Pokémon Stellar Is An Unlikely Sequel To FireRed & LeafGreen

2 weeks ago 10

Published Mar 13, 2026, 4:01 PM EDT

Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream.

You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias.

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Pokémon is having one of its strongest years in recent memory. Although we won't see Winds & Waves until 2028, there are still plenty of other games to enjoy in the series.

Finished Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen? Try Pokémon Stellar

It's The Perfect Time To Play It

Pokémon Stellar, also known as Pokémon Star Twinkle, is a wild GBA rom hack that's based on Pokémon FireRed. As you might expect from the title, magical elements from space are involved, which takes the game in a unique direction.

Here's the premise: "After the major events of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, two protagonists, Aster and Star, arrive in the Kanto region, revealing mysterious magical powers. Some people accept them, others do not. Rumors spread that they come from a strange land called the Ceastil Region, which will be explored in Pokémon Delectable."

Pokémon Stellar includes 328 "Fakemon," otherwise known as brand-new creatures crafted by fans. Puyo Puyo and Star Twinkle Pretty Cure serve as inspiration for the aesthetics, which is plain to see for any fans of either. For reference, Puyo Puyo is a classic puzzle series dating back to 2019, and Twinkle Pretty Cure is a 2019 anime series involving star princesses.

Since this is set "years after the Kanto series games," you'll follow new protagonists and see how a potential meteor shower has "reshaped Kanto." The game also features a high shiny rate (1 in 250), as well as "tougher battles, a steeper learning curve, and more strategy." Additional custom moves for new party members are in as well, which will mix up how you've engaged with the series over the years.

Boss battles and rematches have been upgraded and made more difficult. Team Void also fills in for Team Rocket, giving the narrative a different feel compared to the official Gen 1 releases.

This Is A Weird And Wonderful Pokémon ROM Hack

Kanto Is Worth Going Back To

It's all seriously impressive, especially when you contextualize how passionate the Pokémon fan community is. Whether it's sequels to existing games, re-imagined iterations, or completely original settings, there's so much potential in the Pokémon universe that it's easy to see why so many people are called to work on fan projects for it.

If you're a Pokémon fan, you're in a good spot this year. There's Winds & Waves info to look forward to, plenty of TCG releases, and more spinoffs coming. Plus, I can't put Pokémon Pokopia down, and I plan to play it for weeks on end.