Pokémon fans can download a massive new Kanto adventure with co-op for free

Pokémon fans have a huge new adventure to sink their teeth into, with a free fan-made game offering dozens of stages across Kanto, familiar Pokémon-catching mechanics and even two-player co-op.

Rather than following the traditional RPG formula, this ambitious project turns Pokémon battles into a tower defence experience, whilst keeping plenty of the fun had in the original games.

We’ve seen plenty of alternatives to the standard Pokemon game lately, including a Snake-style puzzle game in the works, along with some must-play Gen 3 ROMhacks ahead of rumoured Ruby & Sapphire Switch ports — but this one’s an intriguing mix of a different game genre and full-on campaign all in one.

It received a major update on Oct. 10, so there’s no better time to give it a try, as it’s brought several new mechanics to an already sizable campaign that includes all eight gyms and the Elite Four.

Pokémon TD: Reborn brings a new twist to exploring Kanto

All eight Kanto gyms feature unique challenges before the Elite Four showdown (yNvRR/itch.io)

Developed by creator yNvRR, Pokémon TD: Reborn puts players in charge of protecting their Rare Candies from waves of approaching wild Pokémon.

Instead of battling enemies one at a time, players strategically position their Pokémon around each map, choosing their moves and which enemy Pocket Monsters to target as they attempt to stop the incoming attacks.

The game currently features 50 campaign stages, spread across Kanto's familiar routes, caves, and even gym battles, with each location introducing unique challenges, too.

For instance, Pewter Gym features rockslides, whilst Cerulean Gym can flood during battles. Other environments introduce changing weather conditions, dark caves requiring Flash, and even a visit to the Safari Zone.

Despite the different combat system, plenty of classic Pokémon features have survived the transition.

Wild Pokémon can still be weakened and captured using one of 12 different Poké Balls, before being trained and evolved as any fan of the franchise would expect. Plus, there’s a collection of nearly 300 moves, alongside TMs, held items and shiny Pokémon, giving you plenty of variety for combat.

Perhaps the most interesting addition is the full two-player cooperative campaign, allowing friends to defend the same stages together. Both players can also trade Pokémon, including those requiring exchanges to evolve.

Beyond the main adventure, there's even a Nuzlocke mode featuring permadeath and a strict one-catch-per-stage restriction. That’s alongside a cooperative Soul Link challenge and 60 achievements to unlock.

Pokémon TD: Reborn's latest update adds even more content

Kanto's familiar routes and caves host dozens of tower defence stages (Reddit/fvckp2w)

As for what’s in the latest incarnation of the game, the new Version 0.22 introduces a Daycare where players can leave two Pokémon to earn experience whilst completing other stages, before paying to retrieve them.

Several attacks, including Flamethrower, Surf and Earthquake, can now damage multiple enemies simultaneously. The update also introduces fossil revival, a Kanto Shiny Charm and various balancing improvements.

More content is planned, though, including additional Kanto post-game activities, challenges and an expansion into the Johto region.

The current version of Pokémon TD: Reborn is available through itch.io, with downloads listed for PCs with Windows and Android for mobile, alongside a browser-play option — like with the Pokemon simulator game that’s a perfect fit for sports fans.

Better still, the game's 'Name your own price' system means it's entirely possible to download without you needing to spend anything, although players can voluntarily contribute money to support the developer.

In the meantime, you can join the game’s Discord for any additional updates.