In the world of Pokémon Fire Red, capturing legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo, Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres is one of the ultimate goals for many players. These rare creatures often require careful planning, strategic battling, and a bit of luck. But what if you’re curious about shortcuts? Many players, whether for curiosity, experimentation, or nostalgia, ask the same question: how do you cheat in Pokémon Fire Red to get legendary Pokémon?
While cheating isn’t endorsed in official gameplay, it has always been a part of the broader Pokémon culture—especially for older games like Fire Red. Whether you’re revisiting the Game Boy Advance classic or emulating it on a PC, there are several ways players have “bent the rules” to catch legendaries. These range from using cheat codes, exploiting in-game glitches, to using third-party software. Let’s explore them in depth.
1. Why Players Use Cheats in Fire Red
Pokémon Fire Red, a remake of the original Pokémon Red, remains one of the most played entries in the franchise. With its refined mechanics, updated graphics, and extended endgame content like the Sevii Islands, the game still has a massive following. But some legendaries, especially event-exclusive ones like Mew and Deoxys, were never legitimately available to many players unless they attended real-world Nintendo events.
Because of these limitations, cheating became a workaround for completionists. It allowed them to experience the full Pokédex, test team combinations, or simply have fun commanding creatures that were otherwise unobtainable in regular play.
2. Gameshark and CodeBreaker: The Classic Cheat Devices
One of the most common methods of cheating in Fire Red was through external devices like the Gameshark or CodeBreaker. These devices allowed players to input hexadecimal codes that modify the behavior of the game.
To catch a specific legendary Pokémon, players would first input a master code to enable cheat functionality. After that, they’d input the specific code for the Pokémon they desired. For instance, entering a specific code could make Mew appear in the wild instead of a Rattata.
The process generally involved:
- Turning on the master code to enable cheat input.
- Entering a wild Pokémon modifier code corresponding to the Pokédex number of the legendary you wanted.
- Walking in tall grass or surfing in water to trigger a random encounter with the chosen legendary.
With the right code, you could find yourself facing Lugia, Ho-Oh, or Celebi—Pokémon that weren’t even intended to appear in Fire Red without a trade from other versions.
It’s important to note that the use of cheats could lead to graphical glitches, freezing, or corrupted save files if misused. Players were always encouraged to back up their game progress before experimenting.
3. Glitches and Exploits: No Devices Needed
Not all cheats require devices. In some cases, the game itself contains exploitable glitches that allow players to access areas or encounter Pokémon that would normally be out of reach.
For instance, there’s a known walk-through-walls cheat enabled by specific combinations of movement and item use, often performed on emulators or with cheat code assistance. Once activated, this glitch allows players to bypass barriers, access event-only locations like Birth Island (where Deoxys resides), or even reach unfinished or unused maps.
Other exploits involve manipulating the game’s memory and triggering unexpected behaviors by performing specific actions in sequence—such as flying from a certain town after initiating a battle or using an Escape Rope in a unique way.
These glitches, while fascinating, can be difficult to reproduce consistently and often depend on the specific game version or emulator behavior. Still, for many fans, experimenting with these anomalies is a big part of the fun.
4. Emulator Cheats: Playing with Power on PC
With the rise of emulators like VisualBoyAdvance (VBA), players gained even more control over their Pokémon experience. Emulators made it possible to input cheat codes directly into the software, often more reliably than with physical devices.
The process typically involves:
- Opening the emulator’s cheat menu.
- Selecting “Gameshark” or “CodeBreaker” input depending on the code format.
- Inserting both the master code and the desired Pokémon modifier code.
- Activating the cheat and walking into a wild encounter zone to see it work.
Emulators also made it easier to save before cheating and revert in case of crashes. Some even allow for advanced memory editing and scripting, opening the door to custom ROM hacks where legendary Pokémon can be caught naturally.
Many fan-made versions of Fire Red now include access to all legendaries through normal in-game quests, rendering cheating unnecessary—but for those using the original ROM, cheats are still a practical route.
5. Save File Editing and PokeGen
For players seeking ultimate control, software like PokeGen and A-Save allows direct editing of Fire Red save files. These programs can be used to:
- Add any legendary Pokémon to your team or PC boxes.
- Modify stats, abilities, and even shiny status.
- Change locations, badges, items, and more.
This method doesn’t involve playing the game per se, but rather modifying its saved state to reflect whatever you desire. If you want to start the game with a level 100 Rayquaza holding a Master Ball, you can.
Save file editors are particularly popular among speedrunners, challenge-run creators, and YouTubers who need specific setups to showcase content.
6. The Ethical Debate: Should You Cheat?
While the technical “how” of cheating in Fire Red is fairly straightforward, the ethical question is more nuanced. Should you cheat to catch legendary Pokémon?
For some purists, using cheats undermines the spirit of the game and removes the challenge. But for others—especially those revisiting the game years after its prime or unable to attend events—cheats offer a way to explore content they never had access to. In a single-player game, how one plays is entirely up to personal preference.
It’s also worth noting that many Pokémon fans use cheats not for unfair advantage, but to experience the full story, access missing content, or simply to have fun with alternate scenarios that were never officially implemented.
7. Potential Consequences and Warnings
Cheating can have side effects. On real hardware, it may damage save data or render cartridges unstable. On emulators, improperly formatted codes might cause freezing or graphical corruption.
Additionally, Pokémon obtained through cheats are often flagged as illegal in later generations if you try to transfer them through official systems like Pokémon Bank. If you plan to move your Pokémon into newer games, it’s safer to catch them legitimately.
Nonetheless, for casual playthroughs, fan projects, or experimentation, cheating is an accessible and widely-used part of the Fire Red experience.
A Personal Choice in a Classic Game
Cheating in Pokémon Fire Red to catch legendary Pokémon is something many players have explored, especially those revisiting the game after decades or trying to build their dream team. Whether it’s through Gameshark codes, emulator cheats, or save editors, there are plenty of ways to bend the rules and unlock rare creatures.
As with any form of game modification, it’s important to understand the risks, respect the original work, and above all, enjoy the journey. Pokémon Fire Red remains a classic, and whether you play it traditionally or with a few cheats for fun, the adventure through Kanto continues to be a nostalgic and rewarding experience.
