Pokemon Red++

Pokemon Red++ takes the 1996 original and quietly answers most of the complaints people have had about it for decades. Created by Mateo — now known as JustRegularLuna — and built on the pret pokered disassembly, it keeps Gen 1's story and Kanto layout but runs on Game Boy Color, adds the Dark, Steel and Fairy types, splits moves into physical and special, and grows the roster to 208 Pokemon, every one of which can be obtained without trading.

The extra Pokemon are not random additions. Red++ focuses on the original 151 and their family trees, bringing in the later-generation evolutions and baby forms that belong with them. Movepools follow X/Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, attacks are updated to Gen 6 values and the type chart matches Gen 6, so Psychic no longer dominates the way it did on the original cartridge.

Version 3 is the finished release: the GitHub repository states that Red++ v3 is complete and no longer being updated, and the repository was archived in January 2025. The last listed build is v3.0.2 from December 2018. A v4 rewrite, which the FAQ says would bring Johto and Dive, was described as a work in progress but has not been released, so v3.0.2 is what you should play.

Because the source is public, Red++ is also the base for other projects. The best known is Red++ Kaizo by DarthBR and CreamELDudJafar, an unofficial harder edition made with JustRegularLuna's permission (more on that below).

• 208 Pokemon: the original 151 plus their later evolutions and baby forms
• All 208 obtainable in one save without trading, plus an offline Wonder Trade
• Dark, Steel and Fairy types with the Gen 6 type chart
• Physical/Special/Status split and attacks updated to Gen 6
• Movepools based on X/Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
• Gender selection, Pokemon genders, shiny Pokemon and Day Care breeding
• Smarter trainer AI and fixes for many Gen 1 bugs and oddities
• Running shoes, faster Surf and a faster bike
• Gen 6-style EXP gain and EXP Share, BW2 repel system
• Move Deleter, Move Relearner and Move Tutors

Red++ is a faithful upgrade, not a difficulty hack. The plot and most events follow Gen 1, with some new locations and small event changes. The source builds two versions: Normal and Hard, which differ only in their level curve, so Hard gives tougher trainer levels without rewriting the game. Both can also be built with optional snowy graphics.

It suits anyone who wants to replay Kanto without the 1996 jank — the infamous bugs, the broken Psychic type, the trade-locked evolutions — while keeping the Game Boy look and feel. If you want an even more purist cleanup, compare it with the other GB and GBC hacks on our list; if you want a modern challenge, look at Red++ Kaizo.

Red++ Kaizo is a separate, unofficial fork by DarthBR and CreamELDudJafar. Its authors are clear that they did not create Red++ and that they received JustRegularLuna's permission to release it. It keeps the same story and post-game, but rebalances trainers and Gym Leaders with stronger teams, unique moves and shiny Pokemon.

It also adds tools that challenge runners will appreciate: a portable PC, learnsets viewable in the Pokedex, DV and EV stats when you hold Start or Select on the stats screen, level caps for each Gym Leader, no items in battle, buyable TMs and $1 Rare Candies at the Plateau lobby after your first Elite Four win. The latest listed build is dated October 2024. One known issue: some Pokemon display tutor moves in their learnset that they cannot actually learn.

• Patch the IPS file onto a clean, unmodified Pokemon Red ROM — see our patching guide.
• The Move Deleter and Move Relearner share a house between the Fuchsia City Gym and the Pokemon Center.
• The Magikarp sold at the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center is the game's only guaranteed shiny.
• The Day Care Man's Ditto is shiny, which makes bred Pokemon slightly more likely to be shiny too.
• Wonder Trade can offer any non-legendary, always at a legal level for that Pokemon.
• Play on a GBC-capable emulator such as mGBA or Gambatte-based cores; some players report a white screen after the starter on older emulators.

v3.0.2 is the last v3 build and is considered final. The repository's notes say v3 will not compile on modern RGBDS versions — RGBDS 0.5.2, or possibly 0.6.1, is needed if you want to build it from source. Features asked about in the FAQ, such as Dive and Johto, belong to the unreleased v4 and are not in the current game.