Pokemon Emerald Rogue is a fan-made hack of Pokemon Emerald that offers a brand new story, characters, music, and gameplay features. Developed by PokeCommunity members Zslayer13 and Drayano, Emerald Rogue has become one of the most popular and highly anticipated Pokemon ROM hacks in recent years. With the latest version released in 2023, here is an in-depth look at everything you need to know about downloading and playing Pokemon Emerald Rogue on a GBA emulator.
Overview of Pokemon Emerald Rogue
Pokemon Emerald Rogue is more than just a simple ROM hack – it is practically a brand-new Pokemon game built from the ground up using Emerald as a base. While it retains the Hoenn region map and certain gameplay elements from Emerald, Rogue features an entirely new storyline, playable protagonist, rival characters, graphics, music, Pokemon types, moves, abilities, items, events, and more.
Some key features that set Emerald Rogue apart include:
- A new original storyline set 5 years after the events of Emerald, with Team Magma having taken over Hoenn
- The choice between a male or female playable protagonist with new character designs
- New rival characters – Asher, Marley, and mysterious Team Magma admin R
- Overhauled graphics, sprites, tilesets, and map designs
- An expanded Pokedex with dozens of new Pokemon from newer generations
- Mega Evolutions from X and Y added
- Physical/Special split from Gen 4 incorporated
- New moves, items, abilities, and held items
- Fairy type added with new type matchups
- Revamped trainers, bosses, and gym battles with higher difficulty
- New events, puzzles, secrets, and post-game content to discover
Rogue aims to provide a fresh take on Hoenn with amped-up difficulty, surprises, and quality-of-life improvements – making it the definitive Emerald experience for hardcore Pokemon fans.
Downloading Pokemon Emerald Rogue ROM
As Emerald Rogue is a ROM hack rather than an official Pokemon game, some additional steps are required to download and play it properly on a GBA emulator.
First, you will need to download a clean, unmodified ROM of Pokemon Emerald – this serves as the base for the hack. Emerald ROMs can easily be found through a Google search. Be sure to download a reliable USA or EUR version.
Once you have the Emerald ROM, you can then obtain the Emerald Rogue ROM hack patch. This can be downloaded from the official PokeCommunity thread or ROM hacking websites. The patch file will commonly be titled “Pokemon Emerald Rogue. ips” or “Pokemon Emerald Rogue. ups”.
To apply the patch correctly to the base ROM, you will need a patching tool – common options include Lunar IPS, Floating IPS, or MultiPatch. Using the patching tool, simply point it to your clean Pokemon Emerald ROM and the Emerald Rogue patch file – it will automatically combine the two to create the playable Emerald Rogue ROM.
Once patched successfully, the modified ROM can then be loaded up in your GBA emulator of choice – VisualBoyAdvance or mGBA are recommended. The emulator will allow you to play Emerald Rogue just like you would an actual GBA Pokemon game. Be sure to also set up save states and save files within the emulator.
Gameplay Features and Story
Emerald Rogue offers dozens of hours of fresh Pokemon gameplay in the Hoenn region. Here are some of the major features you can experience when playing:
New Story and Characters
The story takes place 5 years after the events of Emerald, with Team Magma having successfully expanded the land area of Hoenn. This has disrupted the ecosystem and caused the Pokemon League to shut down.
You play as a child of a former Magma scientist who has fled the team and taken shelter in Littleroot Town. Choosing between a male or female protagonist, you set out on a quest to undo Team Magma’s damage, take down their admin R, and rebuild the Pokemon League.
Your childhood friend Marley acts as your neighbor and friendly rival. The more intense rival Asher hounds you throughout your journey, seeming to have unknown ties to Team Magma as well. The villains from Emerald – Maxie, Archie, etc. – do not appear, with R serving as the main antagonist.
New Region and Pokemon
While the Hoenn map itself remains the same, many locations have been visually revamped with new graphical tiles and layouts. In addition, the regional Pokedex has expanded to include not just the original 386 Pokemon, but dozens of new additions from later generations as well. This adds greater variety during your adventure.
Some of the highlight new Pokemon catchable in Rogue include Lucario, Magnezone, Gallade, Audino, Zoroark, Aegislash, and even the Alola starters like Primarina and Incineroar. Mega Evolutions are also enabled for many Pokemon like Metagross, Salamence, Sceptile, and more.
Updated Mechanics and Difficulty
Emerald Rogue incorporates modern mechanics such as the Physical/Special damage split, Fairy typing, reusable TMs, and other quality-of-life changes. The level curve has also been redesigned to provide more challenge – trainers, and bosses feature stronger teams at higher levels compared to vanilla Emerald.
New moves, items, abilities, and gameplay surprises have been added to keep players on their toes. The Evil Team is also more formidable with Team Magma grunts using cleverer strategies. Players will need to take full advantage of new tools like Mega Evolution and the updated type chart to win.
Postgame Content
After defeating the Pokemon League, a whole new chapter unlocks in Rogue – set in the brand new Asteria region. Asteria features a few hours of additional story, characters, areas to explore, trainer battles, and legendary Pokemon to catch beyond the original Delta Episode. This provides an incentive to keep playing after beating the main campaign.
Together, these numerous enhancements and features create an Emerald experience that pays homage to the original but also revitalizes the Hoenn journey into something grander. Fans will relish the opportunity to play through the region again with fresh new surprises.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about installing and playing Pokemon Emerald Rogue:
Is Emerald Rogue a 3DS game?
No, Emerald Rogue is a ROM hack playable only on GBA emulators – it cannot be played on real 3DS hardware or Citra 3DS emulators. Think of it as an enhanced GBA title rather than a 3DS game.
Where can I find a clean Pokemon Emerald ROM?
You’ll have to search on your own as sharing full ROM files is legally questionable. Look for a reliable EUR or USA version of Emerald ROM from a ROM distribution site.
What is the best GBA emulator for Emerald Rogue?
VisualBoyAdvance and mGBA are the most recommended. Enable save states and save files within the emulator to save your Rogue game progress.
How do I apply the patch to the Emerald ROM?
Use a patching tool like Lunar IPS or Floating IPS. Select your clean ROM and the .ips or .ups patch file. The tool will automatically combine them into a playable ROM.
Is there a walkthrough guide for Pokemon Emerald Rogue?
Yes, there is a detailed text and video walkthrough on the PokeCommunity forum page under the Documents tab. This can help guide you through the game’s story and challenges.
Why is the game so difficult compared to regular Emerald?
Rogue was designed to provide a challenge for veteran Pokemon players. The level curve is higher with tougher trainers and gym puzzles. Strategic team building and battle skills are required.
Can I catch all 386 original Hoenn Pokemon?
Yes, while many new Pokemon have been added, you can still obtain all the original Pokemon from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald in Rogue without trading. This includes legends like Groudon and Rayquaza.
Is Ash or any anime characters in Pokemon Emerald Rogue?
No, Rogue features an original storyline with no anime characters. The rival Asher is simply a coincidental name reference. The story and characters are completely new.
Conclusion
Pokemon Emerald Rogue presents an incredible overhaul that refreshes the Hoenn journey with exciting surprises. From the new story and rivals to the ramped-up difficulty and modernized mechanics, Rogue offers an unforgettable spin on the Emerald formula for both newcomers and veterans. With the ROM hack patch now easily available, all trainers owe it to themselves to download Pokemon Emerald Rogue and dive into this stellar fan-made project. The amount of effort put in by creators Zslayer13 and Drayano is evident – Rogue could easily stand toe-to-toe with official Pokemon title releases. For anyone itching to capture that old-school Pokemon magic again, Emerald Rogue is not to be missed.
