I’ve been playing these Pokemon GBA Rom Hacks since i was 13 years old and i still love them. This community keeps on bringing new and exciting rom hacks every year.
So, i decided to share a list comprising the “best” 10 Pokemon GBA Rom Hacks which i personally thing are a must play. There are a lot of other ROM Hacks as well which deserve to be in this list but just for the sake for keeping this list as short as possible, we’ll look at these 10 of them.
Let’s dive in to these amazing Rom Hacks!
Also, i’ll add the links to the specific games as well for you guys if you wanna check the details or features in length <3
1. Pokemon Ash Gray
Ash Ketchum here, and you’re about to start on your first Pokémon adventure. Regrettably, you remained up all night watching Pokémon battles and slept in! With all of your Pallet Town opponents (the most obnoxious being Gary) having grabbed all of the available starters, it appears that you’ll have to return home… unless you want Pikachu instead.
- Follows the same events as in the Pokemon Anime series
- Catch all of the Pokémon Ash does
- Be rewarded for carrying Ash’s team
- New Tiles, Sprites and Maps
2. Pokemon Dark Rising 2 (Dark Rising Series)
You emerge as the offspring of the esteemed Jean Blake, a figure of great renown credited with imprisoning the formidable Darugis several decades prior. Today, the malevolent Darugis harbors nefarious ambitions, plotting to release his formidable army and sow chaos across the world.
Fueled by the legacy of your parent, your odyssey brings you to this particular region. With unyielding determination, you relentlessly chase after the tyrant, resolute in your mission to thwart his calamitous designs and bring a definitive end to the impending threat. The weight of familial legacy propels you forward as you strive to preserve the peace and safeguard the world from the imminent menace posed by Darugis and his malevolent forces.
- Mega Evolution
- Fairy Type
- Physical/Special Split
- 193 obtainable Pokemon
- 193 obtainable Digimon
- Gen 4, 5, and 6 moves (All Pokemon learn their best egg moves by level up/all Digimon have moves similar to those they have used in the TV Show/Video Games/Manga).
3. Pokemon Nameless
Altena, the Valo Empire’s commander, was forced to flee her homeland with her daughter Chronya 12 years ago. Chronya’s only knowledge was that she had a father who lived in Cyenn Region. She and her mother decided to seek her father’s assistance one day. However, they were attacked on the way by Dark Workers hired by the Valo Emperor. The emperor desired to be rid of Altena for good. Altena had fallen into the trap set by the Dark Workers. Chronya had no choice but to jump into the sea. Fortunately, she was saved by a young agent named Gavin. Gavin handed Chronya his Pokemon to protect her. This is the start of Chronya’s trip…
- New regions — Cyenn Region, Western Tyron Region, Sevii Islands and Lande Region
- Pokemon from Gen 4 to 8
- In-battle mega evolution
- Black/White Repel system
- Battle Arenas take the place of Gyms
- The tournament takes the place of the Cyenn League
- Skills take the place of HMs
- Somewhat open world
- The ability to decide when to begin the main storyline
4. Pokemon CAWPS
Pokemon CAWPS differs from my previous hack, Pokemon Outlaw (also known as FireRed for adults). If you haven’t played Pokemon Outlaw, you should (but it’s not suitable for tiny children).
This is the story of a young man or woman who becomes a cop in the Hoenn region.
This isn’t the same Hoenn you encountered in Pokemon R/S/E, as it was in Outlaw with Kanto. People in this Hoenn are a little more realistic (read: nuts). I’ll try not to be as bad as I was at times in Outlaw (I REALLY crossed some lines that I shouldn’t have had to make the game darker), but it’ll be in the same vein, just toned down. If you didn’t enjoy Outlaw, you’ll probably dislike this game. I’d also like to apologise ahead of time.
5. Pokemon Cloud White Series
Pokemon Cloud White, a kickass FireRed-based Pokemon rom hack game with fascinating styles, backdrop, design, items, Pokemon, and a one-of-a-kind plot, is here to bring you another Mega Pokemon story. Mega Evolution and Mega Gems are popular characteristics in Pokemon Cloud White.
Sprites, building designs for the Pokemart, Pokemon Centre, combat setting, and more have been added. There are around 540 catchable Pokemon to discover, ranging from generation 1 to 6. Feel the difference between day and night, as well as weather (do you enjoy snow?).
- New Scenarios after Original Kanto&Sevii Scenario
- New Regions (Johto(include HGSS exclusive maps and some new maps), Mangan, Azur)
- New Rivals
- New evil TeamsNew graphisms
- New Menu
- National dex “at the beginning”
- Physical/Special/Status Split
- New moves and abilities
- BW Repel System
- Exp Catch System
- and so much more!
6. Pokemon Super Glazed
Today marks your twelfth birthday, signifying the momentous occasion when you receive your inaugural Pokémon. However, if you anticipated a tranquil expedition through the captivating Tunod region, you couldn’t be more mistaken. An enigmatic force is setting the Pokémon realm and our own world on an unavoidable collision course.
- Choose from 5 starters
- Four regions- Tunod, Johto, Rankor & ???
- Mega Evolution
- Gigantamax
- Pokemon from Gen 4-8
- New Tiles
- New Sprites
- Dream World Pokemon
- Rematch trainers, as well as all Gym Leaders
- All legendaries from Kanto to Sinnoh plus eight from Unova & From Galar
- New out-of-battle effects
- Physical/Special Split
7. Pokemon Unbound
Welcome to the Borrius territory, a historical territory. Many years ago, the Borrius and Kalos regions fought a bloody war. The Borrius region summoned a dark force to assist them in defeating their adversaries; nonetheless, the fight ended in defeat when the monarch of the Kalos region unleashed the ultimate weapon. The dark force was put away after the war, never to be employed again. However, many years later, an organization simply known as “The Shadows” appears to be focused on re-releasing the dark force. It is up to you to stop them and save the Borrius region from annihilation.
- A Powerful Engine: A custom battle engine on par with Gen 8, as well as many quality of life features
- Enjoy catching all of your favorite Pokemon, from Gen 1 up to Gen 8
- Features Galore: Unlimited Bag Space, Auto-Run, DexNav, Daily Raids, Inverse Battles, and much more!
- A New HM System: Have access to all of your favorite HMs without the hassle of carrying HM slaves
- A Custom OST: Enjoy over 50 unique songs composed for Pokemon Unbound
8. Pokemon Saiph 2
The game’s storyline unfolds three years after the dramatic events of Pokémon Saiph, and it picks up just a few weeks following the occurrences in Pokémon Sors. Nevertheless, the connection between this new adventure and the latter is rather tenuous.
Micah, along with Darlo, finds themselves journeying back from an elegant formal event. Micah, who holds the esteemed title of Colen’s Champion and is also the Co-Leader of the world’s inaugural ITP Group (International Threat Prevention), had been specially invited to the gathering.
- A new region to explore, Regris! (And an extra surprise about regions in the end)
- The Complete Fire Red Upgrade as the game engine… finally! (Items, moves, abilities, Pokémon, pss split etc. Updated to the latest standards)
- Proper Battle AI
- Multiple modes to play the game in! (Randomizer, Lvl scaling, exp all etc. These modes can be combined as you please!)
- For the dedicated players: Hero Mode and Vigilante Mode! (Details in the next section)
- Once again a full PokéDex now including gen 8 too!
9. Pokemon Gaia
A rich civilisation once inhabited the legendary Orbtus region. They erected a number of monuments to their gods and guardians. A succession of devastating earthquakes hastened their extinction; all that remains of their society are temples, idols, and stories as remnants of the past.
Professor Redwood, a local archaeologist and Pokémon Professor, has recently noted an upsurge in seismic activity in the region. Concerned for Orbtus’ safety, he seeks the help of new Pokemon Trainers with a sense of adventure in rural Celanto village, a seaside village near the enigmatic Totem Poles, and your house! Will you be able to stop the earth from engulfing the region once more, with the help of the Professor and your rival?
- Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos
- Updated move sets, accurate to OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire
- Modern competitive items- Choice Specs, Assault Vest, Ability Pill, etc.
- Modern abilities- Mega Launcher, Sheer Force, etc.
- Physical/Special split
- In-battle Mega Evolution
- Fairy-type and the new type chart
10. Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee
Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee GBA are a pair of FireRed hacks based loosely on the Switch games.
- Pikachu/Eevee as your starter
- Wild Pokemon out of battle
- New maps
- New characters
- Mega Evolution
- Galarian and Alolan forms
- New events
- Pokemon from Gen 9
These are some of the best Pokemon GBA Rom Hacks ever! Doesn’t mean these are the only ones, so i’ll be making another top 10 list soon, be sure to check those as well 🙂
Also, if you’re looking for GBA Emulators for your Android, PC, Mac or even iOS, you can find them here!