Best Pokemon Rom Hacks

Summary

• Here are some of the best Pokemon ROM hacks that fans have created.

The Pokemon journey is one that fans look forward to whenever a new game is announced, even if recent titles have not always garnered widespread acclaim. While the games have strayed in recent years with new titles and mechanics, Pokemon games are ultimately comfort food that many people look forward to consuming every few years. That said, the main projects do not always succeed in impressing everyone who has been along for the ride since the late 1990s; consequently, some fans have come forward to create their own games.

Although Nintendo has, on several occasions, unplugged and halted the production of several projects, many contain new and exciting features and mechanics that completely change the Pokemon game experience. As such, let’s highlight some of the coolest Pokemon ROM hacks.

This article highlights impressive works that showcase their creators’ love for Pokemon, so it is not a conventional recommendation list and the rankings are relatively arbitrary. Also, no links.

Updated July 7, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The best Pokemon ROM hacks exist to fulfill a desire that the official games cannot quite provide. For example, some ROMs focus entirely on offering a challenging experience. One of the best (and hardest) difficult ROMs is Emerald Kaizo, and it has been added as a recommendation.

26

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu GBA Version

Modern Update On A Classic Formula

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Kevin PokeFan

The Nintendo Switch’s Let’s Go Eevee & Pikachu might not be considered the best Pokemon games of all time, but they are pleasant throwbacks to the classic Kanto-era games. Fittingly enough, a ROM hack is available that returns these titles to their roots; well, to be exact, Pokemon FireRed.

The biggest changes come in the form of modern Pokemon, improved gameplay, and some quality of life changes. Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee/Pikachu GBA Version is not ultimately anything too original and, for the most part, will probably only be loved by those who are already infatuated with the Switch games.

25

Pokemon Nameless

A Dark Change Of Pace

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Wind1158

Although most projects are presented as stand-alone, some creators have crafted a series of games that loosely connect. Pokemon Nameless is, technically, the third game in a trilogy, with Resolute and Mega Power coming out before it. However, the story is set in-between those two titles, so it is not the final chapter in the saga. More importantly, players can just opt to try this game and mostly ignore the other two, which are decent but have quite a few quirks that can make them frustrating to sit through at times.

“Dark” Pokemon ROMs are not all that uncommon, and plenty of fans have put together stories that are tailor-made for older players. Considering many creators likely fell in love with the franchise when they were kids, the yearning for a more mature version that matches their current ages makes sense. That said, just because something is dark does not automatically make it good. Nameless is not perfect by any means, but it offers a relatively refreshing attempt to shake up the formula by moving away from the road to the Pokemon League structure. Instead, the story follows a girl who is trying to escape from an empire, and things get heavy and intense very quickly. The campaign even goes through a time-skip.

24

Dragon Ball Z: Team Training

A Super Saiyan Twist

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Z-Max

Now for something slightly different, Dragon Ball Z: Team Training takes Pokemon Fire Red and gives it a Saiyan-themed makeover. Combining two of the most popular Japanese anime properties of all time, Team Training drops players into a world filled with wild Nappas and Krillins; in fact, the game has over 170 Fighters that are just waiting to be caught. While the game largely plays out like a standard Pokemon title, it is exciting to head into a Gym and find Bulma armed with a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan.

Unlike many of the best Pokemon ROM hacks that are meant specifically for die-hard fans of Game Freak’s franchise, Team Training is one of those rare cases of a project that can mainly be recommended to people who love a completely different IP. Considering great Dragon Ball RPGs are not plentiful, this hack might be one of the better options out there for people craving something that is not a fighting game. That said, Team Training does not change all that much beyond throwing in DB characters and moves. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard Pokemon experience, including a mostly unchanged Kanto map and a storyline that does not take full advantage of its chosen franchise. Still, it is fun.

23

Pokemon Adventures Red Chapter

Adapting The Pokemon Adventures Manga

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Aethestode

Although nowhere near as mainstream as the games or the anime, Pokemon Adventures is generally regarded as one of the franchise’s better media. The manga tries to adapt the games fairly accurately, rather than using them as a launching pad to tell Ash’s story. Each arc is named after one of the main titles and features different protagonists. If somebody is a fairly big fan of Game Freak’s projects, they should try out the manga.

Due to the manga covering the games, a ROM that adapts the former might seem redundant on paper; however, Pokemon Adventures has a unique identity that sets it apart from its inspiration. Consequently, Pokemon Adventures Red Chapter is a different beast than the original games, and it is one of the more ambitious fan games on the market. It is considerably darker than the standard entry in the franchise, reflecting the manga’s mature tone. To be fair, the game does have its share of juvenile humor, but a lot of it is pulled from the source material.

Pokemon Adventures Red Chapter tells a pretty long story that includes two regions, along with introducing fake Pokemon during the post-game. While largely sticking to the manga, the game also includes some original content, mostly in the form of side quests. The latter elements are fairly divisive, though. The combat is not that far removed from the base FireRed, but it is mostly serviceable.

22

Pokemon Light Platinum

A Typical Pokemon Adventure (& That Is A Good Thing)

• Game: Pokemon Ruby
• Created By Wesley FG

Although the name suggests the game is set in Sinnoh, Pokemon Light Platinum takes place in an entirely new region, Zhery. Boasting vibrant graphics, every Pokemon from Generation 1 to 4, and new Gym Leaders and rivals to fight, the creation is a traditional take on a Pokemon game. It provides an evil team, a League to conquer, and a Pokedex to complete — all while being a standalone experience.

The game is a re-skin of Pokemon Ruby but takes elements from later Generations, such as the Distortion World and the Pokemon World Championship. It’s an easy-to-play, visually stimulating experience that fans unfamiliar with ROM hacks or fan games should begin with.

21

Pokemon One Piece

Catch All The Pirates & Marines

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Nosta11

Similar to Dragon Ball Z: Team Training, Pokemon One Piece‘s appeal lies in the unexpected mash-up of two major anime/manga franchises. The changes in this game do not go too far beyond the addition of One Piece characters, although the story does throw out a few curveballs along the way.

So, if anyone ever wishes to travel through Kanto with the Straw Hats, Pokemon One Piece will scratch that itch. It is also a pretty challenging game, so players will have to earn the right to call themselves a Pokemon Master (or Pirate King). Similar to the DBZ hack, this offering is just for fans of Eiichiro Oda’s manga, with the main change being primarily the character swaps. The hack is entertaining, as long as somebody can tell their Zoros from their Sanjis. And, there are way fewer great One Piece games than there are DBZ titles, so this ROM has arguably more value.

20

Pokemon Ash Gray

Ash’s Original Adventure

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Metapod23

Game Freak’s Pokemon RPG series is not the only part of the franchise that holds a special place in the hearts of millions of people; the anime is also huge. In the late ’90s, Ash’s adventures helped introduce many children to Japanese animation, and the original series is still highly regarded today.

While the games and anime share plenty of things in common, Ash is not one of them, at least when it comes to official releases. Ash Gray rectifies this by turning FireRed into an adaptation of the anime’s first season. The Pokemon ROM hack gives players the freedom to decide how faithful their adventure is to the anime, although Ash Gray does reward those who willingly walk in Ketchum’s shoes.

Unfortunately, Ash Gray was never completed, so it just kind of ends during the Orange Islands arc.

19

Pokemon Orange Islands

Adapting The Anime’s Second Season

• Game: Pokemon FireRed
• Created By Kalarie

Since Ash Gray does not fully cover the anime’s second season, fans might want to turn to Pokemon Orange Islands to get something akin to an unofficial continuation. As suggested by its title, this game covers Adventures in the Orange Islands, the 36-episode sequel that follows Ash as he goes through the Orange Archipelago. This project prioritizes providing an authentic adaptation of the source material, and it is very much driven by its story rather than combat.

Although someone’s mileage will likely come down to their love of the anime, Orange Islands is a well-done love letter that provides a fairly one-of-a-kind experience, at least when it comes to Pokemon games.

18

Pokemon CAWPS

A More Adult Pokemon Adventure

• Game: Pokemon Emerald
• Created By Crizzle

The second entry in Crizzle’s Pokemon trilogy, CAWPS continues down the road starter by Outlaw. This Pokemon ROM hack is solely for adults, as its unique story contains plenty of mature content and humor that will likely be divisive with most people.

In CAWPS, players take on the role of a police officer in Hoenn. Starting at the Police Academy and eventually making it onto the streets, this hack does away with standard Pokemon conventions such as Gym Badges, opting to deliver an experience that is quite unlike any other in the fan game scene.

17

Pokemon Emerald Kaizo

Do You Want To Fight For Every Victory? An Extremely Hard Pokemon ROM

• Game: Pokemon Emerald
• Created By SinisterHoodedFigure

A common criticism of Pokemon is, well, the games’ lack of difficulty. While this was not always the case, the last few generations have seemingly gone out of their way to provide as little challenge as possible, at least during the main campaign. The post-game content is sometimes a bit better in this area, but that spike usually feels like it comes way too late.

So, unsurprisingly, a subcategory of Pokemon ROM hacks revolves entirely around boosting the basic challenge level provided by the core games. Some titles try to shake up the formula considerably, incorporating new mechanics or changing the story’s progression. However, Emerald Kaizo mostly sticks to the vanilla route, instead opting to just ramp up the difficulty in a way that is exhausting but defeatable. You will need to approach each battle with proper tactics and a strong, well-rounded team, as anything less will see you fail. Just to give you an idea of how hard this ROM is, I nearly lost the very first fight after I picked up my starter. Once you figure out the best approach and overcome a battle, the victory will be really satisfying; that said, getting there can be gruelling.