8 Best Pokémon ROM Hacks To Nuzlocke

Once you’ve been through the normal Pokemon formula enough times – you know the one, beating all the gyms and defeating the elite four – you might realise that you’re not exactly getting challenged very much. They’re made for children after all.

For those looking for a bit of something spicy in their next playthrough, the answer is clear. It’s Nuzlocke time! Oh, but you’ve already done a nuzlocke before? Well, have you ever nuzlocked a ROM hack? Yes, this is where the real fun begins, folks.

Of course, there’s a balance I want to get right. Something that’s going to be a challenge, but not something you’ll have to min-max and crunch out the Excel spreadsheets for. Sorry, no Emerald Kaizo or Radical Red here.

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For anyone like me, nuzlockes are still about using the Pokémon you love: building that bond, being scared about losing them, even though you know they’re just lines of code. So if you want that same experience, with a bit of extra flavor, check out these tricky (but not too intense) ROM hacks for your next nuzlocke.

8

Pokemon Gaia

The Earth Trembles

I think, for anyone either dipping their toes into the world of nuzlocking or the world of ROM hacks (or both), Gaia is a great place to start. It certainly isn’t the most groundbreaking hack in the world or the most difficult, but it does a lot of things pretty darn well. It’s just consistent quality across the board, a bit of a jack of all trades, I suppose.

The story isn’t too in-your-face, not taking up too much time, and the boss battles are challenging but not difficult. In addition, there’s a great variety of Pokémon to choose from when you’re entering new routes, so every time you run through it, you’ll pretty much have a brand-new set of interesting critters comprising your team.

Keeping things fresh when nuzlocking a game can often be a bit of a problem, especially in the early game, but Gaia gives players a lot of choices, and more importantly, freedom.

7

Pokemon Reborn

A World In Ruin

Reborn may be a bit of an outlier on this list, simply because of how unwieldy the story and the wealth of characters are to a new player. It can seem a little daunting at the beginning, but once you experience it first hand you might see why this is one of my favourite fan games of all time.

Let me introduce you to the terrain system. Reborn completely changes the whole game by adding specific fields that redefine how battles happen upon them. You may have a field that strengthens certain types of desert-based moves, or perhaps a field that explodes in contact with a certain type, or even ones that fall down around you.

There are so many fields, and you can manipulate them or build your team around them to give yourself a massive advantage. Using this in conjunction with a nuzlocke is incredibly tricky, but so rewarding when you understand the mechanics of each one. Learning how best to interact with these environments and counter your opponents is a masterclass in gameplay.

6

Pokemon Polished Crystal

Back To Your Roots

If you’re looking for something with a little more nostalgia, then take a look at Polished Crystal. The name isn’t lying to you, because this is a very smooth experience.

While this takes place on a hacked version of Pokémon Crystal, this ROM adds in a lot of features that you might expect in a far later game, like the fairy type and the physical/special move split. You can get your hands on all 251 Pokémon, as well as evolutions that came along later on down the line.

In terms of nuzlocking, you’ll get more encounters with important trainers like your rivals and others that you might not expect, yet it doesn’t go too far with the difficulty, which is refreshing.

Remakes of existing games often up the difficulty to an unreasonable level, but Polished Crystal is more about the experience and allowing you to make your perfect team. If you haven’t done a nuzlocke before, then look no further.

5

Pokemon Insurgence

A Cult Classic… Literally!

Have you ever been playing through a nuzlocke, only to make a stupid mistake and have one of your favourites perish? Happens to the best of us. But the question of true moral character is whether or not you stick to the rules.

Well, now you won’t have to worry about that, because Insurgence actually has a built-in nuzlocke option for you to enjoy. No more wriggling around the rules this time, I’m afraid! And this is on top of a wealth of other amazing features Insurgence has on offer.

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4

Pokemon Unbound

Legendaries From Another World

Ah, Pokemon Unbound. It’s hard to think of classic ROM hacks without this beauty cropping up time and time again. Pokemon Unbound may just be one of the cleanest and most polished ROM hacks out there. Beginners may choose this as their first, and then wonder why nothing else quite lives up.

There’s a reason for this, of course. While Unbound might not veer away from the classic formula too much, similarly to Gaia, what it does, it excels in.

This caters even more to Nuzlockers than the former, however, with the introduction of 4 very well-defined difficulty modes. So, depending on your skill level, you can really customise the experience to your preferred level. Whatever you do, though, don’t go for the unfair option. It’s absolutely brutal. At points, you might even think the AI is cheating.

3

Pokemon Renegade Platinum

The Tough Get Tougher

Drayano. Ever heard the name before? Well, if you’re trying to get into the ROM hacking scene, then this is a pretty big one. Drayano’s games are difficulty hacks that alter the original Pokémon titles.

Generally, these only touch battles and Pokémon data, rather than messing around with the story or new areas. However, there are plenty of new events that allow you to gain Pokémon that might not seem appropriate for encountering in the wild. Sometimes, added events will enhance the story, but rarely will the entire flow be altered.

Gym leaders and other significant boss battles now have 6 Pokémon along with greatly improved movesets and strategies, yet their teams are still thematically appropriate and balanced around the new level curve of the game.

This is meant to be difficult, so don’t go in expecting to get through without any preparation, but it’s a good level of difficulty that doesn’t feel ridiculous.

2

Pokemon Emerald Seaglass

Pokemon… But Even Cosier

Recently, Pokemon Emerald Sealass took the community by storm, mostly based on its super-cosy vibes and great Gen 2-based art style, which injected a massive amount of love and personality into every single Pokemon along with the whole Hoenn Region.

But that’s not the only reason this game is great to nuzlocke. Your Pokémon can follow you now, just like in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver! If you wanted to create a super strong attachment to your favourites, well, this truly helps a lot.

On top of that, there are new type changes, the introduction of cross-generation evolutions, stat tweaks, new minigames and refreshed teams to provide an increased challenge compared to your standard emerald fare. The new events and quality of life improvements are far too numerous to add here, so jump into the world and find out for yourself!

1

Pokemon Sacred Gold & Storm Silver

A Nuzlocke Of Champions

Much of what I said about Renegade Platinum can also be applied here, as this is another quality Drayano hack, based upon the Gen 4 Johto titles. If you’re here for the challenge rather than the story, then this is certainly one for you.

Naturally, you’ll have all 493 Pokémon available to you, from generations 1-4, all obtainable in one way or another, allowing you to freely customise and perfect your ultimate team. This is pretty crucial, seeing as though the boss fights are going to challenge you even more than usual, so having more options is very important.

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In terms of nuzlocking, while you can still use Pokémon that you love, you’re going to have to go in with a plan. Consider your important type matchups and status moves that you might not usually use, like substitute and protect.

And definitely, if you plan on seriously getting through these titles, do a little bit of research into EVs and natures. That little bit of increased HP might save you from an unlucky crit down the line!

But of course, once you learn the ropes and build that dream team, you’ll feel like a real Champion when you come through the other side, beaten and bruised yet triumphantly victorious!