17 Best Pokémon ROM Hacks Of All Time

I’ve been playing around with the best Pokémon ROM Hacks for years now, and each of them never fails to surprise me or offer something new. That’s all, thanks to the incredibly talented Pokémon community who spend months, if not years, building these incredible games.

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!

⭐️ TL;DR - Give Me The Results! ⭐️

• Close To Flawless: Pokemon Unbound
• For FireRed Fans: Pokemon Radical Red
• A Must Play: Pokemon Glazed
• My Personal Favourite: Pokémon Lazarus

Best GAME BOY Pokémon ROM Hacks

The original GAME BOY only has a handful of great Pokémon ROM Hacks, but those that have been made are incredible and certainly worth playing if you like the original games.

1. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition

• Released: 2009
• Made By: Miksy91
• Base Game: Pokémon Yellow

One of the most loved Pokémon games of all time is Pokémon 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, Pokémon 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 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 affordably.

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, Pokémon Yellow style!

Best Game Boy Color Pokémon ROM Hacks

1. Pokémon Prism

• Release Date: 2016
• Made By: Koolboyman
• Base Game: Pokémon 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 Larvita,r which helps you bring back Naljo to its good old ways.

This region is, in fact, far bigger than Johto; it features over 250 Pokémon from four different regions and adds Fairy, Gas, and Sound types of Pokémon, 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 Pokémon, 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. Pokémon Crystal Clear

• Release Date: 2017
• Made By: Shock Slayer
• Base Game: Pokémon 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 Pokémon, 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 Pokémon meets Monopoly!

3. Pokémon Dark Energy

• Release Date: 2014
• Made By: Miksy91
• Base Game: Pokémon Silver

Pokémon 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 levelling up instead of messing around with link cables or WiFi trades, and players can make other Pokémon evolve by doing specific missions. It’s Pokémon Silver, but as you’ve never seen it before!

4. Pokémon Bronze

• Release Date: 2012
• Made By: Freako
• Base Game: Pokémon 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, Pokémon 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 Pokémon!

5. Pokémon Perfect Crystal

• Release Date: 2019
• Made By: SuperEgz
• Base Game: Pokémon 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 Pokémon 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 Pokémon ROM Hacks

The GAME BOY Advance has the widest selection of Pokémon 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. Pokémon Lazarus

• Release Date: Late 2025
• Made By: Nemo622
• Base Game: Pokémon Emerald

The best Pokémon ROM Hack for GAME BOY Advance... wait, likely of all time is Pokémon Lazarus, a beautiful take on Emerald that takes you to Greece in a wonderful journey that has made me fall in love with Pokémon all over again.

I put down the latest mainline Nintendo Switch games for this, and it was 100% worth it. Where do I start? It's visually beautiful in a way that feels like you're experiencing the GAME BOY Advance for the first time.

It features Pokémon from every generation (yes, even Gen 9), there are hundreds of Pokémon to catch in the first few hours, you'll explore forests, mountains, oceans, caves, ice caverns, and deserts in what feels like a pixelated movie.

It's easy to pick up and understand from the get-go go unlike some of this list. You can have Pokémon follow you, you can even mount Pokémon; it comes with modern features that help you catch Pokémon, it has quests and side-missions that are trackable and most importantly, a fun, well-written storyline that feels like an original Pokémon game.

It is difficult at times; you'll come across puzzles that make you think, trainers that smash you back to the nearest Pokémon center, and the catch-rate can be gruesome at times, just to catch a basic Pokémon. But that somehow makes you connect more with the ones you caught and the puzzles that you have completed.

As you get further in the game there are mega evolutions to explore, legendaries to catch and the Elite 4 to beat which will make you want to cry once you do because this game will consume you for well over 50+ hours if you're trying to complete all missions and your Pokedex.

This is the best Pokémon ROM hack I have ever played, and every Pokémon fan should experience it because you'll never know why you bought the new games when this is available for free (but we recommend supporting the creator via their Ko-Fi pagePokémon).

Try it out, you won't be disappointed.

2. Pokémon Unbound

• Release Date: 2020
• Made By: Skeli
• Base Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Our Full Review: Pokemon Unbound Review,

Pokémon Unbound isn’t just one of the best Pokémon ROM hacks - it’s one of the best Pokemon games ever. It features an entirely new region built from the ground up, with Pokémon 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!

3. 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!

4. 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!

5. 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!

6. 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.

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. Pokémon Phoenix Rising

• 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: Pokémon 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 alters 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.