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Changelog

Complete version history, design philosophy, and development roadmap for Pokémon Polished Crystal

Design Philosophy

"There are many ways to create games but the way we work at Game Freak may be a little different from other companies... we constantly change and tweak what we have come up with. To make a fun game even more fun and polish it up, we take what we have made and start thinking about it from scratch."

— Junichi Masuda, "HIDDEN POWER of masuda No. 7"

This philosophy of iteration and polish inspired Pokémon Polished Crystal. The project's creator states:

"I've always wanted to make a Pokémon game. Not just any game, but the best Pokémon game possible. What does that mean? I think a great Pokémon game should be like Gen 5: always offering new ideas and not being afraid to make changes. But it should also respect the player's time and make quality-of-life improvements. And most importantly, it should be fun!"

Core Principles

Modernization Without Losing Identity:

  • Implements Gen VI+ mechanics (Abilities, Fairy type, Physical/Special split)
  • Preserves Gen II's aesthetic and charm
  • Offers both "Polished" (enhanced) and "Faithful" (conservative) builds

Respect Player Time:

  • Infinite TMs
  • Trade evolutions accessible without trading
  • Running from the start
  • Streamlined menus and bag organization

Balanced Challenge:

  • Badge-based level scaling for optional content
  • Improved trainer AI
  • No arbitrary badge stat boosts
  • Set battle style as default

Content Expansion:

  • New areas (Hidden Grottoes)
  • Enhanced post-game
  • Additional evolution methods
  • Modern move tutors

Build Variants Explained

Polished Crystal offers two build variants at game start:

The enhanced experience with modern improvements:

Gameplay Changes:

  • Physical/Special split (Gen IV+)
  • Fairy type fully implemented
  • Abilities system enabled
  • Modernized evolution methods
  • Type changes to many Pokémon and moves
  • Improved stat distributions for weaker Pokémon

Quality of Life:

  • Infinite TMs
  • Trade evolutions via level-up or Linking Cord
  • Running from start
  • Modern bag system
  • Badge-based level scaling

Battle Mechanics:

  • Set battle style default
  • No badge stat boosts
  • Improved trainer AI
  • Strategic held items on opponents

Faithful Build

Closer to vanilla Crystal while retaining essential improvements:

Preserved Mechanics:

  • Original type chart (no Fairy type)
  • Original type assignments
  • Gen II Physical/Special system
  • Traditional evolution requirements

Retained Improvements:

  • Quality-of-life features
  • Infinite TMs
  • Running from start
  • Bug fixes
  • Some balance adjustments

Version Timeline Highlights

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Major Milestones

v3.0.0:

  • Fairy type implementation
  • Abilities system refined
  • Badge-based level scaling introduced
  • Faithful build variant added

v2.0.0:

  • Physical/Special split implementation
  • Modern evolution methods
  • Expanded Kanto content
  • Move tutor additions

v1.0.0:

  • Initial release
  • Core quality-of-life improvements
  • Infinite TMs
  • Trade evolution alternatives

Complete Changelog

For detailed version-by-version changes, see the Full Changelog page.

What's Not Planned

While Polished Crystal aims for the best possible Pokémon experience, some features are intentionally not included:

Won't Be Added

Mega Evolution / Z-Moves / Dynamax:

  • Too complex for Gen II hardware limitations
  • Would unbalance existing gameplay
  • Focus remains on Gen I-VI core mechanics

Gen VIII+ Pokémon:

  • Polished Crystal includes all Pokémon through Gen IV (plus Sylveon)
  • Adding newer generations would exceed cartridge limitations
  • Current roster of 253 species is considered complete

Online Trading/Battling:

  • Hardware limitations of GB/GBC platform
  • Focus on single-player experience
  • Local link cable trading/battling still works

Following Pokémon:

  • Significant sprite work required
  • Technical implementation challenges
  • Not core to the gameplay experience

Difficulty Modes (Easy/Hard):

  • Badge-based scaling already provides adaptive difficulty
  • Gameplay preferences cover casual vs. competitive needs
  • "Faithful" vs. "Polished" builds offer different experiences

Under Consideration

New Areas:

  • Additional optional dungeons
  • Expanded post-game content
  • Sevii Islands-style bonus areas

Move Tutors:

  • More Gen III/IV move tutor moves
  • Location-exclusive moves
  • Egg move alternatives

Battle Facilities:

  • Battle Tower enhancements
  • Additional battle formats
  • Rental Pokémon tournaments

Contributors & Credits

Core Development

Rangi42:

  • Project creator and lead developer
  • Engine programming
  • Feature implementation
  • Balance design

Major Contributors

Chamber:

  • Beta testing
  • Balance feedback
  • Documentation

Rainchu:

  • Sprite work
  • Graphics improvements
  • UI enhancements

Blue Emerald:

  • Assembly code contributions
  • Bug fixes
  • Feature development

Community Contributors

Polished Crystal is built on the work of many community members:

  • Pokémon Crystal disassembly team: Foundation project
  • pret community: Tools, documentation, support
  • ROMhacking community: Resources and guidance
  • Beta testers: Countless hours of testing and feedback

Special Thanks

  • Game Freak: Creating Pokémon
  • Nintendo: Publishing and platform
  • Disassembly contributors: Making this project possible
  • Players: Feedback, support, and enthusiasm

For complete credits and technical acknowledgments, see the project's CREDITS.md file.

Last updated: January 2, 2026