I am SO STOKED to finally release something that has been occupying my every thought and spare moment of the past year and a half - POKéMON INDIGO, a ROM hack of FireRed that tells a completely new story in a completely new region, with new protagonists, new antagonists, new gym leaders, and 120 original Fakémon! This current version, v0.9.1, is COMPLETE up through the Elite 4. I am still working on the post-game and incorporating my Legendaries, but I’m too excited to wait to share this.
BACKGROUND:
I started getting into ROM hacks a couple years ago, and after Pokémon Prism absolutely blew my mind I started thinking about what I would do if I could figure out how to make something on my own. I found out about Hex Maniac Advance from King Cradi's insanely helpful tutorials and taught myself everything I could - shout out to the dozens upon dozens of subreddits, PokéCommunity forums, YouTube videos, etc. that I couldn't have possibly managed without. Also disclaimer - while I was excited to write the story and dialogue, learn the tools to create the map and scripting and music, plan every detail about** the Fakémon - names, types, **movesets, general look, Pokédex entries, etc., I do not have a single artistic bone in my body and did use ChatGPT exclusively to create the sprites. Given this was a goofy project I made for my own enjoyment and not for any money or recognition, I did not realize this would be the defining factor!The game is fun, I just can’t draw 🙏
Part of the inspiration for doing this was that whenever I play any of the vanilla games or even most of the ROM hacks, I gravitate towards the same usual group of Pokémon that I like best, and I wanted an excuse to start a fresh game with all new Pokémon and no bias or favoritism. The other reason I wanted to do something like this is that my daughter, a second grader, is starting to get really interested in playing on her own, and I wanted to make something straightforward enough that she could figure out without too many complications or too open-ended a quest.
I admittedly am not a hardcore player; I don't get into any of the Nuzlocke stuff or play for the sake of the challenge. For me, it's all about the fun of exploring a region, battling trainers along the way, and catching as many Pokémon as you can. I had so much fun building this game and I feel like anybody else who's in it for the thrill of a new adventure in that nostalgic GBA style would feel the same way.
SETTING & STORY OVERVIEW:
Pokémon Indigo takes place in the Pantigo region, a large island isolated from the other nearby regions where Pokémon have been able to evolve in a completely unique way thanks to the complex and delicately balanced ecosystem. The story opens on a young trainer named Indigo who moves with their family to Pantigo from Kanto and sets out to begin their own journey with some help and encouragement from Professor Andy, their peculiar neighbor and renowned Pokémon expert. Along the way, you face off against your rival, who just so happens to be your younger brother, and have escalating run-ins with the mysterious Gamma Group, whose motives are initially unclear but look to derail your quest whenever they can. As you make your way through valley and mountain, glacier and volcano, tropical shores and sandy desert, you encounter dozens of new Pokémon of every shape and size, building a team that will take you from gym to gym before finally challenging the Elite Four and fulfilling your ultimate goal.
FEATURES & QoL UPDATES:
Anybody who has played the vanilla FireRed before will find some familiar elements, such as the Safari Zone and Rock Tunnel which are relatively unchanged, but once you set off on Route 1, you are in for a completely new adventure through new lands with tons of new things to discover. In addition to the new setting and story, some quality of life additions and overall changes include:
- a new region to explore with 15 towns, 8 landmarks/battle locations, 32 expansive routes and 250 trainers to battle (including gyms and the E4)
- The current version, v0.9.1, is only complete up through the E4. The post-game will of course have more areas to explore and more trainers to battle!
- I’ve written sixteen or seventeen pieces for the game, but when I first added one of my songs the whole thing crashed, so I’m saving that for last now 🙃
- a linear story and map from start to finish with 40+ hours of gameplay (based on my own run-throughs)
- access to the Running Shoes immediately and the Pokédex along with your starter
- three new starter types to choose from! Instead of the traditional Grass/Water/Fire trio where your rival always picks something to counter you, I've gone with a more unique Electric/Ice/Poison group where all three are fairly neutral against each other
- all 50 TMs are hidden in special "Indigo Balls" scattered throughout the region like a scavenger hunt (inspired by Pokémon Prism)
- all TMs are reusable after you find them
- all HMs are usable immediately upon receipt from each of the eight gym leaders
- all Pokémon are genderless, so there is no breeding, no eggs to care for, no need to unnecessarily grind to find something specific. The Day Care is still available to raise some Pokémon for you, though!
- all 120 Fakémon are obtainable through normal gameplay! Some require an evolution stone, some you get by trading with an NPC, and some just need good old-fashioned leveling up, but you truly can catch 'em all
- stats are fairly consistent for most Pokémon, putting more of an emphasis on smart type-matching to win battles; Obviously some are stronger or faster or sturdier than others, but if you've ever tried to explain to a pouting seven-year-old why they can't use Caterpie in a gym battle, you'll appreciate this. Part of the fun of exploring a new game with all new Pokémon is that you might love one right off the bat, even if it's just cute, and I wanted them all to be useful in battle so anyone can build whatever team they want
- Nearly all overworld music will be original once I finish the post-game! I'm a musician and teacher, so while learning to use HMA took some time, composing was fun and familiar, and Chris Piché's videos about Anvil Studio and Sappy were lifesavers.
- I’ve written sixteen or seventeen pieces for the game, but when I first added one of my songs the whole thing crashed, so I’m saving that for last now 🙃
If you've made it this far, I am extremely grateful and hope you love the game! You can download the patch at https://github.com/Johnty-Python/Pokemon-Indigo/ and will need to already have your own ROM of Pokemon Fire Red v1.0 (Cleaned). I plan to get together some documentation about the game, characters, maps, etc. once I finish everything else, but in the meantime I’m happy to answer any questions. Any feedback is super appreciated!