9 Best Pokemon DS ROM Hacks of 2024 (2024)

Pokemon DS ROM hacks offer players a unique twist on classic Pokemon games. In this article, we’ll be breaking down the 9 best Pokemon Nintendo DS ROM hacks out there. We’ll be covering some of the heavy hitters and others you may have never heard of.

Last time we shared the best Pokemon Fire Red ROM hacks, but in this article we’ll be going over all the best hacks available for the DS. It’s impressive how passionate the Pokemon community is and how many gems they deliver for us to play through and enjoy.

Enough of an explanation, let’s get into the Nintendo DS Pokemon hacks!

What Are The Best Pokemon DS ROM Hacks?

There are a lot of different Pokemon DS hacks out there. It can be challenging to weed through them to find the gems. We’ve taken the guesswork out and listed all of the best ones below so you can jump straight into the action.

1. Pokemon Phoenix Rising

Pokemon Phoenix Rising takes the number one spot on our list of the best Pokemon ROM hacks for good reason. The time and care that the developers put into making this ROM hack feel like a completely new Pokemon game is very clear. It was created using RPG Maker and the Pokemon essentials engine.

Pokemon Phoenix Rising is very heavily inspired by classic RPGs, moreso than the original games. It follows a relatively non-traditional storyline and the game takes place in the Hawthorne Region. You can also have your Pokemon Mega evolve and there are new relic forms for certain Pokemon. Relic Arcanine, Relic Tentacruel, and more!

Originally created by a group of non-professional hobbyist game developers and artists, Pokemon Phoenix Rising is a true testament to the quality that a group of passionate Pokemon fans can produce. You definitely need to give this game a play through.

2. Pokemon Moon Silver

Pokemon Moon Silver is the next rom hack on our list and is based on the original English version of the Pokemon Soul Silver game. The game features new sounds, tiles, and sprites. It has new Gym Leaders available, a custom start screen, and tons of new musical tracks.

The developer being this ROM hack got inspired to create this game after finishing a playthrough of a different HeartGold/SoulSilver ROM hack and realized that they wanted to create one of their own. It takes what can be found in Sacred Gold and Storm Silver and adds to to it with new fairy type Pokemon and updated attack styles.

It’s clear the level of passion that the developer had when creating this gem. They were inspired by another ROM hack and decided to learn on the fly, teaching themselves how to add their own touches to an existing hack.

3. Pokemon Omega Paradox

Pokemon Omega Paradox is an awesome ROM hack based on the original DS game Pokemon White. What interesting of Pokemon Omega Paradox is that this hack was based on another ROM hack. You could say that this is actually a double hack! The original game hack that this is based on is Volt White and this game continues the story of Volt White. You won’t need to have first played Volt White to enjoy this game though as it definitely stands on its own just fine.

In Omega Paradox, you continue on the story of Volt White with the threat of the Masked Man looming on the horizon. You’ll encounter different enemy teams such as Rocket, Aqua, and Plasma. Playing as a Pokemon Trainer, you have to use all of your available resources to overcome the challenges that appear before you.

You’ll notice many of the common standard Pokemon elements here, with originally selecting your starter Pokemon, but depending on the starter that you choose determines the difficulty of the gameplay. Geodude is easy, Zorua is normal, and Eevee is available is hard. Many but not all Pokemon from Gen 6 and Gen 7 make an appearance. Along with that, the game also includes something called Omega Evolution which are unique to specific Pokemon in the game.

4. Pokemon Sacred Gold

Coming in at number four is none other than Pokemon Sacred Gold. If you’ve played some of the other ROM hacks released by Drayano, you’ll notice that Sacred Gold feels similar in style to the others they’ve released.

In this hack, you’ll find nearly 500 different Pokemon available along with some edited move sets and a higher difficulty level when playing through it. As you may have guessed, Pokemon Sacred Gold is based off of the original Pokemon games HeartGold and SoulSilver, but this hack adds a lot to them and builds on the experience signfiicantly.

5. Pokemon Bloody Platinum

You definitely won’t find an official Pokemon game being named this anytime soon. Pokemon Bloody Platinum is a wild fan made game created for fans of Halloween. It’s based in the Sinnoh Region from Diamond and Pearl and gives it a free new Halloween style vibe.

While the mainline story of this hack is essentially the same that you’ll find with the original game, it adds some replay elements that takes it up a notch. You’ll need to play this game at certain specific times of the day in order to catch all of the 143 Pokemon in it. The reason is that the developer added a new mechanic to the game that makes it where only certain Pokemon become available at certain times throughout the day which is dependent on your internal DS clock.

In Pokemon Bloody Platinum you can expect to see all new Pokemon for every single Trainer and forget the old rival from Diamond and Pearl because theres a whole new person to go up against.

6. Pokemon Dark Diamond

Pokemon Dark Diamond starts off in the small town of Twinleaf where playeres will set out to find the mysterious Red Gyrados and trek all through the countryside. This DS Pokemon hack features a total of 493 (an oddly specific number) Pokemon, many new trainers and characters, a brand new enemy type to take on, and the ability to choose between one of the two main chacters.

You set out from Twinleaf Town and head over to Lake Verity with your friend and neighbor to try and find the Red Gyarados that everyone always speaks of. On the way you notice something strange happening on Route 201; a mysterious man is attacking Professor Rowan! You’ll have to pick up the game to find out what happens next.

The game can be tough at times, with extra strong Pokemon, typing fixes, Pokemon being gone for good after fainting, and one Fakemon.

7. Pokemon Moon Black 2

Pokemon Moon Black 2 is a solid rom hacking experience for the DS. It takes some of the awesome aspects from Sun and Moon and combines them with Pokemon Black 2 to create a pretty neat crossover.

On top of that, the game features Pokemon from future generation games as well as entirely new Pokemon created specifically for this hack. Points for creativity here.

After your character has become the League Champion and defeated the final Hurrah Island challenge, Professor Kukui has you travel to the Unova Region to test what you’ve picked up along the way. You’ll be followed by your rival Gladion and pick out new starter Pokemon to be your companion as you travel across the region and explore all it has to offer.

You’ll encounter the sinister Team Skull and you’ll also be able to enter the Regional Tournament as the PWT, representing the Alola region. The story here is awesome and definitely worth playing through.

The game features new Pokemon, some of the coolest evolutions with Mega Evolutions (including outside of actual battles), Pokemon from the Unova, Alola, and Galar regions, new Pokemon forms, new rivals and gym leaders, and much more!

8. Pokemon Renegade Platinum

Pokémon Platinum is by itself a fantastic game, however if you’d like an extra bit of a challenge, you’ve got to give Pokemon Renegade Platinum a play.

It’s a hack of the original Platinum version and keeps the same story aspects, but adds a whole bunch of different gameplay mechanics. There’s 493 Pokemon available, revamped Trainers and tougher boss fights, many optional changes to weaker Pokemon making them more viable to use, it removes trade-only evolutions, and more.

There is also an increased rate of shiny Pokemon in the game, the gameplay speed has been increased as well, you’ll find new events, move, evolution, and item modifications, and much more.

9. Pokemon Mind Crystal

Pokemon Mind Crystal is a Nintendo DS rom hack based on the Pokemon Soul Silver English version. The game features the Nation Dex at the start, it has day and night mechanics, Pokemon follow the trainers around the map, and Pokemon have the ability to Mega Evolve.

This hack was originally only available in French, but has since been ported to English as well. The crux of it is the inclusion of the Fairy-type at 100%.

Some parts of the storyline are changed from the original game, Pixie Plate was implemented along with Roseli Berry. You’ll also be able to encounter the Fairy-type Arceus as well.

This hack is primarily a remake of the original game and most of the changes come from a technical perspective, the game itself is actually based on the DS game Soul Silver and not Crystal like you may imagine.

Summary

There are a ton of Pokemon DS ROM hacks to choose from and regardless of which you choose, you’ll always find a new Pokemon spinoff game that’s loads of fun to dive into. The ones we listed are what we would consider as some of the best, but ultimately you’ll need to play through them all for yourself to see which you like the most. With new and exciting storylines, new features and gameplay mechanics, and tons of quality of life improvements, these hacks have got it all.

Be sure to also check out our list of the best Pokemon 3DS ROM hacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any Pokemon DS ROM hacks?

There are many different Pokemon DS ROM hacks available. In our list above, we shared the 9 best Pokemon rom hacks that we like most and that lots of fans enjoy playing.

What is the best ROM hack for Pokemon DS?

This is going to depend on your playstyle and what time of gameplay elements you enjoy most. If you’re someone who really values deep storylines, Pokemon Phoenix Rising is a great choice, however if you really want a challenging playthrough Pokemon Dard Diamond is a great choice.

Are there any new Pokemon in the DS ROM hacks?

Tons of Pokemon ROM hacks will include brand new Pokemon designed entirely from scratch. Others will include different forms like Mega Evolution which didn’t exist in original game that the hack is based on. It’ll depend on which hack you decide to play, but if you take a look at the list above, you’ll find many include entirely new Pokemon.