Featured Image Credit: Nintendo
The world of Pokémon is beyond what Nintendo could have ever imagined.
Having started out as a cute critter catcher, it has since evolved in more ways than an Eevee with countless instalments and updates to a franchise that has repaid its devoted fan base by the bucket.
But those fans also carry the load themselves, serving as a thriving ecosystem that takes the series far further than what the developers could.
Now, one of the most ambitious fan projects has expanded on an absolute classic, as the greatest Pokémon of all time is now on PC.
Despite being over two decades old and seeing some incredible open-world 3D adventures land on brand-spanking new consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2, Pokémon Crystal is our champion for the series' best game.
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Yet the handheld console market has moved past the 3DS, and unless you have a retro Game Boy Color lying around, Crystal's glow will soon be dimmed by layers of dust.
That is, unless you have a PC.
Thanks to developers 'DanZC' and 'wowjinxy' Pokémon Crystal now has a fully-functioning PC port years in the making, with a completely rewritten code that emulates the original game and graphics.
Named 'suiCune' after Crystal's legendary mascot, the PC port includes all of the content and characters from the original title, keeping the game's core feel but with the input of WASD instead of the Game Boy's D-Pad.
"This is suiCune, a project that took two years to actually get done. Unlike other ports for games, this is quite different," said the developers in a blog post.
"suiCune had every single function handwritten to match the exact logic of the assembly. It would be one thing to stop there; however, we also kept save compatibility with the original Pokémon Crystal and got native online working by using REON, an open source reimplementation of the Game Boy's network adapter."
Despite being a classic for the ages, Crystal is one of the few Pokémon games where fans are skeptical about remakes, with fans initially claiming that a Nintendo Switch port wouldn't be a good idea.
But hot off the back of other successful PC ports for Pokémon titles, this Crystal remake has much more promise.
Filling a hole that is being left by the long wait for Pokémon Winds and Waves, this classic 2D format game is perfect, free, PC port that can fill your void.
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