Pokémon Rusty Gold is one of those hacks that actually feels like a proper remix of the original—Gold Version, but with way more bite. The starters are different (no Chikorita here, sorry), wild Pokémon spawns are shuffled, and some gym leaders hit way harder than you'd expect. I got wiped by Bugsy's Scyther because I underestimated how much they tweaked the movesets.

It’s still Gen 2 at heart, just… spicier. The map’s mostly the same, but little details—like NPCs saying slightly off things or finding a Larvitar way earlier than you should—keep it interesting. If you’ve played Gold a million times, this’ll trip you up in the best way. Just don’t go in assuming you know how everything works.