Nintendo announces launch of Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen games | The Express Tribune

Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen have been officially announced for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, marking the return of the Game Boy Advance remakes as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

The Pokémon Company confirmed the titles during this year’s Pokémon Day announcements, revealing they will go live digitally immediately after the Pokémon Presents broadcast on February 27 2026. Both games will be available on Switch and Switch 2 at launch.

Originally released in 2004, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version were enhanced remakes of the 1996 Kanto games.

The Game Boy Advance editions introduced upgraded visuals, wireless connectivity features and expanded postgame content, while retaining the original journey from Pallet Town.

For the anniversary re-release, both versions will be download-only. Each game will be priced at $19.99 USD and £16.99 GBP.

Nintendo eShop listings confirm that Pokémon HOME support is planned. Connectivity will not be available at launch but is expected to arrive in a future update, enabling players to transfer their Pokémon into Pokémon Home.

The digital editions will also include the Pokémon Wireless Club, allowing players to trade, battle and chat with other trainers via local multiplayer.

The Sevii Islands, a seven-island postgame area that continues the Team Rocket storyline and unlocks Johto Pokémon after the Elite Four, will be included in the release.

In Japan, a premium collector’s bundle will be available through Pokémon Centre Online. The edition features a download card packaged in a recreated Game Boy Advance-style box with themed display items inspired by the original releases.

Further announcements are expected throughout 2026 as the series marks its 30th anniversary.

As in previous games, the player controls their character from an overhead perspective and participates in turn-based battles. Throughout the games, the player captures and raises Pokémon for use in battle. Based in the Kanto region, new features include a contextual help menu and a new area (Sevii Islands) the player may access after defeating the Elite Four and Champion. The games have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with the games.

The games received mostly positive reviews, obtaining an aggregate score of 81 percent on Metacritic. Most critics praised the fact that the games introduced new features while still maintaining the traditional gameplay of the series. Reception of the graphics and audio was more mixed, with some reviewers complaining that they were too simplistic and lacked improvement compared to the previous games, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. FireRed and LeafGreen were commercial successes, selling a total of around 12 million copies worldwide. Nearly two years after their original release, Nintendo remarketed them as Player’s Choice titles. The games are set to be released digitally for the Nintendo Switch on 27 February 2026, coinciding with the series’ 30th anniversary.

While FireRed and LeafGreen are remakes of Red and Green (Pokémon Green was only released in Japan, whereas the international variant was Blue), they contain usability enhancements such as a contextual tutorial feature, which allows players to look up data at any point in the game by pressing the select button. Additionally, when continuing a saved game, players are shown the last four actions they performed, aiding in remembering what they were previously doing.