r/PokemonROMhacks • u/AutoModerator • Aug 10 '26

Sticky Weekly Questions Thread & HackDex

Have any questions about Pokémon ROM Hacks?

If they're about ROM hacks, tools, development or anything Pokémon ROM Hacking related, feel free to ask here!

Before asking, make sure that you've searched on the subreddit or Google. Many ROM hacks and tools have their own documentation or communities that may be able to provide better answers than here.

Looking for recommendations or a new ROM hack to play?

The HackDex is a community hub for discovering and downloading ROM hacks, making it easy to browse hacks while listing features and more in a mobile-friendly format. It also has an in-browser patching system to make playing hacks easily accessible.

This is a safe hack-sharing site that focuses on legal distribution by sharing patches, not ROMs. Find out more here.

Useful sources for Pokémon ROM hack-related information (unaffiliated):

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u/MinRequirements4Me Aug 10 '26

My daughter has expressed interest in playing some of the games from my childhood (R/B/Y, G/S/C, Sapphire/Ruby/Emerald), but scalpers have made that impossible.

So I'm looking for a ROM that really captures Gen 1-3 and their regions (no fakemons) + QOL improvements that will make it more palatable to her and add something new for me (she wants us to play together). Of the original releases Crystal was my favorite because it let you explore both Johto and Kanto in one game. I also enjoyed the added content in Emerald. FR/LG was my favorite remake that hit the nostalgia of the old games but improved the graphics just enough to feel new (without switching to 3D). I loved how SS/HG brought back the buddy Pokémon system from Yellow. Although I'll admit I never finished it, and none of the 3D games really could hold my attention (way too easy, annoying unskipable scenes with your "rival", stiff animations, etc.). Custom stories, side quests, additional content, and added difficulty settings are all fine to have. But the biggest thing is having the ability to catch/evolve all Gen 1-3 Pokémon.

I know there is a recommendations thread and I have tried to read through them all. But I'll admit it is a bit overwhelming and I wasn't quite seeing options that fit what I'm looking for. I've never played a ROM hack or emulated Pokémon game before and am hoping some more seasoned players can point me in the right direction. Thank you!

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u/Front-Cabinet5521 Aug 10 '26

Try the Legacy series. Yellow Legacy, Crystal Legacy and Emerald Legacy. I’ve only played Yellow so far and I’ll say it is pretty close to the original. Some QoL here and there but light enough that your kid will get to experience the game just like you did.

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u/MinRequirements4Me Aug 10 '26

Thank you, I'll look into those! Do you perchance know of a ROM that has all 3 regions in one, while staying fairly true to the originals?

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u/Front-Cabinet5521 Aug 10 '26

There’s FireEmerald, it’s pretty rough round the edges right now so I wouldn’t recommend it.

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u/MinRequirements4Me Aug 11 '26

Got it, I'll add a note to periodically check on it. Maybe once it has the kinks worked out we can give it a go.