Modify the “first catch” rule to make things more varied. For even more of a challenge, cap the number of times you visit the Pokemon Center of each town and limit the amount of Pokeballs you purchase. This adds a lot of tension in dungeons, forcing you to rotate your Pokemon and play more cautiously as risks increase. If the last digit of your ID is 1-3, choose the Grass-type Pokemon if the last digit of your ID is 4-6, choose the Fire-type Pokemon if the last digit of your ID is 7-9, choose the Water-type Pokemon and if the last digit of your ID is 0, you get to choose which starter Pokemon you want. Here are several other optional Nuzlocke rules you can incorporate to make your Pokemon playthroughs even more interesting:īase your starter Pokemon on your Trainer ID number. Nuzlocke purists also frown upon receiving unearned Pokemon from trades or as mystery gifts. But hardcore Nuzlocke fans treat blackouts as gameovers-even if they still have leftover Pokemon that they can grab from their PC. Or how about when your entire team of Pokemon faints and your character blacks out? Normally, you can just heal your Pokemon and resume your journey. For example, most Nuzlocke players force themselves to give unique names so they feel even more connected to their Pokemon.
In the years since the original Pokemon Nuzlocke Challenge caught on, some players have even taken it upon themselves to add new rules and limitations. You may also end up with an entire Pokedex of Pokemon that you loathe, which is also part of the challenge. If your luck is poor, or if your skills at catching and battling Pokemon are lackluster, you might end up with a shortage of Pokemon at some point-and that’s part of the challenge. Release or retire a Pokemon that has fainted.If a Pokemon flees when you’re trying to catch it, you can’t attempt another catch until you reach the next area. Catch only the first Pokemon that you encounter in a new area.The Pokemon Nuzlocke Challenge only has two rules: Reddit even has its very own r/nuzlocke community, where people share and discuss their Nuzlocke experiences with other players. Pokemon enthusiasts began streaming and recording videos of Nuzlocke Challenge playthroughs, spreading the trend even further. Nick Franco) shared his experience about how playing Pokemon games under the conditions of the Nuzlocke rules allowed him to develop actual bonds with his Pokemon.Īfter the Nuzlocke rules caught on, other artists joined in on the fun by creating their own Nuzlocke-inspired comics. It’s basically Hardcore Mode for true Pokemon fans, making the game much harder by forcing you to use Pokemon that you would never normally use in battle (like Kakuna). Nuzlocke’s rules served one purpose: to pretend that every Pokemon that faints has truly died. One user named “Nuzlocke” posted a comic that proposed a set of self-imposed rules for playing Pokemon games: The Pokemon Nuzlocke Challenge started on 4chan in 2010.