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Nintendo’s stated reason is the Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary. In its own words, it “thought it would be fun to return to the ultimate versions” of the original Kanto adventures, and it considers FireRed and LeafGreen those versions. The Switch releases are digital-only and standalone, and Nintendo has not given a business or technical reason for choosing the Game Boy Advance remakes over the originals.
What Nintendo has said
Nintendo of America’s FAQ answers the obvious question, “Why are you handling these classic games differently?”, with this statement:
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Pokémon Pokopia - Nintendo Switch 2 | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Nintendo Switch | $53.87 | Buy on Amazon |
“In celebration of 30 years of Pokémon, we thought it would be fun to return to the ultimate versions of the original Pokémon adventures in the Kanto region with these special releases.”
The FAQ also takes on the question most readers actually ask: “If these titles are meant to celebrate 30 years of Pokémon, why aren’t you releasing the original Pokémon Blue Version and Pokémon Red Version games that launched 30 years ago?” Its answer is that players “will appreciate the ultimate versions of those original adventures, which add various features and upgrades to the contents of Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version.”
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- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
- Use other Pokémon’s moves, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage, to revitalize and navigate the world around you.
- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
That is the whole public rationale. Nintendo frames the remakes as the better way to revisit Kanto, not as a replacement for the originals, and it does not explain the internal decision process behind the choice.
Why the Game Boy Advance remakes stand in for Red and Blue
FireRed and LeafGreen are 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes of the first Pokémon games. Nintendo’s Switch announcement refers to the source games as Red and Green, which were originally released in Japan in 1996. The Switch releases therefore sit one hardware generation after the originals, and Nintendo presents them as the upgraded editions of the same adventure.
| Aspect | Red and Blue (original Game Boy games) | FireRed and LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance remakes) |
|---|---|---|
| Original release | Red and Green in Japan, 1996 (per Nintendo’s Switch announcement) | 2004, Game Boy Advance |
| Nintendo’s description | The base adventure that the FAQ says the remakes build on | “Ultimate versions” that add features and upgrades to the contents of Red and Blue |
| Switch availability | Not announced; the FAQ says nothing is announced for other Pokémon titles in Nintendo Classics | Available now as individual digital releases on Switch, playable on Switch 2 |
Features Nintendo names as part of the rerelease
Nintendo’s announcement names the following as part of the rerelease context. The announcement does not give a per-feature comparison against the original Game Boy cartridges, so check any specific feature against the game itself before relying on it.
- Abilities and natures
- Weather conditions
- Held items
- Selectable player-character gender
- The original 151 Pokémon
How the Switch releases are distributed
The distribution model is the other half of the answer. Nintendo chose to sell the two games as separate digital purchases rather than add them to a subscription catalog.
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- Don the role of a Pokémon Trainer as you travel through Kanto
- Discover a new species of Pokémon with the Pokémon Lets Go series
- Catch Pokémon in the wild using a gentle throwing motion with either a Joy-Con controller or a Poké Ball Plus accessory, which will light up, vibrate, and make sounds to bring your adventure to life
- See the world in style by customizing Pikachu and your Trainer with a selection of outfits
- Connect to Pokémon GO* to transfer caught Kanto-region Pokémon, including Alolan and Shiny forms, as well as the newly discovered Pokémon, Meltan, from that game to this one
| Question | FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch | Nintendo Switch Online Classics catalog |
|---|---|---|
| How to get them | Buy each game individually as a digital download | Not planned for these titles, according to Nintendo’s FAQ |
| Subscription needed to buy or play | Not required, according to Nintendo’s FAQ | Not applicable to these titles |
| Physical edition | None; Nintendo says there will be no physical release | Not applicable |
| Online play | Not supported | Not applicable |
Platform and multiplayer details
- Nintendo lists the releases as playable on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
- Multiplayer uses local wireless play, which Nintendo’s product page specifies. Online play is not supported. Local wireless and online play are different features, so do not assume one implies the other.
- Nintendo’s US store listing for FireRed states compatibility with Pokémon HOME starting October 2026. Check the listing for the current status in your region, and do not assume that a Pokémon HOME transfer can be reversed unless Nintendo states the terms.
The sales figure
Nintendo reported more than 4 million units sold in the first six weeks for the two download-only games, in its May 2026 fiscal-year briefing. The figure is combined global cumulative sell-through across both titles, as Nintendo describes it. It is Nintendo’s own number and has not been independently audited.
What the announcement does and does not settle
Nintendo’s “nothing to announce” answer about other Pokémon titles is tied to the date of the FAQ. It means no announcement had been made about other potential Pokémon games in Nintendo Classics at that point. It does not rule out future releases of the original Red or Blue.
Nintendo has also not said why the GBA remakes were chosen over the originals beyond the anniversary and the “ultimate versions” framing. Explanations about licensing, emulation, technical limits, preservation or Pokémon HOME strategy are not in Nintendo’s stated reasoning, so they should not be presented as the company’s reasons.
For readers who need hardware, the games run on a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console. The purchase is a digital download only.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
