Pokémon Deserted Has A Real Zelda Vibe, And I'm Here For It

2 weeks ago 14

Published Feb 23, 2026, 6:30 PM EST

Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.

In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.

He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com

There's no shortage of ROM hacks out there for Pokémon, but it can sometimes feel like a challenge to discover one that will actually keep you engrossed. Pokémon Deserted, which has been completed, certainly seems worth checking out, and it's got some serious Legend of Zelda vibes that are also nice.

It feels like a perfect mash-up between two of Nintendo's biggest properties, which is why I'm so excited to give it a shot. It's also billed as a "short but great" Pokémon game, which is also appealing, since my time is increasingly limited. This fan-game debuted back in 2022, so it's not exactly new, but it is new to me. And between its quality-of-life updates and story hook, it sounds pretty awesome.

Pokémon Deserted Is A Fan Project With Zelda Vibes

Pokemon Deserted image of eggs and nest-1

In Pokémon Deserted, you wake up on a deserted island with your Partner Pokémon and must explore the island while fighting bosses and helping the Pokémon there, all while trying to find a way to leave and get rescued. Anyone who's played the excellent Link's Awakening should find this familiar.

The idea of playing through a Link's Awakening-type scenario, but with a Pokémon in tow, sounds super appealing. Even the different environments and additional gameplay elements on the island have a distinct Zelda feel to them. Pokémon Deserted comes with a host of collectibles and puzzles, and some parts of the story can be non-linear too.

This Fan RPG Is Complete And Available Now

Pokemon Deserted screenshot of fire cave-1

Pokémon Deserted has been completed, so if you're worried about getting hooked on a fan-game that's still in the works, don't be. You can play this one from start to finish right now. Honestly, that just adds to how much I want to play it. If you missed this one back in 2022 like I did, then you might want to give a try too.

There are a ton of great Pokémon ROM hacks out there, but most are content with sticking to the regular Pokémon formula. That's fine, but it's cool to see fan-games like Pokémon Deserted appear every now and again, offering up a cool blend of the Pokémon gameplay we love with other beloved series' vibes, gameplay, or aesthetics.

Credits and a more in-depth look at Pokémon Deserted can be found in this thread over on EeveeExpo.com. If you're even halfway interested in ROM hacks, I'd give this one a shot. It looks like a lot of fun, and it's completely free to download. As a fan of both Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda, it looks right up my alley.