Ruby hack: Pokémon: New Jersey Quest

[Perri Lightfoot]

Hello all, I am Pink Parka Girl ^^ I first started working on hacks back in 2004, which is when I began work on the game I'm presenting to you now :) Back then, my primary focus was on changing game text and little else, but I've gradually grown more and more confident as a hacker; and the game now features a healthy mix of new sprites; modified tiles and pallette, original programming scripts living alongside ones from the original game; a new storyline, and modified maps.

Hack Title and Details: Pokémon: New Jersey Quest (A Ruby Hack)

Features (so far):
-Different Starters (Smoochum, Magby, and Pichu - originally Elekid, but was changed to give an increased difficulty option)
-Set in a real-world place, and featuring real world towns and other very real locations in New Jersey (along with some that are not)
-A new storyline, that splits and changes depending on the choices you make.
-Being able to decide whether to do good deeds or not (though you ARE locked into doing certain tasks no matter what; others you are allowed to choose), which effect the game.
-New Map layouts, with a focus on conveying the vibe of surburbia. Houses are everywhere, though some places are more rural (such as the Pine Barrens), and some are totally dominated by progress (such as the superhighway; Cloverleaf Way). Some maps also have a coastal theme; such as the Boardwalk.
-New Trainer Classes; such as Truckers and Highwaymen
-New Pokedex entries for every wild catchable Pokémon (for those not in the Hoenndex), and new Pokedex entries for every Hoenndex Pokémon
-A handful of 'Fakemon' that live among our old friends that we know well. All 386 species are obtainable, except for those who were replaced to make room for the 20 or so Fakemon (namely ones I don't picture really being suitable for the New Jersey climate or area of the world, and aren't available in the Jungle Habitat area). Pokemon that normally require trading to evolve now evolve through different means, usually happiness or an evolution stone. Wild Legendaries can only be found via an Easter Egg.
-Greater difficulty curve. Wild Pokemon levels increase quickly, as do Trainer Pokemon. Those who have played the game before report that the gyms especially are quite difficult.
-A variety of major NPCs; such as a Cryptozoologist, two Pokémorphs; the PFN Leader who may not be what he seems; a lovelorn Gym Leader; the mysterious, quiet Champion; and the pained, Minun-obsessed Leader of the Scientist team.
-Unique Gym themes. Type is never a theme - one Gym Leader likes using only Pokemon that are beautiful, one only likes using Pokemon with a certain color scheme; and one likes using only genderless, manmade-looking Pokémon. The Gym interiors can also look crazy - one Gym is a pizza parlor, and another is a baseball diamond!
-New scripts, that live alongside and compliment old ones.
-ALL CAPS is a thing of the past.
-Pallettes are slightly changed to be less painful to the eye; and some FRLG tilesets have been introduced.
-A sense of humor - and a dark streak. There are quite a few jokes in the game's script - some much more obscure than others - but there's also a dark tone, and even philosophical musings. You may even find yourself feeling sorry for all the characters involved before it's over... ^^;
-You'll probably learn more about the South Jersey area than you ever wanted to know. XD
-A few new music tracks (mainly from FR/LG).
-The vast majority of Pokémon battle sprites have been replaced with revamps from previous generations, Fire Red/Leaf Green/Emerald sprites (it's probably about 85% Emerald sprites), or, in the case of Flareon, fully drawn by me.

Content I hope to include later:
-New Hero and Heroine
-Improved sprites for the Fakemon, Gym Leaders, fightable NPCs, and new Trainer Classes. I am not a very talented spriter; but I'm trying my best, and help is always appreciated :)

Storyline:
The Short: A game based very very loosely on plots and characters from the fanfics I was writing at the time I started making this game (2004, which is also the year this game's action is set in); features Pokémon-rights activists; some mad scientists; anthropomorphic Pokémon; and some new pokémon species made just for the game (a small number though, so don't worry too much about Fakemon invading everything ^^'). It's rather dark in tone for a Pokémon hack, but it certainly has its moments of levity and humor as well :) (And to stop things before they start: I have nothing against either the animal rights movement or scientists, and this isn't the place to debate their respective merits. Just focus on the hack itself. :) And comments along the lines of "Pokémorphs? lol you is a furry!" are juvenile. Please don't do it.)

The Long: You play as either Buster or Suzie, and you've just moved to Somers Point, New Jersey (much smaller and less urban than the real thing, of course :P ) in the year 2004. The <i>bare bones</i> of the plot are mostly the same as the original Ruby. The young, scatterbrained Professor Sycamore, after being attacked by a vicious Poochyena, gives you the baby pokémon you used to rescue him (Magby and Smochum if you want the game to be easier, Pichu if you want a challenge) and also a Pokédex, so you can track all the species in New Jersey and make sure the native populations are not threatened by the wild escapees of an abandoned safari park, Jungle Habitat (based on a real New Jersey event, though the real Jungle Habitat is situated in North Jersey while the game is set in South Jersey). Right from the beginning, you hear things about Northfield's new Gym Leader, a "crazy lady" named Jackie with a major passion - working with the pokémon world's PETA, PFN, on winning basic rights for the Pokémorphs that people use to make their lives easier. Heading to Northfield, you soon discover she has an especially ambitious morph, who's got the crazy idea of trying to be a Trainer...

Right in the second town, Linwood, the plot starts to take steam, and you're forced to make choices that either open up - or seal off forever - various paths in the game. For example, when you arrive in Linwood, you meet the town's local dowager, who enlists your help in finding a Pokémorph who ran away from her. Once you find the 'Morph, however, and return to Lady Linwood, you are given the option to either lie - to say you have no idea where the Minun girl is, and to allow her to make an escape to freedom - or you can tell the truth and hand her back into the woman's clutches And from there, when you reach Route 104, you may or may not be allowed to enter a certain area on the route depending on your choice...and so on, and so on, and so on....

At the heart of the plot is a battle between two warring factions - PFN, an activist group whose name means Pokémon Freedom Now, and the scientists who profit making and selling the Pokemorphs. Good people - and rotten people - exist on both sides, and the game really does try to make an effort to not portray the issues at hand in totally black in white terms (can PFN be trusted? Are the 'Morphs "people" or Pokemon? Do the Scientists deserve to do their job in peace?), and to let the player avatar come to their own conclusions that lead them down certain paths. You'll see all the details of this mad plot, and the little jokes and interactions between the characters, when it's finally finished :) Or when I get a beta ready XD (The game is not OFFICIALLY beta-ready yet, though a few people have tested it out).

Screenshots:

The first moment of reckoning!

Buster meets Suzie.

Yes, that's a Gym ^^ It's a pizza parlor on the inside =P This is the Boardwalk, which you technically can't get to yet, but I warped there to work on it and take screenshots XD (The Gym is the only building you can actually go into so far, for example :) )

A little bit of Somers Point.

Lady Linwood's Guards.

What Linwood's Guards will say if you tell her where her 'Morph is.

Part of Route 102.

Ogling a bathing Beauty in a swimming pool in Northfield. A slightly outdated screenshot; that gray path no longer exists, and the house in the screenshot has been fixed XD

A Scientist in a house on Route 102.

Part of Route 113, the layout will change later. This shot was taken while I was testing out the "snow" effects.

Inside the Route 103 Toll Plaza.

Sneaking up behind Rosie the Minun on Route 103, on the Wrecked Drawbridge.

Easter Eggs:
There are quite a few Easter Eggs hidden in this game for you to uncover. Because all Pokémon are catchable, I couldn't exactly have legendaries running around on random routes for no reason where just anyone could catch them. To find wild catchable Legendaries, one must find access to their secret lair...two additional exclusive pokémon can only be found via Easter Egg, as well. Hints are dropped towards the existence of the Easter Eggs in the game itself, but it never tells you exactly where they are (and to even get the hints requires finding smaller Easter Eggs. XD )

Support Pokémon: JQ

I jokingly refer to Minun as "the central Pokémon of JQ" - and honestly, it's not that much of a joke. Surely, the little blue eared bunny has much more of a role in this game's plot than any Legendary... XD

Thanks:
I am the only person working on maps, scripts, dialogue - I handle pretty much everything. XD Rosie Minun's in-battle sprite was done by PC member Rexhunter99, and he also made some of the FR/LG tiles that appear in this hack (I did the houses though ^^ ). Rexhunter99 has also performed some beta-testing, along with another person, Annie (not a PC member). Several kind folks on PC have also been very patient in answering my questions, especially concerning scripting :)

 

[balkj06]

nice features, sounds like this will be a very nice hack

 

[Tropical Sunlight]

I like the screens, good luck!

 

[Rexhunter99]

;) you posted it while I was asleep I see.

Of course I enjoyed every moment of beta testing the older version you sent me and It's always a great pleasure to help out :)

If you're a more advanced player of the pokemon games and are looking for a challenge (Yes, you peeps that are peeking at this thread, I am talking to you!) this is the game for you as it is a challenge but a very fun ride all the same. It's planned out quite well and despite the mish mash it appears to be, it is quite good for a hack, I've not seen too many hacks I like but this is one of those.

 

[kid1513]

Nice pics, dude...Cool story, too!
Do you think about changing the tiles? And the hero/ heroin OW?

 

[Purps]

Thank you. Did you include Cherry Hill anywhere? Its my fave place in NJ.

 

[Dominus_Draconis]

You should totally add Moorestown, hometown when not at school FTW. Seriously though, great hack, and wonderful to finally see someone making something valuing New Jersey, though, I gotta admit, you should add tomatoes and corn, I mean, anyone from South Jersey in the summer knows how good they are, would make great healing items, but enough random ideas, keep up the great work, I look forward to this game.

 

[Mitchman]

You see we new yoikers have a problem with you guys from jersey so you bettah get off this site now before i do some damage. Nah kidding dude no worries i actually love new jersey and all. So yeah looks and sounds like a good hack all you need to do is improve your mapping.

 

[Tyrantrum]

Ok, I think I'll like this one.
I used to live in NJ, so this seems interesting.

Good luck~

 

[Perri Lightfoot]

Nice pics, dude...Cool story, too!
Do you think about changing the tiles? And the hero/ heroin OW?

Changing the hero/heroine is something I want to do eventually - my problem is is that I'm not a very good spriter ^^: I may have someone to help me with that, though, when the time comes...at least I hope *blushes*

As for tiles..I'm not overly worried about them, honestly (besides, with my poor spriting skills, you wouldn't WANT me to be worried ^^; ). I did add a few FR/LG tiles, but in short, I think of tiles like I think of icing - pretty and nice to look at, but a cake is still cake (and a hack is still a hack) without it :) If someone wants to help me with tiles, I wouldn't mind icing my cake - they certainly make a hack more novel to the eye! ^__^ - but for now, I'm mostly content with keeping it as it is :)

Thank you. Did you include Cherry Hill anywhere? Its my fave place in NJ.

Cherry Hill's over in Camden County, which a bit out of the geography range the hack covers (though the game does play fast and loose with geography in terms of landmarks; town locations are as accurate as I could get them) ^^ However, there IS a literal hill jokingly named Cherry Hill within the game :)

You should totally add Moorestown, hometown when not at school FTW. Seriously though, great hack, and wonderful to finally see someone making something valuing New Jersey, though, I gotta admit, you should add tomatoes and corn, I mean, anyone from South Jersey in the summer knows how good they are, would make great healing items, but enough random ideas, keep up the great work, I look forward to this game.

Moorestown has the same problem as Cherry Hill in that it's outside the geography range, alas ^^; However, I could work in a reference to the town somewhere, that would be fun :)

And I feel the same way about showing some appreciation for Jersey :) Although I haven't been able to visit the state in five years, and I haven't LIVED there officially since the 1990's, I can't wait till the day I can move back...for all people badmouth it; it's my homestate, and I have many affectionate memories of living there as a kid...heck, I'm getting nostalgic now ^^; Characters within the game grumble about the "dirty Jersey" stereotype - and yes, Grimer's PokéDex entry addresses the issue, to answer my most frequently asked question about this hack by some friends of mine XD

About tomatoes and corn - there is an "Amish Market" stand where you can buy Tamato and Cornn Berries XD And one of the game's few Fakemon is based on Jersey corn (a Grass/Flying type Rooster). Characters also mention the corn and the tomatoes in game dialogue :)

So yeah looks and sounds like a good hack all you need to do is improve your mapping.

I'm doing my best with the mapping, though I'm always open to suggestions on what to do to improve it :) I want this to be the best hack it can be to the best of my ability - this is of course my first hack, and I've been working on it for so long now that I want it to be stellar in as many regards as possible, even if I'll really need help in terms of tiles and sprites, and will likely often be coming back here to ask advice on scripting ^^;

Since people keep asking about certain towns - for the record, here are all the towns in order that you can visit them:

Somers Point
Linwood
Northfield
Egg Harbor Township
Corbin City
Margate City
Absecon
Pleasantville
Buena Vista
Weymouth
Galloway
Hamilton
Port Republic
(Ocean City) Boardwalk
Atlantic City
Longport

 

[myfavouriteax]

Hey, I live near Ocean City. Isn't that in Maryland though?

 

[Perri Lightfoot]

Hey, I live near Ocean City. Isn't that in Maryland though?

Two different Ocean Cities ^__^

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_City,_New_Jersey

And now, a few more screenshots:

A house interior

An example of the Pokedex

If you have a special item, you can infiltrate the secret sorority of Nurse Joys...

An example of items you can buy. As Pokemarts have been reclassed as Wawas (convenience stores) in Jersey Quest, many of the items were also renamed to fit. :)

An ice puzzle in the Coastal Pit

Do you choose this Pichu?

Walking along the Wrecked Drawbridge

If you said "no" to Lady Linwood and let Rosie Minun make her escape, you are never allowed past this barrier.

 

[~Teh Panda~]

I hope you include the Jersey Devil in this. Ah I love that classic tale of the Leed's family. My uncle and his friends found the house when they were young.

 

[myfavouriteax]

Awwww, I was getting all excited there for a moment. This still looks like an amazing hack. It's pretty original. I've seem people try to do actual places like Canada or Michigan, but it's an original idea for you because you're actually making progress.

 

[Perri Lightfoot]

I hope you include the Jersey Devil in this. Ah I love that classic tale of the Leed's family. My uncle and his friends found the house when they were young.

The Jersey Devil is indeed included in this game ;) Get the Arcane Key item from Zachary the Cryptozoologist, and you can use it to unlock the door of the Leeds house...and enter the Devil's twisted world, the Rift Barrens (picture it as part Glitch City and part Torn World ;) Once I finish building it, I'll get screens :) ). Both Tyler, the head of NJMT (New Jersey 'Morph Technologies), and David, the head of PFN (Pokemon Freedom Now) persue the Devil's fearful powers to annihilate each other - and not caring who else they take down in the meantime.

This still looks like an amazing hack. It's pretty original. I've seem people try to do actual places like Canada or Michigan, but it's an original idea for you because you're actually making progress.

Aww, thanks so much for the compliment! Seriously, the comments from all you guys, both the praise and the concrit, inspire me to see this hack through to the bitter end :) I know it'll probably be a while before there's any sort of beta out and before I feel ready to put this over in the Hacks Showcase rather than in Progressing Hacks...but all I can do is keep at it and never give up :)

 

[ckret2]

I'm not sure what amazes me more--the fact that someone is setting a full-blown, serious hack in New Jersey, or the fact that it looks like it's going to be pure awesome. This is definitely a hack possibility I never would have imagined on my own, even for my own home state.

I've only been to NJ a couple times or so, but I still think this will be a load of fun to play. (The "Rattata with wings" comment is hilarious, because I get the RL reference and because it's just as true in the Pokémon world.) I'm already trying to decide if I'll side with the PFN or the scientists. I can't decide, heh. I guess I'll have to figure that out as I go along!

Good luck with this! I'm eagerly awaiting the final result. Or at least the first beta.

 

[myfavouriteax]

Yeah, I'm already starting to lose interest in my hack, but it's complements that keep me going. That and I promised my six year old self that I would make my own pokemon game, because I didn't think it was possible back then. Just find some sort of motivation. I'd really like to see this hack make it. It looks really good!

 

[Rexhunter99]

;) I couldn't really side with either group but I lean towards PfN generally because I kinda see stuff from their persective. The story is well though out too, especially since PPG has been spoon feeding me this stuff to prepare me for the BETA XD

 

[xeladude]

Include Little Manilla, and I'll get it for sure :D Good luck with this hack!

 

[Ray Maverick]

Hey,nice sprites,really they're amazing.Hope you get with it.