Pokemonmainline games are very iconic, and most of us are familiar with them. However, true fans have looked beyond the mainstream and have played several notable ROM Hacks. These ROM Hacks take several unique directions for Pokemon, which makes them worth trying.
Pokemon ROM Hacks are developed by fans, so we see many features in them that we wish existed in the main games. Imagine playing as a part of an evil team and causing chaos, or maybe a longer game with multiple regions is your type. They have been around for more than a decade, so a few recent ones are more polished.
10Pokemon Sword And Shield GBA
Reject Modernity
A lot of us adored the classic Pokemon games way more than the modern releases. They had a certain cozy vibe, which couldonly be enjoyed in pixelized graphicsand sprites, which we found cute.
Pokemon Sword and Shield GBA is a demake ROM Hack which completely reimagines the original game in classic style. You will meet characters in their small pixel sprites, and relive key moments in a format which you are deeply familiar with since your childhood.
9Pokemon Flora Sky
Sinnoh Meets Hoenn
Pokemon Flora Sky is a mash-up between the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, but it’s set entirely in the former. So, in the legendary conflict, we have Kyogre and Groudon, along with Dialga and Palkia, responsible for all the chaos.
The ROM Hack also focuses on Shaymin, after all, it’s a floral Pokemon. You can also meet Pokémon up to generation five in their new sprite designs. It will keep you busy for a long time, as there are plenty of legendaries to catch once you beat the Pokemon league.
8Pokemon Ash Gray
Ash Makes His Debut In The Games
Red was the protagonist of Pokemon Fire Red, so many of us wished that it was Ash instead, especially those who watched the anime regularly. Pokemon Ash Gray relives the iconic moments of the anime and reimagines them in a classic Pokemon game.
To make your experience even more accurate to the anime, you can create thesame team that Ash hadby the end. You will also meet the quirky characters that Ash encounters in the anime, and they will even speak their specific dialects.
7Pokemon Ruby Destiny: Reign Of Legends
Darker Pokemon Ruby
Pokemon Ruby Destiny: Reign of Legends is another timeless classic Pokemon ROM Hack, especially if you are a beginner. It strongly mirrors the plot of the original game, but instead of a conflict between Team Magma and Team Aqua, we have a fight between Light and Darkness.
It may seem a bit cliche during the modern era, but if you like the classic Pokemon Ruby but want a slightly darker tale, then you should give this one a go. The Region is split into four regions, and navigating through them can be a bit confusing at times, but the ROM is built well.
It focuses strongly on Lugia, so if that’s your favourite Pokemon, then all the more reason to play it.
6Pokemon Light Platinum
Sinnoh In GBA Style
Pokemon Light Platinum features a fictional region called Zhery and heavily focuses on the Sinnoh region. There is a crisis with the Legendary Pokemon similar to the mainline games in the franchise, and an evil team called Team Steam is behind several incidents.
Pokemon Light Platinum is a classic ROM Hack which came out in the early days when they were still a new concept. It seems clunky now, and the quality of life features are outdated, but it’s still very praiseworthy, especially if you like the fourth generation of Pokemon, and want to see them in GBA style.
5Pokemon Ruby Destiny: Rescue Rangers
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Reimagined
Pokemon Ruby Destiny: Rescue Rangers works so well despite being a Pokemon Ruby hack. It captures the core gameplay of Pokemon Dungeon games, where, instead of conventional gym battles, you head out to rescue Pokemon.
If you loved the classic Pokemon: Red Rescue Team, and need an experience similar to it, you should definitely try out this ROM Hack. You are a human who has transformed into a Pikachu, and with your two friends, you form a team to save the Pokemon. You will also meet some notorious human characters, which set it apart from the standardPokemon Mystery Dungeon games.
4Pokemon Glazed
An Expansive Concept With Multiple Regions
Your journey doesn’t end after you explore a single region, as Pokemon Glazed features three regions to add a good chunk of content. It features Pokemon from Kalos, Sinnoh, and Unova regions, and you’re able to also capture Legendary Pokemon from these generations.
It also features Mega Evolution, which is ambitious to imagine in a classic Pokemon game. The Pokemon and Real world are two different dimensions in the game, which you will switch between.
3Pokemon Fire Red: Rocket Edition
Play As The Dark Side
Pokemon Fire Red: Rocket Edition is a fun ROM Hack, especially if you always wanted to be evil in the world of Pokemon. You don’t have to raise Pokemon as you may always steal the precious Pokemon from the trainers who worked so hard to make them stronger.
Since the game focuses on the dark side, you will see some mature plot elements and sinister schemes. There is a considerable amount of lore that you will discover as you progress through the main plot.
While the game focuses on Team Rocket, the Gym Challenges and Pokemon League are still there.
2Pokemon Radical Red
Only For The Most Daring Ones
The mainline Pokemon games alwayes lacked difficulty, which was an issue for players who wished to challenge themselves. If you are so daring, you should try Pokemon Radical Red, a Pokemon ROM Hack with harder battles and a lot of grinding.
You need to put a lot of effort into getting your Pokemon to have the right stats. To do that, you must be a veteran Pokemon player who possesses deep combat knowledge. The wits you gained over the years will help you play this hardcore version of Pokemon Fire Red.
1Pokemon Unbound
The Most Ambitious ROM Hack Ever Made
Pokemon Unbound is a fairly recent ROM Hack, so you can expect some polished mechanics here. If you preferred classic Pokemon games to be more story-focused back then, this will deliver just that.
It has some convenient features, such as adjusting your game’s difficulty and character customization. The game includes Pokémon up to the seventh generation, so you can experience modern Pokemon designs in a pixelized classic format.
It also includes minigames, which is an innovative concept for a Pokemon game.
