Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green arriving on the Switch: my opinions

On February 27 2026, on the occasion of 30 years since the release of Pokémon Red and Green, and the beginning of the legendary story of the Pokémon franchise, two older games will be released as digital copies on the Nintendo Switch: Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green.

There are many rumors around this special release,  and although many people have expressed complaints, sales remain strong.

 

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

The games will be released on the Nintendo eShop, and they are actual remastered versions, meaning that there are no changes from the original physical copies from 2004. They are sold separately and are not part of the Nintendo Switch Online service.
The retail price is around 20 euros, but it varies depending on the region.
 

The other thing worth mentioning is that the official Pokémon account shared on their Socials that the games are compatible with Pokémon Home. However, this statement was later deleted.

CONTRASTING OPINIONS

The articles I read, the short videos I watched, and the people’s posts focus on the same issues: the high price, the lack of a physical edition, the separation from the other GBA games included in the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue, and, of course, the doubtful compatibility with Pokémon Home. 
 

On the other hand, there’s a wave of Pokémon fans who bought (or are planning to buy) those games, who seem to be quite happy to re-experience some of the most appreciated Pokémon games.
Some of them have been criticized for it, stating that people who keep buying Pokémon games are the reason why there’s no evident improvement and less care in new Pokémon game releases.

In terms of sales, we notice nothing too shocking: Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green are selling well. Indeed, they are the best-selling games of this month on the eShop of several Countries, like Japan, Italy, and the UK.

MY PERSONAL OPINIONS

While I am basically a nobody with no real say on the Internet, I decided to discuss this topic since I am a long-time Pokémon fan and because it involves a GBA game.

 

1. THE PRICE

Many people said that the price is too high for an old game that seems to show no substantial difference from the original ones. For this very reason, some fans criticized the ones who bought the remastered games.
I believe everyone is free to use their own money the way they wish, and nobody should have a say in that.
On the other hand, it’s also important to make criticism, and it shouldn’t be interpreted negatively.

Personally, I think the price is indeed high, and if I didn’t have my Pokémon Leaf Green GBA cartridge, I still wouldn’t buy it.
The point is: who’s the target?

I can think of two main targets for these remastered games: nostalgic fans and younger fans.
Nostalgia sells, and that’s one of the biggest lessons this franchise has taught us.
Kanto, the first generation, Red, Blue, and Charizard are always a winning combination, and it draws back even all of those Pokémon fans who do not play every game, but simply want to replay their childhood game again.
Younger fans, instead, might only have this chance to legally play some of the best Pokémon remakes. Buying a GBA or a Nintendo DS with the original copies of the game is the only other option (and a better one, in my opinion lol), but it is more expensive.

Overall, it’s not a needed purchase, not only because all of Kanto Pokémon can be caught across the different Nintendo Switch Pokémon games, but also because there is already a Nintendo Switch Pokémon game based in Kanto: Pokémon Let’s GO Pikachu and Eevee.
There’s no need to say that it’s a totally different experience, but if someone misses Kanto, its Pokémon, and its story, those games can be a solid alternative.

 

2. NO PHYSICAL RELEASE AND DETACHMENT FROM NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE SERVICE

I am not an expert of remastered games, so I barely know the standards. For this price, a physical version would have been appreciated, given that many people like collecting Pokémon games. This re-release feels less special, despite marking 30 years of the Pokémon franchise.

In my opinion, what’s really worth discussing is the way these games were not included in the Nintendo Switch Online service.
I know that they are special games, since they are mainline Pokémon games, but they are also quite old.
If I paid for the service, I would be quite angry to know that one of the best GBA games isn’t included in the catalogue, and that I have to pay extra money.
Secondly, and more importantly, Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green being sold as normal games instead of being part of the GBA Nintendo Switch Online catalogue can bring important functionality issues.
First of all, are we sure they’ll have emulation tools?
Because if they didn’t have them, it would be particularly bad, especially when playing older Pokémon games with a fast-forward button is the standard.
Secondly, online compatibility. After reading the related FAQs, it’s clarified that there’s no online multiplayer mode, but only local wireless connection.
To this day, many emulators that can be installed on almost any platform give the opportunity to use emulation tools, and a few of them also implement multiplayer functions.

3.POKÉMON HOME COMPATIBILITY

As I reported above, The Pokémon Company announced that the titles would be compatible with Pokémon Home, but later removed the comment.
This doesn’t have to be interpreted as a change of direction or as a certainty of the incompatibility with Pokémon Home. Maybe they want to keep this announcement for the Pokémon Direct on February 27.
I expect these games to be compatible with Pokémon Home, given that even the Generation 1 and 2 Pokémon games released on Virtual Console on the 3DS in 2016 had Pokémon Bank compatibility.
If this isn’t happening, then there’s a big issue behind these releases: they really offer nothing much to the players. And, again, if someone needed the Pokémon from Kanto to fill their Pokémon Home boxes, buying Pokémon Let’s GO Pikachu and Eevee seems to be a better choice.