Pokémon Ruby Destiny: Life of Guardians is one of those fan-made GBA hacks that actually feels like a proper Pokémon game—just with a darker story and some wild twists. You start off in a region called Tohjo, and right away, things feel off. The usual "catch 'em all" vibe gets sidelined for this mystery about shadowy creatures and guardians. The sprites are a mix of old-school and custom designs, and some of the new Pokémon (or "fakemon," if you're picky) are surprisingly well-done.

Battles play out like classic Gen 3, but the difficulty spikes hard in places—trainers actually use strategy instead of spamming Tackle. I got wrecked by a gym leader’s unexpected type coverage more than once. The plot’s a bit edgy for Pokémon, but if you’re into lore-heavy rom hacks, it’s a solid time. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand.

Fair warning: this is the old version, so there are bugs. Save often.