Pokémon Omega (beta 1) is one of those fan-made GBA hacks that actually feels polished—like someone took FireRed and cranked up the difficulty just enough to keep you on your toes. Wild Pokémon hit harder, trainers actually switch out their team, and you’ll run into some unexpected type combos early on. The starters are a little different too—I went with the grass-type, and let’s just say it wasn’t the easy mode I expected.

It’s still got that classic GBA look, but with tweaked sprites and a few new areas that don’t feel out of place. The beta tag means there are a few rough edges, but nothing game-breaking so far. If you’re tired of breezing through the originals, this one makes you think before mashing A through every battle.