Pokémon Vega is a Japanese ROM hack of Pokémon Fire Red Version for the Game Boy Advance. Though originally in Japanese, a team of dedicated writers decided to make an English version of this hack. I am ever thankful for the team behind the translation, because unlike the prequels Altair and Sirius where you could get through the game just fine without a guide, Vega has a new region, and thus you would need a guide if you were playing it in a different language. Does this hack live up to the hype it has built up as the "Best Japanese ROM Hack?" If you just skipped to the rating or have already played this, you would know the answer to that question already. Without further ado, let's get right into it.

Graphics: This game is graphically based on the original game, though some sprites are taken from RSE. I have always loved the overworld sprites from FRLG, so the choice of Fire Red to do this hack was a positive. The region is cold and snowy, yet beautiful at the same time, and you can feel that in the map design. Even without the animated battle sprites of Emerald, the Pokémon still feel alive. The Fakémon that populate much of this game also look amazing, and while they do not always feel official, they are still interesting creatures. The new sprites, overall, look amazing, and the game continues to be one of the best-looking on the GBA.

Sound: Yes, the red health sound-effect is still in the game, don't bother asking. I am going to be focusing more on the music for this section, anyway. How does the music hold up? Spectacularly. Each piece of music perfectly fits the setting. I could listen to all of these tunes on their own, if I wanted to. Believe it or not, you actually can, because you can download the OST on the translation project's PokéCommunity page. One of the best soundtracks on a ROM hack.

Addictiveness: I would say this is a success. No matter how frustrated I would get, I would still come back for more. I even had incentive to grind, something I rarely ever want to do (we'll get to the issue of grinding in the difficulty section). I want to see what the game throws at me, I want to see all of the new Pokémon, I want to discover new areas and beat all of the gyms. I want to be the very best like no one ever was. Like a normal Pokémon game, this had me coming back for more.

Story: The story is not too different from that of a regular Pokémon game. You still have a "To Be The Best" story line, you still want to complete the Pokédex, you still want to beat the evil team, that's all the same. On the other hand, the continuity with Altair and Sirius really makes the story stand out. You might want to have played those hacks first before diving into this, but on the other hand, you could get filled in fine while playing through the game. If you want a basic rundown, you, the champion of Hoenn, have moved to the region of Tohoak, and must beat that league, whilst simultaneously taking down Team Dark Hole, a bunch of bad guys formed from the remnants of teams White Hole and Black Hole. It's surprisingly interesting, and the characters all help make it even better. Mosmero is still one of the best characters in written existence, so that's a positive.

Depth: This ROM hack is not as in-depth as many other ROM hacks that are currently still being developed. Still, it manages to be great without any insane engine tweaks. The post game is rather simple. Complete the Pokédex, rematch the Gym Leaders and the Elite 4, and explore the new dungeons. While you're doing that, the game is still throwing its trademark difficulty at you (we'll get to that in a minute), so you never feel too powerful, but at the same time the scaling slows down quite a bit after beating the champ, so you don't feel too powerless, either. There's a decent amount of depth here, overall.

Difficulty: If you are the type who is turned away from something due to its insane difficulty, then my friend, this ROM hack is not for you in the slightest. It gets easier after the third badge, but up to that point the game is absolutely punishing. The game gives you over-leveled boss fights and tells you, essentially, to use all of the Pokémon you have up to that point to try and take them out. It is a very strategy-oriented game, and encourages Smogon-level playstyles and team compositions. Or, if you're dumb like me, you can just grind. Grinding for the first three gyms is horrible, but once you get to the fourth one, you have access to the Vs. Seeker, which allows you to grind for both experience and money. This allowed me to buy 99 Max Potions by the time I made it to the Elite 4, with enough money left over to buy a ton of Full Heals and Revives as well. Basically, what I'm saying is that there are two styles of play, and neither one is wrong. Use strategy, and the fights are more difficult, but less tedious. Grind, and it's more tedious, but you can speed through the bosses. It is a decent balance that works, but still, if you're not prepared for insane difficulty in a Pokémon game, then I recommend you stay away.

Overall: So, does Pokémon Vega live up to the hype it has built up over the last few years. Absolutely, it does! There is nothing terrible about this hack whatsoever. It is aesthetically pleasing, highly motivating, and gives you enough challenge so a veteran fan of the serious can be challenged by it. If you are looking for something new, interesting, challenging and, most importantly, fun, go ahead and give this ROM hack a try.

SCORE: 9/10

I already know this is like one of the best hack games to play, I just haven't gotten around to playing the game. Since I haven't finished playing Pokemon Altair. Great review here, as I thought the game is a lot more....amazing than I thought it was to be, with you saying such good things about Pokemon Vega. So I have to try and finish the other one as soon as I can before, getting around to playing this game.