I’ve been playing around with the best Pokemon ROM Hacks for years now, and each of them never fails to surprise me or do something new. That’s all thanks to the incredibly talented Pokemon community who spend months, if not years building these incredible games in order to help players get through those rough times.
I've made a list of my favourites and the best ROM hacks the internet has to offer. Some have been tweaked slightly from the originals, while some feel like completely new games that could have been part of the official canon. So let’s dive into some of my recommendations!
You will find linked reviews to some of our favourite games for those of you wanting a deeper analysis when it comes to plotline and game mechanics, alongside a YouTube video that we have created that shows off the gameplay!
The only Pokemon ROM hack you need, it feels like an entirely new game, made by Nintendo themselves
The perfect ROM hack for those that love Pokemon FireRed, it adds a dark twist to an already perfect storyline.
A charming ROM hack with updated animations, a unique storyline and a selection of Pokemon from multiple generations
Best Game Boy Pokemon ROM Hacks
The original Game Boy only has a handful of great Pokemon ROM Hacks, but those that have been made are incredible and certainly worth playing.
And let’s face it, Pokemon started on the Game Boy so if you’re like me, it’s a must to delve into.
1. Pokemon Team Rocket Edition
- Enjoyable to see the darker side of Pokémon
- Comedic writing in the storyline
- Good gameplay length
- Gets repetitive very quickly
- Lacks depth at times
- Released: 2020
- Made By: Colonelsalt
- Our Review: Pokemon Team Rocket Edition Review
- Base Game: Pokémon FireRed
Imagine playing the classic Pokemon Red game but in Team Rocket’s shoes. Well, now you can because of the incredible Pokemon community! Technically Pokemon Team Rocket Edition is a remake of Pokemon FireRed, but that was a remake of Red, so I’ll let you decide on that one!
Pokémon FireRed: Team Rocket Edition is a tongue-in-cheek ROM hack that pokes fun at the story of Pokemon FireRed. It allows you to play as a member of Team Rocket, working your way up the team stealing Pokemon that steadily increase in power, It also shows off the real story of Pokemon FireRed by displaying new sides of characters like Professor Oak, Red, and Giovanni.
Fans of the original Pokemon FireRed who know the story inside and out will absolutely love seeing a fresh take on events and characters that recontextualize famous moments, and several moments will have you laughing out loud. There’s even a morality system - you may be a member of Team Rocket, but are you going to be a full-blown criminal, or are you starting to doubt the decisions that brought you to this point in your life?
You come across a wide number of fan-based conspiracy theories, you steal players’ Pokémon, and you come across some very familiar characters from a different perspective. This takes a classic game and flips it on its head. If you’re a fan of one of the best Gameboy Color games, I recommend giving this a go.
2. Pokemon Special Pikachu Edition
- Released: 2009
- Made By: Miksy91
- Base Game: Pokemon Yellow
One of the most loved Pokemon games of all time is Pokemon Yellow, so what better ROM hack to hop into if you’re a fan than Special Pikachu Edition?
But what’s different about this ROM hack? Well, first of all, Pokemon can learn up to 3 moves at level 1, making the gameplay faster and more entertaining at lower levels, alongside that there’s a total of 553 new moves featuring from all generations to be learned along your adventure.
There are extra routes and paths to explore throughout Kanto alongside more buildings to enter. Stores even have sales now making it harder to buy items more affordable. Gym Leaders and the elite four are more difficult to beat, making gamers focus on their team, their move sets, and what items to bring along with them. It’s the perfect ROM hack for retro gamers who want a challenge, Pokemon Yellow style!
Best Game Boy Color Pokemon ROM Hacks
1. Pokemon Prism
- Over 250 Pokemon from four different regions
- New type ‘sound’ is a great inclusion
- New side-scrolling areas add extra depth
- The inclusion of Gold Coins is great, but we’d love to have more of them
- Release Date: 2016
- Made By: Koolboyman
- Base Game: Pokemon Crystal
The storyline is based on a young kid playing on their uncle’s mine cart when it suddenly spins out of control and ends up in a brand new region called Naljo. This region is corrupt and you end up finding a lost Larvitar which helps you bring back Naljo to its good old ways.
This region is in fact far bigger than Johto, it features over 250 Pokemon from four different regions and adds Fairy, Gas, and Sound types of Pokemon which is awesome. Sound as a type is genius and why Nintendo hasn’t thought of it is beyond me!
Throughout your journey, and like in any other ROM hack, you’ll discover puzzles, new areas, legendary Pokemon, and these things called Gold coins which allow you to unlock some really cool stuff. There are only 80 in the whole game, so spend them wisely! If that wasn’t enough this game adds crafting, new mini-games, and side-scrolling areas to make it completely different from other competitor ROM hacks!
2. Pokemon Crystal Clear
- Release Date: 2017
- Made By: Shock Slayer
- Base Game: Pokemon Crystal
What could be more crystal clear than this? Do everything from customising your character to visiting gyms in any order and re-challenging leaders once defeated. With 16 badges to collect and the ability to start your adventure in either Johto or Kanto, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.
Oh, and you can choose from 24 different starter Pokemon too. Sometimes too much choice is a bad thing, but this gives you 24 different ways to play! I’m all for it! Plus you can spend your hard-earned cash on houses now too. It’s Pokemon meets Monopoly!
3. Pokemon Dark Energy
- Release Date: 2014
- Made By: Miksy91
- Base Game: Pokemon Silver
Pokemon Dark Energy is a GBC ROM hack with gothic vibes and a new twist to the story. There’s no need to fight to become the champion in this game. Finally, you can take a step back and not worry about becoming the best for once.
Instead, players follow an RPG-esque storyline and must tackle side quests and take part in active battle modes. Trade evolutions happen via leveling up instead of messing around with link cables or WiFi trades, and players can make other Pokemon evolve by doing specific missions. It’s Pokemon Silver, but as you’ve never seen it before!
4. Pokemon Bronze
- Release Date: 2012
- Made By: Freako
- Base Game: Pokemon Gold
We all know about Kanto and Johto, but have you ever considered taking a holiday to Kohto? Oh yes, we’ve got a mash-up on our hands. There are 9 regions to visit in this new game, and you can head back to Kanto via a tunnel and check out the old areas instead.
Bronze usually comes before Gold and Silver in the medal rankings, but this time Pokemon Bronze comes after the original GBC games, bringing new challenges and a harder adventure to tackle. Thwart Team Rocket in cartridge town, picking from Totodile, Pichu, or Charmander as your starter Pokemon!
5. Pokemon Perfect Crystal
- Release Date: 2019
- Made By: SuperEgz
- Base Game: Pokemon Crystal
This is a subtle hack but one that makes Crystal a much better game to play. Having that run button makes things move much quicker (obviously). Glitches are gone, and all of the game’s 251 Pokemon are available to catch.
What’s more, you can now catch all three of the Johto starters early in the game and all the Kanto games by the middle of the adventure. What with that and the time of day adjustments, this makes for an interesting change that keeps fans on their toes. Like I said, we're talking about subtle differences, but a great mod that all Poke fans should check out, especially if you’re a fan of Pokemon Crystal!
Best Game Boy Advance Pokemon ROM Hacks
The Game Boy Advance has the widest selection of Pokemon ROM Hacks, from completely new games to slightly modified originals that keep that sense of nostalgia from their parent titles.
We’ve tested a handful of the very best, some even being better than some of the original games! These are my personal favourites.
1. Pokemon Unbound
- Great story
- Wide range of Pokemon to catch
- Newer Pokémon mechanics mixed in very well
- The story can get a little convoluted at times
- Side-quests are great, but there’s a lot to of ‘back and forth’
- Release Date: 2020
- Made By: Skeli
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
- Our Full Review: Pokemon Unbound Review
Pokemon Unbound isn’t just one of the best Pokemon ROM hacks - it’s one of the best Pokemon games ever. It features an entirely new region built from the ground up, with Pokemon from across the first eight generations of the game. Its developer Skeli didn’t stop there though, adding a full (and extremely sprawling) story to the game, dozens of post-game encounters, and a full side-quest system that can add dozens of hours to your already substantial playtime.
Oh, and there’s also every major mechanic from the first eight generations in the game. That means there are several Dynamax encounters where you can catch powerful Pokemon and also several Mega Stones that can facilitate Mega Evolutions for your team, allowing for a fairly hefty degree of strategy and diversity in your game.
The world of Borrius takes the stage in this game. I know it sounds a little like the world’s worst superhero name, but stick with me because it’s a great region! Like so many titles in this list, Unbound uses FireRed as a basis for its gameplay. You can pick from tonnes of different characters, and costumes, customising your trainer to your heart’s content.
There are 80 missions to complete and everything just feels fresh compared to the tried and tested formula. Even the way you collect HMs has changed, and it just works!
2. Pokemon Radical Red
- Release Date: 2020
- Made By: soupercell
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
- Our Full Review: Pokemon Radical Red Review
Eagle-eyed readers will already know all about Pokemon Radical Red after reading our list of the best Pokemon Radical Red cheats. I’m not saying that cheating is the only way to play this game, but it certainly makes things a lot more exciting! And, the ROM hack is a little difficult, so we’re not going to hold it against you if you do cheat!
Pokemon Radical Red is probably one of the most famous games on this list, as it’s led to a long list of copycats and games trying to mimic what it did. At its core, Radical Red is a difficulty hack: it’s all about making it so that your actions in battles actually matter rather than just being a brief hindrance if you mess up.
It also uses the Complete FireRed Upgrade engine, an engine that allows for mechanics, moves, and Pokemon going all the way up to Generation 9. This allows for an incredible amount of team diversity over time, Sure, you CAN just have a team of your favorite Pokemon, but you’re going to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter, so you absolutely have to keep in mind Hidden Abilities and Pokemon typing when you’re building your team for any given specific battle, or you’ll lose over and over again.
Like several other hacks on this list, Radical Red also features Dynamax and Mega Evolution as mechanics, which can allow for a brief detour from the overall story (which hasn’t changed much in the slightest and is almost identical to FireRed itself), and allow you to play with some of the most overpowered Pokemon ever (Mega Alakazam, I love you).
One new feature that I love in this ROM hack is the Pokenav – it’s a little device that works like your favourite Maps app on your phone and helps you find the best Pokemon for the job! For all fans of FireRed that wished it was a little harder and a little more ‘Radical’, then give this hack a go!
3. Pokemon Light Platinum
- Release Date: 2012
- Made By: WesleyFG
- Base Game: Pokemon Ruby
- Our Cheats List: Best Pokemon Light Platinum cheats
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire was a classic for the Gameboy Advance and sold over 16 million units, which just goes to show how good it was. If you’re looking for a game that’s based around that incredible game then Pokemon Light Platinum is the one to go for.
This Pokemon ROM Hack allows you to travel across not one, but two regions known as Zhery and Lauren. WesleyFG, the legend behind this ROM hack has also added in new leaders, the Elite Four, rivals that you may remember, and a boatload of Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. That’s a lot of Pokemon!
If that wasn’t enough, this game allows you to travel across new dimensions, catch every single legendary Pokemon up to Unova and it features a huge final event called the Pokemon World Championship.
This event rounds of the game nicely and makes you feel accomplished once completed. This is one of the best Pokemon ROM Hacks for those of you who love Ruby & Sapphire!
4. Pokemon Gaia
- Release Date: 2018
- Made By: Spherical Ice
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
- Our Cheats List: Best Pokemon Gaia cheats
It seems the Pokemon community really likes FireRed hacks, and this is another one, just with a much bigger “twist” than most.
The ROM hack starts with Professor Redwood noticing an increase in the region’s seismic activity and asking local Pokemon trainers to figure out why. This game introduces new Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and even Kalos, making your team a huge mix from all generations. With that comes the ability to teach them modern-day abilities and even mega-evolve them in battle.
This ROM hack updates all of the sprites, moves, HMs, trainers, and building illustrations too, giving it a slightly different look compared to other FireRed hacks. One of my personal favourite additions is the fact you can climb walls, and even discover underwater regions too!
5. Pokemon Glazed
- Release Date: 2015
- Made By: Redriders180
- Base Game: Pokemon Emerald
There’s a reason that Pokemon Silver/Gold are two of the most beloved Pokemon games ever made, and part of it is down to the fact that trainers can explore two different regions. Sixteen different Gym leaders meant dozens of hours of content, and Pokemon Glazed is a ROM hack that wants to emulate that. It features two and a half regions, allowing players to explore the brand-new Tunod region, a redesigned Johto region, and a smaller area named the Rankor Archipelago.
The game itself offers access to Pokemon from generations up to and including Generation Six, new Pokemon known as ‘Dream World’ Pokemon, five different starters, all legendaries from Generation 1 to Generation 4, along with several with Generation 5, and even the ability to travel across two different worlds. But saying any more about that last one would ruin the surprise of playing the game, so we’ll keep quiet there.
Finding Pokemon Glazed, however, will have to be up to you. The game was pulled from various sites after DMCA claims were issued against it and several other fan games. It’s still out there, especially if you know where to look, and it’s still worth playing, though.
6. Pokemon Adventures Red Chapter
- Release Date: 2013
- Made By: Aethestode
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
Pokemon Adventures Red Chapter is similar to Pokemon Ash Gray in that it follows the story of a different piece of Pokemon media. In this case, however, it’s the lesser talked about Pokemon manga that the game follows, bringing with it some really interesting changes and a story that you likely won’t be able to guess the direction of at any given time.
But what of actual gameplay changes? Well, there are a lot of really interesting ones: there are two different regions to explore, several ‘FakeMon’ (and all the real Pokemon that you’ve come to expect from hacks like this), and two different rivals that really serve to challenge you to the best of your abilities, and one really key feature: a much higher level cap.
Instead of capping out at level 100, as you’ve come to expect from Pokemon games, the cap is now level 255. This leads to a LOT of changes throughout the game: you now don’t really know what your Pokemon stats will end up being, moves can take longer to learn, and evolutions happen at different times, completely changing the strategy of the game.
7. Pokemon Dreams
- Release Date: 2020
- Made By: MonopolyRubix
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
Pokemon Dreams is an interesting hack. It’s set in the region of Solda, a completely new region to this hack, and features a full set of eight gyms, a Pokemon league, and a pretty decent postgame. In addition to that, not only is every Pokemon going up to Generation 7 available, meaning you can really build your ideal team, but there are also several ‘FakeMon’ in the game, which adds another degree of strategy to the game and a learning curve where you have to work out exactly what situations these new Pokemon are good for.
A really cool quality-of-life feature that this hack adds is that trainers no longer use healing items in battles. In harder hacks, this can be something that is the difference between winning or losing, and it can be extremely annoying to work your way through a fight only to have to do it all over again thanks to a full restore. Here, you simply don’t have to worry about that, which takes some weight off your mind as you’re planning strategy.
8. Pokemon Ultra Violet Version
- Release Date: 2013
- Made By: LocksmithArmy
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
Once you’ve seen the GBA logo on the side of the cover art, you’ll immediately know that this is another Pokemon FireRed ROM hack. But what I love about this one is that you can actually get every single Pokemon from the first 3 generations with just one play-through and no messing around trading!
There’s also a really cool feature where players can choose to catch their own Pokemon in a Safari Zone instead of taking one of Prof Oak’s starters. That means you can start off playing with a completely new Pokemon rare to the series. Players can get both fossil and fighting Pokemon in this game too, not having to choose between Omanyte and Kabuto or Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan.
9. Pokemon Flora Sky
- Release Date: 2010
- Made By: Sky
- Base Game: Pokemon Emerald
Pokemon Flora Sky starts off with a battle between the legendary Pokemon Dialga and Palkia. Once the epic battle has finished they leave behind an open portal between the Town World unleashing Giratina into the region which comes with a lot of problems.
It’s your job to close the portal before it’s too late, all while training your Pokemon and coming up against Team Magma and Aqua who are trying to catch legendary Pokemon to take over the world. The ROM hack features a never-before-seen before storyline and new events featuring a wide number of legendary Pokemon such as Mew, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Shaymin, and more.
The world is filled with over 380 Pokemon for you to catch, new mini-games, new moves, items, HMs, and a wide number of new characters that you’ll come to love/hate. They have even added a day/night system that triggers events based on the time and location you are in, making the game feel random in a very natural way.
10. Pokemon AshGray
- Release Date: 2017
- Made By: Metapod23
- Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
If you’re a fan of Pokemon, you more than likely enjoy the Pokemon anime. Ash’s journey is what got a lot of fans into the world of Pokemon in the first place, and Pokemon AshGray allows you to actually play through those events. This ROM hack adds a ton of events from episodes of the anime, and also rewards you as a player for remembering what Ash did in each episode of the anime. As an example: Ash famously freed his Butterfree so that they could find love. If you don’t have a Butterfree in your team then it’s no problem, but if you do then you can encounter an event related to that episode and free your Butterfree, and that’s only one of several events the hack adds.
It is worth remembering one thing: Pokemon Ash Gray hasn’t been updated in quite a while and is unlikely to be updated anytime soon. The game was last updated in 2015, and after over a decade of inactivity, it’s worth knowing that going into the game.
11. Pokemon Emerald Kaizo
- Release Date: 2017
- Made By: SinisterHoodedFigure
- Base Game: Pokemon Emerald
The concept of ‘Kaizo’ was first introduced in a Super Mario World ROM hack, and is essentially an extremely hard version of an already existing game that manipulates mechanics in order to make the game almost impossible to beat, and Pokemon Emerald Kaizo Youreally lives up to that description.
Pokemon Emerald Kaizo completely stops you from using items during battle, changes the movesets of most battles, upgrades the AI of boss trainers, and more all in an attempt to make the game as hard as possible. In an attempt to balance this, however, it’s now possible to catch over 350 Pokemon and add them to your team, and you’ll NEED a wide amount of type coverage if you even have a prayer of making it to the Elite Four.
Best Nintendo DS & 3DS Pokemon ROM Hacks
Like the Game Boy Advance, there are a lot of DS ROM Hacks available to sink your teeth into, so we’ve picked a few to feature here. Still, it’s worth visiting our Best Pokemon Nintendo DS & 3DS ROM Hacks article for a deeper dive. In the meantime, here are my top 5.
1. Pokemon Phoenix Rising
- Boasts a more traditional RPG theme
- Modern-graphics with incredible levels
- Currently unfinished
- Release Date: 2016
- Made By: Gav
- Created Using: RPG Maker XP/Pokémon Essentials.
Phoenix Rising is a free fan-made episodic Pokémon RPG developed using RPG Maker XP and the Pokémon Essentials engine.
The game is set in a new region known as Hawthorne and boasts changes to the original main-series Pokémon formula to include a more traditional RPG theme as well as many new features. The time, and effort put into this is beyond incredible and the team behind it should be very proud.
It looks like a completely new game, and you could probably tell us Game Freak developed it themselves, and I’d believe you! The graphics and overall look is based on the Nintendo DS, so it looks far more modern than most on this list.
This ROM hack features a wide number of cool things, for example, there are choice-determined gameplay moments, character customisation, skill trees, and multiple save files. But the best bit comes with mega evolutions, region evolutions, and relic forms too! For example, there’s Mega Arcanine, Ho-Oh Arisen Form, Mega Flygon, Relic Tentacruel, and more, all waiting to be captured!
The only downfall with this one is that it’s fairly new, and only episode 1 has been launched, so as soon as you start to get addicted, you then realise there’s not another episode out yet. The team behind it is working on more episodes, but as with any ROM hack, they don’t get paid to do it, so this will launch when and if it gets finished.
2. Pokemon Renegade Platinum
- Release Date: 2019
- Made by: Drayano
- Base Game: Pokemon Platinum
Pokemon Renegade Platinum is perhaps the best of the hacks made by beloved ROM hacker Drayano. Each of the developer's hacks adds a ton of new features to the game, and Renegade Platinum is no different.
While the game has several changes to the way that battles work in order to make the game more difficult (while still keeping everything feeling fair), the best features it adds are all quality of life-related. For example, it’s now possible to obtain all 493 Pokemon from Pokemon Platinum in the game, regardless of whether or not they were initially available through special events, and regardless of whether or not they were initially unavailable before the Elite Four. What this means is that you can take your ideal team through the game, and make your ideal Champion team, something that could be difficult in the original game.
And it’s not like these are the only changes too! Several moves have been changed, Pokemon typings have been updated (and, in the case of Fairy, added the game wholesale). There’s even an increased Shiny rate, brand new events, and modifications to the story to make it flow better. It’s easy to see why this hack is so beloved, and it’s worth playing even if you’re a veteran of the Sinnoh region.
3. Pokemon Omega Paradox
- Release Date: 2017
- Made By: XxAsterxX
- Base Game: Volt White (ROM Hack) Pokemon Black & White
Unova plays the role of proving ground in our next entry. Play as Cynthia or Drake as you battle back goons from Teams Rocket, Plasma, and Aqua. Jeez, talk about uneven odds!
Out of all the games in this list, Pokemon Omega Paradox has possibly the coolest-sounding feature – the Omega Evolve. Not only that, but there are 40 brand new Pokemon to discover and catch, as well as new gym leaders, enemies, rivals… pretty much a new everything!
And, as you can see from the still above, the graphics are superb (you can’t see, but I made the Italian gesture you see chefs doing when they make tasty sauce). All in all, a perfect Pokemon package!
4. Pokemon Rising Sun and Waning Moon
- Release Date: 2016
- Made By: Kobazco
- Base Game: SoulSilver
Pokemon Rising Sun and Waning Moon are known in the ROM hack world for being a bit of a challenge and targeted at a mature audience who love Sun & Moon.
This in itself is why many flock to it, you’ll be faced with harder foes, more intense Pokemon battles and will be required to learn the ways of using items as if you were in a small war. Your Pokemon should be closing in on Level 80 before making your way to the Elite 4 or there’s no chance of surviving.
So if you’re a fan of Sun and Moon and want to face one of the hardest Pokemon ROM hacks on this list, then this is the one to go for. Just remember to bring your A-game!
5. Pokemon Bloody Platinum
- Release Date: 2009
- Made By: Buffy
- Base Game: Pokemon Platinum
Some may think the Sinnoh region is a little too happy, if that’s you, then Bloody Platinum is one to take a look at, as it puts a whole new vibe on the region and in turn altering the Pokemon, the gym leaders and items in this ROM hack. Some of the new features include new soundtracks, new sprites and you can even capture Zekrom.
One of my favourite new features is new daily events that can occur, alongside over 490 Pokemon to catch in the wild. This combined with the darker approach to the original Platinum storyline makes it a great choice for Nintendo DS fans.
