Discovering Pokémon Kanto Eternal: A Fan-Made ROM Hack Review
David Schmidt
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 4, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2026 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 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 , , and at Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
There's been no shortage of news lately, especially considering the 30th anniversary livestream and announcement of Winds and Waves were both last month. Still, if you're not still playing Legends: Z-A or checking out , then you may be looking for something new to play in the world of Pokémon.
That's where Pokémon Kanto Eternal comes in. The ROM hack is available now, and the creators recently shared a trailer over on . It's a cool new way to experience the Kanto region, and if you're feeling particularly nostalgic for Gen 1 (and, really, who isn't?), then this is right up your alley. You can watch the full video below.
Pokémon Kanto Eternal Is By Fans, For Fans
Pokémon Kanto Eternal is a fan-game from A Start Gaming that lets you explore the Gen 1 region with a variety of upgrades, including mechanics like Mega Evolution and Z Moves. You'll also encounter Pokémon from newer games with a pixelated design. Yes, that's a Corviknight from Sword and Shield in the trailer.
Pokémon Kanto Eternal also comes with a Hard difficulty mode, for anyone who's looking for more of a challenge. A working DexNav, faster Flying, and new items are just some of the features you can expect to see here. There are also custom areas to check out, so it's not just a simple retread across .
Go Back To Kanto For A New Pokémon Adventure
There's no shortage of ROM hacks that take place in Kanto, but the amount of content packed into Pokémon Kanto Eternal is really impressive. I adore this region, and getting to explore it with Pokémon from Gens 1–8 sounds pretty awesome. That alone is enough of a selling point for me, and it looks like there are plenty of fans excited to give this one a try.
"Looks amazing! Def be playing," reads one comment on YouTube. "Looks incredible," one response reads in agreement. "Finally!!!️ Been waiting for this," replied another user, who also added a whole bunch of heart emojis.
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Pokémon Kanto Eternal is out now, so if you're interested in checking it out, be sure to follow the links in the video above. Whether you're feeling nostalgic for Kanto or just love Pokémon games in general, be sure to give this one a try and let us know what you think. From everything we've seen, this ROM hack looks really impressive.
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