Something that I really appreciate in a Pokémon hack is how different it is from the original.  I've played the original Pokémon games through a hundred times before, so playing a hack that's really the same game with a few changes isn't very exciting.  Pokémon Fuligin, despite beginning innocently and typically to a regular Pokémon game, sets itself apart early as a completely different kind of Pokémon story-driven adventure game.

   This game is rated mature, and with very good reason.  Language is harsh, jokes are on adult topics, and the actual storyline is much, much darker than a standard Pokémon game.  Provided that the player is a mature person, however, this should not be a problem, as the dialogue never becomes offensive or (exceptionally) disturbing.  You will, however, experience a few "What did I just read?" moments after speaking to the NPC's.

   Speaking of which, talk to all the NPC's!  As mentioned in the title, this game is extremely thorough.  Nearly all the NPC's walking around town have rewritten dialogues which actually fit into the context of the game.  Also, a lot of it is really just funny.  The plot-centric characters also have appropriate new things to say, which really helps to complete and add to the story of the game.

   The story is very well executed.  Early in the game, when it still feels like a regular, innocent Pokémon game, you get little hints to the real plot.  The plot escalates from these hints, keeping you interested and giving you reasons to keep exploring the world.  As I said earlier, this game is story-driven, which is really spectacular.  Instead of simply wandering around the region with a vague idea of what you're doing, NPC's will actually give you reasons to go places.  This is best shown at the very beginning of the game, when, after you receive your first Pokémon, instead of just telling you to go into the world and do whatever, the Professor actually sends you out on a mission.  Already, the game has more purpose than most Pokémon games.  Another awesome thing is that you receive the majority of the HM's through the plot, so it's almost impossible to miss them and still continue with the game.

   Even better, in the occasions when an NPC hasn't told you what you're supposed to be doing, there are always clear roadblocks that prevent you from going farther than you need to, thereby forcing you to stay where you are or check out the available areas.  The game is always pushing you in the right direction.  The plot itself will sometimes bring you to a new area, and many transitions are very clever and make good use of the world.  The actual region is intelligently designed, and travel between towns is smooth and simple.  In one instance, the next town you need to explore is on the other side of one of the first towns you visit, and the map naturally leads you back there when you explore a newly opened route.  The majority of the confusion from not knowing where to be next is almost completely eliminated.

   The new region itself is beautifully created, with lovely landscaped routes and well laid-out towns.  Using data from both Kanto and the Sevii Islands results in an enormous map, and the towns exhibit many clever uses of their existing programming.  (My all-time favorite is what the S.S. Anne turned in to.)  The Pokémon found in each route, taken from Gen. I-III, are appropriate to their location.  Besides things like an abundance of water Pokémon in swampy areas and grass Pokémon in meadows, the Pokémon you find early in the game will be low-level, weak Pokémon you'd expect to find.  Many hacks try to "mix it up" by allowing the player to catch more powerful or evolved Pokémon early game, but from the region's standpoint, this doesn't always make a lot of sense.  Don't think, though, that this game forces you to catch bugs and weak normal-types only early on.  The Pokémon are all strength-appropriate for the region, but most of them evolve into strong Pokémon, and the spectrum of types you can catch early-game is more balanced than usual.  Finally, the region makes excellent use of weather.  Many routes have weather conditions that are appropriate to the landscape, as well as others that add to the atmosphere of the game.

   At the end of this glowing review, I must discuss my few complaints.  With a story so interesting and separated from the standard Pokémon plot, I began to wonder why I still bothered collecting badges.  Of course I needed some badges to use HM's, but in the context of the story, I wasn't entirely sure why I still needed to get all 8 badges and defeat the Elite Four.  Also, after all the climatic buildup in the main storyline, the end of the game falls flat.  The major threat is left unresolved.  After beating the Elite Four, the credits roll, and you find yourself back in your house with no direction, something the rest of the game did so well.  It's entirely up to you to scour the map and fully wrap-up the story, and in the end, the game didn't really climax I felt no real closure or sense that I had truly finished the game.

   And yet, as disappointed as I was, I thought back to how much fun I'd had playing the game.  It was difficult in some parts, so I never felt like I was breezing through the game.  The game drove me to complete it, and not once did I ever feel myself losing interest.  Whether or not you are dissatisfied with the ending of Pokémon Fuligin, I can assure you that you'll really enjoy the rest of the game leading up to it.