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Pokémon Heart & Soul is a fan-made Game Boy Advance ROM hack that revisits Johto and its story, drawing on both Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal and the later HeartGold and SoulSilver remakes. Calling it “a love letter to Gen 2” is a fair description of its focus—but that phrase is a player’s opinion, not an official developer slogan. Heart & Soul is also not an official Nintendo release or a one-to-one conversion of any single Johto game.
What Pokémon Heart & Soul is
The project describes Heart & Soul 2.0 as a GBA remake of GSC (Gold, Silver, and Crystal) and a “demake” of HGSS (HeartGold and SoulSilver). It brings Johto’s familiar setting and story into the GBA hacking ecosystem, first using Modern Emerald as its base and later moving to pokeemerald-expansion. The project’s README calls it “a fresh take” on the GSC/HGSS experience, with modern quality-of-life options, customization, and mechanics from later Pokémon games. Project README
“Remake” and “demake” describe the project’s inspiration and platform approach, not a promise that every detail matches the original games. The developers explicitly say some differences from GSC and HGSS are intentional. PokéCommunity project thread
Why “a love letter to Gen 2” fits—with a qualification
The phrase makes sense because the game returns to the Johto adventure and its legacy, while drawing from both the original Game Boy Color titles and their Nintendo DS remakes. It also carries that material into a GBA-style game rather than simply reproducing one official release. The project itself describes its goal as bringing Johto and its story to modern GBA decomp hacking; a player separately summed up the result as “pretty much a love letter to Gen 2.” That is useful reader shorthand, but it should not be mistaken for an official tagline. Project README Player discussion
#1 Best Overall
- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
What it keeps and what it changes
Johto remains the central adventure, with Kanto as postgame territory. Project materials also list a Pokémon roster centered on Generations 1–3, with selected later evolutions. Alongside the familiar foundation, the hack incorporates systems and options that distinguish it from the original releases.
- Adventure and presentation: a full Johto story and Kanto postgame, with following Pokémon and day/night encounters.
- Modernized options: a toggleable physical/special split, Fairy type, AutoRun, and FastSurf are among the features listed in the project thread.
- Additional activities and customization: rematches, Safari Zones, a customizable shiny rate, and other quality-of-life features appear in the project materials.
- Reworked systems: the 2.0 rebuild expanded or revised Kanto maps and postgame content, the Pokégear radio and rematches, TMs, learnsets, abilities, hidden items, and Voltorb Flip.
Feature details can differ by build, so consult the documentation for the version you intend to play. The official player documentation describes Heart & Soul as a traditional Pokémon experience, not a difficulty hack. Official player documentation PokéCommunity feature list Official FAQ
Rank #2
- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
How it differs from the official Johto games
| Aspect | Pokémon Heart & Soul | Official Johto games |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Fan-made GBA ROM hack. | Gold, Silver, and Crystal were Game Boy Color releases; HeartGold and SoulSilver were Nintendo DS releases. |
| Johto foundation | Revisits the GSC and HGSS experience, with a Johto story and Kanto postgame. | The original titles and remakes are distinct official releases. |
| Fidelity | Tribute/remake-demake hybrid; developers say some differences are intentional. | Each official game reflects its original release and design. |
| Modern options | Includes later mechanics and customizable quality-of-life features, with availability dependent on build. | Features vary by title; they are not the same customizable package. |
| Release and support | Unofficial fan project distributed as a patch; version and save compatibility matter. | Official Nintendo Pokémon releases. |
This comparison describes format and design, not a hands-on quality ranking. If you want an exact recreation of Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, or SoulSilver, Heart & Soul is not presented as a 1:1 substitute.
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Project pages have carried different version labels, so a label on one page alone does not establish the latest authoritative build across every official channel. The repository README identifies 2.0.1 as the last official release for that repository and notes that later fixes or content changes may appear in community forks. The PokéCommunity thread is titled v2.0.2, while the official FAQ search result identifies v2.0.4. Check the project’s official download information at the time you obtain the patch and note the exact version you are using. Project README and download route PokéCommunity project thread Official FAQ
Rank #3
![Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61g0nBu-mNL._SL160_.jpg)
- Bowser and his troublemaking kids have brought trouble to the land, and turned the local kings into animals. Only Mario & Luigi can stop them!
- Jump over bottomless pits, stomp your foes and collect awesome new power-ups like the Warp Whistle and the Tanooki Suit
- Open up new levels by scanning special cards through your e-Reader
- Dash, swim, and take to the air -- complete difficult platform levels while you fight your way to Bowser
- Multiplayer Mario madness with 4-person link-ups (Separate games required)
There is also a specific save warning: the project thread says saves made before the 2.0 engine rebuild are not compatible with versions after 2.0. If you are moving between builds, do not assume an existing save will carry over; read the instructions for the target release before switching.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Getting the game safely and legitimately
Heart & Soul is a ROM hack distributed as a patch, not a boxed Pokémon release. The project README identifies its linked repository as an official download route. Use project-sanctioned channels for patch information, and do not download or distribute an unauthorized copy of a copyrighted base ROM. The project says it does not accept donations. Official project repository
Rank #4
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
- Take on multiple missions, from controlling a protocol droid to infiltrate, to becoming a Jedi and attacking with your lightsaber
- Team up and take on the Galaxy's deadliest menaces -- or have lightsaber duels with your friends
- Unique two-player system lets players drop in and drop out on the fly with their characters
- Use your Force powers to control the LEGO world -- reassemble existing blocks into new structures
Because this is a fan-made hack, it should not be represented as an official Nintendo or Pokémon Company product. Follow the project’s own setup and compatibility directions for the specific release you choose.
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