Play Pokemon Blaze Version (beta 1.0) Online

Pokémon Blaze Version feels like someone took your old GBA cartridge and held it over a campfire until it got weird in the best way. The opening scene hits you with this oppressive desert heat—your character actually wipes sweat off their forehead sprite, which is the kind of dumb detail I love. Wild Pokémon pop up in places they shouldn’t (why is there a Magcargo in this cactus patch?), and the first gym leader’s team wiped the floor with me twice before I caved and grinded levels near a suspiciously active volcano.

It’s got that janky-but-charming rom hack energy where you’ll stumble across a pixel-art Moltres just chilling in a mineshaft, or realize halfway through a battle that someone gave a Numel a move it definitely shouldn’t have. The beta’s rough around the edges—expect some placeholder text and the occasional glitchy sprite—but that’s part of the fun if you’re into these kinds of passion projects. Bring a fire-resistant team unless you enjoy watching your poor Treecko spontaneously combust.