Pokémon Emerald Hacks? Looking to dive in for the first time and need recommendations!

Hey everyone,

I’ve been a massive fan of the mainline Pokémon games for years, but I’ve recently been seeing a lot of content about ROM hacks and I think it's finally time I try one for the very first time. I know the ROM hacking community is absolutely massive and there are hundreds of options out there, so I'm a little overwhelmed with where to start.

Since Gen 3 holds a really special place in my heart, I know I want my first experience to be based on Hoenn. However, for my first playthrough, I'd specifically like to try an Emerald hack that adds at least two more generations to the base game. I love the original Hoenn dex, but the idea of battling through those familiar routes using Gen 4 and Gen 5 Pokémon (or even later generations) sounds incredibly fun and refreshing.

Ideally, I'm looking for something that feels like a modernized experience. Does anyone have any suggestions for a great entry-level hack that fits this description? I’d also love it if the hack included modern mechanics like the physical/special split, the Fairy typing, and some basic quality-of-life improvements so I don't need HM slaves taking up team slots.

I'm not necessarily looking for something brutally difficult like a Kaizo game right out of the gate—just a fun, expanded way to re-experience Emerald with a much larger variety of team-building options.

Let me know what your absolute favorites are and why you recommend them! Thanks in advance!