The Pokemon journey is one which followers stay up for each time a brand new sport is introduced, even when latest titles haven’t at all times garnered widespread acclaim. Whereas the video games have strayed lately with new titles and mechanics, Pokemon video games are in the end consolation meals that many individuals stay up for consuming each few years. That stated, the principle tasks don’t at all times reach impressing everybody who has been alongside for the journey because the late Nineties; consequently, some followers have come ahead to create their very own video games.
Though Nintendo has, on a number of events, unplugged and halted the manufacturing of a number of tasks, many include new and thrilling options and mechanics that fully change the Pokemon sport expertise. As such, let’s spotlight a number of the coolest Pokemon ROM hacks.
This text highlights spectacular works that showcase their creators’ love for Pokemon, so it isn’t a standard suggestion checklist, and the rankings are comparatively arbitrary. Additionally, no hyperlinks.
Up to date November 6, 2025 by Mark Sammut: As we’ve largely already listed the greatest Pokemon ROM hacks, a particular part devoted to fangames has been added on the finish of the article. One particular title is highlighted, however it’s primarily a consultant of this facet of issues.
Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu GBA Model
Trendy Replace On A Traditional Method
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Kevin PokeFan
The Nintendo Change’s Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu may not be thought-about the greatest Pokemon video games of all time, however they’re nice throwbacks to the traditional Kanto-era video games. Fittingly sufficient, a ROM hack is out there that returns these titles to their roots; properly, to be precise, Pokemon FireRed.
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These Pokémon protagonists stand out for his or her age and maturity, providing tales and roles that transcend the traditional newbie coach.
The most important adjustments come within the type of trendy Pokemon, improved gameplay, and a few high quality of life adjustments. Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu GBA Model will not be in the end something too authentic and, for probably the most half, will in all probability solely be beloved by those that are already infatuated with the Change video games.
Pokemon Anonymous
A Darkish Change Of Tempo
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Wind1158
Though most tasks are introduced as stand-alone, some creators have crafted a sequence of video games that loosely join. Pokemon Anonymous is, technically, the third sport in a trilogy, with Resolute and Mega Energy popping out earlier than it. Nonetheless, the story is about in-between these two titles, so it isn’t the ultimate chapter within the saga. Extra importantly, gamers can simply choose to do that sport and largely ignore the opposite two, that are first rate however have fairly a couple of quirks that may make them irritating to sit down by means of at instances.
“Dark” Pokemon ROMs usually are not all that unusual, and loads of followers have put collectively tales which can be tailored for older gamers. Contemplating many creators probably fell in love with the franchise after they had been youngsters, the craving for a extra mature model that matches their present ages is sensible. That stated, simply because one thing is darkish doesn’t routinely make it good. Anonymous will not be excellent by any means, however it gives a comparatively refreshing try and shake up the formulation by shifting away from the street to the Pokemon League construction. As an alternative, the story follows a lady who’s attempting to flee from an empire, and issues get heavy and intense in a short time. The marketing campaign even goes by means of a time-skip.
Dragon Ball Z: Workforce Coaching
A Tremendous Saiyan Twist
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Z-Max
Now for one thing barely completely different, Dragon Ball Z: Workforce Coaching takes Pokemon Fireplace Purple and offers it a Saiyan-themed makeover. Combining two of the preferred Japanese anime properties of all time, Workforce Coaching drops gamers right into a world crammed with wild Nappas and Krillins; in truth, the sport has over 170 Fighters which can be simply ready to be caught. Whereas the sport largely performs out like a normal Pokemon title, it’s thrilling to move right into a Fitness center and discover Bulma armed with a Tremendous Saiyan 2 Gohan.
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Not like most of the greatest Pokemon ROM hacks which can be meant particularly for die-hard followers of Sport Freak’s franchise, Workforce Coaching is a type of uncommon instances of a challenge that may primarily be beneficial to individuals who love a very completely different IP. Contemplating great Dragon Ball RPGs usually are not plentiful, this hack may be one of many higher choices on the market for individuals craving one thing that’s not a combating sport. That stated, Workforce Coaching doesn’t change all that a lot past throwing in DB characters and strikes. In any other case, it is a fairly customary Pokemon expertise, together with a largely unchanged Kanto map and a storyline that doesn’t take full benefit of its chosen franchise. Nonetheless, as somebody who loves Dragon Ball as a lot as Pokemon, it is a combo made in heaven.
Pokemon Adventures Purple Chapter
Adapting The Pokemon Adventures Manga
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Aethestode
Though nowhere close to as mainstream because the video games or the anime, Pokemon Adventures is usually thought to be one of many franchise’s higher media. The manga tries to adapt the video games pretty precisely, fairly than utilizing them as a launching pad to inform Ash’s story. Every arc is known as after one of many essential titles and options completely different protagonists. If anyone is a reasonably massive fan of Sport Freak’s tasks, they need to check out the manga.
Because of the manga masking the video games, a ROM that adapts the previous may appear redundant on paper; nonetheless, Pokemon Adventures has a unique identity that units it aside from its inspiration. Consequently, Pokemon Adventures Purple Chapter is a unique beast than the unique video games, and it is without doubt one of the extra bold fan video games in the marketplace. It’s significantly darker than the usual entry within the franchise, reflecting the manga’s mature tone. To be truthful, the sport does have its share of juvenile humor, however numerous it’s pulled from the supply materials.
Pokemon Adventures Purple Chapter tells a fairly lengthy story that features two areas, together with introducing pretend Pokemon through the post-game. Whereas largely sticking to the manga, the sport additionally consists of some authentic content material, largely within the type of facet quests. The latter parts are fairly divisive, although. The fight will not be that far faraway from the bottom FireRed, however it’s largely serviceable.
Pokemon Mild Platinum
A Typical Pokemon Journey (& That Is A Good Factor)
- Sport: Pokemon Ruby
- Created By Wesley FG
Though the identify suggests the sport is about in Sinnoh, Pokemon Mild Platinum takes place in a wholly new area, Zhery. Boasting vibrant graphics, each Pokemon from Era 1 to 4, and new Gym Leaders and rivals to fight, the creation is a conventional tackle a Pokemon sport. It offers an evil crew, a League to beat, and a Pokedex to finish — all whereas being a standalone expertise.
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As Pokemon followers desperately look ahead to Gen 4 remakes, these titles is also in consideration.
The sport is a re-skin of Pokemon Ruby however takes parts from later Generations, such because the Distortion World and the Pokemon World Championship. It is an easy-to-play, visually stimulating expertise that followers unfamiliar with ROM hacks or fan video games ought to start with.
Pokemon One Piece
Catch All The Pirates & Marines
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Nosta11
Just like Dragon Ball Z: Workforce Coaching, Pokemon One Piece‘s enchantment lies within the surprising mash-up of two main anime/manga franchises. The adjustments on this sport don’t go too far past the addition of One Piece characters, though the story does throw out a couple of curveballs alongside the best way.
So, if anybody ever needs to journey by means of Kanto with the Straw Hats, Pokemon One Piece will scratch that itch. It is usually a fairly difficult sport, so gamers should earn the best to name themselves a Pokemon Grasp (or Pirate King). Just like the DBZ hack, this providing is only for followers of Eiichiro Oda’s manga, with the principle change being primarily the character swaps. The hack is entertaining, so long as anyone can inform their Zoros from their Sanjis. And, there are manner fewer great One Piece games than there are DBZ titles, so this ROM has arguably extra worth.
Pokemon Emerald Rogue
A Pokemon Roguelite
- Sport: Pokemon Emerald
- Created By Pokkabie
Occasionally, a ROM hack comes round that raises an necessary query: why does this not exist already and formally? Pokemon Emerald Rogue takes the franchise’s customary formulation and runs it by means of a roguelite filter, making a sport that simply works and is inconceivable to place down when you settle for its rhythm. The premise is easy: Go on repeat adventures to be able to get hold of all of the badges. Finally, you might be nonetheless striving to do the identical factor as another Pokemon sport, however Emerald Rogue shakes issues up by means of randomizations, restarts, and a consistently rising hub space that provides a enjoyable factor of development.
The ROM offers fairly a little bit of customization choices to assist cater the expertise to somebody’s liking, whereas nonetheless being primarily constructed on randomness (which drastically helps replayability). After choosing a Pokemon and leaving the hub space, you’ll drop into an overworld crammed with random routes, permitting you to battle trainers, catch Pokemon, and finally face a Fitness center Chief. When you lose, you come to the Hub with out your caught Pokemon and your authentic companion is lowered to their base stage. When you get hold of a badge, you possibly can both proceed or end the journey to finish quests and obtain rewards.
The repetition would possibly sound uninteresting, however Emerald Rogue correctly hastens the leveling-up course of.
Pokemon Recordkeepers
Effectively, Why Not Strive One other Pokemon Roguelite?
- Sport: Pokemon Emerald
- Created By Turtleye & Hedara
Nintendo and the Pokemon Firm ought to pay attention; clearly, there’s a longing for a well-done Pokemon roguelike, as each of those highlighted roms are addictive, novel, and simply plain outdated enjoyable. I would say in comparison with Pokemon Emerald Rogue, Recordkeepers is a bit messier, and its implementation of random parts is usually a contact extra irritating, at the least till you begin to perceive how all the things works. As Tiana, you’re a recordkeeper who goes into “tales” to successfully full challenges and defeat Pokemon. You have got a essential boss you might be in the end aiming for, however you largely go round combating enemies in an effort to be rewarded with new strikes, which you’ll be able to then equip to your three Pokemon.
A extremely cool idea is that Recordkeepers has an asymmetrical turn-based fight system, that means you possibly can swap between three Pokemon on the fly. The Pokemon are assigned to you relying on some selections you make earlier than getting into a map, so you do not get to select (however you’ve some selection).
Pokemon Celebrations
Nostalgia However Higher
- Sport: Pokemon Purple or Blue
- Created By CreamElDudJafar
The Pokemon ROMs that are inclined to get probably the most consideration are large tasks that create new tales or considerably revamp the fight system. Nonetheless, there’s something to be stated about releases that largely try to raise the vanilla video games, and Pokemon Celebrations is a fairly nice instance of one of these ROM. Fairly than utilizing Purple & Blue as a launchpad, the hack focuses on including quality-of-life enhancements to assist make these bona fide Sport Boy classics simpler to revisit practically three many years later.
If you’re not an enormous fan of Red & Blue, Celebrations might be not value a obtain since its worth is at the least partially decided by your nostalgia. Conversely, for those who grew up with the originals and are craving a replay, this ROM is a superb various to attempt, because it delivers a well-recognized expertise that also holds its share of surprises.
Pokemon Ash Grey
Ash’s Unique Journey
- Sport: Pokemon FireRed
- Created By Metapod23
Sport Freak’s Pokemon RPG sequence will not be the one a part of the franchise that holds a particular place within the hearts of thousands and thousands of individuals; the anime can be large. Within the late ’90s, Ash’s adventures helped introduce many youngsters to Japanese animation, and the unique sequence remains to be extremely regarded right now.
Whereas the games and anime share plenty of things in common, Ash will not be certainly one of them, at the least in relation to official releases. Ash Grey rectifies this by turning FireRed into an adaptation of the anime’s first season. The Pokemon ROM hack provides gamers the liberty to determine how devoted their journey is to the anime, though Ash Grey does reward those that willingly stroll in Ketchum’s footwear.
Sadly, Ash Grey was by no means accomplished, so it simply type of ends through the Orange Islands arc.
