Emerald hack: Pokémon Emerald Horizons - Emerald Difficulty Hack [Complete, v1.16 ft. New Rocket Storyline, Boss Gauntlet, Gen 1-8, Side Quests, and QoL features]

[BrandonXL]

Hi, everyone! First off, thank you so much for all of the feedback - both constructive and positive. It's really helped me improve how I shaped and refine the game.
This project has undergone a lot of changed since I first released it back in the summer, and I'm happy to say that Version 1.03 is now officially live!
Version 1.03 was a larger update and incorporates a lot of major changes based on community feedbacks; it also revamps the Team Rocket quest into a bit of a more defined mini-storyline.

Key features of Version 1.03 include:

• Improved evolution, such as Ice Stone Crabominable, Link Cable Hisuian Starters, and Nature-Based Hitmons (all due to community feedback!)
• Fly/Flash from Menu; this officially means HMs no longer need to be taught at all!
• Updates to move sets for underperformers (community feedback)
• Revamped Team Rocket storyline, taking the player across Hoenn to encounter new challenges!
• Over 40 new Trainer battles
• Regigigas and Diancie overworld encounters
• Improvements to animations
• Improvements to Town Map
• Updates to some Trainer parties
• Numerous bug fixes
• ...and much more!

Below are a few images from the Team Rocket storyline:

A few new minor areas to interact with and a swath of new boss fights awaits, so I'm really excited about sharing this with the community.

And, some additional new photos from 1.03!

While Version 1.03 is technically compatible with existing saves, it is HIGHLY recommended that this patch is played on a fresh save. This is because many things were moved around, so quest progression would get messed up pretty bad.

While I don't want to get ahead of myself, I can also use this as an opportunity to share my plans for the future.
Version 1.04 will be an attempt to introduce the Battle Factory to Emerald Horizons; the main obstacle which I've encountered has been getting bad eggs. If I am able to circumvent this issue, I think it'll be a great post-game addition for players. I also think it's a possible opportunity to roll out a few legendaries, as this has been requested. Whether or not this is via overworld or some other means remains to be seen.
Version 1.05 will look to do the same, but with the Battle Tower. Again, these are both notional goals and may change depending on how things are going.
Overall, I'm thankful for the opportunity to have shared this passion project with different people and hope you all get the chance to give 1.03 a try! Thanks so much!

I was 100% expecting Excadrill to be the MVP, but in reality, Mega Lopunny cleaned up a lot of the E4. I'd say Drake was the hardest, mostly because it was much harder to hit OHKO thresholds with the team I made. That's what happens when you prep to get new timers in above all else lmao

You're a legend, haha; I definitely thought Excadrill would be steamrolling people in the sand, too!

Oh ty for the answer, it's really not that big of a deal tbh I was just wondering if it was possible but I'll gladly wait for the big update to drop :) Cant' wait to see the changes you made since it's a bigger one.

Really loving the game btw, it's so positively challenging and fun (I'm at team aqua's hideout atm, did a lot of the optional quests, can't wait to finish the run and see if my current team can defeat the elite four)

Amazing job, really.

Ah, thank you so much for the kind words :) It means a lot! Hope to see your Hall of Fame run soon!

 

[shinryuuji]

hey i really want to try out the hack but i can't find the patch in the google drive folder. there's only documentation

 

[BrandonXL]

hey i really want to try out the hack but i can't find the patch in the google drive folder. there's only documentation

Sorry about the confusion! I had create a new patch file and a new evolution reference document, but I didn't move them into the folder. They're all in now!

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Congratulations the latest release! I am curious about how the added Team Rocket plot-line has been implemented. Does it take place during the main storyline along with Team Aqua and Team Magma? How big or prevalent is it's presence? I am a huge fan of added events!

Edit: Started my play through. May I suggest you make Pokéballs cheaper just like Drayano did in Renegade Platinum? There are so many Pokémon present in the grass, so cheaper Pokéballs can lead to more freedom with experimentation.

 

[chiudetemilaudio]

Hi, everyone! First off, thank you so much for all of the feedback - both constructive and positive. It's really helped me improve how I shaped and refine the game.
This project has undergone a lot of changed since I first released it back in the summer, and I'm happy to say that Version 1.03 is now officially live!
Version 1.03 was a larger update and incorporates a lot of major changes based on community feedbacks; it also revamps the Team Rocket quest into a bit of a more defined mini-storyline.

Key features of Version 1.03 include:

• Improved evolution, such as Ice Stone Crabominable, Link Cable Hisuian Starters, and Nature-Based Hitmons (all due to community feedback!)
• Fly/Flash from Menu; this officially means HMs no longer need to be taught at all!
• Updates to move sets for underperformers (community feedback)
• Revamped Team Rocket storyline, taking the player across Hoenn to encounter new challenges!
• Over 40 new Trainer battles
• Regigigas and Diancie overworld encounters
• Improvements to animations
• Improvements to Town Map
• Updates to some Trainer parties
• Numerous bug fixes
• ...and much more!

Below are a few images from the Team Rocket storyline:

A few new minor areas to interact with and a swath of new boss fights awaits, so I'm really excited about sharing this with the community.

And, some additional new photos from 1.03!

While Version 1.03 is technically compatible with existing saves, it is HIGHLY recommended that this patch is played on a fresh save. This is because many things were moved around, so quest progression would get messed up pretty bad.

While I don't want to get ahead of myself, I can also use this as an opportunity to share my plans for the future.
Version 1.04 will be an attempt to introduce the Battle Factory to Emerald Horizons; the main obstacle which I've encountered has been getting bad eggs. If I am able to circumvent this issue, I think it'll be a great post-game addition for players. I also think it's a possible opportunity to roll out a few legendaries, as this has been requested. Whether or not this is via overworld or some other means remains to be seen.
Version 1.05 will look to do the same, but with the Battle Tower. Again, these are both notional goals and may change depending on how things are going.
Overall, I'm thankful for the opportunity to have shared this passion project with different people and hope you all get the chance to give 1.03 a try! Thanks so much!



You're a legend, haha; I definitely thought Excadrill would be steamrolling people in the sand, too!

Ah, thank you so much for the kind words :) It means a lot! Hope to see your Hall of Fame run soon!

looks super promising, i'm gonna finish this run and then patch the new version to start again, maybe with a monotype run this time :)

Almost there, gotta just get the last badge and then it's E4 time :D

 

[chiudetemilaudio]

WELL WE DID IT !!!!!!!

That was an awesome run in a really fun game, even tho I'm usually not a big fan of legendaries thrown into boss fights I gotta say that it didn't bother me that much and it was actually really fun to make up strategies to beat them :)

 

[BrandonXL]

View attachment 152955

WELL WE DID IT !!!!!!!

That was an awesome run in a really fun game, even tho I'm usually not a big fan of legendaries thrown into boss fights I gotta say that it didn't bother me that much and it was actually really fun to make up strategies to beat them :)

Happy to see you in the Hall of Fame, friend! Also (and I like whenever this happens!) four new first timers in the Hall of Fame! Very unique team. Who was the MVP of the run? And who did you think was the hardest boss fight?
I'm glad you enjoyed the game; that's honestly the most gratifying thing to see after pouring in so many hours! There are so many great games out there, so taking the time to play this through means a lot. Congrats once again :)

 

[chiudetemilaudio]

Happy to see you in the Hall of Fame, friend! Also (and I like whenever this happens!) four new first timers in the Hall of Fame! Very unique team. Who was the MVP of the run? And who did you think was the hardest boss fight?
I'm glad you enjoyed the game; that's honestly the most gratifying thing to see after pouring in so many hours! There are so many great games out there, so taking the time to play this through means a lot. Congrats once again :)

I would say the MVPs were surely MegaMawile with those huge power knock offs and sucker punches and surprisingly Heliolisk which was almost an afterthough while building the team but proved herself to be a force to be reckoned with.

Hardest boss was probably Roxanne, that dual wingbeat archen is NASTY this early in the game, I think I lost 20-30 times to it and only won bc she missed 2 of them in a row lmao

But, funnily enough, I believe random trainers were more difficult than most bosses tbh, there was a random ace trainer with a Liepard spamming swagger and foul play that almost wiped my entire team alone

You should really be proud of yourself for this game :)

 

[loj]

While Version 1.03 is technically compatible with existing saves, it is HIGHLY recommended that this patch is played on a fresh save. This is because many things were moved around, so quest progression would get messed up pretty bad.

Where in the game are these changes? I'm halfway through and don't really feel like restarting. Specifically I just beat Flannery.

 

[Gumngee]

Hi, I want to report an error, in the encounter against the second aqua grunt counts, during Basculin animation, it transforms into Mightyena for a few frames. The battle is in the cave where you save the Wingull. This occurred on the last version (1.03) on 3DS using open_agb_firm.

Also, what defines Tyrogue's evolutions? I read the Google Drive document but it was not clear to me, I managed to get Hitmochan, which was what I wanted so I'm not complaining.

 

[BrandonXL]

Congratulations the latest release! I am curious about how the added Team Rocket plot-line has been implemented. Does it take place during the main storyline along with Team Aqua and Team Magma? How big or prevalent is it's presence? I am a huge fan of added events!

Edit: Started my play through. May I suggest you make Pokéballs cheaper just like Drayano did in Renegade Platinum? There are so many Pokémon present in the grass, so cheaper Pokéballs can lead to more freedom with experimentation.

Hey, sorry for missing this message! The Team Rocket story is a completely optional side quest that is initiated as you progress through the main game normally. So, you'll get the prompt, but it'll be up to you if you want to pursue it. It's a self-contained mini story that doesn't influence the main story at all, but it is developed enough to where you'll be running to and from throughout the game!

Where in the game are these changes? I'm halfway through and don't really feel like restarting. Specifically I just beat Flannery.

The Rocket stuff kicks off slightly before Mauville; updating to 1.03 would mess up progression of the quests and stuff, so as long as you don't mind too much, your current version will still have plenty of content to engage in!

Hi, I want to report an error, in the encounter against the second aqua grunt counts, during Basculin animation, it transforms into Mightyena for a few frames. The battle is in the cave where you save the Wingull. This occurred on the last version (1.03) on 3DS using open_agb_firm.

Also, what defines Tyrogue's evolutions? I read the Google Drive document but it was not clear to me, I managed to get Hitmochan, which was what I wanted so I'm not complaining.

So, the good news is this visual bug is not new. I tested on old and the recent version and can confirm this is indeed a thing. The bad news is...well, that it's a thing, haha.
Thank you so much for alerting me to this! I've played through so many times for bug testing, but I still miss things. A fix will be out ASAP for that!

As for Tyrogue, a user here suggested that attacking natures should result in Hitmonlee, defensives ones in Hitmonchan, and neutral and speed ones in Hitmontop. I thought it was a wonderful suggestion and went with that formula.

 

[loj]

Hey, sorry for missing this message! The Team Rocket story is a completely optional side quest that is initiated as you progress through the main game normally. So, you'll get the prompt, but it'll be up to you if you want to pursue it. It's a self-contained mini story that doesn't influence the main story at all, but it is developed enough to where you'll be running to and from throughout the game!

The Rocket stuff kicks off slightly before Mauville; updating to 1.03 would mess up progression of the quests and stuff, so as long as you don't mind too much, your current version will still have plenty of content to engage in!

So if I haven't done anything with the Rocket quest besides hearing the rumor from the policeman, could I just go back and do the new version now (after updating)? As for quests, I've beaten all the optional bosses, so the only thing in my quest log right now is a rumor that Rockets might be in the region. Is that the only progression that would be messed up?

 

[BrandonXL]

So if I haven't done anything with the Rocket quest besides hearing the rumor from the policeman, could I just go back and do the new version now (after updating)? As for quests, I've beaten all the optional bosses, so the only thing in my quest log right now is a rumor that Rockets might be in the region. Is that the only progression that would be messed up?

I moved a lot of the flags around unfortunately. The triggers for certain quests were reappropriated to activate the Rocket stuff. There is technically still a Rocket quest in 1.02d, but it isn't as long.

 

[loj]

Too bad. But I guess I'll give the new version a try. I have been enjoying the game so far. The bonus bosses and the items you get for beating them feel particularly well balanced and rewarding. Incidentally I noticed the weakness policy I got came back after use. Which is great and my favorite feature in Radical Red. Do all consumables work like that?

 

[BrandonXL]

Too bad. But I guess I'll give the new version a try. I have been enjoying the game so far. The bonus bosses and the items you get for beating them feel particularly well balanced and rewarding. Incidentally I noticed the weakness policy I got came back after use. Which is great and my favorite feature in Radical Red. Do all consumables work like that?

I'll say this much. The old version of the game has a good amount of content to where you would still have fun little quests to do as you progress towards the end. Since you beat Flannery, you've made it effectively halfway through the game, so I can see the rationale for not starting over either.
As for consumables, all non-berries return. The Weakness Policy you got is the only one you get into the game; same with the other boss related items. It's incentive to go out of your way and beat these bosses. If it's a viable hold item, it's probably locked behind a boss. I'm glad you feel a sense of reward after beating them! That's the feeling I was hoping to invoke. Keep me up to date on your journey whether you start over or not :)

 

[loj]

I've gotten past the point I was at, and everything is going good. I'm surprised at how much easier the bosses were this time around, despite the fact that I'm using all new pokemon and don't really remember their teams particularly well.

The rocket storyline is fine so far, but I had a question.
Are the rockets actually using Z moves? People keep mentioning them but I haven't noticed anything. I'm wondering if whatever pokemon their Z crystals are on kept getting 1-shot, or something. If that's what has been happening, then one suggestion is to stick the Z crystal on something tankier so that it's more likely to go off.

 

[BrandonXL]

I've gotten past the point I was at, and everything is going good. I'm surprised at how much easier the bosses were this time around, despite the fact that I'm using all new pokemon and don't really remember their teams particularly well.

The rocket storyline is fine so far, but I had a question.
Are the rockets actually using Z moves? People keep mentioning them but I haven't noticed anything. I'm wondering if whatever pokemon their Z crystals are on kept getting 1-shot, or something. If that's what has been happening, then one suggestion is to stick the Z crystal on something tankier so that it's more likely to go off.

Yeah, so they do use Z-Moves assuming it's the most viable move! However, you probably one shot them or it wasn't determined to be the most viable move, haha. Hopefully you've seen a move or two by now :)

 

[Shrimpus]

Thank you for the great hack, it was a lot of fun!

Here is a screenshot of my team

 

[MysteryS]

Thank you so much for this. Emerald is my first pokemon game and I'm gonna try this one soon. <3

 

[Dezerex]

I gave a copy of the romhack to my little sister and played it with her, so this is the second completion I've done. (Last time I used a Chimecho, and had a truly powerful Azumarill)

From Left to Right:
Seaweed the Tsareena - By holding a Grass/Fighting Gem and using its super high powered STAB moves in High Jump Kick and Power Whip, can annihilate anything which is weak to it, although it has fairly low survivability. Really useful during the Wallace Fight at the end of the elite four, along with running Assault Vest + Punishment to defeat Phoebes terrifying Calyrex-Shadow, since when it has KO'd a pokemon, Punishment deals more damage.
Knife the Gallade - Mega Evolution, high power and speed and access to a priority move in Shadow Sneak allowed the Gallade to very easily check and revenge kill pokemon. Most memorably during the Phoebe fight it was the last pokemon vs. lunala, and took 40% health with Night Slash, survived on 1 HP, then killed with Night Slash, since Lunalas ability lowers the damage of the first hit.
Sushi the Swampert - A good special tank running Assault Vest, especially for its good switch in on electric moves, along with pivot to other pokemon with Flip Turn.
Griddle the Corviknight - A very good physical wall with leftovers + Iron Defense, along with Body Press and Power Trip allowing its set up to destroy physical attackers. Its mirror coat ability also came in clutch against wallaces Gyarados, being able to wall it and hit back with a super effective Body Press.
The Chef the Azumarill - A true power house of a pokemon, Azumarill actually KO'd 5 of Alternate Reality May's pokemon, by the end running a standard coverage set, along with Waterium-Z to boost its Aqua Jet, allowing it to end pokemon with low health.
Oven the Delphox - The only special attacker on the entire team, hitting hard with Blast Burn and Psychic, along with having tools to nerf opposing pokemon, being extremely important during the Drake fight to nerf Dragonite, allowing other pokemon to not die instantly to its Extreme Speed.

Overall, if anyone is having difficulty with Roxanne's Gym, the most important advice is to pick up a Marill. Aqua Jet/Bubble both are incredibly good, and Azumarill learns Play Rough before Brawly.