Pokémon Red and Green’s GBA remakes are getting re-released on Switch for $20 a pop

February 21, 2026

Here's something that caught my attention — Nintendo’s re-releasing Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Switch at $20 each. And get this — these aren’t remastered versions, just straightforward ports, which is pretty surprising. According to Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica, these GBA classics are still considered the best way to experience the original Pokémon gameplay, fixing bugs and keeping things authentic. Nintendo announced that after their Pokémon Presents stream on February 27, you can buy these games separately, even if you're not a Switch Online subscriber. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — subscribers won’t get them as part of the usual GBA collection, which feels like a missed opportunity, especially since there aren’t many GBA titles on the service. As Cunningham points out, it’s a bit frustrating to see these ports sold individually at full price, bypassing the online subscription model. So, what does this mean for you? If you’re a Pokémon fan or just love classic games, it’s a chance to grab these titles directly — no subscription needed — but at a premium.

For my money, the 2004 Game Boy Advance re-releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are still the best versions of the original Pokémon games. They fixed most of the bugs and balance issues present in the originals—partly by also including the rosters from Gold/Silver and Ruby/Sapphire—but they're more faithful to the original gameplay, battling and catching mechanics, and graphics than the 2018 Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! adaptations for the Switch.

Someone at Nintendo apparently agrees, as the company announced today that 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 planned Pokémon Presents stream at 9 am Eastern/6 am Pacific on February 27.

Subscribers to the Switch Online + Expansion Pack are in for a disappointment, though. Instead of releasing FireRed and LeafGreen as part of the Switch Online Game Boy Advance collection, Nintendo will release both titles as standalone purchases that will run you $20 apiece. This means that players without a subscription will be able to buy and play the games. But given how few GBA games are available for the Switch Online service and how infrequently new ones are released, it does rankle to see otherwise unmodified ports of a prominent game bypass subscribers entirely.

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