Logan Paul is seemingly everywhere these days. His drink, Prime Energy, is sold in millions of stores, his podcast, Impaulsive, is incredibly popular and has a non-stop string of high-profile guests, and he shows up regularly in WWE, where he is a former United States Champion.
He is also known for being the owner of the most expensive Pokemon card, the PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, thought to be the only one in existence that has been, or could be, graded as 10/10 by PSA. The card was sold to Logan Paul for $5.275 million in 2021.
After spending more money on a single card than most people will see throughout their entire lifetime, you would think that there is no-one as dedicated to being a Pokemon fan than Logan Paul, but it seems like he still has over 25 years of knowledge to catch up on as earlier this week he explained the idea of a rom hack and thought he was onto something that had never been done before.
The former WWE United States Champion took to X to post about “a MASSIVE opportunity to capitalize on the decades of nostalgic equity that fans have with the franchise.”
With Pokemon now closing in on its 30th anniversary, which will take place on February 27th, 2026, GameFreak and The Pokemon Company have done it all at this point. So what is Logan Paul’s genius idea that will take the series to heights never before imagined? Well…rom hacks. You know, those things you have emulated for decades at this point.
Continuing, Logan Paul shares some insights on his life as a Pokemon fan, and how he still finds time to go back and play the classics, all while jetting across the world and running businesses such as Prime.
“Every 2-3 years I find myself picking up a Gameboy and running back Pokémon Red/Blue/Crystal/Gold on the original cartridges, beating the Elite Four with just as much joy I had as a child. It’s a cycle that’s been happening for the last 15 years of my life.”
Logan Paul then goes on to state that he doesn’t have “much of a connection” with newer Pokemon in the series, and I must admit that I don’t either. With over 1,000 Pokemon in the Pokedex, and more on the way whenever Generation 10 is announced/released, it is difficult to build an emotional attachment to the 1,000th Pokemon as opposed to the classics such as Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Also, Bulbasaur is the best Gen 1 starter, and I will not hear another word about it.
The solution to this lack of connection with newer Pokemon while also tapping into the nostalgia people have for the art style of Pokemon Red/Blue?
“The Pokémon Company should create a remastered game inspired by the OGs that mirrors the original pixel graphics, combines the best generations of Pokémon, and introduces adaptive NPCs that evolve alongside the player. Old school vibes powered by modern technology that gives players the ability to connect to the internet for easier trading/battling, downloadable content, etc.”
Or as we know them…rom hacks.
Although not official releases, Pokemon ROM hacks have existed since the late 1990s, with their quality varying due to being fan-made. However, it is incredibly easy to get the consensus on what games are worth seeking out and playing.
Some rom hacks simply add new Pokemon, update stats/moves, and make minor changes to the original game. While others more use Pokemon as the framework and engine and build something incredibly original within the limitations, even going as far as creating Pokemon Emerald Rogue, a roguelite take on the series.
Whether The Pokemon Company and GameFreak ever decide to return to its pixelated roots and modernize it with new Pokemon while recapturing the nostalgia remains to be seen, perhaps they will see Logan Paul’s post, and it will inspire them. However, I wouldn’t count on it.
October 2025 saw the release of Pokemon Legends Z-A, the second entry in the Legends series and, in my opinion, one of the greatest Pokemon games of all time. I am over 160 hours in and I am still far from bored with my playthrough.
Looking to the future, the Pokemon 30th Anniversary celebration is set to take place on February 27th, which fans of the series are hoping will see the announcement of Generation 10, as well as the inclusion of the classic games on the Nintendo Switch Online service, and the release of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness and Pokemon Colosseum.
These two iconic GameCube games were announced to be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service back in April 2025 but have yet to make an appearance.
Just one week after the celebration, Pokemon fans have Pokopia to look forward to, an Animal Crossing-style spin-off that sees players rebuild the Kanto region following an apocalyptic event. Pokopia is set to launch worldwide on March 5th, 2026.
In other Logan Paul news, the influencer is currently selling his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card, which has already reached over $5 million on an online auction. Paul has also been enjoying a few weeks off from WWE, last wrestling on December 15th, where he defeated Rey Mysterio on an episode of Monday Night Raw.
He was also seen in the corner of his brother Jake Paul during his December boxing match against Anthony Joshua, which saw Jake lose by KO during the 6th round.
