Sometimes Nintendo barely needs to do anything to remind people how powerful nostalgia really is. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are proving exactly that right now.
The classic Game Boy Advance remakes officially returned digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop earlier this year as part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebrations and the response has been massive. In just over a month since launch, the two games have reportedly sold more than 4 million copies combined worldwide.
That’s pretty impressive considering these are essentially straightforward ports of the original 2004 GBA titles. No major graphical overhaul, no huge gameplay rework, and in some reports, not even full online trading support. Just classic Pokémon brought onto modern hardware.
Even before release, FireRed and LeafGreen completely took over the eShop charts in multiple regions including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia. FireRed quickly claimed the number one spot while LeafGreen followed right behind it, outperforming many brand-new full-priced games despite both titles launching at $19.99.
A big part of that success obviously comes down to nostalgia. For many players, these games were their first real Pokémon adventure, or at least the version that introduced them to Kanto and the original 151 Pokémon. Being able to replay that experience on modern hardware without digging out an old Game Boy clearly has huge appeal.
Interestingly, FireRed has consistently outsold LeafGreen, which honestly probably won’t surprise anyone. Charizard remains one of Pokémon’s most popular mascots even decades later, and cover art still matters more than people think.
Of course, not everyone has been completely happy with the re-release. Some fans criticized Nintendo for charging $20 for what are largely emulated classics, especially since many hoped these games would eventually appear through Nintendo Switch Online instead. Others were disappointed by the lack of major improvements or modern online features.
Still, the sales numbers speak for themselves. At this point, it honestly wouldn’t be surprising to see Nintendo continue bringing more retro Pokémon titles to Switch in the future. Because if FireRed and LeafGreen selling millions in months proves anything, it’s that people are more than willing to revisit Kanto all over again.
