Having an Action Replay is always a fun time. When it comes to the older Pokémon titles, it allows you to do things like walk through walls, access events and corrupt your save file by walking into the Union Room without talking to the attendant (was that too specific?). There are reasons to cheat, and there are reasons to not cheat. Today, we'll be going over five of each. Let's get right on into it.

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10 Should Use: Event Pokémon

Cheating with or without an Action Replay can give you the ability to access events that have been lost to time. If you pick these games up years after the fact, you're just locked out of some awesome story sections, and, of course, some of the best Pokémon in the game. There are lots to choose from, so  Go get yourself your stolen Arceus, you deserve it.

9 Shouldn't Use: Legitimate Pokémon

Then again, is that really an okay thing to do? Back in the day, you had to haul yourself over to GameStop if you wanted in on these events. The Arceus event was never even released. It seems a bit unfair that you could waltz right on in and take these Pokémon. It is a bit more upsetting considering the fact that you could end up using these Pokémon in a competitive sense. It's a lot better if you stick to offline play with them only.

8 Should Use: Not Affecting Others

As long as you aren't running around and using your cheats to affect other player's games, then it really isn't a problem. Who cares if you're stomping on Whitney's Miltank with a level 100 Igglybuff? As long as you aren't using said monstrous Igglybuff with the move Hyper Beam against other players, there are no problems. Go walk through walls, just make sure that you aren't affecting how others play their Pokémon games.

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7 Shouldn't Use: They Can Corrupt Your Game

You can cheat with or without the use of an Action Replay or Gameshark, but if you choose to use these devices, it can cause chaos. Entering codes on these devices can cause all sorts of harm, including completely destroying your game. That little Union Room event, it happened. Dawn came out of that room with literally no body, just her shadow. Couldn't even go downstairs. There were tears. If you're going to use those devices, be careful.

6 Should Use: HMs

HMs are no longer a part of Pokémon games, but they were straight trash when they were around. While Gen Four basically forced you to get a Bibarel to deal with them, they were present in every other generation up to Six. Using cheats to walk through walls is never a bad time. Why waste move slots on bad moves when you can just... not? Why push a boulder when you can just... phase through it? We love a ghost protagonist.

5 Shouldn't Use: Playing Them Like Everyone Else Did

Then again, games are certainly a product of their time, just as HMs as a mechanic are. As such, experiencing these games as they were intended to can often be the most fun ways to play them. Try the games out with HMs, no events, just experience them as they were intended by Game Freak. Sure, it might take a bit more time (and certainly patience) to beat the games like this, but in the end, it's worth more completing the game as it was once intended. Except for Gen Four. Nothing is worth Bibarel.

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4 Should Use: New Way To Experience The Games

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You're literally off the grid in Pokemon Sun and Moon.

If you've already played the Pokémon game that you're about to use cheats on, then more power to you. Why not experience a game in a new way? Cheating can allow you to use Pokémon that might be hard to catch, play the game out of order or make your Dunsparce fly because why not? Don't let that Lumiose construction man stop you, everyone else gets to walk right through, so do you. While it is always nice to play a game through the way it was intended the first time around, after that, there's no reason you shouldn't use cheats to switch up how playthrough number two will go.

3 Shouldn't Use: Developers Didn't Intend For This

Why ignore the hard work of the developers, though? Using cheats to modify the game in some way is totally ignoring how they would want their game to be played. Even the smallest of cheats is changing their vision to a degree. Common cheats to the Pokémon series such as the aforementioned walk through walls can completely ruin their vision for the game. Using cheats isn't some horrible sin or anything, but think about the developers of the game when you choose to use them... you sinner.

2 Should Use: Why Not?

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Honestly though, why not just go for it? Shiny Pokémon a bit too hard to catch for you? Why not have 800? Don't want to teach your Pokémon a bad move just to smash this rock? Walk straight through it. Want to get access to this rare, mythical Pokémon? Yeah you do, go get it! Using cheats simply isn't hurting anyone, and there's no reason to not use them. As long as you aren't using them competitively, it really isn't that big of a deal.

1 Shouldn't Use: Sense Of Pride

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But finally, one more little counterpoint to consider. Completing a game is a long process. It takes hours of work to do, and Pokémon games are no exception. It's hours of grinding, traveling, meeting new friends, why cheat your way through the pride you'll get beating the game? As we said earlier, follow the developers' vision. Play the game that they wanted you to play. While it's fine to use cheats after you've already romped through Kanto, Johto or wherever your journey is once, just think about the magic that you'll be missing out on if you choose to just cheat your way through it. Just something to put into consideration while you're thinking of turning that Action Replay on.

NEXT: 10 Features We Miss From Old Pokémon Games (That We Need In Sword & Shield)