• Nov 26, 2011 Pokemon Game Editor, commonly know as PGE, is an all in one tool started in 2010 by Gamer2020 for hacking the Game Boy Advanced Pokemon games. The program continues to evolve over the years and has had 40,000+ downloads. The program is currently developed in VB.Net with Visual Studio 2013.
• The person making the ROM hack can use the data from that game. This allows them to make an entirely new game using the character sprites, Pokemon sprites, Pokemon moves, music, locations, and more. You could say that it cuts the creator’s job in half because all they need to do now is come up with a different story to hash out a fresh game.
• Pokemon ROM Hack Generator: There is a differentiation between ROM hacks and “contraband games”. These are unapproved duplicates of distributed games which are offered to buyers, frequently.
• Pokemon game maker is a great online community that brings people together and delivers free pokemon ROMs to play on your computer Pok3mon Gam3 Mak3r 'Gotta Hack Em' All'.

• Pokemon Rom Hack Creator Android
• Pokemon Gba Rom Hack Maker
• Pokemon Ds Rom Hack Maker

A free online Pokemon Maker and GTS. Create Pokemon and send them to your game. Pokemon Bank compatible. The Ultimate Pokemon Gym Creator. I had a normal type gym with 2 Pokemon (Slaking and Lillpup) with no speaking and no puzzles. Since its a gen v rom hack.

Regardless of whether you love or hate the newer games, one thing is certain: we want more.

Whether you’re looking for something featuring every single Pokémon ever made, or an online game where you can catch and train Pokémon together with friends, there are plenty of ROM hacks and fan games offering just that.

Actually with so many around, it can be hard to choose the right one. And you never know whether you’re missing something amazing. It’s not like there’s some massive list covering all the best fan games in the Poké community… well, unless you count this one!

To help you find your next custom Pokémon adventure, I’ve done all the research for you. Take a look and see what grabs your attention.

40. Pokémon TRE: Team Rocket Edition

Ever since I was a child making my way through my first playthrough of Pokémon Crystal, I was fascinated with playing as one of the bad guys – even if it was a measly grunt.

If playing as a dastardly villain sounds like fun to you too, you can give this Pokémon Red hack a shot.

Team Rocket Leader Giovanni is on the lookout for a successor, and the competition is down to you and your sibling, two novice Team Rocket members.

You’ll have to go through an evil Pokémon adventure, beating Gym Leaders and eventually the Elite IV, to prove your worth.

It’s a great idea with a questionable execution, but it’s worth a try if you’re into the premise!

39. Pokémon Eclipse RPG

Another longtime childhood fantasy of mine was playing Pokémon together with friends.

I mean sure, you could always connect two GBAs together to battle and trade.

But I mean actually questing and catching Pokémon on the field with your peeps.

While Nintendo seems reticent to give Pokémon the online capacities it deserves, many fan projects like Pokémon Eclipse RPG offer exciting alternatives to the official games.

Just register and play in your browser. Maybe this will be the online Pokémon adventure to finally hook you.

Though if it doesn’t, keep reading!

38. Pokémon Emerald Kaizo

One of the age-old ways of breathing new life into an older game you’ve already played a couple of times is to make it incredibly hard.

That’s what Pokémon Emerald Kaizo is here for.

Creator SinisterHoodedFigure is famous for making great Kaizo(ultra-hard) versions of classic Pokémon games, and this Pokémon Emerald hack is easily the best.

The trainers are more aggressive, and their teams are stronger. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Prepare to face some extra-treacherous routes, and beware of increased ambushes by Team Magma and Team Aqua.

If you’re up to the challenge, this won’t disappoint.

37. Pokémon Pink

One of the most significant improvements introduced with Gen II was letting you choose your gender at the start of the game.

Pokémon Pink is a ROM hack of Blue that lets you venture through Kanto as Kris, the female protagonist from Pokémon Crystal, providing more representation and a new twist.

Jigglypuff, Pikachu, and Vulpix also replace the original starters, and the game features the newer Dark, Steel, and Fairy types.

36. Pokémon Polished Crystal

Speaking of Kris, Pokémon Crystal was the first Pocket Monster game I ever played. And I still look back on it fondly.

If you’re like me and want to re-experience the charm of gen 2, I recommend Pokémon Polished Crystal.

This ROM hack improves the base Pokémon Crystal game by making all 251 Pokémon catchable, introducing all new types up to Fairy, and even including the new Eeveelutions not originally present in those games.

If you like a challenge, I suggest you play it in the new Nuzlocke Mode.

35. Pokémon TPP (Red Anniversary)

Another minor improvement on one of the older Pokémon titles is Pokémon TPP (Red Anniversary), made in 2015 to commemorate the worldwide phenomenon that was Twitch Plays Pokémon the previous year.

This interesting Twitch channel lets players vote on commands to input into the game, requiring collaboration to lead the player character to become a Pokémon Master.

The original Pokémon Red took around 16 days to complete, but this beefed-up version with all 151 Pokémon available and stronger trainers made the stream last almost 40 days straight.

34. Pokémon Orange

Islands, archipelagos, and other places where people’s lives are directly intertwined with the sea are the most exciting to explore.

The same goes for the Orange Islands, part of the Orange Archipelago, which is located near Kanto in the Pokémon World.

Pokémon Orange is a Crystal ROM hack that lets you explore and discover the wonders of this region, as a kid from Valencia Island.

Tasked by Professor Samson Oak to bring him the mysterious GS Ball, you’ll catch Pokémon, fight baddies like Team Rocket, and enjoy the sea breeze.

33. Pokémon Little Cup Red

Placing semi-arbitrary limitations on Pokémon battles is one of the best ways to keep things interesting, rather than just riding Scizor and Salamence to victory.

Pokémon Little Cup Red is built on that idea, but extends it to the entire game, reducing every critter in the game to level 5 and replacing any that didn’t have an “infant form” with a similar creature.

This title will force you into a hardcore strategy game, as your Pokémon can’t win EXP and gain levels, or anything of the sort.

It’s a great challenge. But it’s not impossible, thanks to some slight balance changes and a massive extinction of Zubat in caves.

32. Pokémon Mega Adventure

One of the most popular Pokémon fan games in recent memory is Pokémon Mega Adventure, a heavily combat-focused experience that’ll put your Pokémon Trainer skills to the test.

It has minimal story, but it makes up for it with a massive roster of 721 Pokémon, working Mega Evolutions, and a beautiful graphical style based on gen 3 titles.

The Akito Region is also a beautiful place to explore, with a couple of jaw-dropping places that’ll leave you wanting more.

31. Pokémon Black (GEN I ROM Hack)

Easily the most unusual entry in our list, and one of the most bizarre overall, has to be Pokémon Black.

And to clarify, this is the gen I ROM hack, not to be confused with the official game of the same name.

This interesting hack was inspired by one of the first creepypasta stories ever, following a guy who buys a bootleg “Pokémon Black” GBC cartridge from a garage sale.

Little did he know of the dark secrets hidden within.

You won’t be reaching the Elite IV in this ROM hack. But it’s terrific if you’re looking for something unsettling or just odd.

30. Pokémon Ash Gray

For something less dark, let’s take a look at a Pokémon FireRed ROM hack that lets you relive Ash Ketchum’s anime adventure in game form.

This follows the anime’s story up to the Orange Islands, and rewards you for playing with his exact team setup whenever possible, though you don’t necessarily have to do it.

Many story events are waiting for you all around the region, which will remind you of different anime episodes, complete with the same characters and locales.

Also it replaces HMs with tools that Ash can carry in his backpack, rather than wasting party space on an HM slave.

29. Pokémon Flora Sky Story

Legendary Pokémon tend to be giant bad-ass OP beasts.

But what if we had something cuter?

Pokémon Flora Sky Story is an Emerald ROM hack featuring the adorable Shaymin as the main Legendary critter, hence the name.

In this game, you’ll be helping Shaymin stop Groudon and Kyogre from destroying the world.

This hack includes 386 total Pokémon, featuring everyone from the fourth and fifth generations.

There are also plenty of mini-games, daily events, and a day/night system to keep things fresh.

28. Pokémon MMO 3D

As a Pokémon and MMO fan, few things can get me more excited than connecting online with friends (or a bunch of strangers) to explore the world of pocket monsters together.

Many fan games are offering just that.

But Pokémon MMO 3D has them all beat in the graphics department. After all, it’s the only one to offer fully 3D graphics – and pretty good ones to boot.

Real-time battles are also a new concept that makes combat more dynamic, innovating rather than rehashing the same concept from the original games (like Nintendo does).

It gets updated pretty regularly, and you won’t have trouble finding someone to battle within seconds of logging on. Give it a try and see what you think!

27. Pokémon Glazed

At some point in our lives, we’ve all wished to the stars to bring the magic of Pokémon to our own, not-so-colorful world.

Well that’s exactly what’s begun to happen in Pokémon Glazed.

Regrettably, it wasn’t as awesome as we expected. And now you must adventure through the Tunod region in a bid to stop the impending disaster of dimensional collision.

This Emerald ROM hack also includes both Johto and the mysterious Rankor region, where you’ll find Pokémon from all around Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos.

26. Pokémon Blazed Glazed

If you liked Glazed, you should consider Pokémon Blazed Glazed as well.

This fork of the original Pokémon Glazed adds a lot. Like new moves from recent generations that were missing from Glazed.

It also overhauls rival trainer teams and pokémon movesets, aiming to provide a better learning curve.

It also adds two new Eeveelutions – Def-Eevee and Off-Eevee. They’re Eevee’s first evolution, and from there, they branch out into the rest of the well-loved critters.

Both hacks are currently being worked on and updated, so it’s up to you to choose which you like the best (or try playing both!)

25. Pokémon Saffron

Our next entry is the gorgeous-looking Pokémon Saffron, set in the Azira region during an event known as the “Great Migration”.

Once every decade, migrating Pokémon from all over the world pass through Azira at the same time, making it the most biodiverse place on the planet.

And giving Pokémon researchers like Professor Oak a lot to study.

As expected, he’ll need help in his endeavor.

So he recruits you, a local youth eager to set out on their Pokémon adventure. Isn’t that always the story?

South America heavily influences the region, and the Fakemon in the area & the story reflect its roots.

24. Pokémon Snakewood

If you liked the creepy nature of Pokémon Black, but would rather play a full game than an interactive horror story, Pokémon Snakewood is here to please.

This Ruby ROM hack takes place some years after the original Gen III storyline. Ff dax free download mac.

A lot has happened in just a few years – including a zombie apocalypse.

You’ll play as the younger sibling of the original main character, on a quest to find out their whereabouts and fight the spreading horror.

Keeping up with the decay theme, your starter options are the poisonous Paras, Koffing, and Baltoy.

There are also many new Fakemon to catch, new evolutions, and zombified versions of classic ‘mons.

23. Pokémon Dark Rising

If you’re the kind of person that can’t help but get sucked into incredibly long sagas like Game of Thrones or One Piece, you’ll fall prey to Pokémon Dark Rising in no time.

This fangame is heavily narrative-driven, and with time it has become the most extensive fan-made saga in the Pokémon universe.

It includes Dark Rising, Dark Rising 2, and Dark Rising: Order Destroyed.

While the story is fantastic, the gameplay doesn’t stay behind.

You’ll see Pokémon from most generations throughout your journey, and the addition of “Dream World” abilities is pretty neat.

22. Pokémon Gaia

I’ve always been interested in history and archaeology.

Places from times past are such a joy, which is why I love Pokémon Gaia.

This fantastic FireRed hack takes place in the storied region of Orbtus.

As the ancient seat of a long-gone civilization, the region is densely filled with hidden caves and ruined temples full of relics and mystery.

Other than the usual improvements like the addition of Fairy-type ‘mons, the game also features an in-battle Mega Evolution system, and lots of custom assets that set it apart from other hacks.

21. Pokémon Light Platinum

One of the single most famous GBA-era hacks is Pokémon Light Platinum, a modification of the original Pokémon Ruby.

It’s vaguely based on Pokémon Platinum for the DS. Which is obvious since Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus are the centerpieces of the story.

The game overhauls the Pokémon League by replacing all Gym Leaders and the Elite IV. A new concept for sure.

It also adds a Pokémon World Championship event after completing the League.

20. Pokémon Clover

The next hack is not for the thin-skinned. It includes some of the most offensive and politically incorrect jokes and references you’ll find in a Pokémon game.

It’s to be expected, considering this ROM hack of FireRed is based on the memes and culture of the infamous 4chan Pokémon imageboard.

In fact, the game is made by several users of the site’s / vp / board – the one dedicated to Pokémon.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, well I can’t recommend it enough.

With over 386 original fakemon and almost 70 hours of content to go through, this is a total blast.

19. Pokémon Fire Ash

We’ve already covered Pokémon AshGray, which let you play as Ash up to the Orange Islands.

But what lies beyond that for our Pallet Town boy?

If you wish to find out, you should play Pokémon Fire Ash.

This follows our anime protagonist on a massive adventure from Kanto to the Alola Region, including the Orange Islands and even the Battle Frontier.

With a staggering amount of over 50 gyms and over 800 different critters to catch, this will keep you hooked for days (read: months).

18. Pokémon Adventure Red

The Pokémon anime is amazing.

But there’s a wealth of Pokémon manga and novels released in Japan every year, and the Pokémon Adventures manga series is one of the best.

This FireRed hack endeavors to offer players a chance to play through its storyline, following protagonist Red’s journey from Pallet Town to the rest of the world.

It includes characters, scenes, and battles taken straight from the manga, which is pretty good.

With several playable characters, different outfits, a day/night cycle, and overhauled visuals, Pokémon Adventure Red is almost too good to be true.

17. Pokémon Theta Emerald RENEV

Pokémon ROM hack creators tend to pronounce their hacks “complete”, then reappear the next year with a new massive update because their OCD couldn’t let them ignore any shortcomings.

In the case of Pokémon Theta Emerald, there have been three entire releases.

Pokemon Rom Hack Creator Android

The original, the EX version, and now the RENEV version.

This latest installment showcases the most extensive Pokémon roster so far, along with new moves and features.

There’s a lot to talk about in this Pokémon Emerald ROM hack.

But my favorite aspect has to be the possibility of fusing pokémon, and the new forms for critters like Rotom and Deoxys.

16. Pokémon Sage

A lot of the most fantastic fan games in existence are, regrettably, still incomplete.

That’s the case with Pokémon Sage. But don’t let that keep you from trying their 10h+ demo.

This game takes place in the Urobos region, heavily influenced by Latin America.

The environments, lore, and even new Pokémon have clear roots in these culturally rich lands.

The game uses gen 5 as a base, but includes some new twists like Mega Evolutions.

15. PokeMMO

PokeMMO is just one of many Pokémon-based Massive Multiplayer Online games, letting players enjoy Pokémon Black, Emerald, and FireRed in the company of their peeps.

Of course, there’s online PVP. So you can show the world who’s boss if you need to.

An extensive collection of clothes and accessories is also available to make your character look super fly.

It gets regular updates, and there’s always someone to play with thanks to its enormous popularity.

Plus, the name pretty much gives it all away. If you’re into MMOs and into Pokémon, give this a whirl.

14. Pokémon Clockwork

Pokémon Clockwork is a fan game set in the mysterious Rosari region.

It’s full of diverse, breathtaking landscapes and many quests to boot.

The shady Team Epsilon is, as you’d expect, planning on using some ancient power for their benefit.

It’s up to you to stop their wrongdoing and save the Rosari region.

Other than that, you’ll get to catch pokémon from the first four generations and use them to beat a regular-size Pokémon League.

Altogether it’s around 40 hours of pure pokéfun.

13. Pokémon Godra

Customization is one thing Nintendo and Game Freak have focused on improving the most with the last couple of official releases.

Still, they never go past the aesthetic and into the gameplay.

Pokémon Godra revolves around the idea of choice, introducing several more RPG elements and a branching storyline depending on the decisions you make as you engage with the Godra region’s conflicts.

You can join the military, become a Safari Zone Warden, or even climb to the very top and enter the Elite IV.

Plus, you get a massive roster of 128 starters to choose from.

That’s almost as many as gen 1’s total Pokémon!

12. Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition

We started off our list with Pokémon TRE, a Gen I hack that let you play as a member of Team Rocket.

While that game is pretty good on its own, it isn’t the best execution of the “play as the villains” concept.

That would be Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition, a FireRed ROM hack with several higher degrees of complexity.

In this hack, you’ll see the seedy underbelly of the Kanto region and the thriving crime scene beneath the surface.

Sociopathic scientists and corrupt Gym Leaders are only some of the awful people you’ll get a chance to meet as you uncover the “true story” running parallel to Red’s original adventure.

And yes, you’re allowed to steal as many Pokémon as you wish.

11. Pokémon Planet

Yet another Pokémon MMORPG enters the fray, bringing with it a lot of the same charm features other options, but with a much larger scope.

The game aims to make all regions available for exploration, letting you catch critters from all generations in their natural habitat.

You can also participate in multiplayer events with friends or other random Trainers just like you.

You can play this game in your browser after a quick registration, so don’t pass it by without taking a closer look.

10. Pokémon Uranium

One of the most notorious Pokémon fan games is Pokémon Uranium, which got a lot of its fame from the intense campaign launched by Nintendo to erase it from existence.

Luckily, nothing ever truly disappears from the Internet.

It’s actually become much easier to get a hold of it.

With the graphics style of Gen IV and a total of 190 critters, including several new Fakemon and an all-star roster of the best official’ mons, Pokémon Uranium is one of the most polished and complete fan games you can play.

Other than that, it’s a pretty standard Pokémon adventure that’ll take you through the Tandor region, beating eight Gyms. Classic stuff we all know and love.

9. Pokémon Orange Islands

My all-time favorite FireRed hack is Pokémon Orange Islands, which follows Ash’s adventure through the Orange Archipelago, as seen on the anime series.

While many other fan creations explore this period in Ash’s life, none do so with as much love and attention to detail as Pokémon Orange Islands.

Believe me, there’s nothing quite like Team Rocket in this game.

While the game includes only the first 151 Pokémon, it does feature the updated type chart and Physical/Special/Status split.

It’s time to show the Orange Island’s four resident Gym Leaders who’s boss.

8. Pokémon Reborn

Another remarkably famous fan game is Pokémon Reborn, featuring Pokémon up to gen 7.

After picking from 21 starters, you’ll enter the Reborn region.

Here crime runs rampant, and society has fallen into disarray. Will you be the hero to bring peace to these lands?

This hack’s most unique aspect has to be the Field Effects present in most areas, which take the degree of strategics needed to win Pokémon battles up a notch.

It also features music from incredible composer GlitchxCity, which is simply fantastic and elevates the game to new heights.

7. Pokémon Rejuvenation

With the success of Pokémon Reborn came new inspiration and motivation for the team behind it to work on something new.

After a while, we got Pokémon Rejuvenation.

Set in the region of Aevium, the game showcases the local efforts to rebuild and improve after a terrible natural disaster devastated the area some years ago.

In this adventure you’ll have to take up arms – or rather, Pokémon – to protect your people and stop the sinister Team Xen from plunging the region back into chaos.

While the game looks just like gen 3, which I love, it includes Pokémon up to gen 7.

6. Pokémon Brown (2014)

Pokémon Brown is a hack of the original Pokémon Red, allowing players to visit the industrialized region of Rijon.

The industrialization process has given rise to five new elemental types: Gas, Sound, Wood, Wind, and Abnormal.

There are 73 new Fakemon that thrive in the area on top of Kanto’s 151.

Pokémon Brown was one of the first-ever completed ROM hacks. So it’s arguably part of Pokémon ROM hack history at this point.

But ther eis actually a much-upgraded version released by the original creator in 2014, so that’s the best version to snag.

5. Pokémon Prism

One of the main reasons Pokémon Brown got updated in 2014 was to make it compatible with Pokémon Prism, the sequel.

Picking up where Pokémon Brown left off, the game drops you on the new region of Naljo.

But it also lets you come back to Rijon after you clear the Pokémon League.

Getting some strong gen 2 vibes here…

Easily the most interesting additions are some areas that can only be explored by Pokémon, putting you directly in control of your team in a way reminiscent of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.

On top of the previous 225 Pokémon, there are 28 new ones only found in Naljo. Definitely a fan game everyone should try out.

4. Pokémon Showdown

If you’re into competitive play, I don’t have to explain what Pokémon Showdown is.

Pokemon Gba Rom Hack Maker

While not strictly a game, Pokémon Showdown probably has the largest playerbase. And is regarded as the best way to battle with random Trainers online.

What makes it so suitable for competitive play is that it follows tournament rules closely, and gives each Pokémon the same stats they have in the latest official game.

3. Pokémon Phoenix Rising

One of the most relevant Pokémon fan games nowadays is Phoenix Rising.

It takes place in the Hawthorne region, where you’ll be able to experience a relatively standard Pokémon adventure with a branching storyline depending on your narrative choices.

Besides making Pokémon a bit closer to a modern RPG, the game features new Mega Evolutions and even a new kind of critter – Relic Pokémon.

Relic Tyranitar is among the most bad-ass things I’ve seen in weeks.

If you’re interested, I recommend you give the development team a follow on their Twitter account. And keep an eye out for updates!

2. Pokémon Insurgence

I’ve spent years patiently waiting for Nintendo/Game Freak to get their act together and release a more “mature” Pokémon game for their older audiences.

Since that doesn’t seem like it’ll happen anytime soon, I’ve turned to fan games in my search for a gritty storyline – and that led me to Pokémon Insurgence.

I won’t spoil it.

But considering it involves cults and cruel experiments on Pokémon, you can look forward to a pretty dark narrative.

The game also introduces several new features such as Delta Pokémon, Armored Pokémon, in-depth character customization, and more.

1. Pokémon Revolution Online

It’s tough to pronounce the “best” Pokémon fan game, when there are so many great ones with different takes on what makes a Pokémon game fun.

Still, I can’t help but marvel at the polish and ambition put into Pokémon Revolution Online, which is both the best Pokémon fan game and the best Pokémon MMO.

Meet people, join or found a guild, and explore the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh while training your Pokémon together.

There are also mini-games and plenty of extra activities to keep you entertained whenever you’re not training your Pokémon.

Plus, it’s entirely free to play. So give it a try, not much to lose and plenty of Pokéfun to gain!

Pokémon Prism and Pokemon Prism redirect here. For the TCG mechanic, see Prism Star.

Jade redirects here. For the Key Item associated with Rayquaza, see Jade Orb.

ROM hacks, also known as hack games or ROM patches, are video games that have been edited or altered by enthusiasts. The hackers achieve this by changing the code of the Read-Only Memory of a published video game to create something new.

The core series Pokémon game system is considered very versatile and lends itself well to modification, giving hackers a lot of creative freedom together with a solid, well-tested game engine. These factors, as well as Pokémon’s notable popularity throughout the world, has lead to the creation of thousands of different games spanning multiple generations, ranging from minor adjustments to additional new features and, more and more frequently, entirely new fan-made Pokémon games. Though the core-series is by far the most popular series to hack, there are also many fan-created Pokémon games that do not use these as basis, and instead are, for example, modified versions of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series and Pokémon Conquest.

There is a distinction between ROM hacks and 'bootleg games'. These are unauthorised copies of published games which are sold to consumers, often flashed onto after-market game paks or game cards and lacking the official Nintendo Seal. However, since ROM hacks are often distributed over the Internet for free, they are regularly sold as bootleg games, usually against the hacker’s wishes. The reliability of these bootlegs are often poor, and has become such a problem that hackers have started to introduce warning screens into their games, cautioning users that if they paid for it, they may have been scammed.

• 3Game types
• 4Notable core series hacks
• 5Bootleg games

History

Early Pokémon ROM hacks date back to the late 1990s with modified editions of Pokémon Red. These were often relatively minor adjustments such as sprite or dialogue changes, and would generally follow the flow of the original game. These early ROM hacks were infamous for being particularly crude in nature, ranging from swapping Pokémon and human sprites around to replacing the dialogue with obscene text.

This trend continued until the release of Pokémon Brown by user Koolboyman in the early 2000s, one of the most notable Pokémon hacks in history. This was the first hack to completely re-invent the game, with a brand new region and completely new plot. Later editions included an expanded Pokédex (including Pokémon from Generations II, III and IV), additional dungeons and additional plot tweaks. It is one of the few completed hack games and was successful enough to warrant a sequel (Pokémon Prism, a Pokémon Crystal-based hack) and a Generation III version (Pokémon rijonAdventures) based on Pokémon FireRed.

Since Brown, Pokémon hacking’s notoriety has expanded exponentially, with developers creating many software tools for desktop operating systems to help create maps, edit sprites, graphics and even developing scripting languages specifically for the Pokémon game engine. It has also inspired many hackers to learn how to edit the games' assembly code directly (known as ASM hacking). Numerous hacks have been released, often using FireRed as a base, such as Pokémon ShinyGold, Pokémon Naranja and the Pokémon Ruby Destiny series, just to name a few.

There are many websites dedicated to Pokémon ROM hack development. Notable examples include Skeetendo, PHO and PokéCommunity’s ROM Hack section, the largest known English-language Pokémon ROM hacking community. Many of these sites hold award nominations and ceremonies to showcase some of the best talents of their community.

Legality

Nintendo is against the practice of ROM hacking and has taken action against it.^[1][2]

Game types

Pokémon ROM hacks tend to fall into five vague categories, though due to the huge versatility of the Pokémon engine, some hacks will transcend several categories at once.

Dex hacks

These hacks are designed to make all Pokémon available in-game, including starters, event Pokémon, game-exclusive Pokémon, and Pokémon that can only be obtained orevolved through trading, thus allowing the Pokédex to be fully completed in a single playthrough of the game. They are often, though not always, named by simply appending the size of the National Pokédex (depending on the generation) to the end of the base game's name, as in 'Pokémon Red 151' or 'Pokémon Emerald 386'. Such hacks will often not deviate too far from the official game story, and are often used in Nuzlocke runs and, more notably, for several runs in Twitch Plays Pokémon.

Hard Mode hacks

These hacks, such as Pokémon FireRed: The Hard Version and Pokémon Expert Emerald, also differ little from official game in terms of story. They instead have a significantly higher difficulty than usually experienced in regular Pokémon games. These types of games too are popular amongst Nuzlockers as an additional challenge on top of Nuzlocke rules. Many fans see Pokémon Black and White 2’s Challenge Mode as an acknowledgement of these hacks, though no official link has been made.

ROM bases

These hacks are often designed to be used as a base for other ROM hacks, and often include major revisions to the game’s base code through ASM hacking to add new features such as additional types or a completely re-vamped tileset. Notable features include the introduction of a playable female character into Pokémon Gold, the addition of a Physical/Special split and the real-time clock into Pokémon FireRed, which gives way to a full Day/Night system, a feature that was missed by many fans in Generation III.

Another noteworthy feature is the development of the UPS format, which allows the expansion of Game Boy Advance ROM hacks from their original 16MB format to 32MB. This has the advantage of effectively doubling the space available for new maps and graphics, but means the game is only playable under emulation and will crash when played on official Nintendo hardware.

Language hacks

Since the core series games prior to Generation VI were regularly released first in Japan, sometimes months ahead of their international releases, amateur enthusiasts would often translate Japanese-language Pokémon games into English and other languages so they could be played by international audiences. Since the translation was often performed by one or a small group of people, the quality of these translations were often dubious to say the least, the most humorous example being Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal. Nonetheless, these hacks were generally translated well enough to be played and were very popular amongst YouTubers.

In recent years, the core series games have begun releasing simultaneously around the world in more languages and as a result the need for language hacks has somewhat diminished. It does still happen for languages that the Pokémon games are not yet available in, most notably Chinese prior to Generation VII.

Full/complete hacks

These hacks are complete overhauls of the games, with new characters, plots, regions and features. They often overhaul the game’s graphics, incorporating those seen in later generation games including battle backgrounds, sprites and map tiles. They will regularly include Pokémon, moves and types from later generations, and will sometimes include brand new ones created by the hacker. Some hacks, such as ShinyGold and LiquidCrystal, are remakes of entire previously-released games, in the same way that FireRed and LeafGreen were remakes of Red, Blue and Yellow.

Because of the extraordinary amount of work involved by a voluntary hacker or hacking team, few of these games are finished in their entirety and are usually playable in the form of a beta. Most of the notable hacks below are considered to be part of this category.

Notable core series hacks

With the release of easy-to-use hacking tools for the core series games, there are thousands of ROM Hacks available. What follows is a few notable examples, each with a brief explanation.

Pokémon ShinyGold

'Pokémon ShinyGold' was a Generation IIIremake of Gold and Silver using the Pokémon FireRed engine, echoing how FireRed is a remake of Pokémon Red. Whilst not the first of its kind, it is amongst the most well-known Generation III hacks, despite it never leaving the beta stage. It is also one of the most illegally sold ROM hacks, with many bootleg versions of ShinyGold available as pre-patched ROMs or flashed game paks. ShinyGold's creator, username Zel, included a warning in later editions warning users about this problem and to demand their money back if they had paid for it.

ShinyGold is one of a number of Generation II remakes developed by hackers. Other examples include Pokémon LiquidCrystal and Pokémon CrystalDust, both of which include expanded areas and features, amongst others.

Pokémon Ruby Destiny Series

'Pokémon Ruby Destiny' is a popular series of games based on the Pokémon Ruby engine created by PokéCommunity user destinedJaGold. The series consists of three completed games: Reign of Legends, Rescue Rangers and Life of Guardians. This series is of particular note, as it is one of the longest running completed hack series available, particularly for its in-depth gameplay and plot. It, like other popular hacks, has even drawn interest from Let's Play creators. The series is also known for incorporating the Fairy type into the Generation III game engine, as well as a user-created 'Chaos type', alongside several user-created Pokémon (known as 'Fakémon' among fans).

A fourth game in the series, Broken Timeline, was in development and would've involved the Eon duo, Latias and Latios, but development for the game has since been cancelled due to destinedJaGold losing interest after going through several plot changes to the story and never getting past the beta stage, and since been done with ROM hacking in general.

Moemon

'Moemon' (short for 'Moekko Monsters', 萌え擬人化 ) is a prominent hack of Pokémon FireRed that changes all Pokémon into gijinka. It is a simple change of FireRed, but with additions such as the ability to catch the three starters, Eevee, and a mix of both LeafGreen and FireRed Pokémon (thus making it simpler to obtain all Pokémon). The game still receives a fair amount of attention, as a patch was released solely for the FireRed hack that updated both the sprites of the Pokémon as well as their menu sprites, functioning like DLC would for any game.

A ROM hack of Emerald has been released as well. Like the FireRed hack, it's a simple change of Emerald, replacing all Pokémon with ginjika counterparts, however, a few aesthetic changes have been applied to both Route 101 and Littleroot Town, adding many puddles to the town, and the Oran Berry has, curiously, been renamed the 'Weed Berry', possibly for comedic effect.

Moemon received a short burst of fame when gaming site Kotaku posted an article about it in late 2007.^[3]

Pokémon Naranja/Orange

'Pokémon Naranja' is a Spanish hack of Pokémon Ruby in which the player plays as either Ash or Misty and travels around the Orange Archipelago. Naranja is a Spanish word which means 'orange'. Celebi appears as this game's mascot. This game is based on the Orange Saga in the anime. The game starts after the player had won the Indigo League. Despite this fact, the player starts with only a Lv. 5 Pikachu. Many characters, plots and events in the Orange Saga are included in the game, such as the GS Ball, Ash's Lapras, the Orange Crew, the Crystal Onix, the Golduck from Bye Bye Psyduck, and Ash's Snorlax. This game is particularly well-polished and features a completely overhauled graphical system, and well as many hours of playtime. Other anime-based hacks include the popular Pokémon AshGray, a FireRed-based game depicting Ash's journey through the Kanto region in the original series.

Pokémon TPP Version

Main article: Twitch Plays Pokémon/Season 2#R01: Pokémon Anniversary Red

'Pokémon TPP Version' is a hack of Pokémon Red created for the Season 2 opening run of Twitch Plays Pokémon and developed by users pigdevil2010 and EliteAnax17. The hack was based on an earlier Dex hack named 'Pokémon Red 151' by PokéCommunity user Blue, which featured significant level increases across the game as well as making all 151 Pokémon catchable in the wild. On top of the previous changes, Pokémon TPP Version includes additional challenges and features, such as legendary Pokémon respawns, Gym Leader and Elite Four rematches with higher-level teams, and level 100 event battles with Professor Oak and the original Red from the first Twitch Plays Pokémon episode. It also includes the Battle Tent, a Battle Tower-like facility intended for players to earn money without having to repeatedly rebattle the Pokémon League.

This hack is notable as the first ever to be specifically designed for live broadcast, as well as the first to be designed for Twitch Plays Pokémon's unique play style. For example, Mew's cave (a new post-game bonus dungeon accessible from the area of the S.S. Anne after pushing the infamous truck) is filled with numerous holes, making it not too difficult to navigate for a single player but extremely challenging with hundreds or thousands of players controlling the game at once. The game took 39 days in total to complete, with the patch only released after the Twitch community's completion. It is also one of the very few hacks that have been released on a physical cartridge with the hackers' permission as part of a community-led project.

Bootleg games

Whilst technically-speaking these are modifications of published games, the ROM hacking community generally considers these more as 'bootlegs' rather than ROM hacks. The main difference being these games were likely designed to trick players into thinking they were official for monetary gain, something which most ROM hackers actively try to avoid. These games were often flashed to third party game paks and sold illegally. Below are some notable examples.

Pokémon Diamond and Jade

Pokemon Ds Rom Hack Maker

Possibly the most well-known bootleg 'Pokémon' games are the notorious Pokémon Diamond and Jade (not to be confused with the official Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl). These games are knock-off versions of the Power and Speed Versions of Keitai Denjū Telefang, respectively, which were only released in Japan for the Game Boy Color on November 2000, a year after Pokémon Gold and Silver and a month prior to Pokémon Crystal.

Pokémon Jade is sometimes found on the same cartridge as an illegally produced Pokémon Crystal cartridge but could also be found as a standalone cartridge. It was also mentioned in the Pokémon.com mailbag in 2003 as 'the bootleg and illegally produced Pokémon Jade'.

These bootlegs had numerous bugs that the real games did not have, such as the inability to load a save file properly. The game also contains broken English, profanity, and swearing, which is absent from all official Pokémon games licensed by Nintendo, with the British Gaming Blog describing the additions as 'a healthy dose of Engrish and plenty of swear words.'^[4]

The real Telefang games do share conceptual similarities with the real Pokémon games. Whereas in the core series Pokémon games, players take the role of a Pokémon Trainer who travels through a specific region of the Pokémon world to obtain or catchPokémon in Poké Balls and send them out for battles, in the Telefang games, players take the role of a T-Fanger who travels through the Denjū World to befriend creatures called Denjū and have them battle each other using a device called the D-Shot. However, unlike Pokémon, Denjū themselves have a D-Shot and call each other to battle. Other similarities between the two game series can be seen in the mechanics of each: the creatures in both share common stats such as HP, Attack, Defense, and Speed; both series have moves or attacks in common, like どくばり (Pokémon, Telefang), とっしん (Pokémon, Telefang), かえんほうしゃ/カエンホウシャ (Pokémon, Telefang), or じしん (Pokémon, Telefang), and both series also have natures for their creatures (Pokémon, Telefang), though the effects of moves are not necessarily the same in every case, and natures work differently.

Pokémon Diamond 2 and Jade 2

Similar to the first fake Diamond and Jade games, Diamond 2 and Jade 2 were hacked from Keitai Denjū Telefang 2. Also, like Diamond and Jade, the Power Version of Telefang 2 became Pokémon Diamond 2, and the Speed Version became Pokémon Jade 2. They are in Chinese, and their title screens have been altered to feature official artwork of Ethan and Kris from Pokémon Crystal along with the character Dragon from the film Shrek (possibly due to her superficial similarity to a Charizard). The similarities between the title screens of this and the original Diamond and Jade (as well as the fact that they have Pokémon names in the first place) suggest that these may be made by the same people. Diamond 2 crashes after the title screen, making it unplayable without a save state, and Jade 2 has graphical bugs. There is also a poorly translated English version of the Power Version of Telefang 2 called 'Pokémon Ruby', which has no relation to the real one.

Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal

'Pocket Monsters Crystal Version' (popularly known as Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal) is a bootlegged version of Pokémon Crystal. Translated from the original Japanese to Chinese to English (and allegedly sold in Vietnam, giving the bootleg its popular name), the dialogue in the game (now Engrish) is often nonsensical and unintentionally humorous. All Pokémon, character, and location names are similarly badly translated, often resembling romanizations of Chinese transliterations of the Japanese names. The translation is so poor that the game has achieved a cult status, and is the subject of many popular Internet memes. It was made popular by various 'Let's Play' video series on YouTube, with the most notable one being by DeliciousCinnamon. Another well-known playthrough is the one by Twitch Plays Pokémon.

Pokémon Adventure

'Pokémon Adventure' is a bootleg of 'Sonic Adventure 7', which itself is a bootleg Sonic game, for Game Boy Color. Pokémon Adventure is a platformer game in which the player plays as an anthropomorphized version of Pikachu. The only similarities the game has with Pokémon are the main character and the use of Poké Balls as a point system, similar to rings in the Sonic franchise. Many of the enemies do not resemble any Pokémon at all.

See also

External links

• Wikifang - A wiki about Telefang, the game that became Pokémon Jade and Diamond (includes information on the fakes)

References

1. ↑https://kotaku.com/another-pokemon-fan-game-says-nintendo-shut-them-down-1790360365
2. ↑https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150911/06482132220/nintendo-hates-you-massive-takedowns-youtube-videos-featuring-mario-bros-fan-created-levels.shtml
3. ↑Kotaku - Pokemon Dressed Up in Moe
4. ↑British Gaming Blog » Bizarre Bootlegs - The Lighter Side of Piracy (archived copy)