Not Heart and Soul 2.0
Pokémon SoulGold vs Heart & Soul
Hackdex states SoulGold is based on an unofficial expansion port of Heart and Soul and is not affiliated with official Heart and Soul 2.0.
The SoulGold README credits the HnS development team and smithk200’s port of most of Heart & Soul onto pokeemerald-expansion. That is lineage, not a claim that SoulGold is the official Heart and Soul 2.0 release.
If you want official HnS 2.0, use that project’s own channels. This domain documents rahtak’s Johto-focused SoulGold hack only.
What the relationship means
The shared lineage explains why some searches return both projects: SoulGold uses an expansion port and credits the HnS development work, but its identity, feature list, patch, and support path are separate. A reference to Heart & Soul in the README is therefore a credit and compatibility clue, not an affiliation claim.
Choose the correct source
| Question | Use this source |
|---|---|
| How do I patch and play SoulGold? | SoulGold download guide and Hackdex |
| What does SoulGold add to Johto? | SoulGold feature overview |
| How do I report a SoulGold bug? | Community and bug-report guide |
What SoulGold adds on top of the shared lineage
These features come from SoulGold’s own README and Hackdex listing, so they describe SoulGold specifically:
- An expanded, Johto-only map with new areas and biomes and a fresh tileset; no Kanto.
- Nine starters, plus new Mega Evolutions for Typhlosion, Meowscarada, and Primarina, and every Mega with type-generic stones.
- Hidden Grottos that reset daily, a 100+ trophy system with milestone rewards, and a Title Defense system for the Champion.
- Battle facilities from early on (the Factory after Gym 3), the Rocket Arcade, and boss legendaries that are guaranteed catches once beaten.
- Multiple abilities per Pokémon in the postgame (innates), built on pokeemerald-expansion.
For the version-by-version list, see the SoulGold changelog; the current version is v1.2.
Practical differences for players
| Topic | SoulGold |
|---|---|
| Where to download | Hackdex only (official FAQ); patch your own Emerald ROM |
| Bug reports | The SoulGold Discord or Eemeliri/soulgold GitHub Issues, not Heart & Soul channels |
| Documentation | eemeliri.github.io/soulgold; Heart & Soul data does not apply |
| Saves | A SoulGold save is for SoulGold; do not expect saves to move between different hacks |
| Shared assets | Some graphics come from Heart & Soul; v1.2 credits the HnS 2.0 team for regional surf sprites |
Third-party sites sometimes put both projects on one page and label pre-patched downloads with either name. The SoulGold FAQ treats every source other than Hackdex as unofficial and possibly out of date.
Read about SoulGold or the homepage for the feature list.