Pokémon Alolan Seaglass Is Taking Players Back To The Sun & Moon Era

It's hard for me to pick a favorite Pokémon era. I oscillate between them quite a bit, but Alola is definitely up there. Pokémon Sun and Moon came at a perfect time in the 3DS' lifecycle, and would later invigorate it on the way out with the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon versions.

It was the last generation before the move to the Switch platform, an era that continues to this day with Winds and Waves. Even if the narrative and gameplay structure didn't wow everyone, the region itself is often regarded as one of the best in the series, showcasing the Pokémon world's true potential.

Fans of the region won't have to wait too long to revisit it, thankfully. As revealed by RetroDodo, it seems like Pokémon Alolan Seaglass will be the next big release dealing with the Alola region.

Given the sheer tenacity of the Pokémon ROM hack community, it makes sense that another game is in the works, but Pokémon Alolan Seaglass is now in development from Nemo622. This is the same person who produced Pokémon Lazarus, so it's already turning heads before it's even out.

Here's a full statement from the creator: "Hey everyone, this is Nemo! For those who don’t know, I developed Pokémon Emerald Seaglass and Pokémon Lazarus. Today I’m here to announce that Pokémon Alolan Seaglass, my third project, is progressing steadily! I haven’t been able to dedicate as much time to this project as I’d like because of my Master’s program, but with summer upon us, I’ll be spending more time on development! Pokémon Alolan Seaglass will be a ROM hack in the Alola Region (shocker, lol) with GBC-like graphics, in a style similar to my other projects. For those interested in keeping up with Alolan Seaglass, feel free to join my Discord server linked in my profile. Thank you, everyone, for your continued patience and support."

The update strongly suggests this could take a while to come out, so be prepared for a wait. As a GBA hack, it's certain to pop up on many radars as development continues, since that timeless aesthetic still holds up today.

Even with a wait ahead of us, Pokémon Alolan Seaglass will likely be worth it. Given the creator's work on Pokémon Lazarus, which I've seen mistaken for an official entry at one point, this could be the definitive return to Alola.

As far as the mainline Pokémon series goes, we're bound for the sea yet again with Winds and Waves, which should ideally expand exploration even further, several generations removed.

Released November 18, 2016

ESRB E

Developer(s) Game Freak

Test