Pokémon Frosty is one of those weird little ROM hacks that somehow nails the vibe of early Pokémon games while adding its own icy twist. You start off in a snow-covered town—no sunny Pallet Town here—and your first rival battle happens in a blizzard. The sprites are all tweaked to look frostbitten, and even the usual early-game bugs and birds get swapped out for chilly alternatives.

At first, I thought the ice theme would get old fast, but the way they reworked type matchups keeps things interesting. Fire types are rare, so you actually have to think about your team instead of just steamrolling with a Charizard. The new Frostbite status effect is brutal, too—like a freeze that doesn’t thaw after one turn. You’ll want to pack some berries.

It’s janky in places (some of the dialogue feels like it was translated through three languages), but if you’ve burned through too many vanilla Pokémon runs, this one’s a fun shake-up. Just bring a sweater.