What happens when you combine the tactical RPG Arknights with Pokémon Emerald? The answer: a game based on the Contingency Contract game mode mixed with Pokémon. The main character, Tiana, finds herself with a small number of Pokémon and has to take on gauntlets of trainers in tense battles.
One thing I love about this game is the fact that it has a unique look and feel, and that's mainly because everything in the overworld, the menu screens, and all the nuances of the battle interface has been drawn from scratch. The game's creators, Turtleye, hedara, & Pawkkie, also say that there's 'an unholy amount of scripting for the size of the map', and ' a gacha system for all your gambling needs' to tie into the original mechanics of the mobile game. You can tell it's not a 'typical' Pokémon game, and I like that.
So how does Pokémon CC: Operation Masquerade work? Well, you'll set battle modifiers, customise Pokémon to build the perfect team, and work up to getting high scores while at a convention. The gambling element I mentioned above is big in this game, as it is in Arknights, with players gambling the credits they obtain in the game to get new items and Pokémon. Or, as the game is set at a convention, you can just mill about spending your credits as you would at an arcade at the seaside (how to tell I live in England).
To get playing this alternative Pokémon adventure, you'll need to have a legally acquired ROM of Pokémon Emerald to patch Operation Masquerade onto. Head to Hackdex to download the hack and get patching!
