Long-time Pokémon players likely know that there are a lot of unofficial Pokémon titles that are just as good as their official counterparts. These fan-made games are referred to as ROM hacks and are created by players accessing the Read-Only Memory (ROM) of an original game and making changes to it. Some ROM hacks are as simple as quality-of-life updates to improve on annoying aspects of an existing game, while others completely redesign the game’s story and style of play.
ROM hacks for Pokémon games have been around for ages at this point, meaning there is an overwhelming number of them to choose from. Some will likely appeal to certain players’ niche interests but fail to gain widespread popularity. However, some of the better ROM hacks have become widely accepted as the best of their kind, with some players even preferring them to even the best Pokémon games.
20
Pokémon Darkfire Has A New Nefarious Corporation To Take Down
Created By SynonymTFI
Reddit user SynonymTFI created this Pokémon Rom hack, which remakes the generation 3 title, Pokémon Emerald. The hack is intended to revisit the feel of the days of getting lost in the games back when they first came out. Darkfire tells a whole new story, one which sees Pokémon acting strange or even downright disappearing.
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The player is sucked into the story when a suspicious man approaches their character with a proposition to use their Pokémon in a whole new kind of battle, one where there are no rules. From there, the player is confronted with the mysteries of an underground battle ring and the corporation that’s pulling the strings. Pokémon Darkfire is still in development, and it currently ends at Route 11. Still, that’s 10-12 hours of playtime, three badges, and a whole new and interesting story to discover.
19
Pokémon Maxie’s Island Strands Players On A Mysterious Island
Created By wiz_1989
This Pokémon Rom hack, created by wiz_1989 on Reddit, is not a full remake, but rather an escape room contained set within the boundaries and rules of the Pokémon universe. The hack strands players on a remote island where they’ll have to use their wits and the tools available to them to escape back to civilization.
Players will have to explore the island and discover all its hidden secrets to learn how to escape. There are puzzles to solve and opponents to take on as players try to find their way back home. Maxie’s Island is the third game in a trilogy of Pokémon escape rooms by wiz_1989, each of which place players in a different tricky environment to overcome. The other two are complete and available to play on PokéCommunity as well, titled Pokéscape and National History Museum.
18
Pokémon Emerald Seaglass Is An Upgrade To The Emerald Version
Created By JackWellman101
Although many Pokémon Rom hacks add story or largely change the original game, Pokémon Emerald Seaglass is a different kind of hack. Emerald Seaglass, as the name suggests, is a Rom hack of Pokémon Emerald, and it rebuilds the game to be more beautiful and overall fun to play. The hack was created by JackWellman101 on Reddit and is clearly a labor of love for the original title it’s based on.
The hack upgrades all the visuals to have more color and variety and look crisper and higher quality. Pokémon from generations 1-3 can be obtained, and some of the least popular Pokémon have received upgrades to make them more worthwhile to deploy in battle. Players can now also choose Pokémon to follow them around as they adventure. The hack also adds minigames and events to breathe life into the title, like Scuba Diving and pinball machines. Many other QOL updates and game tweaks were added to make the Emerald experience the best that it can be.
17
Sword and Shield Ultimate Plus Is A Delightful Demake
Created By Phaneropterinae
Players nostalgic for the days of the Game Boy Advanced can get their fix with this Fire Red hack from Redditor Phaneropterinae. The Rom hack is a demake of Sword and Shield, which means it recreates the Switch-era games as GBA titles. This includes a full recreation of the entire game in the cute pixel style of the GBA system.
Besides the visual overhaul, the hack also includes many updates to turn the title into a complete Pokémon experience. The game has all the Pokémon from the first eight generations as well as Hydrapple and its evolutions, Acheludon, and the Hisui starters. Mechanics from the other generations are also present, like Dynamax and Gigantimax. Finally, new music, side quests, and end-game content were also added for players who want even more to do.
16
YU-Gi-Oh Pokéduel Replaces Pokémon And Trainers With Yu-Gi-Oh Characters
Created By ortz3
This hack was created by a maker who goes by ortz3/Reddit on Reddit and it builds on an existing hack. Players will need to have the Complete FireRed Upgrade hack, which adds many quality-of-life updates to Pokémon FireRed, including an overhaul of the battle system, expanded PC boxes, character customization, and much more. The Yu-Gi-Oh Pokéduel hack uses CFRU as a base and turns it into a completely new game.
As the name implies, this hack turns Pokémon Red into a Yu-Gi-Oh game, replacing all the Pokémon NPCs and creatures with Yu-Gi-Oh NPCs and monsters. Each monster comes with its own skills, attacks, abilities, and sprites. The full Pokédex can be browsed on the hack’s website, as well as trainers, some of the items, and more. At the time of this writing, this hack is still in beta, but the creator is actively adding new content and improving it, so it’s worth giving it a try.
15
Pokémon Scorched Silver Is A Sequel With A Complete New Story
Created By Sloo
This Pokémon Emerald hack, created by Sloo on PokéCommunity, features an original new story from the world of Pokémon Gold and Silver. The hack takes place in the Johto region, where players control a young boy or girl from Cherrygrove City on a journey to become a Pokémon master. The events take place 20 years after the end of Pokémon Gold and Silver, and several familiar faces make an appearance. Throughout their journey, the player will encounter a new threat to the world, Team Phoenix, whose mysterious plans seem to hinge on acquiring a Celebi.
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The hack is a complete new game with eight badges to win from challenging gym leaders and even post-game content like Mega evolutions. There are over 750 Pokémon to find and capture and plenty of quality-of-life updates, like the ability to use HM moves without having to actually teach them to a Pokémon, a Nature changer NPC, and the ability to run indoors. A trailer for the ROM hack is available on Sloo’s YouTube channel.
14
Pokémon Black And White 3: Genesis Continues The Story Of Black 2 And White 2
Created By Azure_Keys
Pokémon Black And White 3 is both a sequel and a demake at the same time. Created by PokéCommunity’s Azure_Keys, the game takes place 10 years after the events of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Players take control of a young trainer from Humilau City as they journey through the world of Unova, meeting both familiar faces and new characters. Throughout they journey, players are also pitted against the villainous Team Plasma, which was supposed to have been disbanded a long time ago.
Although the ROM hack is a sequel to Black and White, it doesn’t use the game engine or system of the original. Instead, this is a Pokémon Crystal hack that reimagines the world of Black and White in adorable pixels from the Game Boy Color era. The hack also includes a number of quality-of-life upgrades like new cries for all Pokémon from Gen 3 and up, running shoes available from the start, demade music tracks, and reusable TMs. It also includes 252 Pokémon from the first five generations and an entirely new story in a beloved setting.
13
Digimon Nova Red Reimagines Pokémon As A Digimon Game
Created By Guzeinbuick
Pokémon and Digimon fans no longer have to choose a fandom thanks to this Pokémon FireRed hack. Guzeinbuick on PokéCommunity recreates the classic Pokémon game with over 350 Digimon to tame and train, instead. Each mon offers up unique moves, stats, and abilities, implementing Gen 5 abilities and Fairy type.
Each Digimon has its own sprites and moves have new animations based on their equivalents in the Digimon world. The user interface has also gotten a facelift to correspond to the Digimon world, with the iconic computer and Digivice style for the mon selection screens, information panels, and more. Several smaller tweaks like reusable TMs, forgettable HM moves, non-lethal poison, and dialogue tweaks make this hack even more enjoyable for any Pokémon or Digimon fan.
12
Pokémon Sweet Version Will Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth
Created By Ephraim225
Players with a sweet tooth will love this Pokémon Red ROM hack by Ephraim225 on PokéCommunity, in which the region of Kanto is turned into Candyland. Players explore the redesigned region among trees of ice cream, frosted grass, cake caves, and a Milky Way ocean. The game has 151 PokéSweets to capture from six generations fully redesigned as delicious PokéSweets with new moves and adorably punny names like Smorelax and Popsichu.
Pokémon Sweet Version also has 12 new types and a type chart to go with them, based on 12 flavors of ice cream (including, for some reason, apple). A new mechanic allows players to either capture their PokéSweets or craft them from berries, and new music completes the hack. The title makes many other upgrades, like turning most trainer battles into Double battles and adding new music in many of the areas. Along their travels, trainers will go up against two new opposing groups who want to steal the players’ PokéSweet companions and two rivals (“okay, three, but the third guy’s lame“).
11
Pokémon Order & Chaos Creates A Full Pokédex Of Fakemon
Created By EasyBakeStudios
Pokémon Order & Chaos, created by PokéCommunity user EasyBakeStudios, was remastered in 2024 after eight years of hard work. The effort that went into the making of this Pokémon Red hack is clear, as the title creates an entire new region and story based in the Pokémon universe. The hack takes place in the new region of Mando and includes a complete Pokédex of “Fakemon,” and even rare Shiny versions of them.
The game tells the story of a young trainer who is prophesized to rid the land of the evil God Dragon Chaostra. The only problem is that this teenager has a twin, and the prophecy isn’t clear on which one of them is the “chosen one.” Players travel through Mando, taming and capturing companions with new moves (complete with new move animations) as they strive to become the best trainers, save their home, and emerge victorious both against Chaostra and their own twin sibling.
10
Pokémon Fool’s Gold Completely Reimagines One Of The Series’ Best Games
Created By celadonk & Supporting Dev Team
Pokémon Fool’s Gold is a unique take on Pokémon’s second-generation games by PokéCommunity user celadonk and a team of devs. Despite what the name suggests, this isn’t a hack of Pokémon Gold, but Crystal. What sets this ROM hack apart from the original games is that every Pokémon has been fully redesigned. They all have new Pokémon types and unique new sprites to match. It is similar to how Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced special Alolan versions of Pokémon, only this time it is every Pokémon in the game.
Pokémon’s second-generation games already hold a special place in players’ hearts, as they were the first games in the series that allowed players to play through multiple regions. With Pokémon Fool’s Gold, players can rediscover some of their favorite games from the series with brand-new Pokémon to keep them fresh. It’s always exciting to discover a new version of a Pokémon in this ROM hack and see how it has been changed from its original form. This ROM’s perfect balance of nostalgia and exciting new additions make it an excellent choice for veteran players.
9
Pokémon Brown Was The First Hack To Make Big Changes
Created By Koolboyman, Now Overseen By RainbowDevs
Pokémon Brown is one of the most revolutionary Pokémon ROM hacks. It was created by a ROM hacker going by Koolboyman with future development being taken over by RainbowDevs. While hacks existed before Brown, it is credited as being the first one to make a completely new game using a Pokémon ROM. This means it isn’t just a slightly altered version of an existing game, but instead includes a unique region – named Rijon – and a new story. This hack even spawned sequels, Pokémon Prism and Pokémon Rijon Adventures.
Though the initial ROM hack from 2004 is a bit dated, Pokémon Brown was remade in 2009 and 2014, adding new Pokémon each time. Pokémon Brown also introduced some unique Pokémon types, which changes how existing Pokémon interact. For instance, Ditto is given the new Abnormal type, replacing its traditional Normal type. Though many ROM hacks have built on and improved upon what Pokémon Brown did, it is still worth playing. It is also just a unique bit of Pokémon history that any die-hard fan should check out.
8
Pokémon Prism Builds On What Pokémon Brown Started
Created By Koolboyman, Now Overseen By RainbowDevs
Pokémon Prism is a ROM hack of Pokémon Crystal, and a direct sequel to Pokémon Brown. Also created by Koolboyman and taken over by RainbowDevs, Prism improves on the previous hack in a few ways. First, is its increased roster of Pokémon. Although the game is using a Generation 2 title, it includes a sampling of Pokémon from the first four generations as well as the unique elemental types that were introduced in Pokémon Brown. It also includes some unique gameplay elements, like sections of the game where players play as their Pokémon independent of a trainer.
Just like the Gen 2 Pokémon games, Pokémon Prism takes place across two regions. It includes a new unique region, Naljo, as well as the original region from Pokémon Brown, Rijon. Players who enjoyed the first game will likely want to continue on with this sequel, and enjoy the updates made to the gameplay, and the updated base ROM used for the hack.
7
Pokémon Adventures – Red Chapter Is A Game Version Of A Popular Manga
Created By Aethestode
Players looking for a Pokémon experience that is heavier on narrative than usual should check out Pokémon Adventures – Red Chapter by PokéCommunity user Aethestode. This ROM is a faithful adaptation of the Pokémon Adventures manga, specifically following Red’s story from the books. The game includes multiple regions and Pokémon from across seven generations. The game also adds elements to help spice up the narrative aspect of the game, like character pictures that accompany text with a variety of expressions similar to other narrative-driven games.
Pokémon Adventures – Red Chapter is a perfect ROM hack for players who want more of a narrative tied to their Pokémon game, or who are interested in the Pokémon Adventures manga. At one point, the project was meant to incorporate spin-offs like Pokémon Adventures – Blue Chapter, but these have sadly been abandoned. Still, Pokémon Adventures – Red Chapter still stands strong on its own and presents a unique Pokémon experience.
6
Pokémon Radical Red Is For Experienced Players Who Want A Challenge
Created By soupercell
Pokémon Radical Red is a re-imagined version of Pokémon FireRed, by PokéCommunity user soupercell, with one goal in mind: make the game harder. This is a mission it accomplishes in a variety of ways. For instance, many of the game’s gym leaders and other bosses have Pokémon with max IV stats, meaning they are more powerful than average. Gym leaders can also mega-evolve their Pokémon and have improved AI from the base game. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, harder difficulties don’t allow players to access their bag during trainer battles, which means not using potions or other healing items.
Pokémon Radical Red does offset its difficulty in a few ways, like eventually allowing the player access to mega-evolution, and increasing stats for certain Pokémon. However, the game is still much more challenging than a typical Pokémon game. This makes Radical Red the perfect ROM hack for players who may have felt like they’ve outgrown the series, due to its lack of challenging gameplay. Players will really have to be Pokémon masters to take on this ROM hack.
5
Pokémon Gaia Offers A New Story & An Interesting World
Created By Spherical Ice
Similar to Pokémon Brown, Pokémon Gaia is a unique Pokémon game built from the ground up with its own region and story by PokéCommunity user Spherical Ice. Although the game is built in Pokémon FireRed, it includes a lot of modern features like mega-evolutions, as well as Pokémon from more recent regions like Unova and Kalos. The game also includes some nice quality-of-life updates, like being able to run inside and reuse TMs.
Unlike some of the other best Pokémon ROM hacks, Pokémon Gaia doesn’t really specialize in one area but, instead, is a very well-rounded experience. While not as intense of a difficulty spike as Radical Red, Gaia is still a challenging playthrough. Its story is also well-done, and has higher stakes than the average Pokémon game, as players are tasked with saving their home region from mysterious earthquakes. This is a nice contrast from typical Pokémon stories where the major world-ending dangers aren’t always integrated too well into the plot from the start, and can sometimes come out of nowhere.
4
Pokémon Emerald Rogue Transforms Pokémon Into A Roguelike
Created By Pokabbie
Pokémon Emerald Rogue, created by PokéCommunity user Pokabbie, may be the most novel Pokémon ROM hack, as it completely changes the genre of Pokémon games. Instead of the typical straightforward quest, Pokémon Emerald Rogue is a roguelike. Players will be sent on randomly determined paths, meeting up with procedurally generated gym leaders and bosses along the way. If players lose a battle, they are sent back to the beginning of the game. Once players complete a run, they are given a chance to catch a more powerful starter Pokémon and get some permanent items to help with future runs.
Players who enjoy Pokémon battles, but are looking for a new type of game to experience them will be excited to try Pokémon Emerald Rogue. It’s the kind of fresh take that the franchise really needs, as many of the mainline games have essentially had the same setup since Pokémon Red and Blue. Players have the option of playing an extended version of Emerald Rogue that contains modern battle elements, or they can stick with the original engine from Pokémon Emerald.
3
Pokémon Crystal Clear Gives Players Unprecedented Freedom
Created By ShockSlayer
If there’s one thing Pokémon Crystal Clear values over anything else, it’s player choice. Players are given a huge amount of freedom as to how they approach the game, and there really isn’t a wrong answer. Pokémon Crystal Clear, developed by ROM hacker ShockSlayer, allows players to start their journey in one of 20 locations from either Johto or Kanto. There are also 30 starting Pokémon to choose from, instead of the typical three. Players are also able to customize their character, something that was never available in older Pokémon games like Crystal, which is the basis for this hack.
Instead of trainers and gym leaders having a set roster of Pokémon, Pokémon Crystal Clear scales each encounter based on the number of gym badges the player has. The game also removes the typical obstacles preventing players from moving around the map freely, meaning players can complete the game in any order they see fit. It is a wonderfully freeing experience compared to the typically very linear Pokémon games, and one that is worth trying at least once.
2
Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition Lets Players Play As A Villain
Created By -Dragonsden-
Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition is one of the more popular ROM hacks. The version discussed here is the one created by PokéCommunity user -Dragonsden-. It allows players the unique ability to experience the Pokémon games from the perspective of an antagonist – more specifically, a member of Team Rocket. Instead of catching Pokémon, players start out by stealing them from opposing trainers to build up their roster.
One of the coolest bits of Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition is the way it runs parallel to the original game. Players experience the same events from Pokémon FireRed, just from a completely different experience. The game is also still being worked on and intends to include events from Pokémon Gold and Silver, adding the Johto region to the mix. Rocket Edition’s unique narrative and gameplay elements help it stand out from other Pokémon games and even other ROM hacks, and its continued updates offer players a smooth experience and the promise of more to come.
1
Pokémon Unbound Is An Extensive Experience In A Custom World
Created By Skeli
Pokémon Unbound is a Pokémon FireRed hack by PokéCommunity user Skeli with its own original region and story. While the game is built in FireRed, it has updated graphics, making it a little nicer to look at than the original game, or other hacks using it as a base. One of the biggest selling points of Pokémon Unbound is the huge amount of content available in the game. Not only does it have a main quest, but it also has a series of well-developed side quests, and a lot of post-game content.
Pokémon Unbound is still being updated and adding newer Pokémon features like Z moves and mega-evolution. One of the most impressive aspects of Unbound is its original soundtrack, which contains nearly 200 songs composed just for the game. Pokémon ROM hacking is still alive and well, meaning great new hacks are coming out all the time. Any players who find fun new hacks should be sure to share them so more players can enjoy the creativity of the Pokémon community.
Sources: celadonk/PokéCommunity, Rainbow Devs (1, 2), Aethestode/PokéCommunity, soupercell/PokéCommunity, Spherical Ice/PokéCommunity, Pokabbie/PokéCommunity, ShockSlayer, -Dragonsden-/PokéCommunity, Skeli/PokéCommunity, Sloo/PokéCommunity, Sloo/YouTube, Azure_Keys/PokéCommunity, Guzeinbuick/PokéCommunity, Ephraim225/PokéCommunity, EasyBakeStudios/PokéCommunity, ortz3/Reddit, Pokéduel DB, Phaneropterinae/Reddit, wiz_1989/Reddit, SynonymTFI/Reddit, Pokémon Darkfire on Ko-Fi, Complete FireRed Upgrade/PokéCommunity, Pokéscape/PokéCommunity, National History Museum/PokéCommunity
Pokemon
- Created by
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Satoshi Taijiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda
- Latest Film
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Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
- First Episode Air Date
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April 1, 1997
Summary
Spanning over twenty-five years, Pokemon, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, is the multimedia franchise created jointly by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Conceptualized by Satoshi Tajiri in association with Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda, Pokemon is set in fictional worlds where people live together with tamable creatures known as Pokemon. Humans who catch, raise, and battle the creatures are known as Pokemon Trainers. They head out on extensive journeys across their continents to raise their Pokemon with the ultimate goal of competing in tournaments to become the champion. Pokemon spans several massive properties, from a long-running animated series to a successful trading card game, to the medium that started it all, video games. In addition, Pokemon began the “two-game” trend where two versions of a game would release and include different Pokemon/features between the versions, encouraging players to meet up with others and trade so they could “catch ’em all.”
