What happens when you combine two of the best Game Boy games of all time together into a ROM hack? I've always loved Pokémon Crystal and Link's Awakening, their adventures, their graphics, and the nostalgia that both titles bring. But I've never really considered what would happen if you combined them both to create the ultimate rom hack for those who were into both series through the '90s and early '00s.
Pokémon Crystal Awakening is a revamped version of Pokémon Crystal with the art and text style of Link's Awakening. All of the houses you'll visit along the way look like the wooden houses from Link's Awakening, with certain features pulled from Oracle of Ages/Seasons too. It's the ultimate GBC crossover ROM hack, and I'm really digging what I've seen so far.
The ROM hack itself comes from a gamer by the name of FrenchOrange, though they also cite some notable names in the ROM hacking world as having a part in the creation too. As well as new graphics and a fresh new overworld to explore, there are other new features such as an expanded version of Kanto to delve through, harder Pokémon rosters to beat in the gyms, and every Pokémon available to catch all on one save file, which means no swapping and changing between cartridges or hacks to catch 'em all.
It's Pokémon Crystal in the style of a Zelda game, which means Zelda-esque trees, colour palettes, and features that give Pokémon Crystal a Koholint Island meets Holodrum feel to it. The text has more of an italic look to it too, just like when you're reading speech in the Zelda GBC games, and the title screen showing Suicine running across grassland looks just like it's jumped out of Oracle of Seasons.
You'll also be able to take advantage of Quality of Life features like running shoes from the very beginning to run faster around the game. I love the early Pokémon games, but you do move mega slowly until you get the bicycle! FrenchOrange has also restored the Celebi event too which can be accessed from Goldenrod's Pokemoin Center after you've thrashed the Pokémon League.
To make this game work, you'll need to patch the Crystal Awakening ips file over a legally acquired ROM of Pokémon Crystal. For more information on the hack and to check out the minds behind its creation, head to the project's page on PokéCommunity!
