This page explains how PokeCoders creates, tests, and corrects what we publish. The short version: cheat codes marked Verified were entered and tested by hand by a named person on a real emulator. We never generate cheat codes with AI.
Who writes and tests content on PokeCoders
Three people handle the content on this site. All of them are named on the pages they work on.
Jeiboy — Owner and editor
Has run PokeCoders since 2014. Writes and updates the mainline Pokemon game cheat pages (FireRed, Emerald, Platinum, Black 2, and the rest), the emulator guides, and the troubleshooting articles. Answers reader comments on every page except the 3DS ones.
Celsos — Writer and content editor
Writes new articles and updates older ones to keep them accurate and useful as games, emulators, and cheat codes change. Also handles our Nintendo 3DS coverage: he collects and tests the cheat codes for 3DS Pokemon games, writes the guides that go with them, and answers reader comments on every 3DS cheat page.
Kimjun — Cheat code tester
Tests cheat codes on real emulators and keeps our internal test log. Writes and maintains the ROM hack cheat pages. If a code is marked Verified, it passed through his testing.
Every cheat page shows who wrote it. Where codes are Verified, the page also shows who tested them. We never put the brand name in a byline in place of a person’s name.
How do we test Pokemon cheat codes?
Every code in a Verified section is tested by hand before it goes live. A tester loads the exact game version on a named emulator, saves the game, enters the code, plays until the effect should appear, then records the result in our test log. Codes that fail do not get published as Verified.
The full process, step by step:
- Collect the code. Codes come from our own testing, reader submissions, and older code lists. We treat every code as unproven until it is tested — including codes that have been on this site for years.
- Match the code to the exact game version. A code for Pokemon Emerald (US) may not work on the EU version, and a code for a base game often breaks on a ROM hack built from it. We record the version we tested on.
- Save first. The tester loads the game on the emulator being tested and saves before turning any code on. Same advice we give readers.
- Enter and activate the code. The code goes in exactly as it will be published, including the master code where one is needed.
- Play until the effect should appear. A walk-through-walls code is checked by walking into a wall. A Rare Candy code is checked by opening the bag. A wild Pokemon modifier is checked in real grass. We do not assume a code worked because the emulator accepted it.
- Record the result. Every test ends in one of three results: works, works but has side effects, or does not work. Side effects — glitched Pokemon names, corrupted saves, frozen screens — get written into the page so you know before you use the code.
- Publish or hold. Only works and works with noted side effects go into a Verified section. Codes that fail are held back, or listed with a clear note that they do not work on that version, so you do not waste time trying them.
Which emulators do we test on?
We test on the emulator most of our readers use for that game first, then check others where the code format is different. Every cheat page names the emulator its codes were tested on.
| Emulator | Platform | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| My Boy | Android | GBA games and GBA ROM hacks |
| Pizza Boy | Android | GBA games and GBA ROM hacks |
| Delta | iOS | GBA, GBC, and DS games |
| Manic Emu | iOS | GBA, GBC, and DS games |
| Visual Boy Advance (VBA) | Windows | GBA and GBC games and ROM hacks |
| mGBA | Windows and Mac | GBA games and ROM hacks |
| DeSmuME | Windows and Mac | Nintendo DS games — our main DS emulator |
| melonDS | Windows and Mac | Nintendo DS games — used as a second check |
| Citra | Windows | Nintendo 3DS games |
How do we test 3DS cheat codes?
Nintendo 3DS cheats follow the same process as the rest of the site, but with one extra step, because 3DS games have more than one game version. Celsos collects and tests every 3DS code we publish as Verified.
The version issue catches out more readers than anything else. Pokemon X and Pokemon Y each have a v1.0 and a v1.5. A code that works on v1.5 will often do nothing at all on v1.0, and the reverse is also true. So we record the game version each code was tested on and show it on the page, the same way we do for ROM hacks.
We test 3DS codes on Citra. Azahar, the 3DS emulator most players are moving to, is built on Citra’s code and uses the same cheat system, so codes tested on Citra normally work on Azahar too. Where we have not tested on Azahar directly, we say so on the page instead of claiming it.
What does “Verified” mean on PokeCoders?
Verified means a named tester on our team entered that exact code on the emulator and game version listed on that page and confirmed the effect happened. It is not a guess, not a copy from another site, and not an AI answer.
The rule behind it is simple and we do not bend it: a code that has not been tested never appears in a Verified section. If we have not tested it yet, it goes under Community-shared or it stays off the page.
ROM Hack Cheats – Verified does not mean permanent. A code is only Verified for the game version it was tested on. ROM hacks get updated, emulators get updated, and a code that worked in one version can break in the next. That is why we date our tests and re-check. Always save your game before turning on any cheat.
Why did my cheats stop working after a ROM hack update?
Because the code was tested on an older version of the hack. When a ROM hack releases a new version, the developer moves data around inside the game. Cheat codes point at exact memory locations, so a code that worked in the old version can do nothing, do the wrong thing, or corrupt your save in the new one.
This applies to our Verified sections as well. A Verified code is verified for the version it was tested on, and nothing more. When a new version of a ROM hack lands, some of the codes on that page can stop working until we re-test them.
The version stamp. We are adding a line to every ROM hack cheat page showing the exact hack version the codes were tested on, who tested them, and when. Where you see it, check it against your own game before anything else. If the versions do not match, that is usually the reason a code failed — not the code itself.
Example of what the stamp looks like:
Codes verified for Pokemon Unbound v2.1.1.1 — tested by Kimjun on My Boy, 12 July 2026
What we do when a new version drops. We re-test in this order:
- Codes that readers have reported as broken. These always come first.
- Our most-read ROM hack cheat pages.
- Everything else, worked through in order.
We will be honest about the limit here. There are more ROM hacks than we can re-test on the day a new version lands. Rather than claim every page is current at all times, we tell you which version each page was tested on, and we fix reported codes first. If a page has not been re-tested for your version yet, the version stamp will show you that.
How you can help. If a ROM hack you play releases a new version, or a code on this site stopped working for you, leave a comment on that page. Reader reports go to the front of our testing queue, and they are the fastest way we find out a code has broken. We credit readers who report broken codes and readers who send us a working replacement.
What to include in a report:
- The ROM hack name and version (example: Unbound v2.1.1.1)
- The emulator you used (example: My Boy on Android)
- The exact code that failed
- What happened — nothing at all, the wrong result, the game froze, or the save broke
How do we handle community-shared codes?
Readers send us cheat codes all the time, and some of the best codes on this site came from players rather than from us. A shared code is never published on one person’s word alone. Here is what happens to it.
- We ask other players to try it. When a reader posts a code in the comments, we ask other players to reply and say whether it worked for them.
- One confirmation gets it published. Once at least one other player confirms the code worked, we add it to the Community-shared section of that page. We credit the reader who sent it, using the name they commented under.
- We test it ourselves when we can. Jeiboy often runs the code himself. If it works, the code moves up into the Verified section and the credit stays with it — for example: “Shared by Michael R, tested by Jeiboy on My Boy, 12 July 2026.”
So the two labels are not about where a code came from. They are about who confirmed it.
| Verified | Community-shared | |
|---|---|---|
| Who confirmed it | Someone on our team, by hand | At least one other player who tried it |
| What we record | Tester name, emulator, game version, test date | Who shared it, and that another player confirmed it |
| How sure we are | High. We ran it ourselves. | Worth trying, but not confirmed by us. |
We will not pretend the two are equal. Player confirmation is a real check, and it is more than most cheat sites do, but we cannot see the other player’s setup and we are taking their word for it. A Verified code has been through our hands. A Community-shared code has been through another player’s. Both are worth trying. Only one has our name on it.
If you try a Community-shared code, tell us in the comments whether it worked. That is what moves a code up into the Verified section — and it is why the codes on this site get better over time.
Do we use AI to write cheat codes?
No. We do not generate, guess, complete, or “clean up” cheat codes with AI — ever.
A cheat code is a string of characters that has to be exactly right. One wrong character can do nothing, or it can corrupt your save file. AI tools produce codes that look correct and are not, and there is no way to spot the difference except by testing them on the actual game.
Where we do use AI: research, outlining, grammar checks, image alt text, and social media posts. Every published word is reviewed by a person. Every published code is tested by a person.
How often do we re-check cheat codes?
We re-check when something changes, rather than on a fixed calendar:
- A reader reports a code as broken
- The ROM hack releases a new version
- An emulator ships a major update that changes how cheats are handled
- The page comes up in our scheduled review, highest-traffic cheat pages first
When a ROM hack releases a new version, we work through the affected pages in a set order: reader-reported codes first, then our most-read hack pages, then the rest.
The Last updated date on a page moves when we actually change the content or re-test the codes. We do not bump dates to make a page look fresh.
What happens when a cheat code stops working?
Most broken codes are found by readers before we find them ourselves. Here is what happens after a report comes in:
- We try to reproduce it on the emulator and game version that was reported.
- If it fails, we remove it from the Verified section, replace it with a working version, or mark it clearly as broken on that version.
- We reply to the reader who reported it and note the change on the page.
How do we handle corrections?
Small edits — spelling, formatting, broken links — are made without a note. Anything that changes meaning is different: a corrected code, a changed instruction, a removed recommendation. Those are noted on the page and the Last updated date moves.
We do not quietly delete a mistake. If we got something wrong, the page says what changed.
To report a broken code, leave a comment on the page it appears on. That is the channel we watch for code reports, and it keeps the report attached to the page it belongs to. Comments on 3DS cheat pages are answered by Celsos. Everything else is answered by Jeiboy. You will always get a reply from a person, under their own name.
For anything else — a factual error in an article, a takedown request, or a business question — use our contact form.
What we do not do
- We do not generate cheat codes with AI.
- We do not put untested codes in Verified sections.
- We do not change the Last updated date unless the content actually changed.
- We do not host, sell, or share ROM files. We share patch files and guides only.
- We do not accept payment to place a ROM hack in a ranking or a “best of” list.
Advertising and affiliate disclosure
PokeCoders is free to read and is paid for by display advertising and affiliate links. We take part in the Amazon Associates program and other affiliate programs, which means we may earn a commission if you buy something through a link on this site. It costs you nothing extra.
Advertisers and affiliate partners have no say in which ROM hacks we recommend, which codes we publish, or how we rank anything.
Opinions, reviews, and rankings
Our ROM hack recommendations and rankings are opinions, formed by playing the games. Where an article is an opinion piece or a personal ranking, we say so on the page. Opinions belong to the writer, not to PokeCoders as a whole.
Who runs PokeCoders
PokeCoders (pokemoncoders.com) has been published since 2014 by Jeiboy. You can reach us through the contact page or in the comments on any article.
Pokemon is a trademark of The Pokemon Company. PokeCoders is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokemon Company.
Last updated: July 24, 2026