[OPINION] Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Return on Switch, But the Pricing is Ridiculous

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Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have pulled yet another shameless cash grab by announcing digital ports of the 22-year-old Game Boy Advance remakes Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Nintendo Switch eShop. These games are set to drop on February 27, at a ridiculous $19.99 apiece, meaning $40 if you want both versions to trade properly like back in the day.

This isn’t some lovingly crafted remaster with quality-of-life updates, modern controls, or even the bare minimum like in-game language switching: it’s a lazy, pixel-perfect emulation that replicates the original 2004 release down to its limitations, complete with separate downloads for each language because apparently innovation is too much to ask.

No new content, no graphical improvements, no rewind or save states beyond what the ancient GBA hardware offered. Just a 40MB file you can preload via preorder and plug into Pokémon Home if you’re desperate to transfer your nostalgia-trapped monsters.

And get this: it’s not even coming to Nintendo Switch Online, where GBA classics could have been a cheap add-on for subscribers, instead, they’re gatekept behind this full-price wall, proving once again Nintendo’s allergy to fair value on their retro library.

It’s utterly greedy, especially when these exact games have been floating around for decades on every emulator under the sun. Free ROMs paired with apps like Pizza Boy or My Boy on your phone give you superior playability on the go, with fast-forward, shaders for that authentic CRT glow, unlimited save states, and none of the Switch’s Joy-Con drift risks or battery drain for a 40MB relic.

Why drop $20 (or $40) on a digital license you don’t truly own – Nintendo could delist it tomorrow when you can have it instantly, anywhere, without feeding their monopoly? This is Nintendo’s playbook: trot out decades-old titles like Luigi’s Mansion or Skyward Sword HD at full price with minimal tweaks, banking on fan loyalty to ignore how overpriced it all is, and history shows they keep getting away with it because too many players upvote the hype and hand over cash for “official” support they never asked for.

Sure, Japan gets a fancy merch bundle for $127, but that’s just dangling exclusivity to squeeze more – don’t fall for it. Skip this nonsense; your money’s better on actual innovative indies or upcoming titles that respect your time, not recycled greed masquerading as celebration for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.