Pokemon Renegade Platinum

Pokemon Renegade Platinum is Drayano's reworked version of Pokemon Platinum, and for many players it has replaced the original entirely. It keeps the Sinnoh region and the story you know, then fixes almost everything people complain about: a thin selection of Pokemon, slow pacing and trainers that never really threaten you.

The first thing you notice is variety. All 493 Pokemon that existed at the time are obtainable, and you can even pick up all four sets of starters from Kanto through Sinnoh. Shiny odds are increased and the game runs noticeably faster, so exploring and hunting no longer feel like a chore.

The second thing you notice is the battles. Trainers have revamped teams and the bosses hit much harder, turning Platinum into a genuine challenge without leaning into Kaizo territory. Drayano also updated the whole cast to modern standards: the Fairy type replaces the old unused ??? type, and typings, base stats and wild held items match Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Many Pokemon also get their later Hidden Ability as a second standard ability.

Version 1.3.0, released in April 2019, is the latest release. It is distributed as a patch you apply to your own Pokemon Platinum (US) ROM, and it is one of the most popular Nuzlocke games of all time.

• All 493 Pokemon obtainable in a single save
• All four starter sets from Kanto to Sinnoh
• Fairy type added, replacing the unused ??? type
• Typings, base stats and wild held items updated to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
• Later Hidden Abilities added as secondary standard abilities on many Pokemon
• Revamped trainer teams and much harder boss battles
• Extra events, including an additional Team Galactic event and mythical Pokemon events
• An early Eevee, item-selling NPCs and a Daycare trainer who raises levels or EVs
• Increased shiny rate and faster overall gameplay
• Evolution, move, item and trade changes to remove trade-only bottlenecks

Renegade Platinum is hard in the way a good difficulty hack should be: bosses have planned teams with held items and real coverage, so you need a balanced party and some forethought. It is noticeably tougher than any official game but well short of Kaizo hacks like Run & Bun.

That balance is why it is one of the go-to Nuzlocke games. The wider pool of encounters means every run feels different, while the boss fights are tough enough to make losses matter. Drayano also released full documentation of the changes, so you can plan around key fights if you want to.

A full playthrough takes roughly as long as the original Platinum, but it feels fuller: there are more Pokemon worth catching on every route, more reasons to revisit old areas, and boss fights that reward experimenting with team composition instead of relying on one over-leveled starter.

• Use a clean Pokemon Platinum (US) ROM when patching — other versions will not work correctly.
• Pick up the early Eevee; with multiple evolution options it fills almost any gap in your team.
• Check the new typings — familiar Pokemon may have new weaknesses or resistances.
• Use the Daycare trainer to catch up an underleveled Pokemon instead of grinding.
• Bring a Fairy or Steel answer for the Dragon-heavy late game.