About

**Pokémon Essentials** (also known as **Essentials** or the **Pokémon Starter Kit**) is, quite simply, a heavily modified RPG Maker XP game project. These modifications cause the game to look and behave like a Pokémon game.

Essentials was developed by numerous people, most notably Flameguru, Poccil and Maruno. As of 10th July 2011, Maruno is the lead developer and coordinator. As of version 19 (27th April 2021), it got rid of RMXP's RGSS code library and instead uses mkxp-z by Roza (based on mkxp by Ancurio).

Creating a fangame using Essentials is simply a matter of buying RPG Maker XP, downloading a copy of Essentials and then modifying it further to include the content you want (e.g. maps, characters). Unfortunately, this wiki cannot provide any download links.

## About this wiki

This wiki serves as documentation for the features that exist in Essentials. It is always under construction. Please be patient if it lacks something you want to know.

Note that this wiki assumes that the user (you) already knows how to effectively use RPG Maker XP. As such, it does not repeat the kind of information that you could find in any RMXP guides online.

You are free to edit this wiki and contribute knowledge.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where can I get RPG Maker XP?

You can download a 30 day free trial of RPG Maker XP from the RPG Maker website. You can also buy it from the Degica Shop or Steam (it is frequently on sale for just a few dollars).

### Where can I download Essentials?

This wiki cannot provide download links. It has previously been deleted for doing so, due to the download containing graphics and audio from official Pokémon games (despite them being readily available online).

### Where can I find resources?

This wiki is not a repository of game creation resources such as graphics, music and code. You can find those things online if you search around a little.

### When will the next version of Essentials come out?

When it's done.

Don't bother asking about it, either. Either a release date exists (in which case, you'll be able to find it without asking), or a release date doesn't exist (in which case, a date isn't magically going to appear just because you asked). Asking is pointless.

### I'm using an old version of Essentials and...

Old versions of Essentials are not supported, for obvious reasons. If you're having problems with something, see if it's fixed in a newer version of Essentials and consider upgrading (it's not as difficult as you might think).

This wiki will only contain information relevant to the latest version of Essentials. If, say, a data file is significantly altered in a new version, only its new format will be documented.

### Will Essentials be ported to another engine?

There are no plans to port Essentials to any other engine or programming language. To do so is akin to creating a new Pokémon game engine from scratch, which is a whole lot of work. Besides, Essentials fills its niche well (being an entry-level Pokémon game creator with simple 2D graphics), and a new Pokémon engine would benefit from targeting a different niche (e.g. 3D graphics or advanced functionality).

If someone creates a new Pokémon game engine, that's great. If they want to associate it with Essentials, they are welcome to get in touch to discuss details.

### Can I make a non-Pokémon game using Essentials?

By all means. Obviously Essentials is best suited to creating Pokémon fangames, but there is absolutely no rule against doing something different with it. You can create what you want.

### Can I make money off Essentials?

This question generally refers to original games created using Essentials, which the authors then want to monetise in some way to generate profit. However, there are other ways in which Essentials could be used to generate money. Can any of these be done?

The short answer is: **no**.

Pokémon Essentials was/is created with the sole intent of being absolutely free to use. This means that developers do not have to "buy" Essentials in order to use it, nor should anyone have to pay money to access or play any game created with Essentials (not even to purchase "perks" or other premium content in an otherwise free-to-play game, and not even to pay for server costs or maintenance or subscriptions, etc.). Optional payments (e.g. "donate to the developers") also fall into this category, as they would still be a source of income even if they were voluntary. Monetised Internet links, such as those provided by url shorteners, are also not allowed. To earn money in any way from a game made with Essentials is unacceptable.

If you are creating your own game by yourself (i.e. not using Essentials) and you wish to include some part of Essentials in your game (e.g. a particular mini-game), then you should ask the creator of the wanted feature/asset for permission. They may consent, they may not, they may want to be paid for it - it's up to that creator. The fact that the feature/asset is distributed in the free Pokémon Essentials is NOT permission to use it however you like.

The long answer, therefore, is: **no** if you want to use the whole of Essentials, and **ask permission** if you want to use just part of it.

### Are Pokémon fangames legal?

Pokémon fangames are not legal. Pokémon is an intellectual property which you do not own and have no permission to use.

If you make a Pokémon fangame, legal action can be taken against you if it gets noticed by Nintendo's lawyers. This action will generally not escalate beyond them issuing a takedown notice (removing a download/website/forum associated with your game) or a Cease & Desist notice (forcing you to stop working on/associating with your game). Developers affected by these actions in the past have always complied, as they cannot justify their game's existence (and couldn't face off against Nintendo's lawyers if they tried).

Of course, people make Pokémon fangames anyway. This wiki neither condones nor condemns that. It will not host or advertise any fangames, and will stay away from them.