Summary

  • Nintendo has confirmed that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Switch and Switch 2.
  • Both releases are identical to the Game Boy Advance remakes — they feature the same pixel art and no extra features.
  • The games are not part of Switch Online’s GBA library and are sold standalone for $20 each.

After weeks of rumors, Nintendo has finally confirmed that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to the Switch and Switch 2, just ahead of The Pokémon Company's 30th anniversary Pokémon stream on February 27th.

The Game Boy Advance remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue, released back in 2004, are widely regarded as some of the best titles in the long-running Pocket Monster catching series.

While it might seem a little odd that the Japanese gaming giant didn't drop Pokémon Red and Blue, the classic Game Boy versions of both games, it actually makes a lot of sense. At this point, neither game looks great by modern standards, while FireRed and LeafGreen's stunning pixel art has aged remarkably well. In an FAQ, Nintendo explained that it wanted to give fans the "ultimate versions of the original Pokémon adventures in the Kanto region."

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Neither game is part of Nintendo's Switch Online + Expansion Pak

It's possible the titles could hit the subscription service in the future

Credit: Nintendo

There are no additions to either title, and both games look and play exactly as they did on the Game Boy Advance, just now on a bigger, better-looking screen. The Switch 2 version of FireRed and LeafGreen supports GameChat, but otherwise it's identical to the original Switch version.

In a move that's a bit surprising, FireRed and LeafGreen aren't part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak's GBA library. Instead, the games are sold as standalone titles for $20 on the eShop. This means that at least at launch, neither title is available as part of Nintendo's Switch Online subscription, which costs $49.99 a year.

It's been a long time since I've visited the Kanto region, so I'm actually interested in diving back into FireRed and LeafGreen (I spent a lot of time playing Pokémon Red and Blue as a kid), though it's undeniably disappointing that the games aren't part of Nintendo's Switch Online + Expansion Pak subscription.

In other Nintendo Switch-related news, despite stating that the Switch 2 will not be hit with a price increase despite the ongoing memory crisis, it looks like one is likely coming very soon.

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