Vs HeartGold · v1.0.9 · checked 2026-11-09
Heartfelt Gold beside the original
Pokémon Heartfelt Gold is a patch on top of Pokémon HeartGold (USA), not a new cartridge. HeartGold is the 2009 Nintendo DS game from Game Freak. Japan got it on 12 September 2009. Other regions followed in March 2010. You still need that USA ROM before the xdelta will apply.
Differences I can source
| Topic | HeartGold | Heartfelt Gold | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Cartridge | xdelta on a USA dump | Wikipedia + readme |
| Starters | Johto trio | Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip with Mega stones | Features guide |
| Wild species in the guide | Not restated here | 911 | Wild guide |
| Static legendaries | The original script | 87 rows in the static guide | Static guide |
| Mega Evolution | Absent in 2009 | Engine switch on | config notes in the features guide |
| EXP All | Original Exp. Share | v1.0.5 bag toggle, half EXP to benched healthy allies | v1.0.5 notes |
| TMs | Consumed | Reusable; HMs can be forgotten | Features guide |
| National dex | Unlocked later | Available from the start | Features guide |
| Rematches | Original postgame | Separate rematch parties in the trainer guide | Trainer guide |
The trainer guide’s locations still run Violet, Azalea, Goldenrod, Ecruteak, Cianwood and Olivine, Mahogany, Blackthorn, the League, Kanto, and Mt. Silver. I treat the route skeleton as HeartGold’s. I do not have a current document that says the story order was rewritten.
A national species count for the 2009 game is not copied here, because the page I would cite returned an error during research. Sixteen badges are mentioned in the historical walkthrough as “all 16 badges,” and that file warns it predates the rename.
Questions people ask
Can I play Heartfelt Gold without HeartGold?
No. The patch needs a clean USA HeartGold ROM.
Is the map brand new?
The readme says maps were redesigned. The gym towns are still the HeartGold towns.
Does the original have Mega Evolution?
No. Mega Evolution is a Heartfelt Gold engine feature.
Sources
Checked against the linked public pages on 2026-11-09. Multiple documents from the same publisher count as one source; a single-publisher claim is identified as such.
- Wikipedia HeartGold — checked 2026-11-09
- Repository readme — checked 2026-11-09
- Features guide — checked 2026-11-09