Pokemon Maize (beta 1.2.1)

Introduction: Pokemon Maize (beta 1.2.1) is a fan-made ROM hack of Pokemon FireRed for the Game Boy Advance, not the original Game Boy. It is set in the new Maize Region, a land inspired by the American Midwest. The visual style uses FireRed's engine with custom tiles, sprites, and maps to create a rustic, agricultural-themed world distinct from the official games.

Gameplay & Mechanics: The hack offers three starter Pokemon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, imported from Generation II. It retains the original FireRed mechanics, meaning it does not include the Physical/Special split from Generation IV or the Fairy type. The difficulty is moderately increased with stronger trainer teams and adjusted level curves, making it more challenging than the base game but not explicitly designed as a Nuzlocke. Key mechanical changes include the addition of a day and night cycle and the ability to run indoors.

Key Features:

• A completely new region with towns and routes themed around farming and rural life, featuring original Gym Leaders and a rival.
• An expanded Pokedex featuring Pokemon from Generations I through IV, allowing for teams not possible in the original FireRed.
• Numerous quality-of-life improvements, including reusable TMs and the early acquisition of running shoes.

As a beta, version 1.2.1 contains unfinished areas and potential bugs, but it presents a complete main story arc for players.