After eight generations, that 151 number has skyrocketed to 898 critters. If you know someone who can name them all from memory, you’re friends with a super-human. Understandably, Game Freak eventually had to stop including them all in every release. Everyone lost their chill when they announced Pokémon Sword & Shield wouldn’t even have half of them – but it’s not really a surprise for anyone who knows how much work goes into these games. Lucky for us, custom fan game devs don’t have the same restrictions as Game Freak. I’ve found a bunch of impressive games made by fans who believe that “more” always means “better”. Some of them include all Pokémon up to gen 7, while others go the extra mile and include Galar Pokémon as well. Be sure to check these out!
7. Pokémon Reborn
Check Out This Hack Pokémon Reborn is a narrative-driven fan game telling the story of a region spiraling into ruin and the heroes who’ll rise to save it. The Reborn region may be struggling economically – but they’re rich in biodiversity. This game lets you obtain all 807 Pokémon released up to Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, which gives you massive freedom when it comes to building your heroic team. You’ll also get to choose one of 21 different starters at the beginning, so you don’t have to part with any Pokémon you’ve become attached to. Torchic, it’s time for another adventure. The attention to detail and intricate world design seen in Pokémon Reborn is also remarkable. Each of its 18 gyms presents a real challenge, and the music by GlitchxCity really sets the tone for a grand experience. It also features online battling and trading, if that’s something you’re interested in!
6. Pokémon Rejuvenation
Check Out This Hack After the disaster known as “Storm 9”, the region of Aevium was devastated. Years of humans and Pokémon working together in harmony have made it vibrant again – and only you can stop Team Xen from plunging them back into the dark ages. In your quest to save Aevium (and become the local Pokémon Champion), you’ll be able to obtain every creature from the first seven generations. That’s 807 Pokémon to help you tackle 17 Gyms and the Elite Eight – because four wasn’t enough. One of the best parts about Pokémon Rejuvenation is that it also lets you pick between 21 starters. And there’s even a mysterious “random starter” machine that’ll give you one of them at random – with a slight chance to get a really rare Pokémon you couldn’t otherwise pick for your first companion.
5. Pokémon Radiant
Check Out This Hack One of the most unique fan games I’ve come across recently is Pokémon Radiant, which takes inspiration from South Africa for its region of Liberti. When I say it “takes inspiration”, I mean Liberti looks just like South Africa on a map. The Liberti region is well-known for housing all kinds of Pokémon. You can obtain all 898 critters released up to Generation 8, and you actually get “perks” for completing the PokéDex. My favorite part about Pokémon Radiant is that it replaces the traditional linear storyline with a whopping 228 quests in tiered difficulties for you to tackle in any order you like. There are also many competitive facilities like the Battle Tower and Fight Arena, for those days when you’d rather skip to the good part.
4. Pokémon Radical Red
Check Out This Hack Pokémon Radical Red is well-known in the online community for its massive difficulty. Still, it makes sure to give you the tools to beat it – including access to almost every Pokémon up to the eighth generation. The only exceptions are most of the overpowered Legendary Pokémon, which could mess with the game’s balance. These include Eternatus, Necrozma, Rayquaza, Deoxys, and some others. And to increase the difficulty, this FireRed ROM hack massively improves enemy AI, making rival trainers merciless. They also have new powerful teams – and each member of the Elite Four has one Legendary on their team. If you want to become the Pokémon Champion, you’ll have to prepare by hunting down the perfect Pokémon for your team, battling Gym Leaders for their Mega Stones, and crafting advanced strategies.
3. Pokémon Unbound
Check Out This Hack Pokémon Unbound is a massive undertaking that was meant to take Pokémon FireRed to its maximum potential – both in features and difficulty. For starters, this ROM hack features all 807 Pokémon from the first seven generations in all of their glory. They have the correct types, movesets, and even Mega Evolutions. It also includes several QoL improvements for the best adventuring experience. For example: you’ll have infinite inventory space, the DexNav will help you catch specific Pokémon more efficiently, and HMs don’t need to be taught to any Pokémon for them to work (so no more HM slaves). If you wish to tackle the game as was intended by the author, you’ll have to choose Insane difficulty – but you can also select Easy, Normal, or Hard, depending on how much you want to struggle. Alternatively, give the game’s Battle Frontier Demo a try. It lets you skip straight to the Battle Frontier and adds new content like daily log-in rewards, events, and raids.
2. Pokémon Saffron
Check Out This Hack Pokémon Saffron is set in Azira – a region inspired by South America with the highest biodiversity in the Pokémon world. Once a decade, the migration paths of hundreds of Pokémon species coincide over this lush territory. At that point, you can find (almost) every Pokémon from Generations 1 through 8 somewhere within its borders. Of course, the game takes place right at that magical moment. And it’s safe to say that Saffron’s Pokédex is super complete. The game supports regional variants, Mega Evolutions, and even Gigantamax! It’s only missing Ultra Beasts, which technically aren’t even Pokémon. And every Pokémon in the game is updated to their current settings (as of this writing), including their typing, the moves they learn as they level up, their hidden abilities, and so on.
1. Pokémon Showdown
Check Out This Hack A big part of the Pokémon experience is adventuring with your team, braving new routes, and discovering new cities. But none of that matters when it comes to competitive play. Pokémon Showdown is the largest competitive Pokémon fan-game around, with a massive active community that logs on every day to test new teams and hone their trainer skills. Showdown is all about battles. It features well-balanced leagues where only certain Pokémon can participate to keep things fair, and uses the most updated rules, typing, and moves. Of course, it also features all 898 critters – even those from Pokémon S&S: The Isle of Armor. If you think you’re the very best that no one ever was, this is where you go to prove it.
