Pokémon Hollow Woods Is Releasing For Free This Month, And It Looks Gorgeous

If you’re a fan of Pokémon, odds are you’re at least aware of some of the high-profile fan games that have been created over the years. While the mainline games and spinoffs still sell well, fans have wanted a more retro touch since the games started to make the move to 3D.

If that sounds up your alley, you may want to check out the PokeCommunity site on February 28.

Pokémon Hollow Woods Releases February 28

For Free

Due out on February 28 as a free fan game, Pokémon Hollow Woods looks impressive and whisks players away to the Oblar region: an area with two warring factions and a lot of stories to navigate. Once that date arrives, the download link on the PokeCommunity site will go live, and no external programs are required, as Pokémon Hollow Woods is slated to be a standalone executable.

Here is everything this massive endeavor boasts:

Eight gyms, a team to battle, and a postgame
A Pokédex with creatures from the first eight generations
93 regional forms with custom megas
Entrance animations for Pokémon
Optional Nuzlocke mode and level caps for hardcore players
A remixed Pokémon soundtrack
In-game time cycles

Here’s an overview from its creator: “This game aims to provide the nostalgic feel of a Gen IV Pokémon game while refreshing some of the standard plot formula. You’ll find gym puzzles and badges, a Pokémon professor, a rival, and other callbacks to canon Pokémon plots. At the same time, the game adds many new features (described below) and incentives for exploration, from sidequests with rare rewards to regional Pokémon that can only be found via thorough gameplay. It also asks new questions about the Pokémon world and its governance.”

If this storyline pans out, it could deliver a lot of the same beats as the fifth generation of the mainline Pokémon games, which are often cited as one of the more fan-favorite eras in terms of narrative nuance.

This Is A Pokémon Game By Fans, For Fans

It’s A Great Companion To The Official Games

Originally unveiled in January 2024, Pokémon Hollow has been meticulously developed by creator Nineage and appears to offer numerous new quality-of-life features alongside classic nostalgic visuals.

I’m primarily interested in the built-in Nuzlocke mode, which will eliminate much of the manual work for fans of that playstyle. It would be wild to see Game Freak officially support that as an official mode, even as an unlockable after you beat the game. If you do pick it up, make sure you heed the following warning: “While it has been tested, there may still be bugs, so please save frequently!”

As Pokémon enters its widely celebrated 35th anniversary this year, there are plenty of official celebrations ahead. But don’t forget about all the fan creations, too.