Pokémon Blue Kaizo is like someone took the original Game Boy classic and cranked the difficulty up to eleven. The first gym leader already has a full team of six Pokémon, and wild encounters hit way harder than you'd expect. You'll actually have to think about type matchups and strategy instead of just steamrolling everything with your starter.

It's brutal, but in a weirdly satisfying way—like finally beating Brock after five tries and realizing your Squirtle isn't invincible anymore. The game tweaks movesets, stats, and even evolution levels, so nothing plays out like you remember. If you've ever thought the original was too easy, this version will humble you fast.

Just don't expect to breeze through it without grinding. Or crying a little.