Pokémon WaterBlue Is One Of The Most Beautiful Remakes We've Ever Seen

7 hours ago 10

Published Sep 14, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Game Freak and The Pokémon Company are not above remaking older Pokémon titles. We've already seen remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Ruby and Sapphire, Gold and Silver, and FireRed and LeafGreen (which were remakes in and of themselves). Of course, in some cases, a remake is necessary, the original game having aged poorly or lacking many of the innovations the series has since gone on to enjoy. Such was the case with Gold and Silver, with their remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, now serving as the pinnacle of the Pokémon video game series as a whole.

The latest Pokémon remake comes in the form of WaterBlue, a brand-new title that aims not only to overhaul the original title, but also offer stunning new visuals that are a cut above anything Game Freak was capable of when it first made the game. It's a truly gorgeous game, one that fans will absolutely want to experience for themselves,

Pokémon WaterBlue Is A Truly Stunning Remake

Gameplay of the player walking around a town in Pokemon WaterBlue on a Game Boy Advance SP.

There are so many ambitious Pokémon ROM hacks that take the core Pokémon gameplay loop and enhance it in some profound way. These ROM hacks have often usurped Game Freak's efforts and showcased the true potential the series holds, featuring mature and often compelling narratives in place of Game Freak's often limp and uninvolved plots, as well as new mechanics, Pokémon, and better difficulty balancing to make for a far more robust and challenging experience.

However, one aspect that Pokémon ROM hacks don't tend to tackle is the visuals. They'll often import new sprites or perhaps improve animations, but rarely do they completely overhaul the look of a game. Fortunately, for those who love the classic Pokémon gameplay but want a remake that masterfully improves the already gorgeous art, Pokémon WaterBlue is the game for you. It is a remake of FireRed and LeafGreen, two games with inarguably some of the best visuals on the GBA, that somehow vastly enhances the pixel art to offer a highly detailed and ultimately gorgeous experience.

WaterBlue also comes with a slew of other changes, including making every Pokémon from both the Kanto and Johto regions catchable. It also adds new events, which its developer promises won't affect the "essence of the original adventure," a partner Pokémon system which sees your Pokémon follow behind you, as well as several other minor additions, including new characters, story moments, and more. It's an ambitious remake, one that is absolutely best known for its visuals, but one that will nevertheless offer a fresh new perspective on a beloved Pokémon classic.

Pokémon WaterBlue Is Available To Download Right Now

The player battling a trainer in Pokemon WaterBlue.

The latest version of Pokémon WaterBlue, 1.3, finally adds additional languages, meaning that those who can't read the game's original Spanish text can now enjoy it. This, naturally, includes English, which has been a long-requested addition to Pokémon WaterBlue for some time, but all currently available languages are accessible through the same ROM. You can download version 1.3 from the developer's official page, although you'll need a legally obtained ROM of FireRed in order for it to work.

Version 1.3 doesn't contain everything from FireRed and LeafGreen, but the ROM hack's developer is currently working on implementing the missing content. Still, Pokémon WaterBlue has plenty to offer, and should even be considered one of the best Pokémon ROM hacks in recent memory. It's truly stunning visual enhancements, as well as numerous quality-of-life improvements, make it a worthwhile experience, especially for those who've played FireRed and LeafGreen to death, or for those who simply want to see what Pokémon would have looked like had it continued to pursue the best-in-class pixel art visuals it once mastered.