Pokemon guide - 5 must-play mods which offer a new way to Catch 'em All

In the world of retro game modding, few games have as many entries or variations as Pokemon. Whether it’s a randomizer/speedrun hack, or a whole new story, the franchise has many excellent mods to breathe new life into classic games.

Not all Pokemon fan-made mods are excellent, but all of them have one thing in common: they were made by fans of the Game Freak franchise and show just how varied the world of Pocket Monsters can possibly be.

These games are a new spin on a classic franchise, and with Scarlet and Violet on the way soon, it’s the perfect time to try and Catch ‘em All.

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5 Pokemon mods that completely change how you experience the franchise

5) Pokemon Insurgence

Created by Suzerain, this fangame takes place in the fictional Torren Region. This is a bit of a mature mod, but players can choose to play the darker story or something a bit lighter. The overall theme is based on cults, and in particular, The Cult of Darkrai.

To say much more about the story would be venturing into spoiler territory, but it is a gritty, dark story, which is a change of pace. It has new features added to it as well.

It features some interesting variants of Pokemon, as well as more detailed character customizations that are just a part of the game. It’s built via a heavily-modded RPG Maker XP project, so it’s its own unique game.

It uses Pokemon from Gens 1-6, as well as some Fakemon. These are based on pre-existing designs known as Delta variants. It also has new Megas for a few species, like Eevee.

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4) Pokemon Unbound

Pokemon Unbound, a mod of Gen III’s Fire Red/Leaf Green, was developed by Skeli and is set in the Borrius Region. It’s considered by many to be one of the best mods of all, combining the classic RPG gameplay elements with some MMO gameplay.

It’s a massive world with plenty of customization and covers Gen 1-7 species. It has no Fakemon in it, and the story is built around Hoopa Unbound. Borrius is on the brink of destruction, and it’s up to the protagonist to try and defeat “The Shadows” and set things right once again.

Another interesting note is that all starters and most legendaries will be available to the player at various points in the story, giving the player access to pretty extraordinary power. It also relies heavily on a real-world clock for timed events and encounters.

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3) Pokemon TR Edition: Team Rocket Edition

This mod is one that many fans have heard of over the years, and it’s not hard to see why. Who doesn’t want to join Team Rocket and be a villain for a change? A popular mod for the franchise, the Team Rocket Edition mod was also built via an RPG Maker toolset.

The player starts as a grunt and joins Team Rocket, and instead of trying to be a champion, they want to try and be Giovanni’s successor.

Players can steal from certain opponents and do have gyms to battle and secret bases to uncover. It is a mature story, though, as players control a villain. They will be asked to do things that might make some people uncomfortable, such as Extortion, Blackmail, and more.

In addition to the standard species of Pocket Monsters, it also has some Darkness variants to keep an eye out for.

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2) Pokemon Saffron

Pokemon Saffron version is one of the more up-to-date mods and is a mod of Emerald. Set in the South American Azira Region, players will experience the Great Migration, which happens once every decade, where many migration paths sync up and move through the region.

Over 280 types of Pocket Monsters await in Saffron Edition, and the first Pocket Monster the trainer catches will always walk behind them, no matter what. This is just a neat, cute feature and a welcome addition.

Giganticmax, Mega Evolution, and Regional Variants are all here. It also had all of its graphics updated to not look like Emerald while retaining a generational feel. It has a vast soundtrack and several updated mechanics, such as reusable TMs.

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1) Pokemon Adventure Red

This is such an exciting concept, and it’s a shame that it’s not one that Nintendo has not officially embraced in their entries to the series. This mod follows the manga exactly, though with a few extra moments.

Players control Red, and his rivals, Blue and Green, are featured. The main character speaks, and there have been many changes to existing Pocket Monsters (buffs and nerfs). It also has a much higher level cap - 255.

Shadow and Fusion Pocket Monsters exist in the game, and it follows Red’s adventures through the manga across several regions. Fans of the manga will love this one. It’s easily one of the most detailed and interesting mods to come out of the community.

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Pokemon hacks, mods, and updates will never stop happening. Fans will always have their own cool ideas for a region or a story, and that’s one of the beautiful things about the franchise's fandom. This is just a small sampling of great mods that can be acquired and played on the internet.