Welcome to Pokemon HeartGold Generations, a brand-new ROM hack built using Pokemon HeartGold and the powerful HG-Engine. This is a Nintendo DS game that can be played on various devices including Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux by using any compatible DS emulator.
The game is fully completed and is ready to play, giving a complete Johto adventure filled with modern features and Pokemon from all nine generations. Pokemon HeartGold Generations is a free, non-profit fan project, created by fans for fans, with the goal of bringing a vanilla like experience but with modern features for Pokemon HeartGold.
Pokemon HeartGold Generations General Information
| Game Name | Pokemon HeartGold Generations |
| Creator | spearmintz |
| Platform | Nintendo DS (NDS) |
| Game Language | English |
| Hack off | Pokemon HeartGold |
| Released on | August 05, 2025 |
| Latest Version | v2.0 |
| Last updated | September 03, 2025 |
| Game Status | Completed |
| Download | Download Page |
What is Pokemon HeartGold Generations?
Pokemon HeartGold Generations is a Completed Generation 4 ROM hack that brings the Johto adventure to a whole new level by adding Pokemon from across all generations (Gen 1 to 9). While it’s possible to include each & every single Pokemon due to software limitations but still the game includes around 950 species, making it one of the unique NDS Hacks with such a huge Pokemon availability.
Along with the massive roster, the hack also introduces modern moves, abilities, and even fully functional Mega Evolution with various Quality-of-life features like infinite Rare Candies and working level caps. Pokemon HeartGold Generations is not designed as an Difficulty Romhack like Pokemon Radical Red or Pokemon Emerald Imperium. But it offers an improved level curve and Johto-themed Gym Leader teams, balancing the experince of vanilla heartGold with modern & fresh features.
The entire Pokemon HeartGold Generations project is open-source. This will help other romhackers to built or change the entire game as per thier needs for making a completely new version from it.
Features & QoL
1. 950 Pokemon from 500+ Families Across All 9 Generations
The game features a big National Dex of 950 Pokemon from Generations 1 to 9, showing 500 unique evolutionary families. This is one of the biggest National Dex in a DS game giving a huge Pokemon Variety and full freedom for Team Building.
2. Mega Evolution
Fully functional Mega Evolution makes the Game more interesting! This is one of the most popular mechanic rarely seen in DS hacks but this game makes it possible. Truly amazing!
3. Major Evolution Changes
All trade evolutions are now possible without trading, that makes it easier to complete the Pokedex. Additionally, cross-generation evolutions are fully supported, so Pokemon that gained new evolutions in later generations can now reach their final forms.
4. Major Trainer Overhaul
Every Trainer, Gym Leader, and major opponent has been adjusted to balance trainer battles. All the Battles are balanced, with sligth improvemnts in thier teams and the Ai is more smarter too.
5. Modern QoL Improvements
Pokemon HeartGold Generations has one of the best & modern quality-of-life features to help players enjoy the game:
- Infinite Rare Candies (to easily level team your Pokemon)
- Pocket Heal (to heal your Pokemon Team anywhere without reaching the Pokemon Center)
- Portable PC (accessible via the L button) to easily switch, store or replace Pokemon from your PC anywhere.
- Level Caps to prevent overleveling & balance difficulty
- Adjusted level curve for Gym Leaders, Bossess and General trainers
6. Free Gifts for Better Gameplay Flow
To keep the adventure balanced and player-friendly, you’ll receive key items at major milestones:
- Free Heart Scales after 7 Gyms for move relearning
- Free Master Balls after 8 Gyms to easily catch any pokemon like legendaries or mythicals
7. Buffs to Weaker Pokemon
Some underused or forgotten Pokemon have received type changes and buffs to make them more usable in the game. It gives an opportunity to try and use the Poekmon that you have always avoided.
8. Buyable Nature Mints and Ability Capsules
You can now purchase Nature Mints and Ability Capsules, giving players more control over competitive builds and customization without endless breeding.
9. Endgame Kanto Boss Rush
After winning the Johto League, The Postgame contains a Kanto Gym Leader Boss Rush for more fun.
10. Unlocked 60fps Framerate
The game runs at a silky-smooth 60 frames per second, making exploration and battles feel faster, smoother, and more modern than ever before.
Features that are NOT Included
- All 1025 pokemon are not available
- Hg-engine is not fully complete, so a number of pokemon are not catchable. Mostly some generic pokemon who are dependent on non-implemented abilities (Palafin or Morpeko for example) or pokemon who don’t have sprites at all (Bounsweet or Cosmog for example). This means you cannot complete the full dex, but that’s not the point of this hack.
- Secondarily, a handful of moves do not have their full effects or animations, which are mostly niche, signature moves. All new generation moves should still work by doing their type of attack and base damage.
- Exp-All is not available.
- While some hackers are working on implementing such a feature, it’s still highly requested and still in the works.
- Hidden abilities are not available
- Again, hidden abilities are a newer feature in hg-engine which I did not implement. However, many pokemon who have really cool or essential hidden abilities have had them added as their secondary ability.
- Difficulty enhancement is not the goal of this hack
- I have edited all the trainers and gym leaders (in Johto) to be a proper challenge for adult gamers. This is NOT A DIFFICULTY HACK, but vanilla HeartGold is literally made for 6 year olds. My goal was to make gym leaders and generic trainers more interesting, not make them competitive boss battles.
- Not necessarily fully QC’d and updated movesets
- Pretty much all pokemon have current gen movesets, but I did not meticulously go through all 950ish pokemon to check their movesets. Though I did ensure all special move-requiring pokemon learn their evo move for example
Game Progress
The gam is Fully Completed but New Updates may come to fix Existing Bugs and to add New Features, Pokemons, Etc.
Recommended Emulators / Emulator Compatibility
To ensure the best experience, use the following emulators for your device:
- PC: Use DeSmuME
- Android: Use DraStic Emulator
- iOS: Use Delta Emulator
⚠️ Important Note:
You must use DeSmuME when battling the Pokemon League Champion and entering the Hall of Fame.
Other emulators may crash at this point due to a known HeartGold engine bug that currently has no fix.
After clearing the Champion battle and credits sequence, you can safely switch back to your preferred emulator.
Gameplay Images
Boxart
Known Bugs/In progress
- MelonDS crashes after Hall of Fame.
- Use Desmume to beat the champion and Hall of Fame, then switch back to your emulator of choice.
- Ariana Double battle in Mahogany town can cause crashes when fainting both opponents at the same time.
- Save often
- Health Absorbing moves (absorb, giga drain) don’t heal you on “not very effective” opponents.
- Just deal with it, I guess
- Generic Heartgold emulation bugs like flickering sprites or following pokemon etc
- This is not a bug from my hack, its intrinsic to emulation. Just save in-game the moment you see a glitch and reload.
- No Guard ability seems to not work, maybe just with Fury Cutter
Final Thoughts
Pokemon HeartGold Generations has lots of new content and modern features while maintiaing the vanilla experince. The difficulty is balanced, the storyline is the same, and the Johto charm is fully the same but with modern enhancements. The game is suitable for everyone who wants to replay Pokemon HeartGold with modern features, Balance difficulty and More Pokemon Availability across all the Nine Generations.