Pokémon Heart & Soul brings the classic Johto Region and its iconic story to the world of modern GBA decomp hacking. Built on the Modern Emerald decomp, this project offers a fresh take on the GSC/HGSS experience, blending key aspects of the Gen 2 and Gen 4 games, while incorporating many modern QoL features, as well as some familiar Gen 3 mechanics.
Not only is Heart & Soul (HnS) a first-of-its-kind, fully completed, playtested, and largely faithful GSC remake / HGSS demake, it’s also completely open source, and is intended to be a base for a new generation of Johto rom hacks.
Features
- Generation 1-3 Pokémon, plus their later gen evolutions (excluding the Regis and Jirachi)
- Full Johto story and Kanto postgame from HGSS, including the Kimono Girls and Eusine
- Following Pokémon
- Overworld background Pokémon allow you to easily see the notable encounters on each route
- Day/Night System with variable encounters
- Dynamic overworld palettes
- HGSS Music
- Highly varied trainer teams and encounters, based on Crystal Legacy
- HMs do not need to be taught to a Pokémon in order for it to be used
- Apricons replaced with berries, Kurt will use them to make unique Pokéballs
- Timekeeping does not track days of the week, Everything is progression based
- 16 Gym leader rematches
- Two Safari Zones
- Unique surfing Pokémon sprites
- Customizable shiny rate
- Physical/special split is toggleable
- Fairy type is toggleable
- AutoRun and FastSurf are toggleable
- Quick run from wild battles using button combination
- Ball prompts for quick catching
- … and much more!
Setting Expectations
- Heart & Soul was designed as a traditional Pokémon experience, akin to the main-series games. It is not a difficulty hack, and does not have built-in features for non-traditional playstyles. Do not expect to see features like infinite rare candies, or built-in randomization or nuzlocking rules.
- Heart & Soul stands on the shoulders of giants. I am not an artist or a professional programmer, so much of the art and some of the code for this project was drawn from open source assets. I did my best to credit all sources below and in the game credits, but if you find any that I missed, please let me know in the Heart & Soul Discord.
- Heart & Soul has been rigorously playtested, (shoutout to the playtesters) but there still may be some small bugs. If you find any, please report them to the Heart & Soul Discord.
- There are a few GSC/HGSS features that were too complex or time consuming for me to implement in this project. See differences section below.
Differences from GSC/HGSS
- Radio is a standalone Key Item with limited functionality instead of a menu in the Pokégear
- Trainers will not offer their phone numbers, no way to rematch them
- Level curve is much improved
- Apricorns replaced with berries, berry ball catch boost is based on Type
- Strength boulder-in-hole puzzles replaced with Emerald Mach Bike puzzles
- No itemfinder and no hidden items
- Only 50 TMs (The ones from emerald)
- Swarms are replaced with a 5% Hoenn encounter on each route in Kanto
- Mom does not take your money
- Ruins of alph back room requirements are slightly altered
- No pokéathalon dome
- No trades in Kanto
Changelog
V2.0.2
- Coin case 9999 freezing bug
V2.0.1
- Fixed a variety of bugs stemming from using the wrong build flags on release
V2.0
- Rebuilt the game and all features on pokeemerald expansion
- Add GB sounds item to player inventory at game start
- Some challenge settings and options have been moved between the 2 menus
- Challenges can be changed from pokemon center after starting the game. Some can only be made easier.
- Fairy type setting now applies to move types as well as pokemon types
- New randomizer seeding setting
- Restored surf and bike music
- Added option to disable surf and bike music
- Added all Crystal rematch trainers + some in Kanto inspired by HGSS. Unlocked after Badge 3
- Added option to disable match calls
- Added route-based targeting for rematch calls
- Added Voltorb flip
- Removed radio item
- Built radio into PokeGear with all original radio stations
- Buena’s password show
- Added Hoenn radio station in Kanto. Playing this in overworld increases chances of encountering a – Hoenn Pokemon
- Gen 4 TM list. TM locations changed and updated to fit
- Added hidden items to the ground
- Added itemfinder in Ecruteak
- Removed bike puzzles
- Ice Path gets the boulder puzzle back
- Seafoam Islands layout changed
- Entei, Raikou and the new Kanto Roamer are all independent
- Choose one Lati to roam Kanto. The other will be on the southern island.
- Roamers no longer intentionally avoid the player’s route
- Added a sound cue and animation when the player enters the same route as a roamer
- Johto safari zone map adjustments
- Added sideways stairs
- Integrated sideways stairs into many maps
- Gen 7 learnsets setting
- Added hns 1.2.1 spice to Gen 7 learnsets setting
- Added new general tileset to Kanto
- Overhauled many Kanto maps
- Overhauled mt mortar, Route 42, and Mahogany Town
- Battle tents give BP
- Add clock to start menu
- Mom’s savings system added. Talk to her after starting your journey
- More bag pockets
- Changed [REDACTED]
- New pokegear UI
- Added ability to decorate player bedroom
- Added Kanto trades
- Added many post Gen 3 items
- Kanto wild encounters are now leveled in the 40’s
- New battle backgrounds. Cave ponds, Snowy routes, snowy mountain, snowy cave, volcano cave, new beach
- Spiky-eared Pichu event in Viridian
- Added [REDACTED]
- New shiny star on naming screen and wild battles
- Starter pokemon pics will be shiny if the pokemon is shiny
- Kurt balls now have HNs 1.2 functionality AND GSC/HGSS functionality all at once
- Bike hopping (?)
- Slowpokes grow their tails back when you beat the league
- Tutors and trades can utilize your pc pokemon
- Added [REDACTED]
- Can fly to more routes and pokemon centers
- Rocket takeover only happens after the 7th badge, no matter where you get it
- Buffed the Kimono Girls
