Pokemon Quetzal

Most ROM hacks are strictly solo adventures. Pokemon Quetzal breaks that rule: it is a Pokemon Emerald hack by TenmaRH built around optional multiplayer for up to four people, so you and your friends can walk around the same world, see each other on the map, trade and battle from anywhere, and even team up against trainers. The project started life under the plain name Pokemon Emerald Multiplayer before it was renamed.

The scope has grown a lot since those early builds. Quetzal now contains three full regions — Kanto, Johto and Hoenn — that follow the structure of FireRed, HeartGold/SoulSilver and Emerald, each with its own League. Since version 0.9.1, released in October 2026, you can pick your starting region and switch between ongoing adventures at any point instead of having to beat the Elite Four first; your progress in each region continues in parallel, and items and Pokemon can be shared between them.

Under the hood it is a heavily modernised Emerald. Pokemon from all nine generations can be caught, the battle system follows current mechanics, and the starter selection is enormous: 84 options in the latest release, with a button to let the game pick one at random. Up to six party members can follow you around the overworld, and you choose your trainer from a large cast of playable characters.

Quetzal is still a work in progress — the version number has not reached 1.0, and some content and multiplayer details change between updates. It is also distributed differently from most hacks: the creator provides a browser-based patcher where you select Quetzal and a language and apply it to your own Pokemon Emerald (USA) ROM.

• Optional multiplayer for 1 to 4 players: see each other on the map, trade and battle anywhere
• Co-op double battles where friends fight trainers together
• Three regions — Kanto, Johto and Hoenn — each with its own League
• Switch between regions at any time since v0.9.1, with progress kept per region
• 84 starter Pokemon, plus a random starter option
• Pokemon from all nine generations and modern battle mechanics
• Up to six following Pokemon in the overworld
• Game modes including Normal, Random and Nuzlocke, with adjustable shiny odds
• HM moves usable in the field without teaching them
• Available in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese

Multiplayer is entirely optional — Quetzal plays as a normal single-player game if you never connect to anyone. When you do, other players appear as characters in your world, and you can challenge them to single, double or multi battles, trade without hunting for a Pokemon Center, or join forces in double battles against regular trainers and bosses.

Setting it up takes more effort than a normal hack. The creator's documentation and video tutorial cover the connection process, and not every emulator supports it equally well, so check the official instructions for your device before planning a session with friends. If you only want the single-player experience, any accurate GBA emulator will do.

Version 0.9.1 is the biggest structural change in a while. Earlier builds made you finish a region's League before travelling to another; now you can choose where to begin and hop between Kanto, Johto and Hoenn whenever you like. Switching saves your position in a safe outdoor area, so you return exactly where you left off.

The same update expanded the starter list to 84 by adding picks such as Axew, Pancham, Skrelp, Mareanie, Jangmo-o, Falinks and Dreepy. Because the game is still in the 0.x range, read the update notes before replacing your patched ROM — save compatibility is not guaranteed between every alpha build.

• Patch a clean Pokemon Emerald (USA) ROM — other versions or already-modified files will not work.
• Start in the region you know best; you can visit the others later without losing progress.
• Use an accurate emulator such as mGBA on PC.
• Pick a starter with a type the region's early gyms struggle against, or let the random option surprise you.
• Back up your save before every update.