v1.31Cubic Crystal
by Jay Like the Bird Not the Letter
Description
POKEMON: CUBIC CRYSTAL is a remix of Crystal that’s recognizablen but distinct, a sort of “what if Crystal’s story was as different from nGold/Silver as future same-gen sequels?” approach. Every major change ton mons, locations, moves, and major battles has been cataloged in an neasy-to-navigate spreadsheet, which can be viewed online or downloaded:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wKsjoYFUskdhTnfAEhmEg2xHZB1iMuR-9qSMEcGHhSU/edit?usp=sharing
While Cubic Crystal has been properly playtested, this is a first nproject and there are likely small issues that have gone unnoticed. If nanyone plays it and notices something off, whether a glitch, a typo, or njust general feedback on taste, please comment! Enjoy!
POKEMON FEATURES:
- Fully revamped stats, with BSTs given a general baseline of 400 fornweakmons, 450 for mid-tier early mons, 500 for most mons, and slightlynhigher for starters and such.
- Tweaked typings for many and vastly improved learnsets for all!
- All evolutions available without trade, with Happiness replacingnitemless trade evos and item evos replaced by just using item. Allnevolution items available before Elite Four, including a stone shop innCianwood.
- Happiness is easier to accrue.
- Evolution levels tweaked for many mons with high requirements.
- Female and Shiny Pokemon have different IV spreads instead of purely suboptimal ones. Gender ratios adjusted among starters.
- Growth rates generally improved, with slow growth rates reserved only for truly powerful Pokemon.
- Improved level curve for wild Pokemon, particularly in Kanto.
- Barring legendaries and unpicked starters, full dex can be completed before Elite Four. Odd Egg from the Daycare now hatches a Kantonstarter, so at least one can still be done! Additional startersnavailable in Celadon Game Corner and by trades throughout Kanto.
- Morning-exclusive mons now appear during the day as well.
- Headbutt Trees are streamlined so that every mon-filled tree in anregion offers the same Pokemon, rather than forcing a hunt throughndifferent trees.
- Old Rod can now catch more than Magikarp semi-reliably, and fishingnswarm locations offer rare chances for swarming mons outside of swarms.
- Feraligatr’s name is now Colossobek (Colossus+Sobek) because “gatr”nis just awful. The Name Rater now changes all names, including tradednmons, so change it right back if you miss it!
MOVE FEATURES:
- Dark is physical and Ghost and Poison are special to reflect thennature of their moves (of all three types, only Lick and Poison Stingnare now in the “wrong” category as of Gen IV).
- Overhaul of dozens of moves, including an accuracy buff to virtually every move with 70 BP or less.
- Iron Head and Ominous Wind added to increase move options for Steel and Ghost, respectively.
- Barrage, Egg Bomb, Nightmare, Spider Web, Whirlpool, and One-Hit KO moves removed.
- Field moves such as HMs can be used by any mon that learns them asnlong as the physical TM/HM is in your possession. For instance, anDragonite with Outrage/Wing Attack/Blizzard/Thunder can still use Fly,nStrength, Surf, Waterfall and such in the field!
- HM moves can be forgotten like any other move, no need for the Move Deleter.
- All TMs can be repurchased, with new TM shops appearing as the gamenprogresses. TM moves slightly shifted to improve learnsets (out withnSweet Scent, in with Rock Slide, for instance).
- Move Reminder in Violet City teaches old moves for a modest fee.
- Bill replaces Move Tutor outside of Game Corner and teachesnThunderbolt/Ice Beam/Flamethrower. He appears after Radio Tower rathernthan after Elite Four, and is no longer limited by day.
TRAINER FEATURES:
- Overhaul of virtually every trainer to provide a better level curven(not Kaizo difficulty, but in keeping with a full two-area game).
- Improved Rival that steals both unchosen starters, because why would he not do this?
- Improved Gym Leader rosters, with later leaders gaining Pokemon out of their selected type to counter said type’s weaknesses.
- Pryce now acts as the fourth gym, with Chuck/Jasmine/Morty acting as interchangeable 5/6/7; while their teams are not dynamic, the gamennudges towards this order.
- Rematches available for all Gym Leaders, with Johto Leaders giving bonus optional rematches before the Elite Four.
STORY FEATURES:
- Deeper integration of Gym Leaders and Elite Four members outside ofntheir gyms a la Platinum to create a sense of place in the world andnoffering small story beats in Kanto.
- Suicune and Ruins of Alph quests are incorporated more deeply intonthe plot, with Karen replacing Eusine as our resident legendary hunter.
- Rocket HQ in Mahogany now offers meaningful choice between ambushnstatues and trick floor, and Radio Tower is heavily streamlined (nonbacktracking, and a Nurse Joy in the second floor to keep thingsnmoving).
- Completing Unown Dex and solving every Unown wall text puzzle in the Ruins of Alph earns you Legendary rewards!
- Falkner’s retired father replaces Bill’s grandfather in CeruleannCape, offering a quest that sees you find and (hopefully) capturenKanto’s Legendary Birds. Catch all three to earn his Silver Wing!
- Mewtwo available after Red, but first it must be found! (Not a roaming encounter, worry not.)
MISC. FEATURES:
- Press B to run!
- Repel and Escape Rope are now reusable key items given early in your quest.
- Pocket PC allows for PC access on the fly.
- Fly is available immediately after Sudowoodo, allowing for easier backtracking across the split path of north Johto.
- Price overhaul for items to make catching and healing easier.
- All trees drop two berries/apricorns, and Kurt doesn’t need a day to turn apricorns into special balls.
- Three available Lucky Eggs hidden throughout the game.
- As Whirlpool as a move is deleted, there are no more pointless Whirlpools in the game.
- The Pokemon Center outside of the Power Plant can be flown to, no need to backtrack.
- The Abra at Indigo Plateau doesn’t leave, allowing easy travel between regions.
- That dinky pixel of “bangs” that makes Kris’s eyes look wonky when walking left or right? Yeah that’s gone.
Update By:
Jay (TheBirdNotTheLetter)
Released as a nplaytested and fully complete mod, like Athena emerging fully grown fromn Zeus's head (but arguably less impressive), comes Pokémon: Cubic nCrystal!
What began as a relatively vanilla improvement mod was ntransformed when Crystal Legacy was released early in production, ninspiring a deeper dive into reshaping the classic Crystal experience nrather than retread the same ground. Broad changes to stats, typing, nmovesets, and trainers are par for the course for Pokémon hacks, but nCubic Crystal seeks to follow the spirit of later games like Platinum byn incorporating Gym Leaders and the Elite Four into your adventure beyondn just standing around waiting to battle. Chuck trains in Mt. Mortar, nKaren replaces Eusine as our resident Suicune hunter, Surge is holding nthe Power Plant together, everyone gets more attention! Your rival has an more dynamic arc, involving the theft of not one but TWO of Elm's nPokémon, because why bother breaking and entering if you're only gonna ngrab one Pokéball?
Quality of life is the name of the game, so ann infinite toggleable Repel, infinite use Escape Rope, Pocket PC, and nrunning shoes streamline Crystal for your hundredth playthrough. HM nmoves can be used in the field without teaching them, so no more nlimitations on movesets. Painstaking care has been taken for every nlittle change: for instance, Whitney no longer uses Clefairy, as it one nday will be Fairy type, so her entire gym has been rearranged to a nTeddiursa instead! With months and months of development, the goal has nbeen eliminating shortcuts and providing a sleek, professional product.
Plentyn more has been written in the hack description and readme, and thorough ndocumentation, which was the literal basis for the hack in the first nplace, is there to serve as a handy guide to every changed mon, move, nand trainer. So please enjoy this first foray into Pokémon hacking!