GBA Pokémon Lazarus (Hack) GBA ROM

[CSmith327]

Game Description:​

Pokémon Lazarus is a new Pokémon GBA ROM hack created by Nemo622, the same developer behind the popular 2024 hit Pokémon Emerald Seaglass. This game shares many similarities with Pokémon Emerald Seaglass, such as the use of charming GBC-style graphics for almost every menu, Pokémon, and object in the overworld. It also features following Pokémon and a curated Pokédex containing over 400 Pokemon from Generation 1 to Generation 9.

There are several unique features in the game, including a brand-new region called Ilios, which is based on the Aegean Sea (mainland Greece and the surrounding islands). The game offers a completely new storyline with new characters and a fresh villainous team.

Hack Credits:​

Released by: Nemo622
Base: Pokémon Emerald
Language: English
Type: Total Overhaul (New Story/Region, Graphics, Music, Gameplay)
Status: Complete
Initial Release Date: 21 March 2025
Patch Version: v2.0
Patch Date: 12 Feb 2026

Source and details: https://ko-fi.com/s/4baddcdbdc
Alt: https://pokemonlazarus.net/
Official Development and Support Discord: https://discord.com/invite/XACTMjNZgw

Features:​

• New Region: The Ilios region, based on the Aegean Sea (mainland Greece and surrounding islands).
• New Storyline: Fully explore the new areas of the Ilios region.
• Starters: 9 starters from Generations 6, 7, and 9.
• Following Pokémon: Pokémon follows you in the overworld.
• Mega Evolutions: New Mega Evolutions (From Legends ZA) + Fan Made Megas in charming GBC Style Graphics.
• DexNav: A fully functioning DexNav to make encounters easier.
• New Villains: A new villainous team called Team Chimera.
• Quest System: Complete quests to earn rewards.
• Pokedex: Over 400 Pokémon curated from Generations 1 to 9, along with regional forms (Alolan, Galarian, Hisuian, etc.).
• Challenging Puzzles: Solve engaging puzzles throughout the game.
• Graphics: Charming GBC-style graphics for almost every menu, Pokémon, and object in the overworld.
• New Music: Featuring custom battle music and remixes of classic themes. (You can change the battle music to either custom or GSC from the options)
• Overworld Encounters: Pokémon appear in the overworld.
• Dynamic Day/Night System: Pokémon Encounters based on time, Day and Night Encounters.
• Berry System: An improved berry system.
• Cheat System: In-game cheats are available to improve gameplay, with a cheat system similar to that of Pokémon Emerald Seaglass.

Difficulty Modes:​

Pokémon Lazarus features a Difficulty Mode setting, which can be adjusted in the second page of the Options menu, alongside various other settings.

• Normal Mode: Soft level caps, standard Gym Leader teams. Most Pokémon teams can likely beat the game, though some battles may require extra planning.
• Hard Mode: Hard level caps, modified Gym Leaders with more difficult fights. Opponents’ Pokémon gain extra levels as the game progresses, with a +5 level bonus by the end. Planning before Gym battles is key, as their Pokémon will have stronger moves and more coverage.

Be sure to read the included Documentation PDFs for a lot more info about this hack. The cheat codes are listed in the included .txt file.

This hack has been widely regarded as the best Pokémon romhack of 2026 by several reviewers and YouTubers. I can see why too; it's insanely good.

Download Links​

• Pokémon Lazarus (Hack) GBA ROM

 

[CSmith327]

[Review text]

Thanks for leaving such an awesome and thorough review! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I'll definitely keep an eye on Nemo622 and share whatever they create next. They're already working on a Sun/Moon demake in the same style as Emerald Seaglass/Lazarus. So thankfully this won't be the last hack from them.

 

[Aheqao]

I can only describe Pokemon Lazarus in one way: Damn, Near, PERFECTION! Nemo622 continues to perfect the art of Pokemon Rom Hacks; it's like they have a direct line into my mind for as to what makes a great Pokemon hack! The final product is chock full of fantastic content: a huge lineup of available mons, numerous meaningful side quests, the implementation of the best QoL Pokemon has to offer, and an incredible, sprawling original Region full of compelling characters!

I absolutely adore how the available Pokemon, Moves, Items, and Mega-Evolutions, alongside the early access to EV/IV-Editor and Nature Mints allows players to perfectly tune their teams in a manner similar to recent VGC Regulations from the past two years or so. Mega-Evolution was my favorite Gimmick from the middle-Gens: taking a singular Pokemon (Hopefully one of your favorites) and elevating it to the defacto ACE of your team and functioning as a build-around for the supporting members. The inclusion of the Newer Mega's featured in the recent Pokemon Champions game is incredible, given what seems like such a small window from reveal to implementation! And furthermore, the game includes excusive new Mega's not official to the mainline Pokemon games.

The Region of Ilios is incredible, and despite the stylized graphics mimicking the Gen II aesthetic, many of the sprites bring to life the emulation of Greece. And Lazarus features a compelling main story as well. The characters are well written and the towns are all varied and bustling with life. They don't suffer from fatigue or laziness on the author's part, as I have seen with a couple of other Rom Hacks. Often games will have less propagated or well designed areas in the later stages of the game, but that certainly isn't the case for Lazarus.

Original Roms from Gens I-III often suffer from their linearity, but Lazarus is so full of tasks aside from the main story that it often felt like logging into an MMO with an abundance of tasks I could chose to do for the day. Those activities will often traslate into the post-game once you've become Champion, and with so much to do, I'll find myself returning to this game for quite some time to come! Saying there's A LOT to do is still quite the understatement!

Lazarus is an absolute Gem! I hope Nemo622 will continue to deliver Rom Hacks of this caliber for a long time to come! But even if they don't, Lazarus is quite the Magnum Opus to go out on!

 

[Yoyoyo123]

dont download this. it's marked as "suspicious" from my laptop

Just because something is flagged that way doesn't mean anything. Maybe like, look at the contents of the .zip before spreading false information.

 

[Lucaflo]

Eyyyy, this finally hit the repo! This is that good shit just a great pokemon romhack with none of the nonsense and banging QoL features (Like an in-game IV checker that also lets you adjust IVs on the fly). Definitely in my top 10

 

[CSmith327]

dont download this. it's marked as "suspicious" from my laptop

Ha! Yeah whatever. This file is clean as fuck. You can process this through VirusTotal and it wouldn't find a single thing.

In fact I downloaded this pre-patched from Mediafire since that's how the Alt link in the sources was hosting it. Mediafire checks their stuff through VirusTotal for anything that could potentially be malicious.

This is just a GBA rom with some PDF documents in a zip file. If you give proof that this is malicious or even suspicions I'll go eat my Dad's old sweaty hat and film myself while doing it. So quit with that crap

 

[ruler]

dont download this. it's marked as "suspicious" from my laptop

 

[Yoyoyo123]

i apreaciate a sun and moon demake. but what about diamond and pearl demake used as emerald as a base? wouldnt be awesome? or because it doesnt need for now ds emulators can handle much on phones.

Someone is ironically working on a platinum demake right now using emerald as a base (demo came out recently)! (https://www.hackdex.app/hack/pokemon-retro-platinum).

It's also open source which is huge because (nds) sinnoh hacks are obviously pretty few and the ones that exist are limited in concept but it's because nds hacks themselves have less resources and are almost entirely vanilla+/qol/difficulty tweaks (not even limited to pokemon).

In short, another dub for the pokemon romhack community.

 

[TeddyRiggs]

Don't play this in MyBoy Emulator for Android

it crashes when its about to heal your Pokemon in the Poke Center

 

[Dynamon]

I think it's gonna be called Alolan Seaglass. Seeing that region on GBA is gonna be pretty amazing ngl. I saw where there's someone else planning to demake Sun/Moon for GBA, but I look forward to Nemo's instead.

i apreaciate a sun and moon demake. but what about diamond and pearl demake used as emerald as a base? wouldnt be awesome? or because it doesnt need for now ds emulators can handle much on phones.

 

[Yoyoyo123]

yeah if you like old school pokemon you shouldnt miss out on such a fantastic pokemon romhack, second only to unbound imo.

Roaming pokemons, Gorgeous sprites, an interesting world and a good difficulty that demands but can be still casual.

It also has impressive QOL. Having access to an IV/EV adjuster right out of the lab is insane (and in game cheats). The mon selection too is incredible. The weakest part is the story but like, personally, I've only played one romhack with what I would call a great story.

I would disagree about the difficulty solely because the Hard mode to me feels like the normal difficulty while normal is way too easy. Either way, you can change the difficulty at any time which is of course absolutely amazing.

 

[Mal]

yeah if you like old school pokemon you shouldnt miss out on such a fantastic pokemon romhack, second only to unbound imo.

Roaming pokemons, Gorgeous sprites, an interesting world and a good difficulty that demands but can be still casual.

 

[impmonic]

this is by far my favourite pokémon rom hack.

 

[Yoyoyo123]

I think it's gonna be called Alolan Seaglass. Seeing that region on GBA is gonna be pretty amazing ngl. I saw where there's someone else planning to demake Sun/Moon for GBA, but I look forward to Nemo's instead.

Apparently there might actually be some crossover elements between the hacks too. Nemo's focus is entirely presentation but I've been following that other demake closely and I think they'll both be worth checking out. No idea which will come out first tho

 

[CSmith327]

Don’t sleep on this yall.
It’s incredible and Nemo is currently working on Sun and Moon demake in the same style of Lazarus\Seaglass

I think it's gonna be called Alolan Seaglass. Seeing that region on GBA is gonna be pretty amazing ngl. I saw where there's someone else planning to demake Sun/Moon for GBA, but I look forward to Nemo's instead.

 

[Nihon]

Don’t sleep on this yall.
It’s incredible and Nemo is currently working on Sun and Moon demake in the same style of Lazarus\Seaglass

 

[seaglass]

Thank you!