A new rumour claims Nintendo is planning to re-release remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue on Nintendo Switch, with some peculiar caveats.
Between Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, Pokopia, and rumours of Gen X, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for Pokémon fans.
We’ll likely get the full scope of this year’s plans at the expected Pokémon Presents showcase on February 27, for Pokémon Day, but it seems like one announcement may have slipped out already.
According to several insiders, Nintendo is planning to release ports of 2004’s Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which were Game Boy Advance remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue games from 1996.
This rumour began with a known leaker named Khu, who has a spotty recent history with Pokémon leaks but has been accurate in the past. In a post on X, they shared the box art for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, with the caption: ‘They will return soon.’
This was later expanded upon by Necro Filipe, editor at Brazilian site Universo Nintendo. In a post on X, he claimed the two games will be ‘re-released as individual ports’ on Nintendo Switch, which will be sold as standalone titles, separate from the Game Boy Advance line-up on Nintendo Switch Online.
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There’s no details on a price or if there’ll be a physical version for Switch, but it’s said the games will be compatible with the cloud storage service Pokémon Home.
While it’s worth taking this with a grain of salt, releasing these two remakes does make sense as a way to toast Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
It sets a weird precedent, though, for for other classic Pokémon titles on the system, unless this is a one-off limited time release, in the same vein as Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
As seen with the recent remasters of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Nintendo isn’t shy about repackaging old games and selling them at a high price, so this wouldn’t be entirely out of left field.
There is currently no way to play classic Pokémon titles from the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, or Nintendo DS on the Nintendo Switch, although various entries did turn up on the 3DS Virtual Console.
Unlike Nintendo Switch Online, these were sold as separate digital downloads. As such, with Nintendo being very aware of how much money Pokémon titles can make, it perhaps makes business sense to release these games as standalone titles, outside of its subscription service on Switch – especially as Game Boy Advance titles are only available via the more expensive Expansion Pack tier.
We’ll have to wait and see if this rumour turns out to be true, but these aren’t the only games rumoured for Pokémon Day. Along with the next generation of Pokémon titles, Nintendo still hasn’t put a release date on Pokémon XD: Gale Of Darkness for Nintendo Switch Online, after it was announced last year.
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