Pokemon Reborn 19.12

Pokemon has always been one of the most beloved franchises in the world, even nearly two decades running. However, many fans can agree that the main entries of the video games have been getting a little...stale. It's felt like they've found the perfect golden formula and stuck with it for over a dozen years. Many have noticed that even a golden formula can get old after a while. However, the fan community always tries to fix it themselves via fangames. One of these games is Pokemon Reborn.

To play Pokemon Reborn, simply unzip it and run the updater, which will help you download and install the game from there.

This game hits you with an opening that will probably change your mindset going into this game. It starts off with your character being in a train accident from which you are the only survivor. It's the most brutal opening to a Pokemon game I've seen, and even though fangames tend to go too far in the dark setting to the point of trying too hard, the story evolves from there and introduces so many unique characters that this game is genuinely interesting to play through.

The game is also much more challenging than mainline Pokemon games. Whereas I got away with my starter and one extra Pokemon for most of the game in a mainline game, this game's gym leaders are so challenging that you'll need 6 Pokemon to make it through.

Overall, Pokemon Reborn pays homage to its parent series and adds plenty of its own to give it its own unique identity. Give it a shot if you've been getting a little tired of the Pokemon formula.