Pokémon Brown and Prism

File:Pkm brown and prism 5200.png

Top: Pokémon Brown Bottom: Pokémon Prism

Pokémon Brown and Pokémon Prism are two huge ROMHacks of Pokémon games by KoolBoyMan, based on Pokemon Red and Pokemon Gold, respectively. They are by far among the most well-known Pokémon hacks out there (they appear on The Other Wiki, and Bulbapedia) and that's not without good reason. They are by far the most edited Pokemon hacks out there, with only the sprites and Pokemon themselves the same.

Prism works as a "sequel" to Brown, including more features and better graphics. Both games can be linked to each other, which allows the player to exchange Pokémon or battle.

These hacks add two new continents, a new story, improved graphics, all the Pokémon up to Generation IV, Pokémon-only segments (Prism only), and a frickin' awesome new soundtrack. (Again, Prism only)

While Brown was finished in 2009, Prism is still in development (a working beta can be downloaded though). There is another sequel, called Rijon Adventures, which will be modified from Pokémon FireRed.

If you are curious, there is a Let's Play here. Brown can be downloaded here and Prism here.

---

Tropes used in Brown:

• The Missingno: While the hacker did his best to keep the actual trope namer from showing up throughout the course of the game, it is still affectionately parodied in one dungeon. An (intentionally) glitched looking Hypno sprite is used in place of the ghosts that appeared in Pokémon Tower. They still terrify your Pokémon, but by spouting garbled nonsense instead of demands for you to leave.
• Obvious Rule Patch: New types were added to better balance the game, including the Dark type to counter Psychics as in all subsequent generations, and even a new type that is weak against Normal moves.

Tropes used in Prism:

• And Now for Someone Completely Different: As mentioned above, you can walk around the overworld as individual Pokémon in a few areas.
• Captain Ersatz: The Pallet Patrollers are very blatant Power Rangers knockoffs, complete with an 8-bit rendition of the Power Rangers theme as their encounter music. One Patroller wishes they could be called the Prism Rangers, and laments that another team beat them to the name.
• Darker and Edgier: Characters swear readily, the rival is first encountered while he is torturing a Bagon, and the co-leader of the Quirky Miniboss Squad threatens to kill the player character when their Pokémon aren't around to protect them.
• Guest Star Party Member: A Caterpie joins the player briefly to meet back up with his mother as a shout out to the tutorial stage of the first Mystery Dungeon game.
• Establishing Character Moment: The rival forcing a terrified Bagon to fight for its life sets the tone for his character very firmly.
• Knife Nut: This installment's rival, who employs a pocket knife for torturing Pokémon, and is on the search for monsters well suited to cutting and killing people (and Pokémon). Yet, most of his early team can learn only blunt attacks as opposed to slashing ones.
• Leet Lingo: Naljo's professor speaks in this. Fortunately, you don't need to talk to him for long.
• Quirky Miniboss Squad: The Pallet Patrollers.
• Took a Level In Jerkass: Every other NPC in the Naljo region, due to some unknown apparently supernatural influence spreading throughout the area.
• Totally Radical: Josiah, leader of the first gym. He lapses out of his 90's lingo when he's explaining what the TM that he gives out does.
• Translation Convention: A Pokémon's speech is translated if spoken to while a player walks around on the overworld with one of their own Pokémon.
• Virtual Paper Doll: The sprite of the player character and its palette can be modified.