Fan-made Pokemon RPG combines HeartGold, SoulSilver, and the best spin-off game into an overhauled Johto adventure with every modern feature you could ask for

What would you get if you combined Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver with the beloved spin-off game, Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, except with newer Pokemon and an entirely overhauled region? The answer is Pokemon Mythic Silver – a new fan-made RPG that's now playable in beta.

Mythic Silver was created by SauceyaTTa, who spent over 600 hours meticulously putting the project together. While built on a Generation 4 engine, it looks far from outdated, with the inclusion of Pokemon from all generations - even the most recent one - and Mega Evolutions. 

Interestingly, players will only be able to use those aforementioned Megas, as well as Legendary, Sub-Legendary, and Mythic Pokemon, on their teams, although there is a solid plot-based reason for this. "Mythic Silver takes place after the events in PMD Explorers of Sky, this time with Darkrai seeking revenge, mangling both time and space from different regions all into one," sauceyaTTa writes in a post on Reddit. "Blessed by Arceus to encounter the most absurdly strong Pokemon, and partnered with some other familiar faces, the protagonist must journey throughout a new region to put a stop to Darkrai's plans."

For anyone who's played Explorers of Sky, this plot is already incredibly enticing. We're not going to get into spoilers here, since if you haven't played it, then you should, but what you do need to know is that Darkrai has a significant role in the spin-off game's story, with his tale concluding in a way that invites a follow-up like this. So, seeing that finally happen, even in an unofficial capacity, is really neat, and players can even look forward to hearing some Mystery Dungeon music in the game along with tracks from Pokemon Platinum and others.

Pokemon Mythic Silver Official Beta Release! - YouTube

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If the story isn't your thing though, fear not, as Mythic Silver also boasts a bunch of cool features not normally included in the fourth generation games, such as reusable TMs, Mints to change Pokemon Natures, newer battle items like the Eviolite, and, of course, more recent moves and abilities. You can expect gradually scaling, hard level caps – which sound like they'll add a good amount of challenge without making the whole thing grindy – as well as battles with randomized lead Pokemon so you never know what's coming.

With Mythic Silver being an "enormous overhaul to the Johto region," there are, of course, new areas to explore, with a few examples shown in the Reddit post including a gorgeous wooded area covered in cherry blossoms called Fleur Forest and a foggy, autumnal-looking location called Warped Weald. Aside from the following partner Pokemon and battle UI, Mythic Silver really looks nothing like HeartGold and SoulSilver, which goes to show how much work has gone into it. 

Pokemon fans sure have been busy lately with their own creations, with the unofficial Pokemon roguelike, PokeRogue, recently taking the internet by storm. PokeRogue has now lost its creator, however, who left the project after deciding it was "hindering the things I value most including my faith, my family, and my job."

Be sure to check out our list of the best Pokemon games to find your next adventure.