Pokémon Gaia is one of those ROM hacks that actually feels like a legit Pokémon game—just better. You start in Orblus, where earthquakes keep shaking things up (literally), and Professor Oak’s all like, "Hey, kid, we need trainers to figure this out." So off you go, catching Pokémon and uncovering why the ground won’t stop rumbling.

The map’s huge, with new areas that don’t just recycle the same old routes. And the Pokémon selection? Solid mix of classics and later-gen picks—no weird filler monsters. I went with a Torchic first, but honestly, you can’t go wrong. Battles feel snappy, and the story actually pulls you in instead of just being an excuse to fight gyms.

If you’ve ever wished FireRed had more depth, this is it. The mystery unfolds in a way that makes you want to keep playing, not just mash A through dialogue. Definitely one of the better hacks out there.