GAME FREAK won't like this...

When I was a kid, I always wanted to make a Pokémon game. I tried out Sword and Shield in 2020, and didn't love it... So I decided to make my own game to see if I could do it better. How did I do this? Hacking Pokémon Fire Red.

Main Channel: @heyopc

SHOUTOUT TO THESE POKéCOMMUNITY USERS

ART ASSETS AND INSPIRATION:
Inkaline
dewdneym
Zaebucca
PokeliYT
INNERMOBIUS
audreyTBDS
BrendanBass
Spherical Ice
MrDollSteak
Avatar
Aveontrainer
Daman
Kalarie
Pokesho
Pokemon Umber
Morlock-Liam

SCRIPTING/ASM:
Spherical Ice
Asith
Sierra Finnity
Shiny Quagsire
FBI
JPAN

...and probably way more.

I might do some more videos on how to script, how to make tilesets, how to map, and how to make music. We'll see!

This is the first video on my new channel! I want to do more stuff like this... if you like it, please subscribe!

#pokemonfirered #romhack #chrispiche

0:04 Please don’t push me into the pond.
0:54 Making the original scope
1:55 Basic Tools for Rom Hacks
2:11 Mapping: Advance Map
3:07 Music: Sappy
4:04 How Writing Music for a GBA Works
5:19 Music: Voicegroups
6:08 Music: Anvil Studio
7:20 How to Script (the dumb way)
8:42 Making a Puzzle
9:44 Free Space Finder
12:30 Increasing the Scope
13:22 New Ideas
14:16 Ouch!!!!!
14:56 2023
15:27 Where is the Rom at Today
16:32 In Conclusion
17:28 Credits

Random side question... if I did some gameplay of this rom, other fun hacks (like Pokemon Infinite Fusion or a challenge), or maybe even coding all live on stream... would you watch?

[Degenerate_in_Heat]

Dude, please finish this project! This looks great and I'd love to play it in it's complete form! Don't give up, I'm rooting for you!

[dranziken]

Don't release it until it's done. No one is rushing you. Take time, take breaks, take care.

[theunseenparagon]

'When the ideas never end, the project nevers ends...'

That hit me so hard. It is the reason I hardly finish any of my own personal writing projects.

[g_itch]

I'm a software developer and hearing your journey making this was extremely relatable. Scope creeps, constant testing and version control are all part of the software development lifecycle! Welcome to the club.
Also, I suggest learning git to backup your project it's a real lifesaver.

[joshuacress]

The fact you think you wasted 2 years is the biggest problem. You've learned so much over that period. Take it for what it is.

[dr__pop__dr]

Bro, if you decide to start over again, please work with the decomp project. It's a steep learning curve at the beginning, but it's super safe and will make debugging much much easier. You will never lose a project again. Keep the dream alive! A fellow rom hacker.

[ThatGuyWithOneGlove]

nothing can recreate the heartbreak of getting so hyped watching this video only for the reveal that it isn’t finished lmfao
hoping this project gets finished soon, it looks absolutely fantastic!

[The_Greyfish]

Having tried multiple times making my own Pokemon ROM hacks many years ago, I genuinely commend your ability to keep it going. Wishing you the best of luck dude, looking forward to the final release!

[ToaNovale]

Been in your position. Started romhacking as a dumb little middle-schooler back in 2011. Now I'm a pixelartist by trade because of my time spent working on Pokémon romhacks. Recently a lot of us in the romhacking scene have cast aside traditional hexadecimal romhacking with the tools you might remember from back then, to a new alternative that streamlines the process of everything 1000x over. This alternative is using the raw decompilations of the roms we know and love. A decompilation is exactly what it sounds like; a rom that has been completely reverse-engineered all the way back to it's source code so you can edit whatever you want, however you want with ease. The documentation isn't fully finished, as there's there's always people working on improving them, but that's the best part! These projects are always improving.

If you really want to keep working with the Fire Red rom as your basis that's understandable, but personally I've always been more interested in Pokémon Emerald and as such was thrilled to find out about the Pokémon Emerald Expansion decompilation project, which is basically Emerald but with extras that most people would look to put into a romhack anyways. YouTuber @TeamAquasHideout has a great tutorial about how to use these decompilations as well as the tools you'll need and how to set them up if you're interested. In the long run, I think you'll save yourself a lot of head and heartache were you to take your project and switch to a decomp!

[Fire Red Decomp]

[Pokémon Emerald Decomp + Expansion]

[The Man, The Myth, The Legend]

[cbakehorn]

I have been drawing fakemon for about as long as Pokémon has existed, going back to when I was ten years old in 96. I even mapped out a region loosely based on the Midwest. I designed new attacks, abilities, and even tried to incorporate a new type. I planned out mechanics for the trainer in battle to synergize with their team to add another layer to the battle system. I named nearly all of the monster designs, I had almost an entire regional dex planned out with some (at the time) unused type combos.

I did everything but the work needed to make sprites, create music, or program anything - but mostly because I had (and still have) no experience doing that stuff. And your comment here 14:30 was exactly why I have put aside that whole ambition of mine, which sounds a lot like your own. It was just too exhausting. Over the years many of the designs I had created were officially incorporated in some fashion, heck I'd even say I liked a couple of mine more than whatever Pokémon game freak had added to the roster, and some less, but it eventually became almost impossible to finish new designs, and I even scrapped some of my designs because I couldn't think of a clever enough name, or a new stage of evolution that warranted the 'Mon in the first place.

Idk, I've never really shared much of this with anyone, mostly because when I originally started all of this, the act of drawing my own Pokémon was legitimately a means for me to de-stress, but it felt more and more like I was beating a dead Ponyta.

Thanks for this video, and I truly hope to see and play your game someday. I had always hoped to collaborate with similar people, and I know there isn't really any reason that I couldn't still try... But obligations in life have all but killed the dream for me, as much as I wish that wasn't the case.

[chris-piche]

Hi! I just wanted to mention that all of the music in the video was actually recorded from the rom hack. You can find it all in the description!

[muniz]

dude you have no idea how much i laugh hearing you say you wanted to make a whole new pokemon game + original soundtrack + new story line + new tyles, all in 3 months, i love the optimism, and the fact you actually kept working on the project, genuinelly sounds like a great game, hoping to see it completed someday

[kisslevente]

The designs you made with the custom tiles look mesmerizingly beautiful! It would be a shame to let it go to waste..

[elainaguyettyoung]

We are all rooting for you! I look forward to playing it once its complete. Sounds awesome. Keep up the amazing work!

[Mojoemojow]

Stumbled this on my recommended, watching you struggle and put effort on to the romhack makes me want to see it to completion and play it. The concept is so good and having those gimmicks and new soundtrack is so cool. Looking forward to seeing this project complete

[GravaliteTM]

Finally someone who understands and can explain the pains of crafting music for these old GBA games 😭

[petibuns]

This was really interesting, and the OST sounds great! This is looking to be a great gen 3-rom hack!!
As someone who is currently in the middle of making their own Pokemon fan game, I can defo relate to just how frustrating it can be to make them. But I can also relate to that feeling of fun and gratification that comes with making your own version of a children's game you're passionate about!!
Good luck with your journey!!!

[funtimegamer]

You had me at "so I tried swsh"
Feels bad man, I'm sorry you had to get through that

[Sorenzu]

This is super impressive! I’m so hyped for this, take all the time you need. As a huge Pokémon fan myself I’m rooting for you! :)

[rev_bmp]

My friend linked me to this video and I was instantly filled with joy. I'm an on-and-off member of the romhack community (I mainly do art assets and character designs, as I'm the current character designer for Pokemon Gaia, so thanks for the shoutout to sphericalice!! lol) This looks really promising, honestly if I wasn't busier nowadays I would love to contribute to some stuff in the character department. The OST feels very nostalgic too haha, love it!! Regardless, I really love how all of this looks, I really encourage you to take your time and not overwork yourself, but simultaneously cheer you on and say that I'm looking forward on what this project has to offer!!!!