The Pokémon franchise has touched the lives of millions of gamers. The original games were unlike anything else on the market, creating a whole new genre of games focused on collecting and battling a swath of unique and interesting creatures. The main series games have undergone numerous graphical updates, introduced and removed new gameplay mechanics, and introduced hundreds of brand new Pokémon to the different regions. They’ve been an inspiration to dozens of other developers to create similar games, but even fans have tried their hand at creating their own fan games.
Pokémon fans all love the series for different reasons and have expressed that passion by creating fan games that pay tribute to the series. They can also be an attempt to create new experiences using brand-new features and mechanics, or simply shaking up the core formula. They can do this by either modifying existing Pokémon titles or creating brand-new ones from the ground up.
Some of these games are considered just as good, or possibly better than the official games. Here are the best Pokémon fan games for anyone looking for a fresh spin on this classic series or looking for something different than the latest Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Note: Pokémon fan games are not officially approved by Nintendo and therefore within their legal rights to take down. Fan games that use copyrighted material, such as Pokémon, cannot be sold or used to make any profit. If you are looking for more information on how to find, download, or even make your own ROM hacks, check out the resources found in PokeCommunity. PokemonRomHacks also has plenty of guides and tutorials to help you get started downloading and running emulators. A great resource for finding and downloading other Pokémon ROMS is PokémonLog.
Pokémon Infinite Fusion
Have you ever wondered what a Pikachu and Charmander would look like if they fused together? What about a Magikarp and an Onyx? Whatever kind of Pokémon Frankenstein you want to make, Pokémon Infinite Fusion lets you bring it to life — or as close to life as a game can be anyway. Based on a site that let you mix Pokémon together, this game takes the concept of mashing existing sprites together into a full game where you’re free to splice just about any two Pokémon together to create something totally new. In total, there are over 176,000 unique Pokémon sprites to be created from all the possibilities.
Pokémon Infinite Fusion has both a Red and Blue version that run up to the 8th gym, plus a ton of new features. These include sidequests, a revamped UI, Speed Up button, randomized mode, new areas, and so much more. The game takes the graphical style of Gen 5, but features Pokémon from generations 1 through 7, and even includes the Fairy type.
Pokémon Uranium
Pokémon Uranium is probably the most well-known ROM hack. The story is as true to Pokémon as you can get, placing you in the shoes of a brand new trainer who is given a starting Pokémon from Professor Bamb’o and sent off on a quest to collect 8 gym badges by defeating their respective gym leaders. However, things get much darker very quickly. Your protagonist’s mother was killed in an explosion at a nuclear power plant and barely knows their absent father. Included in the 200 Pokémon are 160 fan-created ones. Aside from a full story mode, the game also features a system for online trading and battles to pit these new creatures against others.
Support and updates for this title have ceased due to official DMCA takedown notices issued by Nintendo, but you can still find and play the last update of the game.
Pokémon Insurgence
In terms of ROM hacks, Pokémon Insurgence is one of the most ambitious for just how much it changes and adds to the games it was built off of. It is already out as a full release to download and play, but the team is committed to giving more updates to fix any bugs and add more content. At present, it is already at, or above, the level of any traditional Pokémon game. There are brand new characters and music, and it even brings the concept of Mega Evolutions back to the 2D-style games. What’s most impressive is the new Delta Species of Pokémon. These are new takes on familiar Pokémon that completely shake up the way you utilize and play with your team.
Right off the bat, you will notice that Pokémon Insurgence is going for a far darker, more adult, story than the main series. Without getting too deep into the plot, this new Torren region you play in is in danger from mysterious cults. Rather than attempting to collect badges and become the regional champion like in a typical Pokémon game, you need to overcome the heroes of each region to become the new defender against the sinister cults. These cults, of which there are five to topple, worship Legendary Pokémon, and perform human sacrifices, among other atrocities, to appease them. Saying much more would give away fun discoveries, which isn’t something you could say about most Pokémon games, but it turns out to be a welcome addition to this well-crafted and written fan game.
Pokémon Radical Red
If you were around since the beginning of the Pokémon craze, then Pokémon Red or Blue probably holds a very special place in your heart. Whether you’re a Gen 1 die-hard or not, there is something special about the first Pokémon adventure. Pokémon Fire Red was a great way to revisit those memories, but all these years later, it’s clear that they’re rather simple and easy experiences.
Pokémon Radical Red is a welcome mod for anyone who wants the game to bite back a little harder. Radical Red is structurally identical to Fire Red but it’s a bit more difficult. Game changes include new abilities and re-balanced stats, the option to trade abilities between Pokémon, no more HMs, visible and color-coded IVs, special EV training zones, more Legendary Pokémon, and the option to challenge defeated gym leaders again. the game also comes with a built-in randomizer mode that you can activate right from the start.
Pokémon Emerald Kaizo
The Kaizo name is infamous among fan games. It was originally attributed to the modder who created the insanely difficult Kaizo Mario ROM hack that basically kicked off the entire genre of ROM hacks that require near-perfect levels of execution to beat.
While the game doesn’t touch the main plot or structure of the original Pokémon Emerald, this Pokémon Emerald Kaizo changes basically everything else. The AI is tuned up to give absolutely no mercy, wild Pokémon you encounter are buffed up to all pose a real threat, gym leaders and trainers all have new teams, and even the layouts of gyms and dungeons are reworked to punish you. Oh, and did we mention that you can’t use any items during battle?
Pokémon Sage
This project wasn’t originally conceived as a full game, but a simple group collaboration to design a new set of Pokémon. When the team realized how much work they were all willing to contribute, Pokémon Sage was born. The team worked to release a first version of the demo, and has since been taking feedback and improving that demo as often as possible. Currently, the demo is at version 2.0.6 and offers around 10 hours of gameplay with 117 new Pokémon out of a planned 229. You can explore 6 new cities in the Urobos region, and fight through 3 gyms.
The plot is just like any other Pokémon game, but there are both main and side quests to flesh things out a bit more than a classic entry. The Urbos region is heavily inspired by Latin America, which has yet to be used as a basis for any mainline Pokémon game. It feels very fresh and unique, so check out the demo and keep an eye out for when the final version eventually drops.
Pokémon Clockwork
Pokémon Clockwork is set in the new Rosari Region and centers around a mystery regarding the Mythical Celebi Pokémon. The main new mechanic, as the name of the game may have tipped you off to, is a full day and night cycle that can determine what Pokémon you can encounter, but that’s not the end of it. Without giving too much away, time travel is also a key feature of the 40 or more hour story. Other things to look forward to are brand new Pokémon, new moves, a full RPG quest system, new types of Pokéballs, and new battle modes that include pitting one Pokémon against two, or a kind of boss rush where you try and beat six trainers, each with six Pokémon, in a row without getting knocked out. It’s a great, meaty Pokémon game to sink your teeth into.
Pokémon MMO 3D
Almost no fan games attempt to make a fully 3D adventure, which makes sense since the main series has only recently branched into that area with Pokémon: Legends Arceous and Scarlet and Violet. However, one team known as The Dream Makers has taken on the challenge. Pokémon MMO 3D has already had some troubles with Nintendo but is still going strong with tons of support. While it does look a bit primitive for a 3D game, it is clearly ambitious. As you could guess from the title, this is an MMO set in the Pokémon world where you can create your own trainer, explore the world, and, of course, battle Pokémon.
Where Pokémon MMO 3D really mixes things up is in the battle system. Instead of being a static, turn-based system like a mainline game, this time you’re in full control of whichever Pokémon you send out to battle and plays more like World of Warcraft. You can maneuver around and use your different moves that each has cooldown timers. Right now the game has over 215 Pokémon from the first two generations set in the Kanto region, but more Pokémon, regions, and features are all planned in future updates.
