While it got leaked a bit earlier, Nintendo officially came out to announce that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ports are releasing on the Nintendo Switch. This is not going to be like the other retro Nintendo titles on switch which only release for the classic online libraries.
Nintendo is celebrating the release of these games as a remake. The duology is releasing on the 27th of February, which is the same day that this iconic monster collecting franchise also celebrates its 30th anniversary.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 now released, the Pokémon series anniversary is hitting at the right time. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen seem like the first time towards some big announcements, and more news on games in the franchise that Nintendo had announced earlier.
History of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were released originally in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance handheld. So re-releasing it for a new generation of handheld users seems like the right thing to do instead of a full 3D remake, which the company had been pursuing with its older line of Pokémon titles.
FireRed and LeafGreen doulogy itself is a remake of the original Pokémon Red and Blue, released back in 1996. The re-releases were launched in Japanese stores in January 2004, and in North America and Europe in September and October 2004 simultaneously.
Now, fans will be revisiting these classics once again on February 27th. The games are already available for pre-purchase in the Nintendo eShop for $19.99 each. Lucky for those living in Japan, a collector’s physical edition has also been prepared.
What to expect in the upcoming Pokémon Presents
Our mandatory first Pokémon Presents broadcast of the year is here. The livestream is due on February 27th on multiple platforms. While there’s a lot to speculate about since we have entered a new hardware generation. Game Freaks is probably gearing up for the reveal of the next generation of mainstream titles.
The company had been under criticism for a whole decade for its dated visuals in modern Pokémon games. Everyone was blown away to see that the developer’s new AAA IP, Beasts of Reincarnation, which looks absolutely gorgeous and nothing like the usual popular monster-collecting fare.
A while back, unverified leaks of the next generation of Pokemon game were found on social media, which looked as if the games would finally be receiving their due upgrades. Only time will tell.
But beyond speculations, news of a game that we can expect for sure includes the upcoming life sim, Pokémon Pokopia, on March 5th. The game seems to be heavily inspired by other cozy Nintendo franchises, such as Animal Crossing.
