If you grew up watching Ash Ketchum’s journey through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and beyond, you’ve probably wished you could play through those exact adventures. Several fan games try to deliver that experience, but they approach it differently. This comparison breaks down the major options so you can pick the one that matches what you’re looking for.

Overview of Each Game

Pokemon Fire Ash

Pokemon Fire Ash is a fan-made game built in RPG Maker XP using Pokemon Essentials v19.1. It loosely follows Ash Ketchum’s journey from the anime, covering all regions up to Galar. The game is still actively developed — version 3.7.1 was released in July 2026, with more post-game content planned. For a complete walkthrough of its features, regions, and post-game content, see our Pokemon Fire Ash Guide.

Key facts from the developer:

• National Dex with over 900 Pokemon up to Generation 8
• Travel through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar, and the Orange Islands
• Over 50 gym battles
• Battle Ash’s traveling companions and rivals
• Mechanics: Mega Evolution, Alolan and Galarian Forms, Z-Moves, Dynamax, Ash-Greninja
• Over 100 TMs
• Pikachu follows on top of you
• Multiple outfits for both player characters
• No HMs except Fly (warping system at Pokemon Centers)
• Includes the Battle Frontier adventure
• Trade evolutions changed to level or item
• Offline Wonder Trade
• Expansive post-game: rematches with gym leaders at Driftveil Battle House, rematch every league from Kanto to Alola plus Masters 8 tournament, Grandeur Club with battles against main series game trainers
• Available on PC and Android (via Joiplay)
• Download from the official Discord server

Pokemon Adventure Red

Pokemon Adventure Red is based on the Pokemon Adventures manga, not the anime. It focuses exclusively on the Kanto region but follows the manga’s plot closely, including characters like Red, Blue, and Green. It’s a GBA ROM hack, so it runs on emulators. The game is complete and stable, but limited to Generation 3 mechanics and a single region.

Cloud White

Cloud White is a GBA ROM hack that follows an original story rather than the anime directly. It features multiple regions (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and a custom region called Cloud White), over 800 Pokemon, and includes mechanics like Mega Evolution and Fairy type. The story is entirely original, with its own protagonist and plot. It’s complete and widely available.

Ash Gray

Ash Gray is an older GBA ROM hack that attempts to recreate the first season of the anime (Kanto and Orange Islands). It’s one of the earliest anime-based hacks and is known for its faithful recreation of specific episodes. However, it uses Generation 3 mechanics, has no post-game beyond the Orange Islands, and development stopped years ago.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Which One Should You Play?

Choose Pokemon Fire Ash if you want the full anime experience

Fire Ash is the clear winner for breadth. It covers every region Ash visited in the anime, includes modern mechanics like Dynamax and Z-Moves, and has an active development team adding more post-game content. The trade-off is that it’s a RPG Maker game, so you need a PC or an Android device with Joiplay — no emulator required, but no native console support either. The game is still receiving updates, so your save file may need to be carried forward. When you’re ready to download, our installation guide for PC and Android walks you through every step, including how to apply the latest patch.

Choose Pokemon Adventure Red if you want a tight, manga-accurate Kanto story

Adventure Red is perfect if you’re a fan of the Pokemon Adventures manga and want a complete, polished Kanto experience with no filler. It’s a ROM hack, so it runs on any GBA emulator including mobile. But it stops at Gen 3, has no post-game, and doesn’t cover any other regions.

Choose Cloud White if you prefer an original story with multiple regions

Cloud White offers a custom narrative that still lets you travel through several familiar regions. It’s a ROM hack with Gen 6 mechanics (Mega Evolution, Fairy type) and a decent post-game. The original story means you won’t be recreating anime scenes, but the gameplay is solid and the hack is complete.

Skip Ash Gray unless you want pure Kanto nostalgia

Ash Gray is historically interesting as one of the first anime-based hacks, but it’s outdated. No modern mechanics, no post-game, and no updates. If you specifically want to play through the first season episode by episode, it’s worth a look, but Fire Ash covers that same ground with far more content.

Frequently asked questions

Can I play these games on Android?+

Pokemon Fire Ash runs on Android through the Joiplay app (download the RPG Maker plugin). Adventure Red, Cloud White, and Ash Gray are GBA ROM hacks and run on any GBA emulator like My Boy! or Pizza Boy.

Will my save file work with future updates?+

Fire Ash is the only game with active updates. The developers recommend backing up your save file before applying patches. Save files from version 3.7 should work with the 3.7.1 patch. For the other games, no updates are expected, so save compatibility isn't a concern.

Which game is hardest?+

Fire Ash has a moderate difficulty curve, especially in later regions where trainers use fully evolved teams with competitive movesets. Adventure Red is easier if you know the Kanto games. Cloud White can spike in difficulty during its custom region. Ash Gray is the easiest overall.