If you've blasted through Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen quicker than my mate Chris (who already has level 55 Pokémon after the game only being out a few days at the time of writing), then it might be time to join the Nuzlocke club. The newest Nuzlocke game on the scene, Pokémon Null, has officially released and is available to play now, with new ZA Megas and 275 handcrafted trainer fights coming to us from the mind of developer Terra.
For anyone wondering what Nuzlocke is, it relates to a specific set of rules that need to be followed while playing a Pokémon game. While there are variations that expand on the core rules (think Free Parking in Monopoly), the general gist is that:
- Any Pokémon that faints during battle is considered dead for the rest of the game. They must be released or boxed and not returned to your team.
- Only the first Pokémon you come across in a new route or area can be caught. If you don't catch that Pokémon (either by knocking it out or if it runs away), then you can't catch another Pokémon in that area.
There are also rules that are widely accepted such as having to nickname every one of your Pokémon and the game being fully over if all of the Pokémon in your team get K.O'd and you white out.
Now you know all that, the new areas, characters, and bosses that Terra has added to the Hoenn region sound a little more terrifying, right? Every Pokémon from Gen 1 to 9 is available to catch, and there are some quality-of-life features that have been added, including infinite repel, a portable PC, and healing your party all from the menu. You can use HMs from the overworld without learning them, and there is no poison damage when in the overworld as well.
With measures put in place to prevent overlevelling, three new areas and ten new bosses to battle, this is without a doubt one of the hardest Nuzlocke ROM hacks on the scene today. Head to the Pokémon Null website to download and find out more about the new features. Just remember, this isn't going to be easy!
