Pokémon Shiny Gold X is a fan-made GBA romhack that remakes Gold/Silver with a bunch of extra stuff crammed in—new areas, updated sprites, and yeah, obviously all the Pokémon up to Gen 3. The first thing you’ll notice is how much smoother everything looks compared to the original, though some of the dialogue still has that rough translation vibe (which honestly adds to the charm).

You start in Johto like usual, but there are way more trainer battles early on, and some wild Pokémon you wouldn’t expect—I ran into a Ralts before the first gym, which never happens. The level curve’s a bit steeper too, so you can’t just coast through with your starter. If you’ve played the originals to death, this at least keeps you on your toes.

It’s not perfect—some of the new areas feel a little slapped together—but for a free fan project, it’s way more polished than it has any right to be. Just don’t expect it to hold your hand.