With so many gaming anniversaries happening this year, it is easy to lose track of the comings and goings. Nintendo is still in celebration mode for Super Mario Bros’ 40th anniversary, while Pokémon has just hit the major milestone of 30 years since its original 1996 Japanese release. Juggling these birthdays is one reason why the big four-oh for The Legend of Zelda may have been overlooked for the time being (fingers crossed there is more on that later in the year).
Right now, it is all about Pokémon, with brand-new entries in the monster capturing series in the form of Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves having just been announced, alongside re-releases of a couple of fan-favourite titles. Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen were 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes of the original two Game Boy games that kickstarted a global franchise: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (the latter released outside of Japan as Pokémon Blue).
It is the GBA iterations that Nintendo has opted to bring back as fully purchasable games on Nintendo eShop – a surprise when considering Nintendo has gone the unfortunate route of a subscription-based model to allow players to access its vast catalogue of retro games during the Switch years. While priced a little heftily at £16.99/$19.99 each, it is extremely welcome to see ports of classic games available to buy on a Nintendo console again and is hopefully the beginning of more to come (whenever the champagne is brought out for Zelda, a few Hyrulean adventures from yesteryear would be nice…).
In reviewing Pokémon FireRed, it appears that this is quite a barebones port at first glance. There are no screen ratio, filter, or resolution options, with the game booting right up into a full screen size that looks a little too large to begin with. The resolution seems to have had work put into it, though; even on the Nintendo Switch 2 screen, where Switch games tend to appear washed out, everything looks bright, colourful, and crisp. The lack of settings is initially disappointing, but after quickly adapting, the immovable screen setup presents itself extremely well.
For someone that pretty much stopped playing the series after Pokémon Gold, it is a real nostalgia trip to go back in time and re-experience a huge part of the childhood. Pokémon Red was where it started on a personal level, and the FireRed version feels essentially how it was remembered back in the day – except with the visual upgrades and stylings of later games, such as Ruby and Sapphire.
Compared to some of the handheld graphical marvels from that same time period, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, it would be fair to have expected more from FireRed in that respect, particularly since Pokémon movement and expression is almost non-existent within battle scenarios, feeling a little lifeless as a result – but simple seems to have been the way for the series for most of its existence.
It takes a little adjusting to at first; four-way directional movement, dialogue that is wished could be skipped over quicker, and a delayed feeling to the menus and interactive elements that are actively required to be used. Movement can be gotten used to, particularly once the running shoes and bicycle are obtained, but there are more than a couple of areas that are felt could have benefitted from tweaks to provide a slightly smoother experience, such as a fast-forward function.
The core experience remains the same, and this is why no matter what the game, Pokémon will always endure. Choosing to play as a young girl or boy, the premise is a familiar one as the player sets off on an adventure to capture wild little critters, aiming to become the best Pokémon trainer in the land. Travelling to different cities across Kanto, players must build and train a team of Pokémon strong enough to defeat the gym leaders of each area, before taking on the Elite Four, the best of the best when it comes to raisers of Pocket Monsters.
Along the way, the dastardly Team Rocket and their shameful schemes must be stopped, while the main character must contend with a rival trainer also aiming for the top, acting as tests of strength when pivotal points in the adventure come around. These moments serve to remind you that levelling up your Pokémon is a must.
The creatures will learn new moves at certain stages, while they can evolve into stronger versions down the line. The different elements attributed to each of the little guys means consideration must be given to which ones are brought into the main team, switching them around during battle to take advantage of the weaknesses of the opposing Pokémon.
Charmander’s Ember attack is super effective against the grass-based Weedle, while Pikachu’s thunder moves won’t work against rock type Pokémon like Geodude. It is a simple-to-understand concept that won’t prove overwhelming for kids, while still proving to be incredibly addictive for players of all ages.
Much of what is compelling is attempting to catch every possible Pokémon in the game. With each unexplored area reached, new monsters will be lurking around, waiting to be fought and crammed into a Poké Ball. Within forests and caves, and along seasides and mountain paths, critters of all types inhabit every nook and cranny of Kanto, with ultimate joy resting on capturing rare Pokémon that prove to be tougher to get a hold of.
It is, however, a little misleading to say all 151 original Pokémon can be caught. Without trading between FireRed’s opposite version, LeafGreen, it is impossible to “catch ‘em all”. Local wireless swapping with someone that owns another game is thankfully present, but the lack of online trading does somewhat feel like a missed opportunity. Compatibility with Pokémon Home is planned in a future update, so it may be easier to fill out the Pokédex once that rolls around, but until then, players will be relying on friends and family to trade nearby.
Indicating this is slightly more than a simple port, though, is the neat inclusion of special event tickets that are granted once the Elite Four has been defeated. By giving these out without having to worry about the old format’s methods of obtaining them, the Nintendo Switch version easily allows for the travelling to the resting locations of legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh and Lugia in the Sevii Islands archipelago.
Fans of Pokémon Gold and Silver will be keen to get their hands on those recognisable creatures, while Deoxys is also lurking in this part of the world. For those that enjoyed the original games but never played the Game Boy Advance remakes, these new areas pleasantly extend the quest, delivering even more creatures to capture and fill out that Pokémon encyclopaedia.
Even if catching ‘em all isn’t the goal, as a game designed for portable play, Pokémon FireRed is the perfect Nintendo Switch RPG. The short sections of exploration between each city make the desire to pick up and play for 20 minutes here and there, capturing a few Pokémon and levelling up your team, very appealing. Such is the way, though; it is so easy to slip from a quick session to a couple of hours, as the urge to see which undiscovered Pokémon lie in wait in the next area becomes too much to ignore.
Sadly, there is no leeway presented in the shape of save states; players will need to rely on the original method of saving and be extremely careful in how they manage their thumbs. The X and Y buttons act as shortcuts for Start and Select, and some older fans will remember that the game could be reset when pressing the A, B, Start and Select buttons. With all of those now assigned to the four face buttons, it is easily done to accidentally reset the game with a slip of the thumb, undoing potentially hours of progress if not saving often.
Although buttons can be reassigned in the Switch system menu, it is an incredible oversight to default Pokémon FireRed in such a way. The Minus button also acts as the Select button, but when playing with the Joy-Con, it is one of the most frustrating things to be trying to hit that thin little line of a button tucked away behind the analogue stick. Button customisation is almost a necessity for this game.
