Pokemon Dark Cry: The Legend of Giratina GBA ROM – Detailed Hack Overview
Game Information
Table Of Contents
About This ROM Hack
Pokémon Dark Cry: The Legend of Giratina is a dark, story-heavy Pokémon FireRed ROM hack centered around mystery, alternate dimensions, and the legendary Pokémon Giratina. Originally created by mitchel1, the hack was later significantly repaired and expanded by Hackrepairman, restoring unfinished content and improving overall playability.
The game features custom Fakemon, new regions, time-based events, side quests, and ASM enhancements, offering a much more challenging and atmospheric experience than standard FireRed.
Story Overview
You awaken inside a cave, unable to move, speak, or call your Pokémon. Everything around you appears distorted—black and white, lifeless. Before you stand two figures performing a ritual at a dark altar. They speak of a mysterious artifact known as the Shadow Plate.
A man bearing an “R” emblem passes straight through you as if you do not exist. The ritual continues. The ground shakes violently. A massive shadow approaches.
You wake up.
It was only a dream—or so it seems.
You overslept and missed your chance to receive your first Pokémon. As your journey begins, strange events unfold, and you slowly realize that your nightmare was not fiction. The Shadow Plate, Giratina, and the forces manipulating reality itself are real—and your fate is tied directly to them.
Key Features
- New Hero / Heroine: Play as a completely new protagonist with custom sprites.
- Original Fakemon: Includes four never-before-seen Fakemon integrated into the story.
- Dark, Complete Storyline: A fully told narrative centered around Giratina and shadow rituals.
- New Region: Explore an original region with custom towns, routes, and landmarks.
- New Gym Leaders: Face newly designed Gym Leaders with unique teams and styles.
- Day & Night System: Time-based gameplay affects encounters and events.
- Time-Based Events: Certain events only trigger at specific times of day.
- Side Quests: Optional quests expand the lore and gameplay depth.
- Harder Difficulty: Significantly more challenging than Pokémon FireRed.
- ASM Enhancements: Custom ASM routines improve mechanics and gameplay systems.
- New Battle Backgrounds: Visual improvements during battles.
- New Textbox & UI: Custom textboxes and interface elements.
- New Intro & Music: Original intro sequence with custom soundtrack.
- Ruins of Alph Puzzle: Fully enabled puzzle mechanics inspired by Johto lore.
- Two Rivals: Encounter and battle two recurring rival characters.
- Brand New PokéPaper: Custom in-game information system.
- Tile Fixes: Corrected graphical issues throughout the game.
- Restored Unfinished Features: Added mechanics like Climb Boots.
- Legendary Fakemon: Regiwater, Regighost, Regifire, and Pendular fully implemented.
- Expanded Region: Remaining parts of the map added based on the world map.
- Completed Gyms: Gyms added and aligned with badge progression.
- Additional Events: New events added to reduce empty areas.
- Post-League Legendaries: Certain Legendary Pokémon become catchable after the Pokémon League.
Known Bugs & Issues
- Minor scripting inconsistencies may still occur
- Occasional graphical glitches
- Balance issues in certain battles
- Some mechanics may feel experimental
Screenshots
Download Links
Developer Information
Developer / Team: mitchel1, Hackrepairman
Source & References
Official Thread / Website: pokecommunity
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this hack completed?A: The story is complete, but some elements remain imperfect. Hackrepairman’s fix makes it far more playable.
Q: Which version should I play?
A: The Hackrepairman fix is strongly recommended.
Q: Does this hack include Fakemon?
A: Yes. It includes four original Legendary Fakemon and additional custom Pokémon.
Q: Is the game difficult?
A: Yes. It is harder than FireRed and not recommended for casual players.
Q: Is Giratina catchable?
A: Giratina plays a central role in the story and is encounterable later in the game.
Q: Are there side quests?
A: Yes. Multiple optional side quests are included.
How to Play
Requirements-
A Game Boy Advance emulator
- A clean Pokémon FireRed ROM
- Pokémon Dark Cry patch file (IPS)
-
Download the patch file
- Apply it to a clean FireRed ROM using an IPS patcher
- Load the patched ROM in a GBA emulator
- Start a new game
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