Pokémon: Iron Version (beta) is a GBA romhack that takes the classic Pokémon formula and gives it a darker, industrial twist. The starters aren't your usual cute trio—think steel-types with jagged edges and names like "Ferrot" instead of Charmander. The first gym's already packing some nasty gear-types that hit way harder than Brock's Onix ever did.

Map design's got this cool factory aesthetic, with conveyor belts acting as natural roadblocks and rusted pipes everywhere. Music's got this metallic remix of familiar tunes that somehow works? Caught a Magnemite early that carried me through half the game, which I wasn't expecting—steel-types actually feel useful here instead of just tanky.

Still rough around the edges (it is a beta), but there's something satisfying about watching a Skarmory rip through what would normally be a water-type's lunch. If you've played every official game to death, this one's got enough tweaks to feel fresh without losing that Pokémon soul.