Overall 9.2 Graphics 9.5 Sound 7 Addictive 9 Story 8.5 Depth 9.5 Difficulty 6.5
8.7
A top-quality Pokémon hack OrdannonsX
I read a review the other day about Pokémon Dark Energy, a Pokémon ROMhack which supposedly has a pretty engaging storyline. “What? Pokémon with a unique story?” I said to myself. Surely, I had to check this out. And lo and behold, it does try some new things and succeeds in many ways.
The Graphics
I have nothing to complain about. The hack features an entirely new map with cleverly generated Routes and caves to explore. There are no bugs or ‘mistakes’ the creator made while placing the tiles, such as a tree standing on top of a house or a person walking through water. There are an awful lot of hacks around where this is an issue, but this hack is just really clean. Creating hacks takes a lot of patience, and it looks like the creator took a lot of time in making the hack look as finished as possible. Kudos.
The Sound
There’s nothing wrong with it, but I wasn’t a fan of most of the revamped tracks played at certain parts. But then, the variety in tracks you’ll hear is quite large, there may even be a couple of tracks you haven’t heard before. There were quite a couple of tracks that were new to me. Perhaps the creator made these himself? If so, I am impressed.
The Addictiveness
Will I play through the game a second time? Without a doubt. Like I said, towns and Routes are created with the utmost care, the story and events are engaging, and there are a lot of Pokémon to catch. If I’m correct, all of the Pokémon are catchable, even the starters. The creator added a lot of little, likely unimportant things to the game which enhance your experience (for example, after you used up a Repel, it asks you if you automatically use another Repel if you have a spare in your Pack). The more well-hidden hidden items are actually worth something too. Where they were mostly Potions and such in the original games, the hidden items that are hardest to find are Pearls or status enhancers like Protein and Carbos. This is hack just does so many things right. I don’t usually praise ROMhacks this much, but for Pokémon Dark Energy, I make an exception.
The Story
So here’s a synopsis of the story: There are five precious stones scattered across the world of Suden, called the Elemental Orbs. An evil group called Team Darkness (whooo, evil!) is bent on finding all five of the Orbs for their dirty schemes. You’re a 19 year-old guy with an Eevee who lives in Capital City, the largest city in Suden. You’re a student at the university, where your mentor is Professor Oak. He tells you and another student about the discovery of an old writing containing knowledge about these Orbs. So Oak sends you and the other student on a journey in order to find the old writing. But there is a lot more going on… I gotta say, kudos to the creator for coming up with this. I didn’t believe a sort-of deep plot would work in a Pokémon game, but I’m impressed. Your own character isn’t a mute, however, it’s an actual person with a ‘personality’. Not a very likeable one at that though. At first, he’s a caring guy who’ll lend a hand to just about anyone who needs help. Then, he’s a cynical jerk to anyone who even says something wrong about him. The student whom you travel with, however, isn’t half bad company. He makes a few references here and there to other video games which got me grinning every now and then.
The Depth
The depth is beyond impressive. Once more, the Routes, caves and towns are awesome, there are a lot of Pokémon to catch and train, and the TMs have been rearranged meaning you can teach different moves to your Pokémon. There’s also a neat Battle Simulator located in the Capital University where you can train to your heart’s content. Furthermore, there are quite a few side quests you can do in the hack, each rewarding you with something. There are some unnecessary stuff added though, such as the item pack you receive at the beginning containing three Repels. There are a lot less grassy areas around, so you’re likely not inclined to use Repels often. Just sell them and spend the money you receive on Potions or Poké Balls. What I actually seriously dislike though, is that the chance of encountering a shiny Pokémon has been drastically increased. When I encountered my first shiny Pokémon (it was a gold Pidgey) I was ecstatic. It was my third shiny I had ever encountered, and when I caught it, I couldn’t believe my (apparent) luck. Then, about five encounters later, I stumbled across a shiny female Nidoran, and so on, and so on. By the time I had reached the second Pokémon Gym (they are pretty close to each other), I had already caught seven shiny Pokémon, and encountered a whole lot more. I was so disappointed. I can see why a lot of people love this aspect of the game, but I’m not a fan. By making shiny Pokémon so easy to obtain, they lose a lot of their credibility and they just feel less satisfying to have as a result. But this is really the only thing I have to complain about.
The Difficulty
While not punishingly difficult or downright unfair, Dark Energy is a slight step up from regular Pokémon games. There’s not a lot of tall grass, so grinding levels might prove to take longer than in most hacks. Trainers and Gym Leaders’ levels have been amped-up and now pose more of a threat, and there are a couple of points in the hack where you’ll be caught off guard when challenged (not spoiling anything though). But still, a juiced-up Pokémon game is still a Pokémon game. There is practically no repercussion of losing battles, other than you losing a little money. You can lose as often as you’d like, eventually you will defeat that tough Gym Leader or boss battle. It has always been like that with Pokémon games, and this hack is no different.
Pokémon Dark Energy is a top-quality Pokémon hack, with an engaging story that will have you hooked to it from start to end. With a lot of stuff added to the game, and a new world that is fun to explore and a lot of Pokémon to catch, you just can’t go wrong with Pokémon Dark Energy. I think I will even make the boldest statement of my life: Pokémon Dark Energy even surpasses some official Pokémon games.
Pros:
- Devoid of technical bugs
- Some funny references to other stuff
- Interesting plot
- A couple of side quests to do
Cons:
- Increased chance of encountering shiny Pokémon lower their awesomeness
- Grassy areas are somewhat scarce
Review Rating: 3.5/5
Submitted: 10-27-13
Updated: 04-05-14
Review Replies: 6
9.5
You'll never find a Pokemon game like this one Mageman80
Where to begin.....
I've played many Pokémon hacks. They were all good(most of them), but this one struck a cord with me. Dark Energy stands out above the rest. It's not like your standard Pokemon game. It's much more than that.
Graphics:10-The graphics were what they were for a Gameboy Color game. To a true gamer they don't matter, but I always liked the look of old
Sound:8-I always liked the music and sounds of Gold/Silver/Crystal. They bring back fond nostalgia.
Addictiveness:10- Everything about this game is addictive. The story, the gameplay, everything! I played beta 3.1 and I was astounded by everything that I found in this hack.
Story:9-I enjoyed the story very much. The game throws you in and makes you feel like you're part of it. The most unexpected things happen and I loved it.
Depth:9-For being an incomplete game, Dark Energy has a lot to offer. There are side quests to complete and legendary Pokemon to catch. There's also the Battle Simulator and The Sage's Tower. The map is very large and fun to explore.
Difficulty:5- If you're a fan of Pokemon, you'll find this game to be a worthy challenge. However, some points may be a tad difficult. Luckily there is a Battle Simulator in the game, so walking around in the grass isn't always necessary.
Overall, this is my absolute favorite Pokemon hack, and the only one that I've anxiously waited for another version to be released. I loved everything about it. Miksy, you've done an outstanding job. I eagerly wait for the next release.
Graphics 10 Sound 8 Addictive 10 Story 9 Depth 9 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 09-10-13
Review Replies: 9
9.6
Amazingly Well-Made for a Hack - Pokemon Dark Energy Review Axew13
This is my first review on Vizzed. So I was bored of playing all of the GBA hacks of Pokemon games on this site, so I searched for the Game Boy / Game Boy Color ones. These were lightweight, so easy to change and still make something professional-looking. So I searched about 4 pages with the settings for Game Boy
and Hacked/Homebrew enabled for my search, and I found it. Though this game seems to imply it shouldn't
be on Vizzed (talking about downloading, emulating, and websites in the readme that you can find in your room), whether professionally made for download use or not, I definitely still love it.
Graphics:
The graphics have not really changed from the Pokemon Silver Version it once was. However, the new graphics that were added have been made professionally. I feel it might have been possible to improve on Gold/Silver's graphics, but maybe not. Either way, I'm setting down a positive 9 for this score. Forward!
Sound:
The sound hasn't changed. I seem to notice some changes, but that might just be my computer or the emulator... With not much else to say, I'm giving this part a 6.
Addictiveness:
This game has many little quests to take part in, as I mentioned. I also hear of increased chances of shiny encounters. This leaves a lot more fun for the player as they train. Some might complain about this, but I love it. Oh, and there are 7 extra side-quests soon (you can see how many you've completed on your Trainer Card). This part gets an 8.
Story:
The story starts off a little off-putting and generic and some things seem a little out-of-place (such as the TV before TVs were invented, and that whole past-setting in general), lacking a motivating theme. However once you get into it and walk out of the house, little missions which can even give you advantages in-game begin to pop up simply while you're exploring, trying to find a way to progress in the game. It's often the case that these little side-quests don't directly
relate to your main mission, but they still work pretty well. And very often they'll appear as a task you'll require to move on. The story doesn't show itself that much from there on as far as I've played though. Which is probably a good thing. It's mysterious nature makes it fit to be kept fairly secret until you get far enough into the game. The structure (opening cutscenes, for example) is what makes this story special, however. I give it an 8. The story is on the box description, go read it. Or even better, start playing. The story gets an 8 too!
Depth:
This game is very fun to get into. As stated in 'Addictiveness', there are many quests and side-quests for the player to do. The depth comes with the many parts of the game. The story may not be complicated, but it's still worth it. This game is full of little bits and pieces to keep you entertained, unlike anything ever seen before in Pokemon games. It's quite entertaining. :) This section got a 10.
Difficulty:
Right from the start, this game shows what it wants from you. A lot of training will be needed in order to continue. I feel this game was made especially for use in emulators, because the speed-up function is perfect for this game, while it still doesn't give the player much of an advantage. However the shinies may be a little
too easy to encounter. So I'll hand this section an 8.
Other:
There are still some spelling and grammar mistakes in this game. However, I appreciate the work that was put into this game. Sometimes areas in the game felt unorganized and difficult to navigate through. However most of the map structure is great. Although sometimes it's hard to know what to do, it's worth the figuring out when little sidequests to unlock special things are always waiting. Plenty of new features to see here.
Overall, I love this game. It should be more popular, and it's the best Pokemon hack I've encountered on Vizzed. Maybe there are better hacks out there, on other websites... But at the time of this review, this game is my favourite.
Pokemon Dark Energy (beta 4.0) gets a
9.6!
Thank you for reading this review. I'd like you and other readers to consider this game. I recommend it. :)
Graphics 9 Sound 6 Addictive 8 Story 8 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 04-04-14
Updated: 04-05-14
Review Replies: 6
User Notice 
-1.png "Pokemon Dark Energy (beta 4.0) Title Screen")
-2.png "Pokemon Dark Energy (beta 4.0) Screenshot 1")
-3.png "Pokemon Dark Energy (beta 4.0) Screenthot 2")
