The world of Pokémon games has evolved over the last three decades, with tweaks, changes and quirky experiments galore. Nine (soon to be ten) distinct eras, or generations later, and Pokémon continues to thrive as the current number one media franchise out there. Number one by a country mile, too.
Each new wave of collectable critters since 1996 introduced a range of mechanics to keep things fresh, complimented by spin-off ideas to expand on what defines a Pokémon game. From taking photos of the critters in Pokémon Snap to city-bound real time battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the series continues to thrive. Whilst Pokémon Pokopia, released in conjunction with the franchise’s 30th anniversary, is a fresh take on the original era, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are the root of the Pokémon formula.
Originally released in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance, these games were remakes of the original 1996 Game Boy games – Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (Blue for overseas). Bustling full of colour, reworked sprites and more modern tweaks, the pair became the definitive way to experience the early generation of monster catching. With Nintendo releasing both Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Nintendo Switch, do these games still shine bright, or is nostalgia doing the heavy lifting?
Unlike efforts to jazz up the games like Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, these games are very much straight ports of the 2004 games. They’re very much playable handheld once more on a modern, sharper screen or up on the big screen. And straight ports they very much are. There’s little to no customisation, display settings, save states or rewind options here – the game loads on a black backdrop and that’s about it. Proceed to step into the tall grass!
Both games, and the original Game Boy entries, are the core of what makes Pokémon, well, Pokémon. A ten-year-old kid wakes up one morning and is ushered by their mum to visit the town’s professor, a chap called Oak. This quirky fellow offers the barely awake child the chance of a lifetime: explore the world, joined by a team of up to six critters. Battle eight gym leaders to earn bragging rights, roam through infuriating caves and shoot for champion status at the very end.
Decades later and the games still very much capture a sense of adventure, of growth and – most importantly – friendship with colourful pixel pals. Battles plod along with the classic turn-based attack flow, and there’s a thrill of seeing which critter will randomly spawn in the tall grass. Yes, this reviewer spent a fair bit of time in Viridian Forest to catch the elusive pikachu. Because, well, it’s pikachu. That’s the allure of what makes Pokémon games so appealing – the discovery and the grind is worth the hours clocked up.
Mechanically the series has been refined in recent years – improvements on move classification and changes to make levelling up the ‘mons a little bit accessible. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a great example of the change – a solid army of battle-ready accomplices can be raised ridiculously quickly. In the case of FireRed and LeafGreen, the grind is very much real. Battle, swap out, battle, swap out. At risk of sounding like an old “fuddy-duddy”, this is how it was done back in the day. Despite the longer progression in these classics – the game’s pace, story-points and levelling up requirements are strong enough to make the grind worth it.
For the newcomer, the pair of games are a solid introduction to how the series works at its core – catch, battle, trade and build a solid team of six. It might be a slightly tougher ride overall, but there’s plenty on offer to keep the curiosity high throughout – discovering new critters, leaning about how Pokemon types play out, plus the real need to put in the hours just to get past those tricky gym leaders.
It is a shame, though, that the re-release doesn’t come with any major shake-ups to the core formula. Save states could have been a nifty feature, especially for the more intense and difficult battles toward the end of the game. Likewise, new areas to explore or minor settings changes – like more contemporary EXP share options, accessibility options for newcomers or even a mild randomiser option could have cemented the value of the asking price. Sure, there is an argument to be had that this may encourage exploits and cheating – but its surprising to see a paid re-release so barebones.
Yes, there is a price of entry to experience both FireRed and LeafGreen games. Unlike other Game Boy Advance titles included as part of the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) service, these two are standalone releases. It does come with the benefit of being able to access the titles without needing an active subscription, plus one-way connectivity with Pokémon HOME at some stage, so that’s that.
For completionists, one the biggest series-staples is trading. In the past it involved multiple Game Boy consoles, cables and friends. The latter a little tricky for this reviewer. Without exchanging Pokémon, there will inevitably be gaps in the Pokédex, which certainly will frustrate some players. The solution? A copy of Pokémon FireRed will also need to be bought to swap monsters between the two using local wireless. It is a shame that there is no online trading, though – a big, missed opportunity, especially in 2026.
