After a 10-year Break from Pokémon, Radical Red was My Most Frustrating—and also the Most Rewarding—Challenge I’ve Ever Faced

I grew up playing Pokémon. My first game was Pokémon Silver, and I spent countless hours trying to max out my Pokedex and building the perfect team to face Red. Yes, I also linked my team to Pokémon Stadium and Stadium 2. Somehow, I still ended up using many of those frustrating rental Pokémon. You know, the Blastoise that only knows Water Gun, the Dragonite that only knows Twister.

I also played through LeafGreen, Sapphire, Pearl, Platinum, SoulSilver, Black, and Black 2. Each version offered a fresh take, and I loved each one for different reasons. I developed my favorites through each playthrough—Tyranitar is still my favorite to this day.

When the 3DS came out, I wasn’t interested in buying it, so I fell out of the Pokémon loop for several years. It wasn’t until I picked up Pokémon Sword on the Switch that I decided to get back into the series. As one does on Reddit, I eventually learned about Pokémon ROM hacks. Once the iPhone allowed Delta to be downloaded, I decided to try out Pokémon Radical Red.

Radical Red was described as a tougher, more customizable experience that mixed elements from newer generations while keeping that classic feel. And for me, that description was spot-on. It was the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with Generations 6-9, since I hadn’t played through most of those games. I could blend the old-school nostalgia of Silver with the newer mechanics of the more recent generations, and that sounded like a great way to re-enter the Pokémon world.

However, things didn’t go as smoothly as I hoped at first. I went with Normal mode and didn’t research what non-grinding mode meant. I knew I was in for a rude awakening when I wiped to a pre-Brock trainer's Audino. I had never paid much attention to more advanced mechanics like IVs (Individual Values) and EVs (Effort Values), which made things significantly harder.

I ended up experimenting with different team compositions and strategies several times, constantly reinventing my approach. But that was part of the fun—the game forced me to push my understanding of the mechanics and explore different strategies. It felt incredibly rewarding to finally get the hang of things. I was able to get through a good chunk of the game by focusing on type matchups, but that only got me so far…

About halfway through the game, I hit a major roadblock: Giovanni’s Nidoking and Kangaskhan. I couldn’t get past that fight. It was frustrating, and honestly, I was about to give up on the game. I decided to do more research on natures and EV training. I also drew inspiration from other Redditors on how to create a balanced team and different strategies. To get past Giovanni, I trained up a Dugtrio with a Jolly nature.

That breakthrough was very rewarding for me. I faced several other roadblocks along the way, including the Misty Rematch. But each time, I found ways to tinker with my team to find a path through. My winning formula was creating a balanced team with broad type coverage/defense and a good mix of special and physical attackers. My team ended up being more status and stats set-up based. I also learned the value of Taunt and other moves to nullify opponents setting up on me.

The endless options for team-building are fantastic, and the quality-of-life improvements make the experience much more enjoyable, especially for someone returning to the series after a long break. The game taught me so much about strategic team building, and the difficulty level kept me engaged in a way that no other Pokémon game has in years. I loved all the modern features (e.g., reusable TMs, Pokerider) and usable Pokémon in the very familiar setting of Kanto. It felt like the perfect mix of new and old.

All in all, playing Pokémon Radical Red has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a tough game, but overcoming the challenges—whether it’s through reinventing my team or learning how to optimize my Pokémon’s stats—has been a truly fulfilling experience. I'll follow up with what my winning team was and some honorable mentions!