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Nintendo has made some great games.
But fans should be able to create their own ideas too!
In solidarity with the teams and individuals affected by Nintendo’s outdated and (frankly) crappy business practices, I’ve put together a list of what I think are the best ROM hacks with Fakémon as far as the eye can see.
It’s the whole reason I became a writer in the first place.
So naturally, when a ROM hack with an original story comes along, I’m going to talk about it.
That’s exactly what Altair/Sirius is.
It’s got an entirely new and original story, although the region is a remake of Hoenn. It’s an emerald ROM hack, as are the majority of good ROM hacks, and the Fakémon that are included all look great.
I wouldn’t play this hack for the new Mon’ exclusively.
But the whole experience is one of the more complete and cleaner ones out there.
Fun fact: Vega is a direct sequel to Altair/Sirius.
It’s so rare that an original story ROM hack gets released, let alone that it gets a sequel, so I’m pretty high on both of these original games (Altair/Sirius is technically two games).
Vega hasn’t just got Fakémon and an original story, but it’s also set in an entirely new region.
It takes everything that its predecessor did well and turns it up a notch.
This is one of the better ROM hacks ever made, and not just for its Fakémon. There are games with better Fakés, but very few of them offer a completed package like Vega does.
I’m going to just come out and say it: I don’t like ROM hacks built on Gen I and II.
I’m sorry, but there’s just no need for it. The newer games have better gameplay and graphics, so I don’t see why you would limit yourself besides nostalgia.
That being said, AdventureRed is incredible.
It’s based on FireRed, obviously, and has a solid roster of Fakémon that aren’t available to you until a little while into the game.
It’s got an adapted story from the Manga that follows Red, and the hack really does do it justice. It’s also got original portraits for characters, customization, an increased level cap, and more.
It’s arguably the most solid ROM hack ever released, and it’s still getting updates to this day. It just doesn’t focus so much on its Fakémon like the entries higher up in this list.
SolarLight/LunarDark are RPG maker fan games. And that means the creators have a lot more originality at their disposal than those building ROM hacks.
The team behind these games take full advantage of that, too.
These have a great new story, as well as a fully fleshed-out region for you to explore.
The Fakémon included with the region all look great, and none of them stand out too badly.
If you were looking for one singular safe and solid pick from this list, go with one of these two games. They don’t do anything crazy like some Pokémon fan games do, meaning you’re going to get an experience that’s closer to home.
Pokémon Insurgence is one of the most well-known fan games in the entire community.
It’s 100% complete, too. Meaning your adventure isn’t going to get cut off midway, and you’re not going to stumble across any game-breaking bugs.
While the Fakémon are fantastic(which is the whole point of this list) I’m making an exception for Insurgence and ranking it so highly because of the plot.
Rather than facing one BBEG, you fight against various cults around the region that are all vying for control.
It’s a surprisingly dark story, but far from being the worst offender in that category. So don’t worry about things getting too grizzly.
It’s also one of the most respected home-brewed games for a reason. So pick it up and give it a try for yourself. Or don’t, it’s you that’s going to be missing out on this one, not me.
Not only is it the best when it comes to the quality of the Fakémon, but there’s an argument to be made for it being the best fan-made Pokémon game of all time.
It has a highbred Dex that has far more Fakémon than regular Pokémon, and every single one of them is of stellar quality. There are absolutely no duds whatsoever in the collection of 166 new ‘Mons.
It has a new region, a new story, and a hell of a lot of style.
I’ll admit that the game isn’t for everyone. It’s nothing like the style of the Nintendo titles, so if you’re essentially looking for a new mainline Pokémon game, you won’t find it here.
But if you’re looking for a unique and memorable experience, you can learn more and get this hack over on the Pokémon Uranium subreddit.
