers 65 more moves from more recent Pokémon games, the physical/unique split that happened in Gen 4, the Fairy type, more shadow Pokémon to encounter and capture, and the standard array of Pokémon balancing adjustments to counteract the increased difficulty.

The number of handhelds that can play GameCube is increasing, and many people are exploring the library for the first time. Playing the two GameCube RPGs is something that every Pokémon lover should do, and there's no better way to do it than this.

● 3 – Supernova Sun & Penumbra Moon

Base game – Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon (3DS)

Alola! Without a doubt, the most challenging games in the mainline Pokémon series are Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. The Totem battles are nothing to laugh at if you aren't ready for each one. The Kahunas have EV-trained and high IV Pokémon with good abilities and move sets even in the base game, and Ultra Necrozma is the most brutal fight in all of Pokémon—that is if you don't cheese it with a level 1 Rattata.

Penumbra Moon and Supernova Sun aim to push it further further. Not quite as challenging as Emerald Kaizo, but close enough. With the help of the Game's level scaling, you can reach level 100 by the end of the Game without ever having to grind. With the possibility to acquire almost every Pokémon evolutionary family before the first island's end, the encounter tables in this Game are a significant highlight. The bouts are expertly balanced, always a true challenge without ever feeling unfair. With the EV training equipment available reasonably early on and easy access to wild Blissey to gain a ton of experience points, preparing your team to compete is very simple.

Due to the extremely simple Sun & Moon games, the excruciatingly lengthy lessons at the start of the Game, and the fact that the Ultra versions were essentially remakes of the same Game inside the same generation, Gen 7 receives a highly mixed reception. However, they were good remakes, and these hacks are for the Alola traveller who wants to make their tropical voyage more challenging.

● 2 – Fire Red: Rocket Edition

Base game – Pokémon Fire Red (Gameboy Advance)

Make it double, and get ready for trouble! Has the bright-eyed adolescent trying to save the world ever gotten old to you? In Rocket Edition, you take on the role of a Team Rocket grunt in a reinterpretation of the original Gen 1 and Fire Red/Leaf Green Kanto journey.

As you uncover conspiracies and advance through Team Rocket's ranks, you'll watch the story of those games from the opposing viewpoint throughout the Game. A significant highlight of this hack is the story, which takes many cues from the fan conspiracy theories that have been circulating about Kanto and has unexpected turns. The main feature of this hack is the ability to steal Pokémon from enemy trainers, as you might anticipate. You can create your own Pokémon by selecting one from their team after every battle. People in the world will perceive and behave differently toward you depending on how you engage with other trainers and the Game's side tasks.

Due to its ability to bring Pokémon's earliest story back to life and its superb blend of nostalgia and the familiar, Rocket Edition is frequently regarded as one of the "must-play" ROM hacks.

● 1 – Unbound

Base game – Pokémon Fire Red (Gameboy Advance)

Anyone who knows anything about Pokémon ROM hacks has heard about Unbound, so there's no point in predicting the top choice here. It is simply superior to other hacks, even those that are not limited to the Pokémon universe, and with good cause. Although Unbound is fundamentally based on Fire Red, its developer, Skeli, has extensively upgraded the engine to enable Unbound to accomplish feats that games from generation three could only imagine. Since then, the engine has been used to power numerous fantastic hacks, but none have made as good use of it as this Game did.

A vast, brand-new planet with excellent route design? Verify. New visuals that employ the aesthetics of generations 4 and 5? Beautiful. Pokémon from the initial eight generations, which include Dynamax raids and Mega Evolution? Everyone is present. Which Gym battles in Pokémon games are the most inventive and perplexing? You'd best trust it.

The polished levels of Unbound are similar to that of an official Pokémon game—that is, from the days when official games were polished—but they are also unrestricted by the necessity to be popular. This enables them to have more intricate game systems, more difficult battles, and a more expansive and sinister plot. Additionally, after you've completed your exploration of Borrius, the Game features a large post-game that is reminiscent of Pokémon Emerald's celebrated Battle Frontier.

I could go on and on about all the amenities, but that would take up our entire day. The main idea is that Unbound is a fantastic hack that is a lot of fun. Unbound should be the case if you play one ROM hack.

With these selections, I have only touched the surface of the vast and constantly growing field of ROM hacks. There are many incredible hacks that I haven't mentioned, and upcoming hacks like Pokémon Crown are genuinely unbelievable in their use of these foundational games. I believe you'll find something that interests you, whether you're a longtime Pokémon fan searching for something new or a newcomer to the franchise who wants to experience what these games can be once fans get their hands on them. Go go now and excel like no one has ever excelled!

While you're at it, stop by the Miyoodiy and talk about these and other game hacks in the ROM hacks channel. You can also join our Game of the Month club, which has two Pokémon games on rotation right now. I hope to see you there!