Out of all 300 plus Pokemon GBA (Gameboy Advance) rom hacks that are in Alpha, Beta, or completed, I have compiled a list of the top 20 best. When it comes to Pokemon rom hacks everyone is going to have there own opinion on which ones they like the best for different reasons. These hacks vary greatly when it comes to story, theme, difficulty and Catch-able Pokemon. Anyone who has played most of the hacks listed would probably rank them differently, However, this is a great list if you are looking for the best available on the GBA so far. Download a few that might interest you, and find out what you like the best.
NOTE: The majority of the following hacks are completed. Some Hacks ranked are still in beta, but are nearly completed or fully playable from start to finish.
Pokemon Rom Hacks online, free
20. Pokemon CAWPS
– Created By Crizzle
In Pokemon CAWPS you play as young woman or guy that becomes a police officer in the Hoenn region. This hack is for mature audiences only. It features a lot of very offensive language and content so be ready for that before playing. Encountering drug dealers, murderers, scum bags and crazy people might not be your thing. I found some of it to be funny at times, while some of it felt forced also. I can see more sensitive players hating this sort content though. The main highlight is you get to play as a police officer, that’s really cool. Be sure to grind a lot, as certain areas have difficulty spikes. Pokemon up to gen 3 (386 of them) have been added to CAWPS. Overall a decent cop vs bad people sort of story, that won’t be for everyone.
19. Pokemon Outlaw
- Check out this 3DS Pokemon ROM Hacks Collection featuring ROM Hacks of Pokemon X/Y, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Sun/Moon, and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. These ROM hacks add a ton of new features and experiences! All you will need to play is the Homebrew Launcher on your 3DS.
- Free Pokemon Rom Hacks Online Games #1 Pokemon Insurgence Pokemon Insurgence is a fan-made Pokemon Essentials based game which features such as new custom mega evolutions, an entirely new region to explore and a full online trading and battling system.
- Pokemon Liquid Crystal (hack) Region: Johto size =6.34 MB (PS: Trading is not supported).
– Created By Crizzle
In Outlaw, you play as a homeless 15-year-old boy who lives in the slums of the Kanto region. He dreams of making it big someday and be a Pokemon master. Most of the people in this world are very rude, gross, weird and negative. Some of the commentaries are funny, strange and violent, it might be offensive to many players though. It’s another mature one by creator Crizzle. It deals with the hardships of life living at rock bottom. The majority of the people in the world of Outlaw are very poor, it’s not a happy story at all, but I thought it was different and enjoyable as long as you can handle the over the top negative dialogue.
Pokemon ROM hacks are modified GBC, GBA or NDS rom files created by fans who are knowledgeable and have experienced playing the original Pokemon game. Pokemon Liquid Crystal (hack) Region: Johto size =6.34 MB (PS: Trading is not supported).
18. Pokemon Korosu
– Created By Crizzle
“Korosu” means to kill in Japanese. There is a lot of killing going on in Pokemon Korosu. This is another one for mature audiences that can handle sensitive content. Inspired by the Kill Bill movies, you play as a young girl with nothing to lose. Her family has been killed and a gang had captured her to be a slave for them. She eventually escaped and is now out to make the ones that killed her family and slaved her, pay for what they have done with death. In some instances, the hack will let you make moral choices to kill or let scumbags go. The game takes place in the Sevii Islands and Kanto Regions. All Pokemon from up to gen 3 have been added with a few from gen 4 also. Like other hacks created by Crizzle, level spikes come out of nowhere, so be sure to grind a lot. Overall Korosu is a pretty good violent revenge-themed game.
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17. Pokemon Fuligin
– Created By Sloo
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon Fuligin is a simple but very solid rom hack where you play as a boy or a girl in the small region of ALORA. Following your big brother’s footsteps, you will eventually join Team Rocket on a quest to work yourself through the ranks to become a leader in Team Rocket. This hack features new gym leaders, All Pokemon up to gen 3 and difficulty that scales up Gradually while playing. So you won’t have to grind much in this one if you don’t want to. What’s best about Fuligin is its clean and interesting storyline, and the ability to catch all Pokemon in the game.
– More Information & Download
16.Pokemon Victory Fire
– Created By 1158
– See It On Amazon
Play as a boy or a girl who are on a quest to become the greatest trainers in the Tyron region. Starting from a dream come true, you will receive your first Pokemon. You decide you want to leave your hometown to become the best trainer you can be, but then professor Ivan is under attack by Team Mirage members. Team Mirage is a very mysterious gang. Not much is known about them, only that they are bad and planning something big for the region. Stopping them and finding out what they are up to is your main quest while encountering, battling and catching Pokemon from GEN 4 and 5. The English grammar is off a bit, but the story and graphics make this one a very fun and engaging experience.
15. Pokemon Ruby Destiny Series
– Created By destinedjagold
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon Ruby Destiny is a solid series of four completed hacks named “Reign of Legends”, “Rescue Rangers”, “Life of Guardians”, and “Broken Timeline” (Play in this order). The earliest game dated all the way back to 2007. All games have stories that connect to one another and should be played in the correct order. They are all pretty good and interesting, a worthy series to try out. Best to check out the link below to get the full scoop about these. (There are too many high lights to talk about, and this is just a top list :D).
– See It On Amazon
– More Information & Download
14. Pokemon ShinyGold Sigma
– Created By Aiolia.leo
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon ShinyGold Sigma is a fire red hack on steroids. Many improvements have been implemented in the Johto Region. With even more regions added such as Kanto, Orange Archipelago, and Battle Frontier. If you want to catch Pokemon this is one of the larger hacks, featuring over 850 Pokemon to catch with Mega Evolution’s. Some special touches like gym leaders offering rematches are cool and new characters, sprites, places, and music are all done well. The story is pretty cool also, but a bit everywhere. Shiny Gold is a good one if you want hours and hours of gameplay and Mega Evolution’s.
– More Information & Download
13. Pokemon Snakewood
– Created By Cutlerine
– See It On Amazon
You awaken in a town that is infested with Zombie Pokemon (You can catch them and Battle), monsters and people. This zombie plague is spreading fast. You and Prof. Birch are on a quest to find your brother and Prof. Birch’s daughter who has been missing for a while. In this world, you don’t know who is telling the truth and who isn’t. You will encounter new areas like the hidden Meathouse, the maddening Island and Hoenn University of Film. Snakewood has a darker theme than many other hacks, but I would say it’s still rated PG for the most part. The zombie story is told well and the theme is executed brilliantly. I freaked out when I first encountered a zombie Pikachu lol. There are difficulty spikes, so be sure to level grind often.
12. Pokemon Clover
– Created By Squeetz
Clover is currently an incomplete rom hack that is already very impressive with more than 8 gyms added, a new region called Fochun, 386 original fakemon to catch and battle with. Play as a young trainer from Veeper town of Fochun, who is on a journey to collect badges. Team Karma is the group standing in your way. A lot of new little touches in this one stand out like audio, wonder trading and new custom and existing items. Hopefully, the developer continues to update this because it’s a great one. Gotta Love The Fakemons!
– More Information & Download
11. Pokemon Sweet
In Pokemon Sweet, you will start out in a region that looks like Kanto but made entirely out of candy and sweets. This hack is unique in every way. It’s fun to capture or craft candified Pokemon while filling up the pages of your cookbook. This game is all about exploring, finding hidden items and capturing. You will be rewarded for your efforts in very sweet ways :D. I ranked this one so high because it was enjoyable and had a unique theme with some new gameplay elements. People and rivals are all about the sweets here in Kanto now. It’s a great one to play for candy lovers, xD!
– More Information & Download
10. Pokemon Liquid Crystal
– Created By linkandzelda
– See It On Amazon
This is a complete remake of Pokemon Crystal from the Gameboy Color ported to the Gameboy Advance. Jam-packed with many new improvements, extra events and a brand new region known as the Orange Islands. All original events are included plus the extras. The main features and additions to this version include updated graphics and maps, real-time Day and Night, new music, weather effects, New region (Orange Islands), new hidden areas and new gameplay elements. It’s an amazing hack that’s technically finished, but the developer says it will be eventually updated with even more content. It’s a safe bet, that you will probably enjoy Liquid Crystal if you enjoyed the original Pokemon Crystal.
– More Information & Download
9. Pokemon DarkRising Series
– Created By DarkRisingGirl
– See It On Amazon
The DarkRising series is high quality. Many Pokemon gamers consider these to be some of the best hacks around. For others, they are a turn off because of the difficulty level. They are a bit challenging, it just means you have to level grind more and choose your fights a bit more carefully. These games are large. With over 5 generations of Pokemons to catch, new attacks, new characters, and a new region. It really does feel like a retail Pokemon game in certain ways. The story for each of these games is very imaginative, interesting, and all are connected to one another. Overall if you are up for a neat story and challenging gameplay give this series a try.
– More Information & Downloads: DarkRising, DarkRising 2, DarkRising Order Destroyed, Darkrising Origins Worlds Collide
8. Pokemon Adventure – Red Chapter
– Created By Aethestode
A really neat hack that follows the Pokemon Red Chapter Manga exactly with some extra events added in. The main character named Red is on a quest to become the best Pokemon trainer ever. There are many obstacles in his way through, such as rival Blue and Green as well as Team Rocket. The graphics and sprites are new in this one and done nicely. Red Chapter is not finished yet but already feels completed and of high quality, the developer says he will continue to update it even more. A lot of regions are available to explore such as Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Orre, Sevii Island, Orange Archipelago, Decolore Archipelago, and Nanomi Mirage Island.
7.Pokemon Flora Sky
– Created By 12345
– See It On Amazon
This is an old hack from 2011. I played it years ago and remember loving it. The Final unofficial Dex Version was recently released in 2016. You can really tell the developer cared a lot about this hack by the way the story is told, about these legendary Pokemon. The story is about defending against mega powers that want to control different types of Pokemon to rule the world. The new features added are the story, characters, attack moves, legendary Pokemon, events, and 386 different Pokemon to catch with all new sprites. It might feel a bit outdated for some but I believe its still among the best.
– More Information & Download
6. Pokemon Ash Gray
– Created By metapod23
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon Ash Gray is inspired by the original Pokemon anime cartoon series. You play as Ash Ketchum with Pikachu by your side. Ash is on a quest to become the best Pokemon trainer ever. In this adventure, you will come across over 116 events from the anime with two from the original Pokemon movie. Every Pokemon that Ash catches from the shows, you can catch in this game. It’s a very well done tribute to Ash Ketchum and the Pokemon anime’s.
– More Information & Download
5. Pokemon Resolute
– Created By 1158
– See It On Amazon
A really well-made hack with Mega Evolution’s. This is actually the squeal to “Pokemon Victory Fire” (Our #16 ranked hack). Resolute has a very mysterious engaging story that works well and feels tough. Team Mirage is trying to rise up once again and push out a reform against the people. What is this reform? Play to find out. All Pokemon from gen 1,2,3 are here, some from 5,6,7 are also available to catch. You will be playing through the Sylon, Tyron, Johto regions. This game originally had very poor grammar but has been patched with much better English.
– More Information & Download
4. Pokemon Vega Minus
– Created By Dr. Akimbo & MKCocoon
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon Vega is the best hack for Fakemons. The Fakemons are all new with over 181 to catch. Vega also includes 56 Pokemon from newer generations. Along with the new pokemon, over 70 new attack moves have been added to Vega. You also get to play in a brand new region known as Tohoak. By far the best foreign-language hack ever created, glad it was eventually patched to English. The Vega Minus version makes things a bit easier. Gets rid of all the minor frustrating areas and difficulties of VEGA. I would recommend the Minus version if you decide to play this, but the original game is just fine also.
– More Information & Download | Minus Version Here
3. Pokemon Gaia
– Created By Spherical Ice
Pokemon Gaia is very impressive already. The developer is not finished with it (6 gyms so far), but the game already feels high in quality. Gaia could pass off as a retail Pokemon game when it’s finished and will definitely be the best GBA rom hack so far (In my opinion). The new Orbtus region is very impressive, with a lot to explore and see. The graphics are very clean in Gaia, even better than official GBA Pokemon games. Some of the new features include Mega evolution’s, new items and moves, rock climbing and a few mini-games. Best of all is the story and characters, but I won’t spoil it for you, just play this game right now!
– More Information & Download
2. Pokemon Light Platinum
– Created By Wesley FG
– See It On Amazon
Pokemon Light Platinum originally released in 2012, and the final release was on February 25th, 2017. Many Pokemon gamers still consider Light Platinum to be the greatest Pokemon hack ever created. I agree it is amazing in every way. The story and everything that is new like the Zhery region, legendary Pokemon, new rivals and graphics fit together almost perfectly. So good, that developers are working hard on a remake for the Nintendo DS. A must play, if you are interested in checking a few GBA hacks out, make sure you download this one also.
– More Information & Download
1. Pokemon Glazed
– Created By redriders180
– See It On Amazon
Until Gaia is finished, Pokemon Glazed is my favorite hack and is among the highest quality of the completed hacks. The journey has so many ups and downs in it, keeping the excitement and drama high. I became very invested in the characters, regions, and story. The regions include Tunod, Johto, and Rankor. The difficulty feels perfect in Glazed, not a walk in the park in some areas, but not impossible either. You don’t need to level grind too much. Overall I think Glazed is a must download and play. I really can’t see anyone who loves Pokemon games, not liking Glazed. I actually liked it better than some of the official games.
– More Information & Download
NOTE: You might want to check out my articles featuring the 10 Best Pokemon Fan Games So Far. And the 7 Best GBC Pokemon Rom Hacks.
* Resource Links *
These links should be useful to anyone that’s interested in GBA Pokemon Hacks or fan games!
Visual Boy Advance (Windows) and My Boy! Free (Android) – Two best emulators used for Gameboy Advance rom hacks.
The PokeCommunity Forums – A very active online Pokemon community dedicated to everything Pokemon (Anime, Games, Hacks and more).
IPS or UPS Patching Tutorial – Patching roms from the official sources is the best way to guarantee you are downloading and playing the newest versions of these hacks.
GBA Pokemon Rom Hack Downloads – Probably the best place online to find already IPS patched unofficial GBA Pokemon roms. The webmaster seems to stay up to date with most hacks also.
HeroVoltsy Youtube – He has a large amount of Pokemon rom hacks, fan games, and gameplay videos to check out.
RuffledRowlit Youtube – Another YouTuber dedicated to showcasing Pokemon hacks and fan game videos.
ROM hacks are among the coolest forms of video game mods. And there are some crazy hacks that remains very relevant to this day thanks to the retroactive popularity of games like Pokémon.
Modders have been hard at work ever since the games came out, slowly developing the tools needed to better do their transformative work.
Nowadays the variety of ROM hacks for games like Pokémon Red & Blue is stunning. Same goes for the iconic Yellow edition.
Some hacks add massive improvements, while others are just funny, and some are simply… different.
They keep these games alive by opening up the landscape and creating replayability with brand new challenges.
So if you’re looking for more Kanto fun, or maybe a hard nuzlocke run, or if you simply want to re-live that classic experience with a twist, this list of our favorite gen 1 hacks is sure to help you find a few to get started.
10. Red Gen VI Typing
We start off with a small change meant to make the game feel more familiar for anyone who’s played anything after Pokémon X/Y.
Creator Dewhi100 adds the Dark, Steel and Fairy-types that didn’t exist in the first generation of games.
The hack also changes all Pokémon and their moves to match their current typing. For example the Gust move is now flying, and Clefairy is… well, a fairy type.
Of course, the interactions between types have also been updated. It’s a small change but definitely fun to go through.
9. Pokémon Red/Blue Gender Selection
Some of the most needed changes are often small and easy to achieve.
Alzip tool with serial key. That said, we have to thank user Zeera the Reploid for their time spent making something we generally take for granted: choosing your gender, now available in Pokémon Red & Blue.
The game takes Leaf, the female protagonist from Pokémon Leaf Green, and then adapts her sprites to the first generation while also modifying all in-game interactions to reflect the character’s gender.
Pretty cool!
8. Pokémon TRE: Team Rocket Edition
If what you’re looking for is to choose your whole faction, then Pokémon TRE might be a great way to spend a few hours.
Team Rocket mafioso leader Giovanni is looking for a successor. And the choice comes down to two siblings, one of which you’ll control depending on your chosen gender.
The rest is a pretty basic Pokémon adventure, with several tweaks to accommodate for this new setting. The hack also adds new sprites, maps and entire storylines with their own scenes.
It may have a couple of glitches, but this is most likely the closest we’ll ever get to Game Freak actually letting us play as one of the bad guys. It’s worth a try!
7. Pokémon Black(Gen 1)
No, this isn’t a project to bring the Unova region to Pokémon Red & Blue’s engine.
I mean really what is this, Skyrim?
This mod by user Ax461 actually predates the release of those games(if you can believe it) and it’s based on a widely known creepypasta detailing the spooky experience of a gamer who got their hands on a cursed bootleg Pokémon game.
It recreates everything, from the ominous new starter Pokémon GHOST to the game’s creepy post-game, and everything in-between.
Whether you download this for its meme value or to play a prank on an unsuspecting victim, you won’t be disappointed.
6. Pokémon Little Cup Red
A very interesting way to re-experience the original adventure through the Kanto region is provided by Pokémon Little Cup Red, a complete overhaul that offers some odd changes.
Namely it reduces all Pokémon to level 5, devolves any Pokémon to their baby forms, and replaces those that can’t be devolved to other similar Pokémon.
Pokemon Rom Hacks online, free
Experience and leveling aren’t factors in this game. Rather it’s about finding a good team composition for each encounter, and eventually aiming to beat the Elite Four.
To aid your now meager HP reserves it also reduces the random encounter rate in many areas such as Mt. Moon.
5. Pokémon Pink
The next ROM hack in our list fuses together many others to create a complete overhaul of the original Pokémon Blue.
Modder 80C combines the generation VI typing updates along with a big graphics update that makes the game look much like Pokémon Gold & Silver.
The story also brings in Kris, the main female lead from Pokémon Crystal. She plays the protagonist for this tweaked adventure.
Other than that, it modifies the Unknown Dungeon from the post-game to resemble that of Pokémon Yellow and it fixes some minor bugs present on the original Pokémon Blue. Overall a truly enjoyable experience for those who remember the original generation of games.
4. Pokémon Brown (2014)
Another one of those new and improved versions of the game comes by the hand of renowned ROM hacker Koolboyman, who originally released Pokémon Brown in 2008.
But it was updated with some much-needed enhancements in 2014 and that’s the version we know of today.
This modification changes the game to its core, going as far as taking place in the new region of Rijon. And it adds over 70 new Pokémon along with new areas, music, and an entirely new post-game dungeon for players to enjoy.
There are even 7 new Pokémon types along with all of these goodies.
Too much? Perhaps, but I will say this is an amazing playthrough.
3. Red/Blue Full Color Hack
Sometimes you don’t want to mess with the core game, but you still feel like something is missing to bring the game back from the dead.
That’s exactly what this ROM hack from DannyE33 offers.
It leaves the game’s storyline and gameplay completely unchanged, but updates both Pokémon and trainer sprites to their gen 2 counterparts. Of course, it also makes the game full-color to match.
Even the battle HUD and text boxes have been replaced by the newer ones from Pokémon Gold & Silver.
And so what if they couldn’t find certain sprites from those games? Well then assets were taken from the newer Leaf Green/Fire Red and downscaled to better work with generation I’s architecture. Easy-peasy and lots of fun.
2. Pokémon Blue Kaizo
Among the most well-known ROM hacks in all of Pokémon Red & Blue’s history is Pokémon Blue Kaizo, designed to make the game considerably more challenging while giving you a more complete experience.
The project’s author redesigned areas, dungeons, and routes down to each trainer’s party. This also includes the moves on wild Pokémon to make sure every fight is a challenging encounter to tackle seriously.
On the flip side, you get to catch all 151 Pokémon on a single file. And Pokémon that usually only evolve through trade can now evolve normally by leveling or similar factors.
A great option if you’re planning a nuzlocke run.
1. Pokémon TPP (Red Anniversary)
However if you’re looking for the most minimal game overhaul for Pokémon’s first generation, there’s nothing better than Pokémon TPP by Pigu and Projectrevo.
It was made specifically for the Twitch Plays Pokémon channel so it includes a couple of surprises for them. But overall, it’s the ideal vanilla-friendly version of the game.
To start off, it makes all 151 Pokémon available in a single save file. It also lets you choose from several characters of both genders instead of just Red.
Like Pokémon Blue Kaizo, this version also features generally stronger trainers but not as dramatically buffed-up. Still there is a clear difference and with that difference comes a totally new gaming experience.
Fun bit of trivia: the actual stream this ROM hack was made for took 920 hours of Twitch gameplay to finish.
How long will it take you?
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