20 February 2026

New Pokemon Fan Game is Taking Players Back to Kanto and Johto

By newsgame

Many Pokemon fans will always have a place in their hearts for the series’ first two regions, and a new fan game is bringing that feeling back with some impressive results. Released in the US in 1998, Pokemon‘s original two titles, Pokemon Red and Blue, introduced fans to the region of Kanto, which has since become one of the most revisited regions in the series. Most recently, the Pokemon Let’s Go titles recreated this iconic original area, bringing the series’ roots to a brand-new audience on the Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Gold and Silver, the two sequels to the original titles which released in 2001, brought about the series tradition of transitioning to a brand-new region with each mainline game, while still paying homage to the beloved region of Kanto. The Pokemon introduced in Johto, Gold and Silver‘s new region, have become just as iconic as the original 151 in many ways. The official remake of the second-gen Pokemon games, titled Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, are still considered some of the best games in the long-running series.

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Pokemon Heart and Gold Allow Fans to Return to the Iconic Regions of Kanto and Johto

Pokemon fan games return to Kanto and Johto

Developed largely by a single developer, Pokemon Heart and Soul serve as passionate recreations of the Pokemon franchise’s second generation of games. Described as both a remake of Gold and Silver and a “demake” of the fourth generation titles HeartGold and SoulSilver, Heart and Soul provides a variety of quality-of-life improvements over both iterations of the fan-favorite Pokemon games. While the fan game is firmly set in the setting established by the Gen 2 games, Heart and Soul also incorporates Pokemon and elements from Ruby and Sapphire, Pokemon’s well-received third generation.

Pokemon Heart and Soul‘s changes include the removal of apricots in favor of berries, which would become a series staple later, as well as the elimination of the cell phone-based rematch element present in Gen 2 Pokemon titles. The fan game also includes reusable TMs, as well as HMs that can be used without needing to teach them to a Pokemon. Other changes include gym leader rematches, varied trainer teams, and the inclusion of Fairy-type Pokemon, which were not introduced to the series until later iterations of the games. Heart and Soul also promises to help mitigate the intense difficulty curve present in both previous editions of the games.

Pokemon fan game returns fans to Kanto and Johto

While players of the massively popular franchise have rarely been without new content to experience, Pokemon ROM hacks and fan games have allowed fans who own the older titles to implement their own spin on what makes the series so timeless. Each generation of Pokemon is different from the previous editions, and elements of gameplay, traversal and battle have come and gone. These fan-made experiences make room for Pokemon fans to pick and choose which aspects of each generation they’d like to incorporate into new titles, creating curated and often customizable experiences.

Pokemon‘s most beloved titles are not always easy for fans to access, though they remain some of the most beloved in the series. Although recent rumors point to a potential return for some older Pokemon classics, a move that players have requested many times over the years, these ports have not yet surfaced, making it difficult to experience the titles that helped make the series the juggernaut it is today. Fan games are an increasingly popular way for players to share and experience what they have always adored about Pokemon games, granting them new or refreshed adventures to play through as they await news about the future of the series.