Just as insiders had heavily teased, the rumors of a release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen onto the Nintendo Switch 2 have finally been confirmed. Quietly appearing on the Nintendo eShop were separate listings for both Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon LeafGreen, originally released for the Game Boy Advance. Support for Pokemon Home will be included in this digital re-release as well. Both games will launch on February 27, 2026. Each game will be priced at $19.99.

Celebrate 30 years of Pokémon™ with this Nintendo Switch™ version* of the Pokémon FireRed Version game originally released on the Game Boy™ Advance system! Explore the Kanto region, discover wild Pokémon around every corner, and aim to complete your Pokédex as you battle your way to success. Earn badges as you develop winning strategies to use against each experienced Gym Leader, and uncover amazing secrets in your quest to be the best Trainer.

This digital exclusive contains the Sevii islands, where even more Pokémon await. You can also visit the Pokémon Wireless Club to trade, battle, and chat with other players via local wireless**!

Support for Pokémon HOME is coming soon

You’ll be able to bring the Pokémon you catch and train to the place where all Pokémon gather—support for Pokémon HOME is coming to Pokémon FireRed Version!

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[M7L7NK7]

If LGPE had actual wild battles instead of that Pokemon Go BS it'd be good

 

[RetroNerdGamer]

I was referring to LGPE not having Sevii Islands, there - and thus how FRLG are still, to this day, the definitive Kanto games.

Ooh, I understand now. Thanks fer clarifying!

 

[plasma]

If LGPE had actual wild battles instead of that Pokemon Go BS it'd be good

its almost like lgpe was made to bring pokemon go fans into the main series. why would it have "actual wild battles"?

dont be stupid now.

 

[AkiraKurusu]

its almost like lgpe was made to bring pokemon go fans into the main series. why would it have "actual wild battles"?

dont be stupid now.

It was made to bring GO fans in...when it had fewer Pokémon available to use than GO had, even back then, so GO fans couldn't transfer in all of their caught Pokémon.
Yeah...how was that going to work? Not to mention how a significant proportion of the GO fanbase only liked the app because of the app-specific gimmicks (such as travelling to PokéStops and stuff) and because it was a mobile game, not a game-console game.

Completely overhauling key mechanics just to futilely aim at a separate audience was ridiculous, and it's clear why Game Freak never made a second "Let's Go"-type game afterwards.

 

[plasma]

It was made to bring GO fans in...when it had fewer Pokémon available to use than GO had, even back then, so GO fans couldn't transfer in all of their caught Pokémon.
Yeah...how was that going to work? Not to mention how a significant proportion of the GO fanbase only liked the app because of the app-specific gimmicks (such as travelling to PokéStops and stuff) and because it was a mobile game, not a game-console game.

Completely overhauling key mechanics just to futilely aim at a separate audience was ridiculous, and it's clear why Game Freak never made a second "Let's Go"-type game afterwards.

this doesnt change that it was made for pokeGO fans to try main series. you wrote a whole loada nothing.

 

[icegod]

Let's imagine you're in Quebec Canada and you prefer to play in English, but your brother prefers French.
There. Perfectly valid reason for someone wanting multiple languages.

You can get English Fire Red, he can get French Leaf Green. Problem solved. Or compromise.

Spoken like someone who has never needed accessibility before.

First of all, I'm handicapped, so don't start me about accessibility. Second, multiple languages have little to do with accessibility. You pick the language you need. Even modern Pokémon games lock in the language for each save, at the start of the game.

The criticism itself is understandable. On a system where the eShop can tell which language versions you already bought, the lack of a discount or other loyalty bonus stands out.

But some folks' attitude about it isn't helping.

It would have been a nice bonus, but in the end, they're just straight up roms. If you notice in the trailer, the copyright at the title screen still says "2004". But to me, it's just people complaining about details, and a very large majority will just pick the language they need.

people like you have "let people enjoy things"'d the gaming industry into what it is today. don't like lootboxes, day one DLCs, battle-passes, shitty pricing, or micro-transactions? just let people enjoy things! gamers are truly cattle and nintendo fans in particular are the most castrated amongst the herd

Those all would have been there anyhow. As long as people are willing to pay for it, those things will be there.

I rarely buy any DLC type on games. I don't buy games that have elements I do not support. But I don't go around bullying those who do. For one, it's not like they'll change their mind about it. You call gamers cattle and Nintendo fans castrated, you really think anyone reading that would agree with your point? No matter if they're valid or not. You're hurting your own cause that way.

Nintendo fans, for a large part, are easy gamers. Those not wanting to mess around with settings, just insert and play. Yes, most know you can just play your GBA, you can emulate it on hundreds of devices and so on. But a lot, just love having it readily available on their modern device.

So feel free to express any frustration you feel, make solid points about it, but don't go out and personally attack people for having their own.

 

[LusoPlayer]

I don't get your point - the Sevii Islands were good additional content, for FRLG; they weren't all that long, nor were they all that obtrusive. It was nice to visit places that weren't part of mainland Kanto.

I liked that they were, for the most part, optional. They shouldn't have been mandatory to access Mewtwo though.

 

[skawo]

You can get English Fire Red, he can get French Leaf Green.

Yep, and that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? To make you spend $40 instead. Glad we finally agree.

 

[supershadow64ds]

Second, multiple languages have little to do with accessibility. You pick the language you need.

Almost as if you need the game to be accessible or something.

 

[thekarter104]

Yes true. $20 each is ridiculous. If it was a whole collection, even if it was gen1, 2 + 3, it would be justified for the price.

 

[AlexMCS]

This should be $5 at most. At $20 it's broad daylight robbery, and you'd have to have a lot of free $ to burn, or be a huge fool to buy them.
Not even "supporting the devs" apply here, since the IP is doing well despite releasing terribly optimized games, to say the least.

I know people, myself included, have been wanting standalone releases outside of the NSO service, but not at this absurd price point.

 

[tofino]

40 bucks for 10 mb kek

 

[icegod]

Yep, and that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? To make you spend $40 instead. Glad we finally agree.

Pretty much the same issue as when the games came out, no? It's pretty much a non-issue for the large majority. Almost no families require different languages for one game.

Almost as if you need the game to be accessible or something.

I don't...? You pick the language you want, and play with that.


Again, you can have tons of remarks or complaints on these releases. The whole language debacle is really bottom of the list.

 

[skawo]

Pretty much the same issue as when the games came out, no?

No, because the "issue" back then was caused by ROM size limitations.

The "issue" now is caused by either laziness or greed, because again, they have the infrastructure to pull it off at little to no extra cost on their part.

 

[mrgone]

i am not really a pokemon fan, i played a littel crystal, emerald and violet.
but what will be interesting:
1. local trading, no nso required
2. if the rom is in the virtual fs, can we overlay it with a romhack ?

 

[Marc_LFD]

Bizarre that there's people defending this practice and even selling the game separately in different languages than one with multiple? Nintendo fanboys. Smh.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Remember when you could buy Nintendo's heaviest hitting titles for their current gen console for 20 bucks? I remember. I got Super Mario Sunshine for 20 bucks. Such a good deal. And now all we get is this.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Remember when you could buy Nintendo's heaviest hitting titles for their current gen console for 20 bucks? I remember. I got Super Mario Sunshine for 20 bucks. Such a good deal. And now all we get is this.

Yep, and not even a physical box admittedly with a code, no cart, but damn it looked nice!

 

[Xzi]

Remember when you could buy Nintendo's heaviest hitting titles for their current gen console for 20 bucks? I remember. I got Super Mario Sunshine for 20 bucks. Such a good deal. And now all we get is this.

Nintendo and Sony are only customer-friendly when they've fallen far behind the competition, unfortunately. Now that they both dominate their own market segments, things are looking bleak for console gaming.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Nintendo and Sony are only customer-friendly when they've fallen far behind the competition, unfortunately. Now that they both dominate their own market segments, things are looking bleak for console gaming.

And Xbox is essentially dead.

The One X was at least a very good gaming console for enhanced performance and backwards compatibility, but I'm not going to buy the Series X. Xbox is just doomed.