Summary
- Experienced Pokemon player creates challenging Pokemon Emerald mod, "Pokemon Run and Bun," making Nuzlocke rules even tougher.
- Nuzlocke challenge runs restrict catching Pokemon and permanently losing defeated ones, testing players' skills.
- Only two players have successfully completed the mod, making it one of the hardest Pokemon romhacks to date.
An experienced Pokemon player has put together a new Pokemon Emerald mod that makes the game extremely challenging - especially for players using the popular Nuzlocke rules. While the Pokemon series is largely aimed at a younger audience, the fact that the games have been coming out since the late 90s means that there are plenty of seasoned players looking to take their quest to become the world’s greatest Pokemon Master to the next level. This often includes testing themselves with special rules and self-imposed challenges such as Pokemon Nuzlocke runs.
For the uninitiated, Nuzlocke is a series of special rules players can follow to make their Pokemon runs more difficult. The primary stipulations are that players are only allowed to catch the first Pokemon they encounter in a given area, and if one of their Pokemon is defeated in battle they can no longer be used and must be either released into the wild or permanently stored in Pokemon Storage. Nuzlocke challenge runs are a popular method for streamers to show off their Pokemon skills, and many fans wish that Nintendo would add Nuzlocke rules as an alternate game mode in a future title.
In the meantime, a high-level Pokemon player by the handle of Dekzeh has created a Pokemon Emerald mod that makes the already challenging Nuzlocke rules even more difficult. Dubbed “Pokemon Run and Bun,” this punishing romhack introduces Pokemon and gameplay mechanics from later games and gives Emerald’s Gym Leaders at least one powerful Legendary among other tweaks. So far, only two players have successfully completed Pokemon Run and Bun under Nuzlocke rules - as noted by YouTuber Pokemon Challenges during their own attempt at clearing the mod.
As mentioned before, Pokemon Run and Bun is a modified version of Pokemon Emerald, which itself was an updated re-release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. Emerald is a popular choice for both Nuzlocke players and speedrunners due to being one of the older, more streamlined Pokemon games, and there have been plenty of mods meant to add variety to it - such as randomizing the Hoenn region map.
A Nuzlocke run in Pokemon Emerald is already a challenge worthy of a Pokemon Master, and Dekzeh’s Run and Bun mod seems to make it an even harder ordeal to overcome for even the most seasoned players. Only two people have cleared a successful Nuzlocke playthrough with this mod, making it one of the hardest Pokemon romhacks around - and it is still a mystery if and when a third Trainer will make it through to the end.
Pokemon Emerald is available for Game Boy Advance.
Source: GamesRadar