Today I'm excited to share my interview with figyberries, solo developer of Pokemon Echo.
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I reached out during the demo launch last week to talk about what drives hundreds of unpaid development hours, legal risks and how modern tools are reshaping indie creation.

Lets dig in!

Nintendo now owns the legal right to summon creatures in video games—despite this mechanic existing since the 1980s.

Yet thousands of Pokemon fans continue building elaborate games they'll never be allowed to monetise. Major fan games like Pokemon Uranium achieved 1.5 million downloads before takedown, while new projects launch regularly despite Nintendo's 98% enforcement success rate. The community persists through legal gray areas, driven by creative passion rather than profit.

This paradox reveals something profound about creative passion versus corporate control in gaming.

While Nintendo's lawyers file patents on basic gameplay mechanics, creators work hundreds of unpaid hours creating experiences that often surpass official releases in innovation and polish.

The latest example: Pokemon Echo, a standalone fan game that recently gained media coverage from Gaming Bible for its professional presentation and unique exploration-focused design.

"I owe a lot to Pokemon," explains figyberries. "I picked up Pokemon Crystal as a 4-year old before I could even read, and my obsession with the franchise has led me to learn basically everything I use in my career now: English, illustration, digital art, web design, UI design, animation… it all leads back to Pokemon."

This isn't about money. It's about creative debt and artistic expression in a medium that shaped entire generations.

How fan development has evolved bears little resemblance to the ROM hacks of the early 2000s.

Modern creators jump from Game Boy's 160x144 pixels to 1080p+ graphics, while better tools increased completion rates from 8% to 25%. Pokemon Essentials, introduced in 2007, eliminated the need for assembly language programming that previously limited most projects to basic sprite swaps.

Today's creators can focus on design and storytelling rather than wrestling with technical implementation.

Echo exemplifies this evolution perfectly.

Described as "a solo, fan-made tribute that blends the franchise's familiar charm with modern storytelling influences, from The Legend of Zelda to Xenoblade Chronicles and Earthbound," the game seeks to engage seasoned players craving deeper narrative layers. Rather than rehashing the gym-badge formula, Echo emphasizes exploration through forgotten temples and ancient settlements—a clear nod to Zelda's influence on modern game design.

"I love the traditional Pokemon formula, but it's also been done to death," figyberries explains. "I didn't want to constrain myself by adhering to the expected format, so I just brainstormed. Whatever works in the context of the game is great."

His approach reflects broader trends. Where early ROM hacks required assembly language programming, tools like Pokemon Essentials now enable game creation with minimal coding knowledge. Yet figyberries argues that democratised tools alone don't guarantee success.

"I think expectations have always been unsustainable. Pokemon fans are notoriously critical," figyberries notes. "I think it's good that modern tools make some things more attainable, but tools are only as potent as the people using them. Someone's vision and perspective is ultimately more important."

Pokemon Echo's demo, released in September 2025, includes 4-5 hours of gameplay and maintains active community engagement through Discord and development forums.

For fan creators, patents represent a more existential threat than copyright takedowns.

Nintendo's U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397, granted September 2, 2025, covers summoning sub-characters and character combat—language broad enough to theoretically affect hundreds of existing games from Final Fantasy to Elden Ring. Patent attorney Kirk Sigmon called it an "embarrassing failure"—the USPTO reviewed just 16 prior patents for such broad claims. The 20-year enforcement window extends until 2043.

Unlike copyright claims that target specific assets, patents can eliminate entire gameplay concepts.

But figyberries maintains perspective despite understanding the risks.

"Of course getting a DMCA takedown wouldn't be something I would be happy about, but I think people blow the whole thing out of proportion. A copyright notice is just a company saying 'hey, this goes against our X, Y, and Z'. They're not formally litigating anyone or anything yet."

His strategic awareness comes from community experience. Nintendo's enforcement shows 98-100% success rates, with major projects facing takedown within 24-72 hours of gaining attention.

"Important difference to note: They tried to monetise their project, which seems to be the kiss of death in most cases," figyberries observes. "However, if it does happen, I can always reskin the project into a non-Pokemon game."

Pokemon players are aging alongside the franchise

Over 50% now above 18 years old, with many original Red/Blue players in their late 20s and 30s. This demographic shift creates tension for fan game dev between serving nostalgic adults and attracting younger audiences.

"The younger fans tend to not read and want everything to be faster," figyberries observes. "All I can say to those people is that this might not be the right game for them."

This generational split forces developers to choose between broad appeal and artistic vision. Echo chooses vision—a decision that aligns with broader success patterns. Quality comparisons often favour fan games over recent official releases, with Pokemon Scarlet/Violet receiving the lowest Metacritic scores in series history while fan games consistently earn praise for innovation.

"I don't think the game would have gotten the traction it did if Echo wasn't born out of personal creative satisfaction," figyberries explains. "I feel like the project has a point of view that does not always adhere to what the community wants or expects, and that that's part of what makes it interesting."

Major fan games may take anywhere from 5-14 years in development.

Pokemon Island took 14 years of solo work.

Pokemon Uranium was in development for nine years.

Projects like this represents millions of dollars in volunteer labor across programming, art, music composition, and writing.

When asked about his biggest development challenge, figyberries admits: "Well, I'm no coder, so doing the implementation of my UI redesigns has been my least favorite part. I do think having a unique user interface makes the visual direction of the game feel a lot more intentional, though."

This dedication exemplifies the ecosystem's core motivation: creative expression over financial gain.

"Beware of scope creep. It's tempting to want to keep adding things or refining things, but be realistic about what you can take on. You'll get burned out and abandon the project," figyberries advises aspiring creators. "Oh, and also: Be prepared to take things on alone. You're probably not in a position where you can financially compensate the people you work with, so there's really nothing stopping them from ghosting you."

Nintendo's agressive patent strategy might be counterproductive.

Community data shows sustained engagement despite legal challenges—over 120 active projects remain in development as of 2025, sustained by Reddit communities totaling 54,000+ members.

While projects might not seem to be going anywhere at the moment, the pipeline proves valuable—research shows 60% of surveyed indie developers credit ROM hacking or fan games as their entry point into professional development.

When asked about potentially working for Nintendo, figyberries responds: "Of course! It's always been my dream to become a professional game developer. Though they do say you should never turn your hobby into your job if you want to keep enjoying doing it."

Fan developers represent a massive talent pool that companies could harness rather than suppress. Christian Whitehead's career exemplifies successful transition from Sonic fan games to lead developer on critically acclaimed Sonic Mania.

Instead of filing patents on basic game mechanics, forward-thinking companies might consider how to channel fan creativity productively.

Closing thoughts

Nintendo's enforcement budget of $50-100 million annually across 40+ countries demonstrates serious IP protection commitment, but community resilience suggests the fundamental drive that creates these games won't stop.

The question isn't whether fans will stop creating.

It's whether companies will recognise the value they're generating and find ways to embrace it rather than destroy it.

As figyberries puts it: "If Nintendo wants to come after me for that, then that's their choice– but I really don't think they will."

For now, creators continue their work in legal gray areas, driven by creative passion that transcends monetary reward. Pokemon Echo stands as proof that some of gaming's most innovative experiences emerge not from corporate boardrooms, but from bedroom studios powered by pure artistic vision.

​Pokemon Echo demo is available free. Figyberries is currently working on the full game. Check out the Discord to join the community. The game represents a non-commercial fan project and is not affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokemon Company.