[Repost | R/S/E/FR/LG] How to change Pokémon sprites (Beginners guide)

[Pazuzu]

How to change Pokémon sprites
(Beginner Tutorial)

Note that this is a repost of the old tutorial that was posted before the Documents forum wipe. A new and freshly updated version might be posted later.

Well looks like it's kind of a mystery how to change Pokémon sprites in the games...
Hopefully this tutorial will help you.

Please note that this is made for beginners.

Requirements: unLZ-GBA (comes with EliteMap), Imaging Program.

1) Well first off you need a base to draw your new Pokémon on.
For this you open unLZ-GBA, and keep clicking the "next" button untill you reach the Pokémon image you want to use as base.
Once you found the one you want, click on the "Save as" button and save your image in PNG format.



2) Now you have the base image. Edit it in any imaging program and draw your own Pokémon right over it. Save it as an indexed PNG image.
Note: You might need to adjust the palette, but I won't go into detail here since this is a beginners guide.

Okay, once you've finished that, you should have 2 images. The old one (as backup) and your new one. (I called mine "Boxie". =P)

3) Sweet! Now you go back to unLZ-GBA and (if you have closed it before) go back to the Pokémon you want to change.
Now you click the "Import" button and select your new Image.
Secondly, you click on the "Write to rom" button to save your new Pokémon.
When a message box pops up, just select the options you need, enter a new offset for the image that points to free space in the ROM and hit OK.





4) w00t! You're done.
Preview your new Pokémon in the game.

Congrats!
You've successfully changed the sprites and inserted a new Pokémon to your game.
If you want you can now customize the Abilities and Stats of your Pokémon.
This can be done by using program like BaseEDIT (comes with EliteMap), Pokémon-Amplifier, Dexter (comes with EliteMap) and N-E-A or by just using a Hex-Editor.
All tools can be found in the Toolbox, or on sites which are linked in the Tools Reference.

This tutorial is designed for newbies to the Rom-Hacking scene and that's why things are kept simple. I hope its helpful for you.

If I missed out anything, feel free to post the addition.

Tutorial copyright 2007 by Scizz.

You're not allowed to copy things without permission.

[Superkid11]

Are you still able to get the Pokemon you replaced after that?

... and thanks a bunch for putting this up. I haven't made any new Pokemon with it but it showed me what I was doing wrong when I was trying to replace Gary with the FR/LG girl. xD

[King Hyperion]

I'm trying to replace May with a Team Aqua member.
But he ends up being Black in the game, yet in Unlz-GBA it is exactly how it looks in Paint.
Do you know how to fix that?

[Swampert26]

how do you know which sprite/pic youre editing???

[Leon2457]

do yuo know how to change the colour pallete and keep the pokemon that colour? cause i want the black rayquaza with messing up the pictures

oh and thanks a ton it helped me with the basic editing!

[Silver11]

What imaging program in general

[Overclocked]

Paint, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, Fireworks. Whatever you have.

[Silver11]

si the save has to be png and do i just get a regular sprite

[Christos]

Originally Posted by King Hyperion

I'm trying to replace May with a Team Aqua member.
But he ends up being Black in the game, yet in Unlz-GBA it is exactly how it looks in Paint.
Do you know how to fix that?

The Team Aqua sprite needs to be indexed. To replace it easier, export the Team Aqua member sprite and then import it and replace Mat's sprite. Choose "Export Palette" when you insert the sprite.

Originally Posted by Leon2457

do yuo know how to change the colour pallete and keep the pokemon that colour? cause i want the black rayquaza with messing up the pictures

oh and thanks a ton it helped me with the basic editing!

Choose a palette and then choose "Write to ROM" and choose "Export Palette" to keep the palette.

[Cless]

Nice tutorial... The only thing is, when I Import the image, it gets screwed up. o.O This is how I do it:

-Make whatever sprite
-Change the Color Depth to 16
-Import the Sprite

Is there something else you have to do? o.O (I don't know how to index, or what it is, and whatnot. Yes, I used the search feature. No luck.)

Thanks.

[Christos]

Indexing a sprite is changing the color depth to 16.
The sprite has to be the same size as the one you're replacing.
And when you write it to the ROM tick export palette too.

[Monkey]

maby a suggest to put in where u can find the lg/fr can find thats on 669

edit:when i try to load me indexed.png picture it says error:image is not indexed

[Cless]

Originally Posted by Christos

Indexing a sprite is changing the color depth to 16.
The sprite has to be the same size as the one you're replacing.
And when you write it to the ROM tick export palette too.

Thanks, I did all those things, and I'm quite sure that the Sapphire/Ruby is supposed to be 64x64... I'll re-check.

[Pazuzu]

The picture frames in R/S/E/FR/LG are a bit tricky.
It's true that the overall picture has to be 64x64 pixel. However, each Pokémon has it's own set dimensions.
So, when redrawing from a base, make sure that the Pokémon fits in the exact same place dimensions as the original. (That means you draw a square around the base Pokémon's outer edges, and fit your new Pokémon in there.)

[Monkey]

scizz do u maby know to how to do this withouth deleting the old pokemon? so just adding something and not deleting?

edit:i did try to replace 1 pokemon with the ?? but then it shows a sort of glitch pokemon

[Artty]

Scizz, everytime I try to put my own sprite in the game, I come into a battle, then the screen goes purple. Could someone help me?
Edit: Never mind, I fixed it.

[shirokiryuu]

I followed all the directions, but I still have this problem

I edited Professor Oak's sprite, and it doesn't appear when I go through the introduction sequence (the one in which he talks about the world of Pokemon)

When I revist unLZ the sprite looks like this: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...rmenterror.jpg

=/ I'm not sure why....

[Christos]

Originally Posted by shirokiryuu

I followed all the directions, but I still have this problem

I edited Professor Oak's sprite, and it doesn't appear when I go through the introduction sequence (the one in which he talks about the world of Pokemon)

When I revist unLZ the sprite looks like this: http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...rmenterror.jpg

=/ I'm not sure why....

You edited Oak's trainer sprite. The sprite in the intro is in unLZ but with dark colors. You have to insert your sprite over the one with the dark colors but it must be the same size and you mustn't export the palette.

[shirokiryuu]

Originally Posted by Christos

You edited Oak's trainer sprite. The sprite in the intro is in unLZ but with dark colors. You have to insert your sprite over the one with the dark colors but it must be the same size and you mustn't export the palette.

Oh okay! I figured after a while that it wasn't the same sprite. Haha

I'm assuming it's the same with the choose your gender trainers.

[D R E ™]

ive tryee and tryed and cant seem too get my d/p pokemon intto my game like the pokemon opal and coral creator kike could somone pm me some tip or a tut.

[Christos]

Originally Posted by shirokiryuu

Oh okay! I figured after a while that it wasn't the same sprite. Haha

I'm assuming it's the same with the choose your gender trainers.

Yep.

Originally Posted by cuttyflam

ive tryee and tryed and cant seem too get my d/p pokemon intto my game like the pokemon opal and coral creator kike could somone pm me some tip or a tut.

The sprites have to be indexed and have the same size as the ones you're replacing.

[XelementdragonX]

ummm im trying to import a sprite but everytime i do it says "compresed size is 658 which is too big. aborting. how do i make it smaller so it can imported. respone asap

[Lyzo]

Could I get unLZ without having to download EliteMap????

[Mewten1]

Hey can anyone help when I open the program unLZ-GBA and open my rom(pokemon ruby) it brings all the sprites up as a mess of colors. I don't know how to get it to display the pokemon sprite can someone help me.

[XelementdragonX]

Mewten1 just keep pressing next it will eventually show u a pokemon sprite. just takes a while.