The world went wild for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen releasing on the Switch last week. For many, it's been out of reach for so long because of how expensive the cartridges have become on second-hand sites, while for others, it's just having the chance to play an enhanced version of the original games that has them clutching their Switch between their palms whenever they get the chance.
But while Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have some new features and add in legendaries like Ho-Oh and Lugia, the Sevii Islands, and a new location for Moltres to keep things interesting, there could be more. There could be more new features to entice us in, a true remaster with lots of new ideas that make these iconic titles feel like we're playing them for the first time all over again.
And as Nintendo aren't going to do it, Vortyne has decided they'll just do it themselves.
Pokémon PureRGB is one of the most ambitious and exciting remasters I've ever seen, with a new features list longer than the fifth Harry Potter book. Expect new areas and events, visuals, changes to moves and audio, surprise tweaks, and quality of life features that turn the original Kanto adventure all the way up to 11.
Let's talk about some of the changes that have caught my then, because if I were to write every new feature in these games, I would be here for hours. There's a new Movedex that you can use to unlock learnsets, something which you can also do by reading about Pokémon in the books you find along the way. There's also a Poké Ball designer in Cerulean City who gives you a camera and asks you to get some inspiration to make new Poké Balls, complete with audio/visual effects. This last bit is wild, with 16 different sound effects, color palettes, throw animations, poof particles/animations all ready for you to customise.
Catch Up Clubs where you can train lower-level critters in your team, a map with Wild Pokémon locations on it, improved chat with NPCs, new trainers and areas to explore, play hours counter increased to over 10,000, the option to use Spaceworld Back Sprites, new songs and narratives - it's the biggest fanmade remaster that I've ever seen!
Head to the projects page on GitHub to find out more about the new features and changes to the best Pokémon adventure around!
