How Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow Work in 3D
Gen1Recomp uses a hand-written Lua/LÖVE2D engine to run imported game data from a compatible Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald ROM. It is different from a traditional Game Boy emulator because it does not execute the original Game Boy program through emulated hardware.
The optional DramaticShapeVoxelMod adds the voxel-style overworld, camera depth, shadows and 3D battle presentation seen in videos online. Gen1Recomp supplies the game engine; VoxelMod changes how the game is displayed. Read Gen1Recomp vs VoxelMod for a focused comparison.
What You Need to Start
- Download the official Gen1Recomp build for your device.
- Import a compatible, user-supplied US ROM for Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald.
- For 3D Red, Blue or Yellow, download VoxelMod from the preserved version archive and follow the guide for Windows or Mac or the separate Android 3D setup guide.
Gen1Recomp is available from its official GitHub release page. VoxelMod versions are preserved through clearly labelled community archive links because the original repository is no longer available. This website does not host Pokemon ROMs or VoxelMod files.
Gen1Recomp, Gen1Recomp++ and Gen1Recomp Deluxe
| Name | Games | What the name represents |
|---|---|---|
| Gen1Recomp | Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow | The original name for the Gen 1 games. |
| Gen1Recomp++ | Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal | The name introduced with the Gen 2 expansion. The Gen 2 engine remains under construction. The ++ does not mean C++. |
| Gen1Recomp Deluxe | Pokemon FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald | The name introduced with the Gen 3 beta. You may also see it shown as Gen1RecompDeluxe or G1R Deluxe. |
These names show how Gen1Recomp has expanded across three generations of games. They all refer to the same app, so you do not need a different launcher or download for each set of games.
Explore Gen1Recomp Community Mods
The community is also building gameplay changes, followers, translations, sprite packs, quests and tools. Visit the Pokemon Gen 1 Mods directory to browse verified individual projects alphabetically and open their original repositories or release pages.
Games Supported by Gen1Recomp
| Game | Documented input | Current project status |
|---|---|---|
| Pokemon Red | Matching 1 MiB US ROM | Supported; VoxelMod 3D guide available |
| Pokemon Blue | Matching 1 MiB US ROM | Supported; VoxelMod 3D guide available |
| Pokemon Yellow | Matching 1 MiB US ROM | Supported; VoxelMod 3D guide available |
| Pokemon Gold | Matching 2 MiB US ROM | Gen 2 support under construction |
| Pokemon Silver | Matching 2 MiB US ROM | Gen 2 support under construction |
| Pokemon Crystal | Matching 2 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0 or 1.1 | Gen 2 support under construction; major battle improvements in v0.3.89 |
| Pokemon FireRed | Matching 16 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0 or 1.1 | Gen 3 beta |
| Pokemon LeafGreen | Matching 16 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0 or 1.1 | Gen 3 beta |
| Pokemon Ruby | Matching 16 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0, 1.1 or 1.2 | Gen 3 beta |
| Pokemon Sapphire | Matching 16 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0, 1.1 or 1.2 | Gen 3 beta |
| Pokemon Emerald | Matching 16 MiB US ROM, revision 1.0 | Gen 3 beta |
Gen1Recomp v0.3.96 accepts the canonical US ROMs for all eleven documented games. The Gen 2 engine remains under construction, while FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald are playable beta implementations. Releases after v0.3.59 add a 40-player cross-generation Union Room for all eleven games, a PlayStation 4 homebrew package, new save-editor and Box tools, substantial Gen 3 performance work, a large Red/Blue/Yellow fidelity pass and major Gen 2 battle improvements led by Crystal in v0.3.89. Version 0.3.93 introduces Portable Mod API 3 so one properly designed mod can support games across all three generations. Archived VoxelMod support remains documented only for Red, Blue and Yellow.
Other regions, revisions and ROM hacks are not confirmed by the current project documentation. See Supported Games for the exact compatibility limits.
What the v0.2 and v0.3 Releases Add
Version 0.2.0 introduced the new touch-skin system and desktop Skin Studio. Gen1Recomp can import compatible RetroArch overlays and Delta skins, use different layouts and pressed-button art, detect a screen area from bezel artwork, and export edited skins. The v0.2 releases also build on earlier additions from v0.1.84–v0.1.99, including stronger mod dependency and permission checks, Gold save-editor support, save-slot recovery, patch notes, an optional widescreen battle layout and companion displays.
Later v0.2 updates added launcher Safe Mode and issue reporting, improved Android shortcuts and return-to-launcher behavior, added Pokemon Silver, improved save sync between desktop, Steam Deck and iOS, and fixed a large set of Gen 1 and Gen 2 gameplay and presentation differences. Versions 0.2.16–0.2.24 added more mobile and Skin Studio fixes, custom carts, responsive mod-index browsing and Pokemon Crystal support for both accepted US revisions. Versions 0.2.25–0.2.40 added the Online launcher, Linux AppImage and Flatpak packages, Gen 2 cartridge-save conversion, one-click mod updating, game filters, new touch and controller controls, and improved display synchronization.
Versions 0.2.41–0.2.60 add mobile launch URLs, direct custom-cart launch, iOS Home Screen entries, cart-aware bulk updates, broader translation routing, a mod API for previewing effective wild encounters and the Logic Clock timing option. Versions 0.2.61–0.2.75 continue fixing trades, saves, mods, Android audio, Crystal presentation, encounters, Surf and field events. Version 0.3.0 is the major Gen 3 expansion: it adds beta FireRed and LeafGreen imports. Later v0.3 releases add FireRed/LeafGreen online play and Mystery Gift, automatic ROM re-import, a 40-player Union Room, a custom-cart import picker, splash controls, separate battle-speed settings, Gen 3 save editing and clearer crash reports. Versions 0.3.23–0.3.51 add beta Emerald support, event tickets, major Gen 3 performance work, more reliable save import/export, expanded save editing and launcher mod-index improvements. Versions 0.3.52–0.3.59 add beta Ruby and Sapphire, ID Sync, the cross-game Box, save-slot duplication, fuller controller rebinding, archive-based ROM import on supported builds and additional Gen 3 relay services. Versions 0.3.60–0.3.90 expand the 40-player Union Room to every supported game with cross-generation battles and trades, add PlayStation 4 homebrew support, improve Gen 3 performance and low-memory importing, add Pokeblock, Mirage Island and Box-sorting tools, deliver a broad Red/Blue/Yellow fidelity pass and substantially improve Gen 2 battles. Versions 0.3.91–0.3.96 add Portable Mod API 3, improve UI mods and fractional scaling, expand Gen 2 and Gen 3 mod support, expose shiny state to sprite mods and give large content mods much more room. Version 0.3.96 also adds Gen 2 mod support for phone contacts and shop stock, restores mod options, fixes Crystal's card game and FireRed/LeafGreen cries, and makes Emerald available from the Switch launcher.
Online Battles, Tournaments and Trades
Gen1Recomp 0.3.96 has an Online launcher tab for hosting or joining battles, watching live matches, running or spectating tournaments, and trading Pokemon between save files. The 40-player Union Room now works across all eleven supported games, including cross-generation battles and trades. Older-generation games use controlled Gen 3 battle rules while keeping the species and moves available to the selected game; cross-generation trades preview permanent conversions and use transaction recovery. FireRed and LeafGreen also retain Direct Corner, wireless minigames, private PIN rooms and invitations. Gen 3 link rooms show player names, activity icons and idle movement; Ruby and Sapphire can receive signed Mystery Events and Wonder News from the relay. A room based on a custom cart requires both players to have the same sealed cart installed.
The original in-game Link menu remains the local-network option. It is separate from the newer Online launcher service.
Device and Control Information
Official Gen1Recomp packages are available for Windows, macOS, Linux x86_64 AppImage, Linux Flatpak, Linux ARM64 AppImage, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch homebrew, PlayStation 4 homebrew, Xbox UWP, Anbernic RG34XXSP and compatible ARM Linux SBC / PortMaster setups. Package availability does not guarantee that every device or graphics configuration will run VoxelMod equally well. Check Platforms and Requirements before downloading for a mobile device, console or handheld.
Nintendo Switch users can follow the complete Gen1Recomp Switch setup guide for installation, title override, ROM import, saves, controls and community mods.
For keyboard, controller, save, load and mod-manager shortcuts, use the Keys and Hotkeys guide.
Common Questions
Do I need a different 3D mod for each game?
No. The same VoxelMod setup works with the supported Red, Blue and Yellow imports.
Is VoxelMod required to use Gen1Recomp?
No. VoxelMod is optional. Gen1Recomp can run without the 3D presentation mod.
Where can I check current releases or reported problems?
Use Project Status for release information, Known Issues for current limitations, and VoxelMod Download for preserved versions.