Pokémon Dark Phantom is one of those GBA ROM hacks that actually feels like a proper, polished game—not just some slapped-together mod. Right off the bat, you get hit with a darker storyline (hence the name) and some surprisingly slick sprite work. The usual Pokémon formula’s still there, but with tweaked types, new evolutions, and a few curveballs that keep battles from feeling too predictable.

First thing I noticed? The starters aren’t your typical Charmander/Squirtle/Bulbasaur lineup. There’s this ghost-type fox thing that evolves into an absolute monster later—totally worth the grind. Wild encounters get spooky too, with shadow Pokémon popping up in places you wouldn’t expect. If you’ve burned through the main games too many times, this one’s got enough twists to feel fresh without losing that classic Pokémon vibe.

Runs smooth on emulators, though some of the late-game difficulty spikes had me resetting a few times. Still, way more fun than I expected from a fan-made project.