Pokémon Prism
Pokémon Prism is a fanmade video game based on the Pokémon series. A ROM hack of Pokémon Crystal, it was developed by Adam, also known by his online pseudonym "Koolboyman". The game is a sequel to his prior hack, Pokémon Brown, and centers on the child of Lance, a character from Pokémon Gold and Silver, as the protagonist. The premise follows the protagonist as they find themselves in the region of Naljo after an earthquake and attempt to defeat Naljo's Pokémon League.
The ROM hack had been in development for eight years and was planned to be released on December 25, 2016. The game was met with high popularity shortly following a trailer that announced this release date. However, the game received a cease and desist request from Nintendo, one of the Pokémon franchise's parent companies, which barred Adam from being able to release the game. The game was later leaked and released onto the internet, allowing others to play the game and causing a resurgence in popularity.
Gameplay and premise
Pokémon Prism plays similarly to the main series Pokémon games, in particular Pokémon Crystal. The game features 252 Pokémon species, which hail from several games in the franchise, and incorporates several gameplay mechanics introduced in later games in the series, such as Pokémon X and Y. It also introduces multiple fanmade "types" of Pokémon not present in the main series, such as Gas, Abnormal, and Sound types. The game features several segments where they must play as a Pokémon, including their first Pokémon, Larvitar, during which they can talk to other Pokémon and solve puzzles to progress through the game. Several other gameplay mechanics are included, such as the ability to mine and smelt ores for items and donating Pokémon the player has caught to an orphanage, which gives the player points they can use to obtain rare Pokémon. The player is able to customize the appearance of their protagonist, including their hair and clothing.The game features an original story and plot. The game's protagonist is the child of Lance, the final boss of Pokémon Gold and Silver. The protagonist is separated from their mother by an earthquake, resulting in them winding up in the region of Naljo. The protagonist sets off on a quest to challenge the Pokémon League, seeking to defeat Gym Leaders and obtain their badges along the way. After beating the game, the player can explore the fan-made region of Rijon, the main setting of the ROM hack Pokémon Brown, as well as several locations present in the main series games.
Development
Pokémon Prism is a ROM hack of the game Pokémon Crystal. The game was developed by Adam, who also goes by the internet pseudonym "Koolboyman". The game is designed to be more challenging than a standard main series game and is a sequel to Adam's previous Pokémon Red ROM hack, Pokémon Brown. Prism was in development for eight years, and initially planned to release on December 25, 2016.Reception
Prior to the game's release, a trailer was released announcing PrismShawn Reynolds, writing for Hardcore Gamer, positively highlighted the game, believing it to be a game worth playing, though he criticized several new mechanics introduced in the game, such as the new types, as well as several bugs that prevented mechanics from working correctly. Damien McFarren, writing for Time Extension, praised the inclusion of sections where the player can play as a Pokémon, believing these sections to be an improvement over ''Pokémon Brown.''
Cancellation
The game received a cease and desist request from Nintendo, one of the Pokémon franchise's parent companies, on December 20, 2016, a few days prior to the game's intended release date. The request barred Adam from being able to release the game and required him to cease development entirely under threat of further legal action. He was additionally required to remove download links to Pokémon Brown. The cease and desist came following the recent takedown of a Pokémon fan game, Pokémon Uranium, earlier that year. Adam stated he had been aware of the risks of publicizing PrismFollowing the cease and desist, a group of leakers obtained a copy of a version of the hack. It initially circulated on 4chan and was soon after released via Pastebin. This version removed the game's end credits in order to protect the game's creators, with a screen added to the end thanking them for their work. The leaked copy caused a resurgence in the game's popularity, with fans working to finish the hack and making patches and bug fixes.