Pokemon RBY Nova ROM

Pokemon RBY Nova is a Game Boy ROM Hack by ZetaPhoenix95 based on Pokemon Red. It was last updated on May 23, 2026.

Description

Features

• The Pokémon pool was expanded with evolutions and pre-evolutions for GEN 1 Pokémon and some GEN 1 Pokémon were replaced by other GENs regional variant counterparts but the rest mostly remain
  untouched.
• Since adding moves completely changes the feel of the original games, Pokémon RBY Nova comes in 2 flavours: Classic & Modern.
• The Classic version has the original movepool, though all the movesets were updated.
• Modern adds 70 moves from different GENs, although it takes into consideration only bringing moves that had effects that existed in GEN 1 (or adapting the moves for that end).
• While the story is mostly the same, the game is streamlined to be more linear, allowing better balancing in terms of trainer and pokémon levels. Every major boss fight was redesigned with the objective of providing good challenges that increase in difficulty as you get further.
• An entirely new and unique AI system was made for the opponents that have different values that makes almost every trainer class unique in the way they play. Opponents can now switch and predict your actions and will try to use the best moves to their advantage but without having access to most in-game private information, so you can still predict and play around them.
• Tons of bug fixes and quality of life were added to the game to help with playability as well as many options for tailoring your gameplay from casual to challenge runs (such as level caps, removing stat experience, infinite candy and other stuff).
• In Pokémon RBY Nova you’ll also be able to complete the Pokédex with no trading or multiple playthroughs needed and a bit of extra content was added in the end/post game.

Changelog

V1.0.2

• When you talk to the champion on their left while pressing other buttons they may repeat their speech before batte.
• VERSION NUMBER CHANGE: In Title Screen from “1.0.1” to “1.0.2”. – OVERSIGHT: The TM41 Softboiled giver states that only CHANSEY can learn it, when in RBY Nova both Chansey and Blissey can (besides Mew).
• BUG FIX: After seeing the DV status screen (or pressing up or down in the status screen) water animation broke and the game would not allow to Surf.
• NEW FEATURE: After winning a Pro Badge the Trainer Card will display a “PRO” text over the corresponding badge. 
• OVERSIGHT: Koga’s after rematch text said “Trainers” instead of “TRAINERs”
• OVERSIGHT: The 5 strongest TRAINERs guy in Celadon Nova House said that all of them “promptly disappeared” after battling but this isn’t true for CHIEF. Also he said “Trainers” instead of “TRAINERs” as well.
• OVERSIGHT: Gym Leader Rematches used Trainer Battle Music.
• NEW FEATURE: Giovanni Superboss now uses Gym Leader Music, Agatha Superboss now uses Final Battle Music. 
• BUG FIX: Beating Chief Superboss without talking to him afterwards would be buggy if you go to a different map with trainers.
• BUG FIX: A non-walkable part of Cerulean Cave B1F was walkable.
• BUG FIX: Sometimes you’d see the stat experience status screen when opening stats for a pokémon as the first screen regardless of playing with stat experience on or off.

V1.0.1

• The Gen 5 style “Use another repel?” feature was very buggy and could lead to a crash.
• Encountering a wild Marowak in Pokémon Tower would always trigger the Ghost reveal cutscene.
• A Cinnabar Lab Metronome Room NPC would say that Eevee has 3 evolutions.
• The sprites attributed to “RainbowDevs” were in fact made by “Blue Emerald”. “RainbowDevs” is the name of the development team that “Blue Emerald” was part of when they made those sprites. The credits are changed from “RainbowDevs” to “Blue Emerald” in 1.0.1 for more accuracy. The exception being Sylveon which they said was not done by them. “Blue Emerald” added to “Additional Art” end credits as well.
• When you get a Badge the correct sound effect plays now.
• The “<PLAYER> got HM01” wouldn’t get an sfx and immediately transition to the next text.
• Giving Up in the first Rival battle (in Oak’s Lab) would make you lose your next battle regardless of the result.

Useful Links

Reddit

Discord

Documentation

Youtube

Ko-Fi