Well, you’ve just finishedPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverfor the 14th time in your life. Fantastic journey, beautiful region, and just a hint of a challenge (if you’renuzlocking, of course).But something is missing.
The Pokémon Company has never been famous for its storytelling ability. In fact, some of their best stories arose when they let other developers do the job: shout-out ChunSoft and Genius Sonority (Pokémon ColosseumandPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky).
Of course, whilePokémon Scarlet and Violetdid try and change up the formula a little bit, it was still pretty safe and didn’t stray too far from the tried and true methods. Methods which we’re all getting a little tired of. This isn’t to say thatevil teamslike Team Plasma and Galactic are a cop-out;it’s more about how they’re presented and what’s at stake.
10 Most Underrated Pokemon ROM Hacks You Need To Play
Hidden gems that are well worth checking out.
So if you’re cravinga little bit more of an interesting storyin your Pokémon games, check out these ROM Hacks. Once you’ve tried them, you can never go back.
Some of these are actually “Fan Games”, made using other software like RPG Maker rather than Rom Hacks, but they’re just as relevant.
8Pokémon Adventures: Red Chapter
From Book To Screen
Aethestode
Download Link
If you’re looking for something different, then Pokémon Adventures is a perfect place to begin. Instead of following the generic Pokémon formula, this entire ROM hack is instead based on the Pokémon Adventures Manga, which is a brilliant read if you haven’t gone through it already.
This story is a lot darker and more convoluted than your normalMainline Pokémon adventure, however, so be prepared for some fascinating character developments and twists and turns. Watch out for Team Rocket! They’re a lot more deadly now.
While you may still be in Kanto, you’re going to run into a lot more characters, some you might remember from watching the original TV show back in the day. And of course, they have a lot more to say now. You even get to visit the Orange Islands! If you’re new to the hacking scene, this is a great place to start.
7Pokémon Gaia
The Earth Shifts
Spherical Ice
After that radically different experience, fancy something a bit more grounded? Well, Pokémon Gaia is about as close to a proper Pokémon game as you may get. The writing isn’t too edgy, yet the New Elders will certainly give you a run for your money.
This game focuses on a series of seismic events that are happening all around the Orbtus Region. Naturally, it’s up to you and your allies to find out what’s happening and put a stop to it once and for all.
If you enjoyed the Regi puzzles from Generation 3, then this game is right down your street. It gives the Regi Trio a huge part to play, making them crucial parts of the story. This archaeological aspect is really emphasized during this ROM Hack, filling the world full of detailed history and underground mysteries just waiting to be uncovered.
6Pokémon FireRed: Rocket Edition
A Life Of Crime Awaits
ColoneIsalt
Ever wanted to be a part of the famous Team Rocket? Of course you have! You almost had the chance on Nugget bridge years ago, but GameFreak didn’t let you. A shame, I know. But here’s your opportunity in FireRed: Rocket Edition.
Pokemon Fire Red Rocket Edition Walkthrough And Guide
Who wants to walk the straight and narrow?
This hack takes place at the same time that the original game is happening, with story events unfolding simultaneously as you look at the world from the other side of the glass. The events that take place flesh out the fairly lacklustre story of the original Kanto games, adding far more depth to theGym Leaders and charactersthat you encounter.
Of course, to fully enjoy the experience, you’re going to leave your moral compass behind and get used to stealing other people’s Pokémon. I mean, come on, you’re a part of Team Rocket now. Best play the part!
5Pokémon Uranium
A Radioactive Adventure
JV & Involuntary Twitch
Uranium certainly has a lot of controversy surrounding it, mainly due to how the main team removed it from the internet, seeing as though Nintendo was removing other similar fan games at the same time.
But of course, it got all this attention for a reason. Uranium is a highly polished game, full of a host of brand-new Pokémon never seen before. The story here is pretty wacky, focusing on nuclear events, corrupted Pokémon and, of course, a great peril that threatens the entire region of Tandor.
Naturally, if you suspend your disbelief and try not to think too much about the Chernobyl show you watched a few years back, this game is a great time. And if you play to the very end, well, it may just bring a tear to your eye.
4Pokémon Rejuvenation
The God Within
Time to up the stakes. Cataclysmic Events? Check. Time travel? Check. All powerful teenagers against the world? Also check. Rejuvenation takes a lot of its inspiration from a game found later in this very list, yet it does well to develop its own identity.
While you may be doing things that you’re very much used to in Pokémon games, like battling gyms and facing off against the evil Team Xen, the story is the focus here, and Pokémon Rejuvenation has a brilliant cast of colourful characters to spice up the action.
If you want to be pulled into a dark and twisted world, where the troubled lives of its people are the focus, Rejuvenation is a great place to start. Not to mention, this game has some fantastic art and creative new Rift Pokémon.
3Pokémon Unbound
Legendaries Unleashed
If you love Legendaries, well, this is the story for you, my friend. Not only will you be battling Legendaries, but you’ll be stopping Hoopa and the evil Aklove, who seems hell-bent on using said Legendaries to cause chaos.
There are some brilliant cutscenes in this Rom Hack, which is pretty unusual for fan-made games. The level of polish on this title is truly second to none. In addition, the lore of the region is fascinating, mirroring the events ofPokémon X and Yand its ultimate weapon, but developing that idea even further.
What’s more is that the history isn’t just dumped on you at once, but paced out through the story alongside your gym quest and your development with the other characters. This makes the story far more digestible, especially for those who may be new to the ROM-hacking scene.
2Pokémon Odyssey
Down And Down, Into the Abyss
PacoScarso
Pokémon Odyssey just recently wrapped up development, and oh boy, does this game have quality in spades.
While in other titles, you may be used to solving minor problems, thrashing gym leaders and being the very best, here you’ll be given a very different type of story. Early on in your adventure, you’ll be drawn into the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, which is where you’ll spend the majority of your time.
The tree forms a kind of dungeon, with 8 huge floors filled with powerful Pokémon andskilled trainersfor you to defeat. The magic here is in the exploration and the different environments, which all tell their own story.
And that’s before we even get to the robots, gods, and aliens. Yes, you heard that right. I won’t spoil it here, but what lies ahead is a heartfelt story, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked. And, if you love double battles, well, this is going to be a winner for you!
1Pokémon Reborn
A World, Corrupted And Tarnished
Amethyst & Chasing Selene
I was pretty young when I first laid my eyes on this game. I had played so many original Pokémon titles, looking to capture the magic of Pokémon Colosseum, but nothing quite got it right.
Enter Pokémon Reborn. Half of the magic of this fan game is the world itself. You start in a broken-down city, a shell of its former self, full of crime, conflict, and grittiness. And instead of finding Pokémon normally by running around in caves in long grass, you find them in the city, each having their own little story before you become their friend.
10 Hardest Pokemon ROM Hacks Of All Time
Game Freak doesn’t make hard games, so allow the Pokemon community to test your mettle.
What follows is a huge, spiralling adventure that covers meteor strikes, cruel orphanages, tragic deaths, talking Pokémon, and even battling God itself (that’s Arceus, if you didn’t know). The characters are numerous, and the twists are shocking. And this title even has multiple endings!
While it may be a little edgy for some, this game is still a masterpiece. By the end of it, you’ll be so attached to the world and its characters that you may just have to play it all over again.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokemon Infinite Fusion Walkthrough
A guide to Pokemon Infinite Fusion, a fan made Pokemon game using the setting from FireRed and LeafGreen.
