Gen2Recomp - Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal

About

Gen2Recomp is a native LÖVE2D recreation of Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal, built on Gen1Recomp's Red/Blue/Yellow engine. The engine, script VM and map behavior are hand-written Lua, while game data and graphics are decoded from a ROM supplied by the player. The README says it does not include a ROM, emulate the Game Boy, transpile assembly or download a disassembly.

How it differs from the original

Beyond the Generation I features it inherits, the README lists a Generation II script VM, the Johto and Kanto world, day/night, breeding and the Day-Care, the Pokegear, shinies, held items and the Gold/Silver title sequence. For Generation I it offers a faithful ruleset that keeps the original's quirks and a modern ruleset that removes them.

Getting started

On first launch choose your legally obtained .gb or .gbc file or drop it onto the window; only canonical US ROMs are accepted and are verified by SHA-1. Import takes a few seconds for Gen 1 and a couple of minutes for Gen 2, then the game starts. Releases are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Switch and other devices.

Known issues & limitations

• Console builds notify you about releases but generally cannot update themselves; Switch is the exception.
• Portable Mode is desktop-only and has no effect on Android or iOS.

What you need to run it

Features

• The project includes a native mod platform with an in-game manager.
• Two copies can connect directly over UDP.

How to install

1. On desktop, open the app and select your `.gb` or `.gbc` file on first launch, or drop it onto the window; the game starts after import.
2. On Windows, unzip the release archive and run the `.exe`.
3. On Linux x86-64, unzip the release archive and run the AppImage inside.

Controls

• Move with the arrow keys or WASD, or use a controller D-pad or left stick.
• Use Z, Enter, or Space for A; use X or Backspace for B.
• Escape is Start; Tab or Shift is Select.
• Use - or = to zoom out or in; the mouse wheel also zooms.

Licensing & legal

• The README says inherited Gen1Recomp code stays MIT, while the Generation II components written for this fork are source-available rather than open source.

Additional notes

Fork

The README says it is a fork of Gen1Recomp by bryanthaboi and BOIS CLUB GAMES, with Generation II work by UNDERdecodedHD.

Warning

The README warns that the website gen1recomp[.]com is not affiliated with either project and says the GitHub repository is the only official source.

FAQ

What is Gen2Recomp - Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal?

Gen2Recomp - Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal is an open-source engine reimplementation of Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Crystal. A new engine written from scratch that loads the original game's data files. The original game ran on Game Boy and Game Boy Color.

Do I need the original game files to run Gen2Recomp - Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal?

Yes. The project does not include the original game's assets, so you need your own copy.

How is Gen2Recomp - Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal licensed?

original authors: MIT (Everything inherited from Gen1Recomp and every shared engine file since); UNDERdecodedHD: source-available rather than open source (Generation II components written for this fork); FroggestSpirit, Drenn, and Danny-E: reproduced with attribution (palette tables in data/). The repository itself is the authoritative source.

Will I need to provide the ROM again after importing it?

No. Later launches use the generated cache and do not ask for the ROM again.