Pokémon Shattered Dreams is one of those fan-made GBA hacks that actually feels fresh—like stumbling onto a hidden route with new Pokémon you’ve never seen before. The starters? Not your usual trio. I went with this weird ghost-type fox thing and immediately regretted it when the first gym wrecked me. Classic.

The sprites are redrawn, the dialogue’s got some edge (for a Pokémon game, anyway), and the maps twist in ways that make you double-check if you took a wrong turn. It’s still rough—beta quirks like the occasional glitchy battle transition—but there’s something about the vibe that hooks you. Feels like the dev took the original Ruby and cranked up the weirdness dial.

If you’re tired of replaying the official games and want a romhack that doesn’t just reskin the same old story, this one’s worth a shot. Just save before the first gym. Trust me.