How do you make the games feel harder?

[Mythicalzoe]

In general without a nuzlocke challenge since that isnt hard its just frustrating since you have to use alot of weak mons then level grind which gets boring quickly to not faint.

 

[Fairy]

I sometimes like to play through a game without evolving anything. That's just another method of keeping your team weak. I also don't use items in any of the main battles, that way you kind of focus more on strategy and luck lol.

 

[Sohryu]

I use Set instead of Shift in the options. If you can change pokemons in battle, it'll be a lot less harder. That said, I also tend to save money and less grind, this alone make the game harder. One time, I've fought the E4 while my pokemons were betweens LV 48 and 43. Not so much items, no switching and being underleved does makes things a bit challenging! <3

 

[Tyrantrum]

Well to make the game feel harder I sometimes try and go with pokemon I never used before. I once went with Hypno for my psychic instead of Kadabra. That playthough was....interesting.

 

[wrv451nlp]

Set over shift, No item uses, No legendarys, Pre-evolved forms only.

If you really want to punish yourself limit pokecenter uses.

 

[Sethern]

Here are a few ideas I do. Don't use ledegendarys, you can do the magikarp challenge. Or try this it makes it a lot harder. After each gym battle release(or deposit) your best Pokemon until after you bra the game or forever. Tha way you are constantly learning how to do things and incorporating new Pokemon. Two more ideas. 1 use only 5 or a set amount of Pokemon the whole time. You can catch as many but deposit extra ones. Lastly (you can mix some ideas) try only using the first 5 you catch and a starter. Example catch a ratata and you have to use it. Only allowed 6 including starter.

Hope you like these could use them and helped.

 

[NoxUmbra]

One of the things I like to do (at least to make Gyms harder) is to use the same set number of Pokémon each Gym Leader uses instead of 6. It makes the Gym Battles feel more like Stadium battles and not quite as easy; especially if you turn SET on instead of SHIFT.

 

[Vikings]

-Monotype teams
-Only using types that are weak to whatever gym you're battling
-Every town you get to, you must box or release your team and catch an entire new one
-Run through the entire game only using your starter (Almost did this for BW but got bored after fifth gym)
-To make legendaries harder, only allow yourself to use Pokeballs
-Only use Pokemon with at least 4 weaknesses (and only with a 4x if possible)

 

[Miss Alexis]

Everytime I get a new Pokémon game, the first thing I do is Start, options, Pokémon Set. That way it wont ask me to switch after I defeat every pokemon :3 and it does make the game a tad harder, and faster too!

 

[Mew The Gato]

Um... handicapping yourself in any way in the game probably counts as a Scramble Challenge. And if you are looking to make one or do a run through with one, The Challenge Forum probably stands as a better place than just a new thread.

Personally, though, I usually do not reset my Pokemon Games, ever. However, during the run-through of Black 2, I made sure to use a team full of feline Pokemon. (I love cats.) And they actually were a force to be reckoned with!

 

[Ditto B1tch]

You can make the game feel hard by never using restore items in battles.

 

[LeasCelyn]

Personally, I set lots of goals and limitations. I make sure my Pokemon all have to reach a certain level in between gym leaders. I usually put the bar at five or ten levels depending on the ease of training and enemy level curves in the particular game I'm playing. I also only catch one new team member after each gym until I have six. It's actually nice in a way as well because it allows you to use Pokemon found later in the game. It doesn't just make things challenging and extend the gameplay significantly, it also makes them more interesting and it's a very easy way to get attached to your pixel monsters. ;P

That said, because the training system in BW is so robust, when I combined my strategy with Audino training I was easily pushing an average of 15 levels between gyms and by endgame I ended up with a level 100 Serperior and everything else in the 80's or 90's. So in a way it makes the game easier by allowing you to blow through major battles, but in another way it involves a ton of grinding and patience to get there.

 

[Puma Italia]

Sometimes I limit the amount of Potions/Revives I buy so that I don't have as much available to me. I've never done a Nuzlocke, those are a bit too crazy for my tastes.

 

[TrottingMinccino]

Well, i'd suggest a no evolutions run, keeping Exp share off throughout. Or maybe setting a level cap for each gym (e.g.: no pokemon can be above level 25 upon entering the 2nd gym). Or maybe making your pokemon hold 1 hold item thats not consumable througout the game?

 

[Serebii!]

Avoid using legends. Keep your Pokemon the same levels as Gym Leaders, don't be 5 levels higher and if they use 3 Pokemon I would often use 3. I rarely use a team of 6 Pokemon until I get to the Pokemon League, don't buy recovery items only use the ones you find or are given. I also like to constantly change my party using new Pokemon I catch so I don't become over powered

 

[Blood Red Absol]

I find that regularly replacing pokemon makes it a little harder, every time you catch something new, switch it out with one of the higher lvl pokes in your current team, this also is cool because it means that you get to try out a lot of new pokemon as well ^^

using pokemon you wouldn't normally use is another suggestion

 

[bobandbill]

I've done monotype runs. It's a neat challenge at times - try HGSS with only grass types, for instance. Bugsy'll help you... appreciate the challenge. =p

But I don't just try monotype runs just for the challenge, although it is enjoyable. I also do it as an excuse to try out Pokemon I don't normally use. After all, we have over 700 of the critters now - gotta try out some of them. Some have been pleasant surprises too! And some just gave me a good appreciation of how much they really suck. =p

 

[SoulMuse]

Gimmick runs. Using what amounts to a Gimmick team, for instance only using Eeveelutions, or something like that. Obviously you can make it a lot harder than that.

 

[ito]

I never use restore items in battle or outside gotta run back to the poke center. But this gen I leveled so fast that even that didn't matter

 

[Magmar150]

I never use power up items in battle. Also, when I'm facing a gym battle I don't pick Pokemon that will have super effective moves (sometimes it just turns out that I do but I don't use strategy really).

You could also not EV train.