• For my money, the 2004 Game Boy Advance re-releases ofPokémon FireRedandLeafGreenare still the best versions of the originalPokémongames. • They fixed most of the bugs and balance issues present in the originals-partly by also including the rosters fromGold/SilverandRuby/Sapphire-but they’re more faithful to the original gameplay, battling and catching mechanics, and graphics than the 2018Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee!adaptations for the Switch. • Someone at Nintendo apparently agrees, as the companyannounced todaythat it’s re-releasing those games for the original Switch (and, by extension, the Switch 2, though no Switch 2-specific features were announced). • The games will be available after a plannedPokémon Presentsstream at 9 am Eastern/6 am Pacific on February 27. • Subscribers to theSwitch Online + Expansion Packare in for a disappointment, though. • Instead of releasingFireRedandLeafGreenas part of theSwitch Online Game Boy Advancecollection, Nintendo will release both titles as standalone purchases that will run you $20 apiece.
Article Summaries:
- Nintendo has announced that the 2004 Game Boy Advance ports of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will be released for the Nintendo Switch (and future Switch 2) after a Pokémon Presents stream on February 27. The games will be sold as standalone titles at $20 each, rather than being included in the Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s GBA collection. This means non‑subscribers can purchase the titles, while subscribers will not receive them as part of the online library. The ports support local wireless multiplayer but not online play, and a future link to Pokémon Home has not yet been confirmed.
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