Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Reviews
A few weeks ago, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were relaunched on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. These games are almost direct ports of the original, with a few minor differences such as local wireless play and some special event tickets being available when you finish the game (for Deoxys, Ho-Oh, and Lugia). Despite the price, which we will discuss later, this is a great way to relive your favourite games from the GameBoy Advance era!
Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed are just like you remember them if you played the games on the GameBoy Advance, and honestly I think they are definitely worth replaying in 2026. If for no other reason, the nostalgia I experienced while making my way through the game has been phenomenal, and hours upon hours have passed as I trudged through Mount Moon, defeated Misty, talked with Bill, and so much more. Replaying these early Pokémon games reminded me of why I liked them so much. Pokémon back on the GameBoy Advance was so much simpler, and while I enjoy many of the mechanics that make modern Pokémon games so great, there is something charming and relaxing about revisiting a simpler time.
Going back in time does have drawbacks, however, as you quickly remember WHY you like modern games so much. Pokémon cannot be seen on the screen now, so encountering one is really random. Mount Moon, in particular, was as annoying as ever when I played through it on my first night owning this game. Every few steps it seemed like a new Pokémon was ready to fight me. In modern games, I can see the Pokémon and do my best to avoid them if I want to – not here. That does make these older games a bit more difficult, which I do think modern Pokémon games have lacked.
That said, the line between a more difficult experience and a more annoying experience is pretty thin. I do believe that overall the games themselves are harder, and require a bit more of a technical approach to complete. On the flipside, though, I miss things like automatic experience share, where all Pokémon get experience from a fight. In these early Pokémon games, only the Pokémon who participate get experience, which makes leveling up the Pokémon you want a much more tedious, and frankly annoying, experience. Grinding in Pokémon games still exists, but it is nothing like it use to be. And replaying these games made me remember why.
And yet, I still enjoyed the few dozen hours I played of Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed (my wife is playing this one). Since we both own the game, we can trade certain Pokémon back and forth, allowing us both to capture Pokémon not available in our version of the game. The one thing we were both a bit concerned by was the price. GameBoy Advanced games are available through the Nintendo Switch Online membership, and these could have easily been added there for no additional fee. That said, I understand that 1) Nintendo wanted this to celebrate Pokémon Day; and 2) not everyone has Nintendo Switch online, and there would be an equal number of concerned Switch users had that been the route they chose. It really was a lose-lose in my opinion. That said, we both felt that 29.99 CAD was a bit steep for what you got, especially since there isn’t really any new content for you to sink your teeth into here. It’s a port, and you either need to be OK with that or not.
Overall, though, I’m happy to have experienced this again, and despite the cost, it will be one of my more-played games in 2026. If you haven’t played these games before, I’m not certain this is going to give you the experience you want, especially if you grew up with more modern Pokémon experiences. But this is still a really great game that runs just a bit slower than others in the series; if you are OK with that, than snap one of these up!
Article By Adam
