Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen remind me of a time when legendaries lived up to their name

There are a few gen 3 quirks that I had to take into account when preparing my review Leaf green on the switch. I knew I wanted to start with Bulbasaur, but navigating the combat mechanics of Gen 3 before the physical/special split in Gen 4 meant I needed types on my team that could deal both physical and special damage, and my modest nature Bulbasaur was the perfect option for a special attacker. Unfortunately, one aspect of Gen 3 that I failed to consider is the drastically reduced catch rates for Legendaries, which makes adding any of the legendary birds to my team feel like a monumental task.

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PSA: Most Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen players are using the wrong flight type

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen players largely sleep on the ideal Flying-Type creature for a playthrough and use an inferior Moon instead.

Pokemon legendaries were truly worthy of the title in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

• Articuno — Seafoam Islands

• Zapdos — Powerhouse

• Moltres — Mount Ember

• Mewtwo — Cerulean Cave

• Suicune — Roaming after the game (Charmander selected as starter)

• Raikou — Roaming after the match (Squirtle chosen as starter)

• Entei — Roaming after the game (Bulbasaur chosen as starter)

• Lugia — Navel Rock (mystic post-game ticket)

• Ho-oh — Navel Rock (mystic ticket after the game)

• Deoxys — Birth Island (post-game Aurora Ticket)

There are quite a few legendary Pokemon available in the Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenand the Switch edition makes these Legendaries even more accessible. The traditional Kanto legendaries like Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo are all present, and the legendary birds can even be caught before they beat the Elite Four. Fire red and leaf green also add the Gen 2 Legendary Beasts to the aftergame, and the Switch version also includes the previously event-exclusive Mystic Ticket that gives players access to Lugia and Ho-oh, as well as the Aurora Ticket, which gives access to the Gen 3 Mythical Pokemon Deoxys.

I have struggled to capture the legendary birds in leafy green

Image bv GameRant; Source: Bulbapedia and The Pokémon Company

My current roadblock to becoming Champion and completing my Kanto Pokedex is trying to catch Articuno in the Seafoam Islands. After defeating Blaine at the Cinnabar Island Gym, I decided to backtrack to Seafoam Island to add Articuno to my team before attempting to take on Giovanni's Ground Types at the Viridian City Gym. But I found myself woefully underprepared for this encounter, and it has reminded me of a hard lesson the modern Pokémon games made me forget.

What makes legendaries in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen so hard to catch

Image bv GameRant; Source: Bulbapedia and The Pokémon Company

I had gotten so used to Legendaries lately Pokémon games like Sword and shield or Scarlet and Violet with higher catch rates and more tools for success I forgot how insanely difficult catching legendaries used to be in previous generations. The legends of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have some of the lowest catch rates in the series, giving them a 0.4% chance to catch per Poke Ball without any modifiers. With modifiers like Sleep, Paralysis, or Freeze, and at 1 HP, a Legendary like Articuno has at most a 4.366% chance of being caught with an Ultra Ball.

While this sounds theoretically possible, it has been a struggle for me to actually get Articuno to stay inside an Ultra Ball. Even with these ideal conditions met, I've thrown Ultra Ball after Ultra Ball, then reset my game when I've run out, to no avail. Compared to a legendary like Eternatus i Pokemon Sword and Shield which has a 100% catch rate, or even the Treasures of the Ruin Pokemon Scarlet and Violet which has a slightly higher catch rate than Articuno, it feels like an almost impossible task that relies entirely on good RNG.

The other factor that limits my legendary catching ability Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen is the lack of a unique Poke Ball to help me. Fire red and leaf green include only the standard Poke Ball, Great Ball, and Ultra Ball, along with a Master Ball and Safari Ball, limited to the Safari Zone. While in modern generations, I can increase my chances of catching a legendary with a timer ball if the battle has been going on long enough, or a twilight ball if I catch one in a cave or at night. But in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreenI'm stuck with these basic options.

Today's Pokémon legendaries have lost some of their mystique

As much as I struggle to catch Articuno, I can appreciate how much of a challenge it proves to be. With all the comforts that modern offers Pokémon game to help the player capture legendaries, it feels like some of the excitement has been lost in the process. It's not as exciting or special to get a Legendary like Eternatus for free, or to be able to use a Timer Ball to drastically increase the catch chance of what would normally be a difficult Pokemon to catch, like Koraidon or Miraidon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violets Area Zero. Having to struggle to tame a legendary bird like Articuno with the barebones mechanic in Gen 3 hits in a way I've surprisingly missed the last few generations, and I'm glad Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen was released on Switch so I could be reminded of this bygone era of the franchise.

System

Released

September 7, 2004

ESRB

All 10+ / Mild fantasy violence, simulated gambling

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

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