Why You Should Nuzlocke Pokemon Gen 1 in 2025

A major part of the Pokemon community that has ballooned in popularity over the years is the existence of challenge runs, with the Nuzlocke being the most common. Pokemon Nuzlockes are a type of hardcore playthrough where players impose a set of restrictions on themselves to make the game more difficult, including limiting themselves to only capturing one critter per route and releasing any Pokemon that faints. While this ruleset can be used in nearly any mainline Pokemon game, there is a strong argument for undertaking a Gen 1 Nuzlocke in 2025.

Despite how nostalgic it is for many Pokemon fans, Gen 1 remains one of the series’ roughest to replay given that it was Game Freak’s first outing with this formula, and would be refined as the generations went on. As such, a Nuzlocke of Gen 1 in 2025 comes with a unique set of challenges that other generations don’t have, offering a potentially even more challenging experience for players looking to test their mettle. The bare-bones features of Pokemon Gen 1 leave these games as standout options for Nuzlocke runs in 2025.

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Pokemon Gen 1 Still Provides One of the Best Nuzlocke Challenges in 2025

Which Gen 1 Game Should You Nuzlocke?

While it may seem like Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow all offer similar Gen 1 experiences, there are some key differences that could affect which game players decide to Nuzlocke. Pokemon Blue Version has a total of 45 different encounter locations with 93 potential mons to collect, while Pokemon Red has the same number of encounter locations and only 92 potential mons to catch. Pokemon Yellow, on the other hand, has 94 potential mons to catch, giving it the most options for players to consider.

However, Pokemon Yellow has other limitations to consider, such as players being required to obtain Pikachu as their starter. Additionally, Yellow has more major boss battles to consider, with multiple battles against Jessie and James that don’t exist in Pokemon Red and Blue. While some players may want this additional challenge in their Nuzlockes, others may want to avoid it and stick to Red or Blue.

Gen 1’s Battle Mechanics Make Nuzlockes a Completely Different Experience

With the Gen 1 Pokemon games, battles can play out very differently compared to the rest of the franchise due to the way some mechanics are designed. For example, critical hits function very differently in this first generation and can be both a run-killer or a run-saver depending on the situation. Gen 1 crit damage follows a multiplier based on the attacker’s level, meaning higher-leveled mons deal more damage, and the crit chance is based on the attacking Pokemon’s speed stat, with faster mons having a greater chance of landing a crit.

Status moves function somewhat differently from the rest of the series as well, which can also be a blessing or a curse depending on how the player takes advantage of them. Sleep is a very useful status condition in Gen 1 since it can potentially last between 1 and 7 turns, with affected mons only having a 1/8 chance of waking up after the first turn—a much harsher status compared to Gen 2 onward that reduced the max number of turns a mon can stay asleep. Leech Seed and Toxic can also be a devastating combo since Leech Seed’s damage can be compounded by Toxic’s counter, meaning it will do increasing amounts of damage each turn like Toxic.

Butterfree is a surprisingly strong Pokemon to use in Gen 1 Nuzlockes since it can be obtained early and has access to both Sleep Powder and Psychic.

Psychic Types in Gen 1 Are the Biggest Roadblocks to a Nuzlocke

The elephant in the room anytime one is replaying a Gen 1 game is the sheer dominance Psychic types have. Due to a glitch in the games, Psychic types aren’t weak to Ghost like they are supposed to be, and Ghost-type moves instead have no effect on Psychic types, while the only damaging Bug-type moves to deal super-effective damage to Psychic types in Gen 1—Pin Missile and Twineedle—have incredibly low base power. This makes going up against Sabrina’s powerful team of Psychic types incredibly difficult, and a potential run-ender, but could be the type of challenge some Nuzlocke runners are looking for.

In Pokemon Yellow, Sabrina’s team is composed of a Level 50 Abra, a Level 50 Kadabra, and a Level 50 Alakazam, as opposed to her Red and Blue teams that feature a Level 38 Kadabra, a Level 37 Mr. Mime, a Level 38 Venomoth, and a Level 43 Alakazam.