Pokémon fan games

Pokemon fan games are games built by fans of the Pokémon games. These games usually attempt to emulate the formula of the core series or specific spin-off games, though rarely they may use the Pokémon IP in other ways. Many fan games are ROM hacks of existing titles. However, an increasing number of standalone titles have been built from scratch using separate development tools and game engines instead. Note that fan games are usually considered distinct from bootlegs, which are unauthorised copies of published games sold to consumers as if they were official.

List of notable standalone Pokémon fan games

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

This is a list of notable Pokémon fan games that were built from the ground up as standalone titles.

For a list of notable fan games that were modified from existing core series games, see the list of notable core series ROM hacks.

Pokémon Infinite Fusion

Pokémon Infinite Fusion logo

Pokémon Infinite Fusion is a core series-inspired fan game developed by PokeCommunity user Schrroms and was released in 2015. The game's core mechanic is the ability for players to fuse two Pokémon together, offering a choice of two different fusion forms, amounting to over 200,000 possible combinations. The developer was inspired by Japeal's Pokémon Fusion Generator and uses custom sprites contributed by community artists, with new sprites added to the game on a daily basis.

The fusion mechanic is accomplished using the DNA Splicers, a Key Item introduced in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 originally used to fuse Kyurem with either Reshiram or Zekrom. In Infinite Fusion, the mechanic merges the two constituent Pokémon's types, and players can choose which moves, Ability, and Nature to inherit. The game follows the traditional core series formula, with the player challenging 16 Gyms across the Kanto and Johto regions in order to face the Pokémon League, while encountering Team Rocket along the way.

In late 2024, Infinite Fusion fell under scrutiny after AI-generated descriptions were added to populate the game's massive Pokédex. Many community artists who contributed sprites disagreed with the decision to incorporate generative AI, leading to calls for the removal of their work. The developer initially declined, citing technical difficulties in removing such a large number of assets. However, on Christmas Day, it was announced that the AI-generated entries had been removed, and an automated system was implemented to delete sprites as requested. The developer defended the initial decision as an attempt to enhance the player experience but acknowledged that the community's concerns took priority. The announcement was met with mixed reactions; while some praised the decision, others found the tone of the message to be dismissive.

Pokémon Uranium

Pokémon Uranium logo

Pokémon Uranium was made using the RPG Maker XP engine and was released in 2016, after 9 years of development. The game adds 166 original Pokémon alongside a new region, Tandor. Similar to the official games, Uranium contains both online trading and online battling. In August 2016, after one and a half million downloads, the download links for the game were taken down from the official website because the developers wanted to "respect Nintendo's wishes", after learning other sites that offered the download received DMCA takedown notice letters from lawyers representing Nintendo. The following month, the developers announced that they had officially ceased development of the title and shut down the website and servers. Following the announcement, community members created a new website and continued to develop patches for the base game, including bug fixes and new features.

Pokémon Fire Ash

Pokémon Fire Ash title screen

Pokémon Fire Ash is a core series-inspired fan game made using the RPG Maker XP engine and was released in 2017, after two years of development. It was developed by PokeCommunity user Reinhartmax. The game loosely follows Ash Ketchum's journey throughout the entirety of Pokémon the Series. It was inspired by the ROM hack Pokémon Ash Gray and the potential to expand the game to all of Ash's history. Many elements of the animated series are included, such as Ash's friends and rivals, all of his Pokémon being available as static encounters, and events unrelated to the games, such as the Orange Islands or Battle Frontier arcs. However, there are key differences, such as Ash traveling alone and certain events like the Decolore Islands arc being cut. Many story arcs are also condensed to better fit a game format. The game's art style mimics Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. The game originally only went up to the Kalos region, with Alola and Galar being added as the animated series released Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and Pokémon Journeys: The Series. The final story update was released the same day as The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, the final episode of Pokémon the Series. The creator has also gone on to create Pokémon Platinum Dawn, a fan game using the same assets from Fire Ash to recreate Dawn's journey through Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.

(NOT) Pokémon: Misty Orange

(NOT) Pokémon: Misty Orange title screen

(NOT) Pokémon: Misty Orange is a dating sim parody of the early Pokémon games and Pokémon the Series, created by user Kwatar and released on April 1, 2024. It was inspired by a 2008 interview on PokéBeach with Masamitsu Hidaka, the former director of the animated series, in which he jokingly stated that female characters were often rotated because "boys need a new piece of eye candy to look at every once in a while." He also explained that girls were considered more customizable, as their outfits could be changed, such as putting them in bathing suits.

Related articles

• ROM hack
• Bootleg

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