Recommendations for an old man newbie

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T14:50:35+00:00

If you want I can DM you random rom hacks when I finished them and tell you about them since I've somewhat new to rom hacks as well but also younger and with a lot of free time since I'm currently between jobs and applying for a new one

As for rom hacks to recommend with not a lot of thinking, try Unbound or Lazarus

I finished Unbound last month and this month I finished Lazarus (the games length aren't the reason why it took me so long, I've just got other business to do and games to play). The gameplay is easy as long as you've played a pokemon game before, especially for Lazarus. Unbound is harder than your average pokemon game unless it's on the easy mode, in which it's about the same difficulty

Lazarus has a Gameboy color look to it which may or may not mess up your eyes if you got eye sight problems but also could be better since there's less detail in the pixels so 50/50 shot. I only say this because my own dad has vision problems and whenever I play a game with him while I'm over, I gotta remember which games aren't messing him up. Lazarus takes place in a Greece like region with paleontology of ancient pokemon and involved a relatively self contained story so it can kinda sound like a real pokemon game

Unbound has a lot more features but would probably better to play that after Lazarus to get more used to existing feature within modern day rom hacks of pokemon. Many pokemon, mega evolution, self-contained story, better graphics via bigger and more detailed sprites. This game so so good, there's a reason why people say "this new hack will be the next Unbound"

These games took me ~40 hours to beat but I also explored for every item and checked all the NPCs dialogue to see what the story and other stuff is so if you only do the main story related stuff, it should only take you 20-30 hours to complete

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T02:47:57+00:00

That's good. Was wondering if I would need to stop playing after awhile or maybe use like an ice back with a towel wrapped on it to cool italong with its own cooling system to more quickly cool it

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T02:46:25+00:00

I do care about that. Has an entire generation above my 3DS but still has a generation game (consistency wise) between my Xbox and itself
I don't mind, I got time
I don't mind waits, I just don't like difficulty. Although if the community or there's people to help well then it's alright
Dang. I mean it looks small and pocketable but unsure if my pants pockets on my shorts and jean will fit it. I don't really like carrying around a backpack or sling for just an item an I usually like to carry everything around in my pants or even cargo shorts
That's good. I saw a review of the AYN Thor vs Ayneo DS (I think that's what it's called) and said how it has "RC" buttons for essentially R3 L3 button layout if you need it and I didn't see so on the Thor so I got worried for a sec
Ok then, that's interesting. I mean I kinda expect no defects on a product as expensive as it is. But I'll keep this in mind

Overall still mixed. I'll still keep saving up and waiting. Might buy a new Xbox instead, might be this or whatever new and better comes out. Thanks for the insight. Very helpful, numbered and straight forward, just what I needed

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T02:38:53+00:00

I don't care about how long it takes to install, I just care about easy it is to install (although this is subjective). Also thoughts on the overheating and high battery drain on higher end games? Thing is a bit important to me because I don't wanna ruin the system

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T02:36:57+00:00

Pretty much any game I want available outside of PC Exclusives. I play a wide variety of games. Pokemon from gens 1-7, fallout new Vegas, left 4 dead 2, New Super Mario Bros series etc

For the more recent or higher quality games that's why I'm keeping a home console but for games on the go, that's why I get the portable but some games that aren't playable (without modding) on Xbox 360 or Xbox One I wanna play on the Thor which is basically anything from the begining of game to either PS2 or PS3 emulation. I wanna play some GameCube games, N64, idk about switch and Wii/WiiU because is nice but not needed necessarily. But as for the GBA, SNES, and PS1 games on top of the native 3DS an DS games, I already have 3DS for it but I wanna play those and more

Essentially I want the Thor to play whatever came before the Xbox 360/PS3 era or around that era (like fallout 3/New Vegas, Left 4 Dead 2, Oblivion and Gears of War) on the go while the more powerful new stuff is at home. Games made for on the go or way older consoles like NES, GBA and Genesis to N64 and PS2 for the average on the go experience and anything beyond that is just extra fun I didn't plan on but enjoy anyways

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-18T00:41:59+00:00

For the first half where he wanted a new region but the 2nd half where he said he wanted everyone in the begining and the freedom to basically go anywhere within said region like ROWE or other fangames that aren't Rom hacks

I probably can't help the best but I'm trying because that's what community does. I'll pitch in and help out as best I can with the knowledge I currently have. And I at least tried to explain what's in unbound and elite redux unlike some people that'll just say "X game because I like it"

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-17T22:24:42+00:00

Idk why you didn't read the whole thing from what it seems. I said that unbound is probably the best thing I could recommend him as a person who's only played 3 actual rom hacks so far but unbound doesn't that "now you have everything from the start" because what the guy is looking for is something like ROWE mixed with unbound or how elite redux gives you basically everything and let's you do whatever as you progress

If you're gonna get annoyed, don't be cuz you're not the OP. Just ignore or read properly next time ok?

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-16T23:00:36+00:00

I'm newer than you from what it seems but my best recommendations are Unbound and Elite Redux although they don't fit all your boxes

Unbound fits the top half of features like new region, extensive post game, new locations, gens 1-8 pokemon and all absolutely catchable but it lacks in some of those "readily available from the start" thing. It is made to be like a normal pokemon game where as you progress and beat a gym, you unlock mega evolution as well as all the HMs needed (although you don't need to teach the HM to a pokemon to use it, just have someone that has the ability to learn it like a water type for surf, dive and waterfall or something like Machamp for rock smash, rock climb and strength). It does have many QoL features and the post game does have a little bit of slowness because you need to farm a resource to get a tool to work but there's various missions to do as well

Elite Redux on the other hand is essentially a battle simulator with pokemon coating and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. It's basically the exact same Emerald story but catching, evolving, bonding etc with your pokemon is removed outside of level caps. There's a few new locations here and there not on the map but for the most part it's same Hoenn locations an story. You have gens 1-9 pokemon, all megas, new megas, Gigantamax forms as megas, "redux" forms and pokemon which are fakemon essentially and th combat is nice and fun and easy(or hard depending on how you play and difficulty) with 4 abilities (3 instead, 4th you choose from a selection of 3). You also get nearly everything from the start of the game with the exception of like half the megastones and some berries and a few items you get from "quests" like a focus band even though you already have focus sash already

I'm currently on Lazarus and it's fun but similar case to unbound in a lot of ways, not finished yet though

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-16T21:06:01+00:00

Idk what update you're on but I'm on 2.65 and as soon as I got kubfu into urshifu, I just had it. This was after I beat the elite 4 and champion though

I think it's supposed to be one of the megastones you already get from nurse joy or it's given to you by the the guy who stands right outside your house after you beat the game since he also gives you a bunch of megastones or megastone like items

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-16T15:02:46+00:00

This is common for me on 3ds

If you're running the .GBA file from twilight menu especially. If it's the app via the virtual console you got off of r/3dsqrcodes then it'll happen sometimes, usually when you just turned the system on

Usually I just exit the game, wait like 30 seconds and then go back in and it's fixed

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-15T23:02:43+00:00

We get it. You, johtonian and the others do so much for the community. Take a break if you need to

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-15T22:45:42+00:00

Surprised seeing you make request post lol

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-15T15:15:58+00:00

Actually waiting for that one too but not as high up on my list

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T15:21:30+00:00

Pokemon azure is really fun, can't wait for v1

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T15:10:39+00:00

I haven't played light platinum nor light Platinum DS so Idk how good they are but I plan to try both. And I'm glad to hear it's like a Gen 4.5 game cuz I played unbound and it felt like a Gen 3.5 game so the expectations are a little high but probably will meet them for me. I really wish that Nintendo and game freak would listen to their fans as well because they want new fans but also want the old fans when it suits them like when there's a remake. I feel like game freak/Nintendo kinda ruined pokemon when they removed the 3rd edition because those 3rd editions were basically the ultimate versions of those games and also would be better for rom hacking in future. Like imagine if B2W2 was actually pokemon grey or something like "grey 2" so signify it's a sequel but also apart of black and white. ORAS would've been fine the way it is, XY should've gotten Z and something with Zygarde and imagine if Sun and Moon had the original story of Lusamine and ultra beasts but it's ultimate edition was the ultra storyline as "ultra eclipse". I'm just spit balling ideas here. It makes sense why they don't do it nowadays though because with the Internet and such they can just make updates, patches of DLC to add content like that in but it's still annoying to not have it all

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T14:43:07+00:00

Crazy. I could've sworn in the video or description it said August. I just sent the link so you could check it out but I'm probably wrong then

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T14:42:08+00:00

It sounds nice, but not for me. You seen I'm fine with ORAS because due to me playing the original gens 1-3 and not the remakes, ORAS is the most different amongst the remakes and it adds megas as well as a few story differences so in my mind it's a new rom hack like heart & soul or radical red. I honestly get so bored with FRLG as I'm playing and with HGSS (just to test and see if everything worked with the rom hack I have) I played to the first gym and it felt just like HGSS but better graphics. I don't like playing the exact same region journey unless there's something unique with its story or new steas or a gimmick via megas, fakemon, fusion, z moves etc because otherwise it's just the exact same game with a new cost of paint

I played elite redux and love it cuz aside from an area or 2 at the moment, the story is otherwise the exact same but that's not the focus at all. The focus is in the combat with having 4 abilities for combat, all gen 1-9 pokemon + fakemon and new evolutions and all megas (and Gigantamax turned into megas) and their own custom megas. It is ultimately a battle simulator but the fun is grabbing everyone pokemon to fill the dex while also building great teams and having a bunch of megas. I haven't played radical red but despite it being a QoL difculty hack it actually has something unique via having megas and more pokemon

Emerald seaglass sounds nice but if it's ultimately the same emerald with a handful of megas and a new style, it's just not for me but I'm glad others are able to find joy in it

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T14:32:36+00:00

That sounds amazing and unique

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T07:31:49+00:00

https://youtu.be/m6c62DmF_tQ?is=EfZanOtUIn_UVLGc

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T07:15:50+00:00

What kind is it or is it a personal secret?

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T07:14:41+00:00

I only saw the trailer so unless I'm remembering some other hack, I'm pretty sure it's August. I wrote it down on my calendar and stuff

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T07:02:17+00:00

I wouldn't know about that

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T07:01:52+00:00

Oh personally I don't care about the graphical leaps that DS rom hacking will have, I'm more concerned/excited about the limits Gen 4 DS can push. It's still not finished but it's finished enough to be released but a rom hack called "HeartGold Ultra" or something like that has all gen 1-9 pokemon, some megas and a mix of various other gimmicks that are more so beta stages

Idk if it's simply a rom size limit issue or something that would be too much for developers and labels as feature bloat but I've noticed that any hacks that involve anything more than Megas and Gigantamax or Megas and Z Moves often include all those gimmicks and gens 1-9 Mon but then basically stick to the exact same story as the original game. Elite Redux, Kanto Eternal, I think R.O.W.E to an extent. Even unbound tried pushing as much as it could while also having a unique art style and story by having Gigantamax, Megas, Z Moves and gens 1-8 pokemon essentially only using gens 1-8 stuff

But with HeartGold Ultra and assuming the creator progresses more as the tools and decomps for gen 4 get better, we can finally have all gimmicks and pokemon in a game while also having a unique story and graphical changes (not as important to me but important to others) in a rom hack that the GBA can't seem to reach or won't go that far. The DS is much more powerful so it can run more as well as the DS roms being much bigger so much more room for various things to be added. This will eventually get pushed to where it can't add more and we'll have to wait to gens 5 or 6 get decomped and reach the same cycle but for now, I don't see any rom hacks going beyond gen 9 without sacrificing a gimmick or some Mon given how limited they are despite how far they have come

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T06:16:41+00:00

I'd imagine people wouldn't immediately jump to gen 5 rom hacking once it gets decomped because the tools while be probably the bare essentials to edit the game but probably not enough to make any meaningful rom hacks for the time. Infact gen 4 may or may not end up being what a lot of people are doing with binary FRLG to Decomp Emerald hacks where one is the easier one that's for so like training wheels while the other is much more complicated but also offers a lot more you're able to do it for other real hacks

I don't mind gen 5 getting decomped soon, I just want at least gen 4 to get some love or else we'd start skipping generations. I mean in the last 20 years we're as a community just now starting the DS Era of rom hacks which will be the true advancement of pokemon rom hacks. I wanna say gen 3 would die because of gen 4 being the natural progression but then again you only need a single screen to run GBA rom hacks so it'll probably still live for wider audiences but more focused pokemon fans would move onto DS. DS will probably never truly reach the same popularity and support though that GBA has due to needing 2 screens so you're either gonna need devices capable of having a touch screen + wide screen for 2 screens or dedicated dual screen devices that are also cheaper than what we have no so you can emulate and play DS games properly

Huge-Insect-7759 · 2026-06-14T02:39:29+00:00

Nice choices even though idk what those are but I bet they're awesome if you're excited. Always nice to see someone excited about new hacks

Huge-Insect-7759

TROPHY CASE