Explore Pokemon Heart & Soul, a GSC remake and HGSS demake that brings the Johto and Kanto regions to life on modern GBA decomp. This open-source ROM hack offers a fresh take on the classic GSC/HGSS experience, blending elements from Gen 2 and Gen 4 games with modern quality-of-life features and familiar Gen 3 mechanics. Playable on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and handheld devices that support GBA emulators.
Table of Contents
Pokemon Heart & Soul Info
| Game Name | Pokemon Heart & Soul |
| Developer | Lil Dill |
| Platform | Gameboy Advance |
| Genre | Story-focused, Monter Catching |
| Release Date | September 26, 2025 |
| Latest Version | v1.1.6 |
| Status | Completed |
| Last Updated On | October 24, 2025 |
| Download | Download Page |
What is Pokemon Heart & Soul?
Pokemon Heart & Soul is a ROM hack of Pokemon Emerald, built on the modern Emerald decomp by Lil Dill, that brings the Johto region and its iconic story to the GBA in a fresh, polished way. It blends the best parts of GSC and HGSS with familiar Gen 3 mechanics, offering what many consider the definitive Johto experience on GBA.
The game isn’t a strict difficulty hack, but trainer teams—especially Gym Leaders and bosses—have been reworked with smarter rosters, better level curves, and Pokemon from outside Johto to make battles feel more natural and challenging.
Heart & Soul stands out with deep customization options that let players fine-tune difficulty, EXP rates, EV/IV settings, level caps, and more. It also includes visual upgrades, like improved tilesets, new battle backgrounds, and Pokemon appearing in the overworld to show what can be found on each route.
On top of that, the game adds many quality-of-life features, such as EXP Share from the start, simplified evolution methods, infinite TMs, and HMs that don’t require teaching moves—making the whole adventure smoother and more enjoyable.
Heart & Soul is also fully open source, making it not only a complete and faithful Johto remake/demake, but also a strong base for future Johto hacks.
Key Difference from GSC / HGSS
Heart & Soul makes a number of adjustments compared to the original Gold, Silver, Crystal and the HGSS remakes. These changes help streamline gameplay and better fit the Emerald engine while keeping the Johto experience intact:
- Radio is now a standalone Key Item with limited functions, instead of being part of the Pokégear menu.
- Trainer phone numbers and rematches are removed — trainers won’t offer numbers, and there’s no rematch system.
- The level curve is greatly improved, offering a smoother progression through the story.
- Apricorns are replaced with berries, and berry balls now give catch rate boosts based on type.
- Strength puzzles are swapped out for Emerald-style Mach Bike puzzles.
- There’s no Itemfinder and no hidden items to locate.
- The game uses only 50 TMs — the standard set from Emerald.
- Swarms are replaced with a 5% Hoenn encounter on each Kanto route.
- Mom doesn’t take your money, removing the savings system.
- Kanto trainers and Gym Leaders use Johto battle music; there’s no separate Kanto theme.
- Ruins of Alph back room requirements are slightly changed.
- No Pokéathlon Dome is included.
- No in-game trades in Kanto are available.
Top Key Features of the Game
1. Full Johto Story + Kanto Postgame
Heart & Soul recreates the complete Johto adventure and includes the full Kanto postgame, closely following HGSS. Major events like the Kimono Girls and Eusine are present, giving a complete and faithful second-generation journey on the GBA.
2. Generation 1–3 Pokemon + Later Evolutions
The game features every Pokemon from Generations 1 through 3, along with their later-generation evolutions (except the Regis and Jirachi). This adds more variety to team building while keeping the Johto experience balanced.
3. Following Pokemon
Just like in HGSS, your lead Pokemon can follow behind you in the overworld. It’s a small detail that adds a lot of charm and personality to your journey.
4. Overworld Encounter Previews
Routes display background Pokemon sprites in the environment—climbing trees, swimming, or perched in towns—showing what can be found in each area. This replaces the need for tools like the DexNav or external guides and makes exploration feel more alive.
5. Deep Customization Options
Heart & Soul includes extensive gameplay customization. Players can adjust shiny rates, enable or disable Fairy type, toggle the physical/special split, change EXP rates, set level caps, and more. These options let you tailor the game to your preferred playstyle, from casual to challenge runs.
6. Improved Trainer Teams and Level Curve
All trainer battles have been reworked with smarter team compositions and improved level progression. Gym Leaders and bosses use a mix of Johto and non-Johto Pokemon, making battles feel more dynamic and naturally challenging without turning the game into a pure difficulty hack.
7. Quality of Life Enhancements
Many tedious mechanics have been streamlined. HMs can be used without teaching them, EXP Share is available early, there are quick run and catch prompts, infinite TMs, and evolution methods have been simplified. These updates make the adventure smoother without losing the original spirit.
8. Apricorns Replaced with Berries
The Apricorn system has been replaced by berries, which Kurt uses to make special Pokéballs. Catch rate boosts now depend on berry types, and the process is faster than in the original games.
9. Visual & Audio Upgrades
Heart & Soul features updated overworld tilesets, dynamic palettes that change with time, unique surfing sprites, and HGSS music. These upgrades give the game a fresh look and sound while maintaining the nostalgic GBA style.
10. Postgame & Replay Value
The game offers 16 Gym Leader rematches, two Safari Zones, and a fully explorable Kanto region with unique encounter changes like 5% Hoenn Pokemon per route. Combined with its customization options, this gives plenty of reasons to keep playing even after the main story.
11. Day/Night System with Variable Encounters
Time of day affects both the visual palette of the overworld and the encounters you’ll find, making different times feel unique.
12. Customizable Shiny Rate
Players can adjust the shiny encounter rate to their liking, whether they want a standard experience or a shiny hunt-friendly adventure.
13. Physical/Special Split Toggle
Players can choose whether to use the original Gen 3 physical/special system or enable the modern split, allowing for more flexible move strategies.
14. Fairy Type Toggle
The Fairy type can be turned on or off depending on player preference, letting you choose between classic or modern type matchups.
15. And Much More
Heart & Soul includes many smaller tweaks and polish touches across the game, making the entire experience feel cohesive, modern, and thoughtfully designed.
Game Progress & Future Plans
Pokemon Heart & Soul has grown significantly since its initial development. What began as a solo project has expanded into a six-person team during the playtesting phase. The developers plan to take a step back once the initial wave of post-release bugs is addressed. Additionally, there is an ongoing effort to port the entire project to Pokeemerald Expansion, which will further improve stability, performance, and modding potential.
Recommended Emulators
To play Heart & Soul with the best experience, the following emulators are recommended:
- PC / Mac: mGBA
- Android: PizzaBoy, Lemuroid, RetroArch with mGBA core
- iOS: Delta, RetroArch with mGBA core, Ignited
- Linux / Handheld Devices: RetroArch with mGBA core
Gameplay Screenshots
Developer’s Note
Development of Heart & Soul was primarily a solo effort, consuming almost all of the developer’s free time over the past year. While not a professional programmer, the goal was to create the game the developer wanted to play. As Heart & Soul is fully open source, anyone interested is encouraged to expand, improve, or create their own version of the game. For questions or community support, players are invited to join the Heart & Soul Discord.
Credits
Lead Developer / Game Director
- Lil Dill
Developers
- TixoRebel
- InfiniteBacon42
- Exclsior
- Phantonomy
- DaniRainbow
Playtesters
- MearaTheDigger
- Kingofrocks
- Ferropexola
- Scarred-Healer13
- ShigyNinja
- Liquid Justice
- aktatertot
- Faintful
- piobrando
- Shortino
- Chronotakular
- NoVa x CerberuS
- Czarwardy
- TeggyDave
- HenryChess
- Inner Rhymes
- Astralaria
- GPie
- BillyNaing
- Penkachu
- Emma M
- Casper
- Marzi
- leob0505
- Sayu
- RavePossum
- Brick
- KinoKuma
- BlackBelt Jiraiya
Open Source Assets Used
Engine & Codebase
- pokeemerald – pret
- Modern Emerald — Resetes12
- pokeemerald-expansion
Art – Sprites
- Crystal Dust — Sierraffinity
- AveonTrainer
- PurpleZaffre
- BatimaTheBat
Art – Tilesets
- Crystal Advance — Kertra
- Ekat99
- TheDeadHeroAlistair
- Johto Redrawn Team
Maps / Map References
- Crystal Advance — Kertra
- Fire Gold — blackfragrant
- SkidMarc25
Gameplay
- Crystal Legacy — TSP (TheSmithPlays)
Special Systems / Visuals
- Surfing Pokémon overworlds — slawter666, wally-217