The release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch is the first time these Gen 1 remakes have been available on a console outside of their original Game Boy Advance release back in 2004. Although more recent Pokémon fans will finally have an accessible version of these classic titles, some long-time fans are questioning why these games are being released as stand-alone games, rather than included in the selection of GBA games available through a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription at no extra cost. As a result, Nintendo has started a new trend with its retro game releases on Switch and Switch 2 that it cannot easily go back from.
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company rarely release classic ports Pokémon games, with the other notable examples being Gen 1 and 2 games made available for purchase on the Nintendo 3DS. The introduction of classic game releases to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers created the perfect avenue for those games to be re-released on the Switch, especially after Game Boy Advance games were added with the Expansion Pack tier. Now that Nintendo has shown that it's possible for retro games to get Switch releases that aren't tied to an NSO subscription, the door is open for even more classics to have a one-time purchase option.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Version Exclusive makes which version to buy an obvious choice
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Nintendo Switch, and the exclusive versions make it obvious which one to buy.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's separate Nintendo Switch releases leave NSO caught between a rock and a hard place
Nintendo's explanation as to why Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are stand-alone releases and not part of the NSO library is strange, only to say that the company “thought it would be fun to return to the ultimate versions of the original Pokémon adventures in the Kanto region with these special editions.” This statement doesn't clarify why the games needed to be separate from the NSO collection of GBA games, but one theory suggests that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company likely didn't want players to abuse the rewind feature and Cloud Saves on NSO to duplicate or save scumbag Pokemon encounters. But having these two Pokémon games being the only retro Nintendo games to get standalone releases would feel strange, and now that Nintendo has given the green light for classic titles to appear outside of NSO, more games should follow suit.
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If Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen can be released separately from NSO, other classic games should have the same option
Obviously, this is a special case in terms of the justification as to why Fire red and leaf green was released separately; other games don't have the same emphasis on trading and community interaction as Pokémon. However, more games would likely benefit from being released as standalone titles, simply because giving players the ability to permanently own a retro game would give them access to that game even if their NSO subscription expires. The games offered to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers serve as a way to entice players to pay for the online service, but offering one-time purchases for specific games is clearly possible now that Pokémon lets go Fire red and leaf green individually.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch will reportedly not have online functionality, but will include local co-op gameplay for trading and combat.
Other classic Nintendo games that could get standalone Switch releases
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Other Pokémon Games like Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald
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All currently available NSO games
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Unreleased games like Mother 3
With Fire red and leaf green available separately from the NSO game library, it seems natural that the second Gen 3 Pokémon games would follow the same release style. Doing so would also allow Switch players to complete the Gen 3 National Dex, as not all Pokemon can be obtained in Fire red and leaf green. The other retro Nintendo and Sega games available on the NSO service are also obvious candidates for standalone releases, giving players the ability to permanently purchase any title they may have enjoyed playing on the subscription service.
The most exciting games Nintendo could release as standalone titles would be games not previously released outside of Japan, such as Mother 3. There is already precedent for this type of release, with Nintendo previously offering the original Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light as a limited release for the franchise's anniversary. Special circumstances aside, the wider library of classic games available on Nintendo Switch deserves to have standalone purchase options separate from NSO.
- Released
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September 7, 2004
- ESRB
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e
- Publisher
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Nintendo
