Pokémon Flora Flame is one of those fan-made GBA hacks that actually feels polished—like it could’ve been a real release back in the day. You start off in this lush, overgrown region where fire and grass types get way more love than usual. First thing I noticed? The starter choices aren’t your typical trio—think less Charmander, more weird little plant dragons and fiery foxes. Weird in a good way.

The sprites have this hand-drawn vibe, and the routes are packed with little details, like vines creeping over signposts or patches of flowers that rustle when you walk through them. Battles play out like classic Gen 3, but some moves got tweaked to make underused Pokémon actually viable. My useless Sunflora suddenly had a purpose, which was… unexpected.

If you’ve burned through the official games and want something that feels familiar but fresh, this one’s worth digging up. Just don’t expect to breeze through—some of the gym leaders hit hard if you’re not prepared.