The Pokemon the series has never been known for its difficulty, generally targeting all ages and experience levels of players. But that doesn't mean there isn't a challenge in any of them Pokemon games, as the community routinely creates new ways to increase difficulty by imposing restrictions on specific gameplay. The most famous Pokemon challenge run was developed 16 years ago using the namesake Gen 3 creature, which is now almost 24 years old.
With the franchise approaching its 30th anniversary next month, it's clear that looking back PokemonHistory reveals a series that stuck to certain trends while taking significant risks elsewhere. Pokemon games are often criticized for playing it safe, usually being very similar from generation to generation. In an effort to break up the monotony and introduce a certain degree of difficulty Pokemon There are a number of rules that players have set themselves in order to run, and the Nuzlocke challenge is the most famous of these challenges.
30 years later I open Pokemon Red and I am convinced that the series has never been better than this one
Pokemon Red still works 30 years later not because of nostalgia, but because its simplicity and trust in players remain timeless.
24 years later, Nuzleaf's claim to fame is still the Nuzlocke Pokémon Challenge
Nuzleaf might not be the most memorable Gen 3 Pokemonas a Grass/Dark mid-stage type that doesn't really have any compelling game use. Except it's an exclusive version Pokémon RubyNuzleaf is not used by any major trainers in the Hoenn region and has staggering stats. However, the animal became a mascot for Pokemonthe most famous challenge that cements its legacy within the franchise in a way that Game Freak probably never intended.
Origins of Nuzlocke
The Nuzlocke Challenge was started in 2010 by college student Nick Franco who was looking for a more challenging way to play Pokémon Ruby. Franco then turned this challenge into a webcomic series chronicling his adventures using the rules he set himself. Franco used Nuzlocke as his moniker for this comic and included the character Nuzleaf drawn to look like John Locke from the popular TV show. Lostthus creating the portmanteau name “Nuzlocke” to which it was attributed Pokemon play using this set of rules.
What are the rules of the Nuzlocke Challenge
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Only catch the first Pokémon you encounter in a new area
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If a Pokemon passes out, it is considered dead and must be released
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Players have to nickname all their Pokemon to create more emotional bonds with them
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No soft resets or third party hacks
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No trading
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Completely wiping the party is game over and the run ends
With Nuzlockes, he intended to raise the emotional stakes and Pokemon the basic rules of the challenge must support this goal. Limiting the number of pokemon a player can catch to the first one they come across limits the team options available to them and forces them to come up with a winning strategy even if they get less desirable monies. Fainting Pokemon is usually trivial in the standard run, as the player can only use revives to bring them back, so adding the rule that they must release all fainted mons adds tension to any battle. While not every player chooses to nickname their team of creatures, Nuzlockes require players to bond more with their group, and nicknames help strengthen that bond.
There are also some optional rules that players can add to further increase the difficulty of Nuzlocke's run, such as banning the use of healing items in battle and putting a level cap on their party for each gym battle.
Variation of Nuzlocke
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Ironmon Challenge
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Wonderlock
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Seoul Link
In the years since Franco debuted Nuzlocke, other creators have developed variations on its rules to create their own type of challenge. Twitch streamer iateyourpie is credited with developing the Ironmon Challenge, which takes the Nuzlocke formula and throws it into a random Pokemon so that players cannot predict what creatures they will encounter or what attacks they will use. This formula has become popular among fan-mades Pokemon games, many of which include built-in Nuzlocke and randomizer modes.
Another variation of the Nuzlocke was developed during Pokemon X and Y days when the Wonder Trade feature was introduced. Wonderlockes take the basic rules of Nuzlocke, but require players to Wonder Trade (or Surprise Trade if playing in Gen 8 or later) any Pokémon they capture to a random other player, adding another layer of unpredictability to the run. Soul Link is a cooperative way of doing Nuzlocke, where two players play separate games, but the pokemon they catch in each area are “linked” and if one passes out, the other player must also release their linked mon.
How Nuzlocke changed the discourse surrounding difficulty in the Pokemon series
Pokemon generations have gotten simpler over time
The rise of Nuzlocke runs inside Pokemon community was largely a direct response to the drop in difficulty that the main games have seen in recent generations. Despite Pokemon games that were never known for their difficulty, the last few generations have especially softened the challenge and held the player's hand in more areas of the game. This decline explains why so many new iterations of Nuzlocke have evolved over the years; long-standing Pokemon fans have grown accustomed to the predictable mechanics of the series and want new ways to face off.
Some changes are modern Pokemon games that made the series more accessible to players actually made it harder for Nuzlocke runners to increase the difficulty. Pokemon Gen 7 introduced a chance for a creature to survive a move that would normally KO them if their friendship stat with the player is high enough, so games like Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee harder for Nuzlocke as it is easier for standard play.
The Pokémon Legends series is a step in the right direction for Pokémon difficulty
Although traditional Pokemon series such as Gen 9 Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare still fairly easy and use the same formula as most of the main line, the Pokemon legends the subseries has definitely become a destination for fans looking for more of a challenge. Pokemon Legends: ArceusThe introduction of free-roaming aggressive creatures like Alpha Pokémon that will attack the player on sight dramatically increases the tension of its gameplay. Similarly, Pokemon Legends: ZARogue Mega Evolution's battles may be some of the toughest in the entire series. While Pokemon legends games offer an increased difficulty that many fans lack, the rest of the main series Pokemon games have yet to accept Nuzlocke game challenge levels.
- Released
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October 16, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy violence, in-game purchases
