Ignore the AI Slop; try these instead

Recently, a Gen 1 recompilation has popped up on the internet, which allows a 3D version of Pokémon Red and Green to be played on PC. But the recompilation uses AI, something that I absolutely hate, and yet it is getting more attention than several fan-games that deserve more attention. At the end of the day, this is just a port of Pokémon Red and Blue onto PC using AI, which anybody can do. So, I thought I’d use this month’s column to discuss three fan games I think people should try instead, with no AI (as of the time of writing).

What’s the difference between a fan game and a ROM hack?

The difference between a fan game and a ROM hack is fairly simple: a ROM hack is built on an existing game. It might import new assets, but it still uses an existing Pokémon game as a base. A fan game, however, is built from the ground up; it still uses existing characters, but it isn’t built on a ROM and can normally only be played on a PC.

Pokémon Infinity

I really love Pokémon Infinity. It’s smaller than the other games on this list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of your time. It has an engaging story that tasks you with discovering what is happening on the island of Egho, a story that somehow manages to get past how cliché it is, and over a hundred Fakemon. Normally, I’m not a massive fan of Fakemon – I think they’re often overdesigned in a way that makes them no longer feel part of the same world as Pikachu, and I don’t like how much they can feel like “OC do not steal.” But Pokémon Infinity manages to do it in such a way that everything feels like it belongs in the same world – and nothing really feels out of place.

In addition to a massive amount of battles and a large post-game, Pokemon Infinity also includes online battling and trading, something that many games don’t feature – which means you can test your skills with these new Pokémon forms against your friends. Oh, and if you don’t want any of this, you can just switch on a randomizer mode and go out into the world to be jumped by the god of the multiverse. So there’s something for everyone.

Pokémon Insurgence

Let’s get the obvious out of the way – Pokémon Insurgence is extremely edgy. It’s edgy in a way that would only appeal to a fifteen-year-old in 2012. But for me personally, edginess hits a point where it circles around to just being funny, and Pokémon Insurgence manages to hit that point with a story about cults, but the real meaty part of this game is the new Pokémon forms.

Delta Pokémon are Pokémon with different typings to their standard forms, and different sprites. These range from a Fairy-Psychic Bulbasaur to an Electric-Ice Gardevoir, and in addition to this, there are even brand-new Mega Evolutions for Pokémon such as Marowak, Flygon, Milotic, and Jirachi. If you can get past the story’s edginess (and granted, that very much depends on your stomach for this stuff), then you’ve got a really great Pokémon game with tons of battles to get through.

Pokémon Infinite Fusion

There’s very little chance you haven’t seen footage of Pokémon Infinite Fusion before. It became extremely popular on TikTok for a period, and it basically became the modern poster child for Pokémon fan games. While it’s essentially just a remake of Pokémon Silver (it includes both Kanto and Johto), it also adds Pokémon from later generations and brand-new events, along with additional story beats which help to flesh out the world.

But none of that is what makes Pokémon Infinite Fusion special. What makes it special is right there in the title – the fusion. This game takes the DNA Splicers from Pokémon Black and White 2, and makes it so they work with any two Pokémon. What this results in is a Pokédex big enough to fill several books, and the potential for an almost infinite number of team builds. Have you always wondered what it would look like if you mixed Dialga and Palkia together? This game has got you covered. Have you always wondered what mixing Charizard and Blastoise would look like? Then you need to wonder no longer. I’ve played through Pokémon Infinite Fusion a few times, and each time I’ve had a different team and an absolutely joyous time. And if you like it? There’s a sequel currently in development.

These are just a few selections from the massive swathe of Pokémon fan games that are out there, but they’re well worth looking at. If you enjoy them, you should go and seek out more, rather than giving attention to projects coded using AI. After all, you can feel the love radiating from the above games, so why would you not want more of that?

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