By Dexerto | Created at 2026-09-29 15:46:01 | Updated at 2026-09-29 16:48:30
1 hour ago
A developer has added real-time battles to the original Pokemon Emerald, allowing players to move around arenas, aim attacks, dodge incoming moves, and catch Pokemon without leaving the classic Game Boy Advance game.
The project, called Emerald Arena, was created by developer Germán Burgardt. The game is built from the original Pokemon Emerald code and remains playable through a Game Boy Advance emulator.
“I wanted realtime battles in Pokémon Emerald, so I built them,” Burgardt wrote on X. “Still the original GBA game.”
I wanted realtime battles in Pokémon Emerald, so I built them.
Still the original GBA game.
Seeing people actually play it feels pretty wild lol. https://t.co/OGdlweODZe
— germán (@germanburgardt) September 14, 2026
Pokemon Emerald battles are now fully real time
Unlike the turn-based battles in the original game, Emerald Arena lets players control their Pokemon directly during fights. Players can move around the arena, aim attacks, dodge incoming moves, and use different abilities while avoiding hazards.
The project’s GitHub repository says attacks can also break rocks and other objects in the arena. Players can catch wild Pokemon, keep them in their party or PC, and carry over their team’s HP, PP, experience, and save data.
The mod currently supports wild and single-trainer battles, while double battles, link battles, and other unsupported encounters remain turn-based.
Burgardt has continued adding new features through regular updates. The latest gameplay clips show Kyogre flooding the arena before Raikou electrifies the water, forcing players to find dry ground or take damage.
Another clip shows a Charmeleon evolving into Charizard in the middle of a fight. The newly evolved Pokemon returns to battle at full health before unleashing a powerful Flamethrower attack.
The latest version includes 150 animated Pokemon, along with moves such as Rollout, Reflect, Light Screen, Dig, Fly, Teleport, Seismic Toss, Double Team, and elemental terrain effects.
Players need their own unmodified US or European Pokemon Emerald ROM and a GBA emulator to use the patch. The developer’s repository includes an installation guide, while the project itself is distributed as a patch rather than a ROM.
The fan-made project arrives as interest in the original Hoenn games continues to grow. Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald ports were recently rumored for modern Nintendo hardware, although Nintendo has not announced any official releases.
